Konnichiwa! Sons of former OFW open Japanese resto in Dubai

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Three sons of a late Filipino crane operator in Japan has opened an award-winning Japanese ramen house and a pop-up store in Dubai, honoring the memory of their father who enjoyed eating ramen.

Raul "Touru" de Guzman, 52, the ramen house's executive chef; Karl de Guzman, 48, chief operating officer of the restaurant; and 43-year-old Nicolai de Guzman, chairman and chief design officer, spoke fondly about their father Elymer, who passed on in 2004 at the age of 54.

Elymer serves as the brothers' inspiration for their Japanese anime-inspired eatery that opened its first branch two years back.

He worked in the Saitama Prefecture for 10 years starting in 1988, when the three brothers and their big sister and eldest brother were young. He went home for good in 1998.

Japanese

"Bata pa lang kaming magkakapatid, na-impluwensiyahan na kami ng tatay namin about Japanese culture. Isa kasi siyang OFW sa Japan. So, growing up, nakukuwento ng tatay namin kung gaano kaganda sa Japan," says Nicolai, a banking and finance graduate in the Philippines.

(Even as children, we were influenced by our father about Japanese culture. He was an OFW in Japan. So, growing up, he would tell us stories about how beautiful Japan is.)

Nicolai arrived in Dubai in 2007 and worked as a graphic designer and a studio director before going full-time with their Japanese restaurant.

"Doon nagsimula ang fascination namin sa Japanese culture and tradition. Kaya doon ako nagkaroon ng interes sa manga at anime," added Nicolai, who is responsible for the ramen house's design.

(That's when our fascination with Japanese culture and tradition started. That's when I started to have interest in manga and anime.)

"Gusto kasi namin na parang isang journey [to Japan] ang pagpunta (ng mga customers) sa IchiRyu Ramen House [namin]."

(We want our customers' visit to our IchiRyu Ramen House to be like a journey in Japan.)

The chef

Chef Touru now has a chain on Japanese ramen houses in Cebu managed by his partner. He grew up and studied in Japan and later went into business in the Philippines in 2009. 

He arrived in Dubai in 2005.

"Nakakain kasi ako ng masasarap na ramen noong bata pa ako and ever since, pangarap ko nang magtayo ng sariling ramen shop. Nag-train sa isang Japanese chef at doon ako nag-specialize sa ramen," said Chef Touru, a graduate of electrical engineering and a ramen sommelier from the International Noodle Sommelier Association in Kagawa, Japan.

(I ate delicious ramen when I was young, and ever since, it has been my ambition to put up my own ramen house. I trained with a Japanese chef and that's how I got to specialize in ramen.)

"Ang ramen namin ay paitan, ibig sabihin creamy ang broth niya. Para ma-achieve ito, pinakukuluan namin ang manok with other ingredients for 16 hours para lumabas ang linamnam at lasa," Chef Touru, who also learned Nihonggo during his stay for two decades in Japan.

(Our ramen is paitan, meaning the broth is creamy. We boil the chicken with other ingredients for 16 hours for the flavors to manifest.)

They serve Aka paitan or red ramen, a favorite of Arab customers; Kotteri or chef's special ramen, a popular treat for Japanese diners; Shiro paitan or white ramen; Kaisen seafood ramen; and Tsukemen or dipping ramen.

Money matters

Karl, who arrived in Dubai in 2006 and worked with Nicolai as account director at an agency, handles the restaurant's money matters. He has a management degree.

"Yes, I quit a full-time job para mag-tayo ng sariling business (Yes, I quit a full-time job to open my own business)," he said.

The ramen house, so far, has four awards under its belt: Best Ramen Restaurant by the World Business Outlook 2025 held in Bangkok, Thailand last November 7; Arabian Best of Best Awards 2025 (Best Ramen Restaurant) in the UAE; The Bizz Awards 2025 (Excellence in Restaurant Services) in the USA; and Best Ramen Restaurant in the International Business Magazine Awards 2025 that will be held in Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai on December 7.

Celebrities

The ramen house has also been a go-to of stars from the Philippines who visit Dubai, among them are Jessica Soho, Kara David, Dennis Trillo, Jennylyn Mercado, TJ Monterde, KZ Tandingan, and SB19.

"Isa ito sa mga paraan ng pagtulong namin at pagsuporta sa Filipino community," said Karl. 

(This is one of our ways to help and support the Filipino community.)

He added that aside from Filipino celebrities, international stars have visited IchiRyu Ramen House like Psy, Korean rap star of Oppa Gangnam Style fame; Keiichiro Toyama, creator of Silent Hill; Pokemon voice over actors Rica Matsumoto and Mayumi Iizuka; and American singer and songwriter David Pomeranz.

The Japanese ramen house is located in Al Wasl. A second IchiRyu Ramen House recently opened in Dubai Marina.

The three brothers also have the Tako Ichiban House their second food brand, which is among sponsors of the Japan Festival 2025 in Jameel Arts Centre, Al Jaddaf Waterfront Dubai. — VDV, GMA Integrated News