A ramen restaurant founded by three Filipino brothers in Dubai has opened its first branch in Japan, completing a journey that brings the homegrown UAE brand to the country that inspired it.
IchiRyu Ramen House launched its Chichibu outlet on June 27, marking the brand’s first location outside the United Arab Emirates. The branch sits along Bamba Street, a cobblestone stretch in Chichibu, Saitama Prefecture, known for its mix of traditional and modern architecture. According to Expat Media, the site is a three-minute walk from the 2,100-year-old Chichibu Shrine and about seven minutes on foot from Seibu-Chichibu Station.
The opening caps a rapid expansion for a business that began in Dubai in 2022. IchiRyu was built on what its founders describe as the dreams of three overseas Filipino brothers — Karl, Nicolai and Raul “Touru” De Guzman — who turned a shared obsession with Japanese cuisine and culture into a restaurant brand. The chain is credited with introducing Bocchi Seki, Japan’s solo dining concept, to the UAE.
The De Guzman brothers operate IchiRyu as part of a wider portfolio of five companies in the UAE, which also includes Japanese food brand Tako Ichiban House, clothing label House of Hannya, events firm Okiru, and Kizuna General Trading, Expat Media reported.
The brothers spoke about their entrepreneurial path at the Philippine Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Business Expo in Manila on May 22, where they appeared on a panel titled “The Overseas Filipino Advantage.” Karl De Guzman, the brand’s president and chief operating officer, told the audience that age should not deter aspiring business owners. “I was 46 years old when we started our business but it’s never too late. If we did it, you can, too,” he said.
Nicolai De Guzman, chairman and chief design officer, urged entrepreneurs to concentrate on what they can influence. “Stop thinking about things you cannot control; especially with what’s happening to us in the Middle East now,” he said.
The brand continues to grow on both fronts. Alongside the Chichibu opening, IchiRyu is preparing a third Dubai outlet at Jumeirah Village Circle, designed around the aesthetics of Japan’s Showa era and slated to open in September. The company already runs two Dubai locations, in Jumeirah 1 and Dubai Marina.
