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Call it what you want — Yokato Yokabai Ramen House or Ichi Go Ichi E. Whatever the case, the second spot from Imadake frontman Kevin Fung officially opens April 4. The restaurant on Rachel, between Drolet and Saint-Denis, has endured the mother of all soft launches, in part because of alcohol permit delays. Ichi Go Ichi E has been mute on social media as a result — see here and here. Then, today, there was this, a sign of life under the Instagram handle Yokato Yokabai Ramen House (and not under the registered business name Ichi Go Ichi E). Either way, it looks like the Plateau has itself a new ramen restaurant, with homemade ice cream to boot.
Update: this tortuous blog post explains that Yokato Yokabai is located "in the Inchigo Ichi [sic] epicurean complex, [sic] Yokato Yokabai specializes in authentic Hakata Tonkotsu style ramen from the Hakata in the northern region of Kyushu [?]; which is also where the name of the restaurants [sic] derives from. 'Yokato Yokabai' is a literal translation of a term that means 'I like it'." Okay then.
Status: Yokato Yokabai Ramen House, 4185 Drolet, 5 to 11 p.m. seven days a week, certified open.