A Japanese Mercenary Enters Noodle WarCan New York support a troop surge in the ramen wars? A Chowhound poster recently reported that an Ichiran ramen shop would open in Greenpoint. While Ramen Setagaya and Momofuku vie for soup-bowl supremacy, Ichiran, one of Japan’s top ramen chains, is making its entry in an area better known for tenements and pork stores.