In the time-honored tradition of excellent Japanese eateries, Pikaichi is tucked away in an unconventional location and requires either a little know-how or a long-lost treasure map for the uninitiated to discover it. Located in Allston near Boston University, the restaurant is situated snugly between the Super 88 market and an eating court that offers pan-Asiatic cuisine. Indeed, Pikaichi is small in every sense of the word: The one-room restaurant can seat no more than 20 people, the prices are low and the menu is relatively simple. Anybody willing to brave the Green Line all the way to Packard's Corner will likely pass through the side entrance (flanked by two lion statues), accessible via the world's most poorly designed parking lot.
Pikaichi has a pleasant, almost luxurious atmosphere. The walls are dark red, and one side of the restaurant features a painted dragon. Small pictures of smiling food and more traditional Japanese-style paintings hang on the walls along with a stray "Attack on Titan" (2013) poster signed by somebody from a Boston animation expo. There is a laminated sign on one mirrored wall that currently reads, "Word of the Week: Samui Ne, 'It's cold cut.'" The whole thing feels cozy, familiar and surprisingly comfortable. The service is exceptional; the waiters greet you in a friendly manner, take your order in a timely fashion and are extremely courteous. A hole-in-the-wall restaurant that could get by on its grungy allure alone, Pikaichi deserves some serious credit for its impressive staff.
With its whimsical interior, vaguely mysterious location and superb service, the only thing left to evaluate is Pikaichi's food. The eatery offers a small assortment of items, including six different kinds of ramen that use, according to their menu, six-ounce custom-made noodles instead of the five-ounce industry standard. It is their Jigoku Ramen that really draws the eye with its blazing red picture on the menu. But tread lightly; the dish is known for its extreme spice (and its occasional inclusion of seafood), and Pikaichi's Jigoku Ramen exemplifies standard. It is as if the bowl itself is furious with you - the spice is an onslaught on the taste buds, bite after outrageous bite. All the ingredients are soaked in broth, so nothing can save you. The pork provides no respite, the noodles no relief. It is impossible to express the culinary ambivalence that ensues as delicious agony coats your mouth. Diners will find themselves descending through the nine rings of a flavor inferno. In between generous sips of water, you could easily find yourself wondering why your food hates you. The menu claims that they use a "special shrimp hot oil," but there's no way to know what demonic shrimp this blistering concoction was created from, nor is there any way to truly understand just how spicy it is without actually trying this devil ramen.
For all its bluster the Jigoku Ramen is still very tasty, though the noodles - so proudly touted in the menu - are probably the weakest aspect of the entire meal. They are cooked al dente and, consequently, lack the light, springy consistency of normal ramen noodles. This really doesn't do the dish any favors; however, with its extreme spice, the Jigoku is certainly still an experience. For those who prefer less exhilarating experiences than the Jigoku Ramen, Pikaichi does offer standard, non-heart-palpitating options.
Like many other small ramen restaurants, Pikaichi operates under limited hours (11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. for lunch, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner) with a small one-hour break for its staff between lunch and dinner. Walking in around 4 p.m., diners can find the waiters sipping ramen themselves between orders. Though service will always be cordial, it would definitely be wise to arrive at this small, hole-in-the-wall joint on the early side in order to procure a table.
