Our Story
Three Brothers · One Dream
Three Brothers · One Dream
天下一品のラーメン屋
Built on the foundation of family, fuelled by the love for food, and anchored on the dreams of 3 overseas Filipino brothers, ICHIRYU Ramen House was born out of the passion for everything and anything truly Japanese by the De Guzman Brothers.
ICHIRYU Ramen House brings delectable Japanese cuisine with ramen at its very core strength. It also guarantees a visual feast for Japanese arts and architecture lovers together with anime and pop culture enthusiasts in general.
Bringing his 17 years of operations experience, Karl De Guzman has been living in Dubai since 2006. He brings to the table his expertise in project management and customer service as the President and COO of ICHIRYU Ramen House. Focusing on customer experience, Karl leads the operations group that ensures that every customer is given top-notch service and support at all times.
As President, Karl is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the business, ensuring that all departments are working efficiently and effectively towards the company's goals while guided by its vision and mission. This includes overseeing finance, manpower scheduling, HR, product development, and customer service.
He is also in-charge of ensuring that all safety protocols are being practised and maintained. Oversees staff training and management resolution (customer conflicts, staff performance, et al).
ICHIRYU Ramen House is led by the Head Chef and Chief Procurement Officer, Raul "Chef Touru" De Guzman. He grew up and studied in Japan. His passion for Japanese food and specializing in ramen started as early as 1989. He embodies "Nana Korobi Ya Oki" or "Fall seven times, get up eight." He believes that life is about never giving up on oneself and having the courage to push on no matter what obstacles come his way.
As the Head Chef, he oversees the operations of the restaurant and designs the menu that enhances the customers' culinary experience while ensuring the highest food quality. He is responsible for the day-to-day kitchen operations, food safety and for every food that comes out of the kitchen, from conception to execution.
The youngest, Nicolai De Guzman, is the Chairman and Chief Design Officer (CDO). He brings with him his 16 years of experience as a Studio Director for an experiential agency in the UAE.
A true-blooded-anime-obsessed collector, he ensures that every single corner of the store will be a visual delight to every customer regardless of age. Guided by the "Wabi Sabi" concept, he constantly finds beauty in the imperfections.
As the Chairman, Nico is responsible for leading the company in ensuring the business direction and goals are not only met but exceeded. As CDO, Nico is responsible for overseeing all the design and innovation aspects of the company's products and services, including product design, architectural design, graphic design, user experience design, industrial design, and package design.