I finally had the chance to eat at the much anticipated, much hyped up noodle bar that is Ippudo. From the 400+ mostly positive reviews on Yelp to personal recommendations from friends, Ippudo had been on my list of restaurants to try for months now.
A group of us (friends from freshman year of college) decided to meet at the restaurant at 5:30 on a Friday evening for some ramen. I knew beforehand of the long lines that this place was infamous for, but fortunately for us we were seated as soon as our entire party arrived. I was greeted by a loud “Irasshaimase!” when I first entered into the restaurant bar area, and once again when we entered the main dining area. I loved the enthusiastic authentic Japanese welcome and the decor of the restaurant, especially intrigued by the ramen squares underneath the glass surface at the bar and the bowls stuck to the wall. I also discovered a tiny room in the basement on my way to the bathroom where a man was working at a machine thinning and slicing the flat sheets of ramen noodles. Awesome! :D
As with any restaurant I try for the first time, I decided to go with what the place was known for – ramen! I chose the Shiromaru Hakata Classic, which was “the original tonkotsu” soup noodles with sliced bamboo, simmered berkshire pork, kikurage, red pickled ginger, hard boiled egg, sesame, and scallions. The steaming bowls of ramen were brought out one by one by our waitress. At first glance, I was shocked and disappointed at the presentation of my bowl of ramen (since my expectations had become quite inflated). Everything from the pork to the egg and even the red pickled ginger were submerged in the soup, and I had to push all the ingredients to the surface for the photo. I had seen much better presentation at competing noodle joints Ramen Setagaya and Kambi. Despite my initial disappointment, I was still eager to eat.
I ate my meal with chopsticks, using a huge ceramic spoon to catch any falling pieces of noodle and ladle up the broth. The waitress looked extremely confused when we asked for a fork (and then later sugar for tea) for one of our party members. The thin ramen noodles were cooked al dente, just the way I like my noodles. The pork-based broth was rich and delicious as promised, definitely the part of the dish that differentiated this bowl of ramen from others I’ve had in the past. I finished my ramen quickly though, and was left wanting for more as I slowly sipped my soup. I tried some of the Akamaru Modern ramen too, which is the original tonkotsu soup noodles with Ippudo special sauce, miso paste, and fragrant garlic. I enjoyed that one a teensy bit more than the ramen I had. We ended our meal with a complimentary cup of hot tea as we divided up the check. We left the restaurant around 6:45PM, and there was already a long line of people waiting to take our seats.
Do I recommend Ippudo? Yes, for first-timers just for the Ippudo experience. Will I be coming back soon? Probably not, because $13 is a bit high for a bowl of ramen noodles that still left me a little hungry, as delicious as the soup tasted.
Ippudo
65 4th Ave
New York, NY
I've been told that a certain smile breaks across my face whenever the subject of food is brought up, a smile that radiates the purest forms of delight and happiness. Food transcends beyond the smell and taste of what's presented in front of me; it's an experience to be enjoyed, indulged, shared with those I love. Working and living in NYC continually opens culinary doors, from hole-in-the-walls to upscale (even stuffy) dining. I never take any morsel of food for granted, and I'm often THAT girl at the table found licking her plate at the end of the meal.
