I haven't made it over to Ichiran, but have hesitated over the price. It's $19 for a standard bowl which is pretty ridiculous especially given it's location (Bushwick). That does include tip, but even a soda is $5...
The author mentions having to wait in a 20 minute queue in order to get to the door.
The prices are just reflective of basic economics.
They need people like you to hesitate at the cost, otherwise their queue would be even longer, making for a more frustrated customer base, and their business would suffer.
Well, you can always simulate this at home ^_^; my recent lifestyle changes (buying and renovating a home built in 1910, i.e. I'm cash poor right now) have resulted in my eating one of a variety of tasty Asian instant noodle dishes for lunch. As long as you're willing to spend a buck or two, here are some of the more unusual favorites I've found, besides the standbys of Sapporo Ichiban (although the Shio + some sesame oil is a new favorite there), and of course Nongshim's very spicy Shin Ramyun:
Nongshim also has a seafood Neoguri with "Udon Style Noodles" (i.e. they're a bit larger than normal); if you like seafood, this is worth trying out. They also appear to take pride in not using MSG, at least in the produced in the US stuff, so if you're sensitive to that their products are worth checking out.
Myojo sells an Ippeichan Yakisoba Japanese Style that's very tasty, and this style has no soup base. Rather, they have clever packaging that allows you to cook the noodles and vegetables (and a lot more of the latter than any other type I've come across) in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain them without losing any of the food. Then you add a spice pack, a Worcestershire sauce based sauce, and mustard mayonnaise (why didn't we think of that??), the entire combination is wonderful.
They also sell a good Tonkatsu ramen, but as of late I haven't been able to find it for less than $3/pack and that's too much.
Moving further away, A-Sha Dry Noodle sells a variety of "air dryed", no preservative so the best buy dates don't tend to be more than 6 months out by the time you get them, noodles with sauce packets. You cook the noodles like pasta, 1.5-5 minutes depending on size, drain, then add the sauce packet. Mala spicy chili is great, as is spicy "BBQ" as in Sha Cha flavor if you like that, as I do, Mandarin is basic but good, the sesame oil and paste packets are a disappointment, but readily fixed by adding some sesame oil.
Moving even further away, you can get straight from Vietnam some solid attempts to make instant pho from Vifon, beef and chicken, and these have distant expiration dates because the noodles are rice, and the oil is essentially limited to a 17 calorie packet of spiced palm oil. Not really like the good pho I enjoyed in Arlington, VA, but there are hints of that, and they're worthy in the own rights.
Ask for links and I'll put up ones from Amazon, Walmart.com and A-Sha's storefront, although the Nongshim Neoguri in family packs is now on the shelves of my favorite Wal-Mart Supercenter in rather small Jopin, MO (!!!). Then again, it's really good stuff, and we really like our fish here, e.g. Bass Pro Shops world HQ is only 70 minutes NE on I-44 in Springfield, MO, now Missouri's 3rd largest city.
