Editing Ramen (section)

==Restaurants in Japan==
[[File:Ichiran in Shinjuku Kabukicho 2018.jpg|thumb|A ramen restaurant in Shinjuku Kabukicho]]
Ramen is offered in various types of restaurants and locations including ramen shops, ''[[izakaya]]'' drinking establishments, lunch cafeterias, [[karaoke]] halls, and amusement parks. Many ramen restaurants only have a counter and a chef. In these shops, the meals are paid for in advance at a ticket machine to streamline the process.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/ramen/|title=Ramen 101 |last=Organization|first=Japan National Tourism|website=Japan Travel|language=en|access-date=2019-06-25}}</ref>

However, the best quality ramen is usually only available in specialist {{lang|ja-latn|ramen-ya}} restaurants. Some restaurants also provide ''[[Halal]]'' ramen (using chicken) in Osaka and Kyoto. As {{lang|ja-latn|ramen-ya}} restaurants offer mainly ramen dishes, they tend to lack variety in the menu. Besides ramen, some of the dishes generally available in a {{lang|ja-latn|ramen-ya}} restaurant include other dishes from [[Japanese Chinese cuisine]] such as [[fried rice]] (called {{lang|ja-latn|chahan}} or {{lang|ja-latn|yakimeshi}}), ''[[gyoza]]'' (Chinese dumplings), and beer. {{lang|ja-latn|Ramen-ya}} interiors are often filled with Chinese-inspired decorations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/a-guide-to-ramen-in-japan/|title=Ramen |last=Organization|first=Japan National Tourism|website=Japan Travel|language=en|access-date=2019-06-25}}</ref>

From January 2020 to September 2021 during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], many ramen restaurants were temporarily closed, with 34 chains filing for bankruptcy by September 2020. Ramen restaurants are typically narrow and seat customers closely, making [[social distancing]] difficult.<ref name="returnramen">{{Cite news|last=McCurry|first=Justin|date=2020-11-13|title=Return of a ramen pioneer gives boost to Japan's Covid-hit restaurant sector|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/13/return-of-a-ramen-pioneer-gives-boost-to-japans-covid-hit-restaurant-sector|access-date=2020-11-13|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>