Fans of flavor in Fayetteville, N.C., are already familiar with Chef Yohei Kamiya (Chef Yohei), the powerful personality behind Ichi-Kaku 一角 Ramen Japanese Restaurant.

Since opening its doors in March of 2022, Ichi-Kaku has been providing authentic Japanese street food, tonkotsu ramen and teppanyaki, bringing inspiration and tastes from his original home in Nagoya, Japan, to Fayetteville. 

In April 2021, Yohei moved his family from Charlotte to Fayetteville with the intention of purchasing and taking over another ramen restaurant. He worked there while preparing for the transition, but after months of discussions, the deal ultimately fell through. With his entire family already relocated to Fayetteville, simply returning to Charlotte was no longer a realistic option. Then, at what felt like the very last possible moment, Yohei happened to find the location that is now home to Ichi-Kaku. According to Yohei, it felt almost like a miracle, and he knew this was his only path forward. He took the opportunity and made the decision to open a restaurant of his own.

That spot, 350 N Eastern Blvd, in Suite 200 near downtown Fayetteville, would become the longtime home for Ichi-Kaku. Starting with just Yohei himself with the support of his family, the restaurant has grown to employ 17 staff members to keep up with increasing customer demand. 

Although Yohei handled nearly every part of the restaurant’s daily operation when Ichi-Kaku first opened, he emphasizes that he was never truly alone. His wife, Tara, supported the business by managing many of the important operations behind the scenes. His sons, Alex and Max, were still young at the time, but they helped clean the restaurant and wash dishes. His daughter, Michelle, provided emotional support and encouraged him throughout the difficult process of starting the business.

Yohei’s father, Hiroshi, also came from Japan to celebrate the restaurant’s opening and support his son. Together, the family believed in Yohei’s vision and gave him the strength to keep moving forward. For Yohei, Ichi-Kaku is not something he built entirely on his own—it is something his family supported, endured and built together.

 “Fortunately, we’re growing every month, just gradually. At the beginning it was just myself, next I hired one person, next two people, then four, five, six so we just keep growing,” shared Yohei. 

Social media has also been very kind to Yohei and his restaurant. Since starting the restaurant, Yohei has primarily utilized the Ichi-Kaku Facebook page to advertise his food. Today, the page has grown to over 12,000 followers and is the main way word has gotten around. 

“Some media hooked me up, and he posted on the Facebook Foodie page. He interviewed me on the phone because it was COVID time anyway. And I told my story; I’m from Japan, my job history, I worked in restaurants for 25 years, and it was a good post. So people were curious [about] my restaurant. I made my Facebook page from zero, but after that post I got 5,000 followers,” shared Yohei. 

Now the restaurant is celebrating four years in business and a recently hit milestone of 1,000+ Google reviews with 4.8 stars speaking on behalf of the menu and dining experience before customers even walk through the door. 

“Google reviews are like our report card. Sometimes people ask friends to leave a five-star review; I don’t do anything like that. So now we have 1,000 reviews, and I’m really happy about that,” shared Yohei. “Four years, it’s a really small restaurant. I just keep going and doing my best, so I’m really happy about that.” 

Yohei has certainly made a name for himself in Fayetteville, with regular customers he recognizes and orders he can recall from memory. 

“That’s my service and my personality. I’m always friendly, I’m always welcoming. They are customers, but they’re also our community. I’m always telling my team, ‘It’s about the community.’ It’s casual, welcoming vibes; that’s what we need to create,” shared Yohei. 

Chef Yohei is inviting the community to join him for the fourth annual Ichi-Kaku Ramen Eating Contest and block party returning to 350 N Eastern Blvd on Sunday, Nov. 15. 

Applications will open from Oct. 1- 23 for five challengers ready to eat their hearts out to be crowned the champion for 2026. More information will be available in the coming weeks on the Ichi-Kaku Facebook page. 

Learn more about Ichi-Kaku on their website here.