I’m generally bored of the modern look these days but Ippudo Ippudo manages to have that clean modern look, without feeling stale. $13 and up seems steep for a bowl of noodles, but I figured I would just try it once.
My assumptions were all wrong. I was expecting a glorified version of the ramen packets you get at Asian markets…you know, those 75 cents dry ramen bags (which I admit I like), jazzed up with some pork and vegetables, served in a fancy bowl. Forget that image completely. This was a bowl of fresh chewy noodles in a rich and robust stock, richer than any Japanese soup I’ve ever had. I ordered the “Modern” version which has the addition of a garlic paste and Ippudo’s special sauce. It seemed like the perfect winter comfort food, a bit heavy for the current weather, but I was still impressed. A wonderful slice of Berkshire pork, seaweed, scallions, and pieces of minced pork all added to my enjoyment. It was something new to me.
I looked over at my friend Sara, enjoying the original recipe. The broth was rich enough on it’s own and more suitable for summer. You can see how both soups are opaque. It definitely makes you feel like you got your money’s worth.
The meal at Ippudo was enlightening. I had never had Japanese food like this before but I’m glad I now have. I will be back with Lon of course.
I have yet to try Ippudo and am dying to got there! I love ramen! Ramen Setagaya is one of my personal favorite places to have ramen, you should go check it out! It’s a really small place so it can get pretty crowded and usually always has a wait but it’s definately worth the while!
This is an unusual introduction to the world of ramen. For the record, the noodles they use are not what’s used in traditional ramen. These noodles closely resemble Chinese egg noodles.
The broth is way too rich for me. It’s like they melted the pork fat in there too. The taste is good, but for my heart’s sake, I can’t drink it.
Now that you’re hooked on ramen (please don’t call the Maruchan stuff ramen … to me, they’re called instant noodles), you have quite a few choices in the city to choose from.
It’s got good flavor, but I prefer more traditional ramen, more traditional prices, and more traditional wait times.
I’ll have to try this place just because it’s so close! I really like the ramen at Menkui Tei in midtown as well. I believe it was the Tonkotsu ramen that I liked – the broth is a pale color. I go here when I have lunch with my brother in midtown.
Thanks Wonders, will give Ramen Setagaya a try.
C, I am no ramen expert for sure. I was never that interested in it. However, I don’t think Ippudo’s noodles resemble Chinese egg noodles, which I am quite familiar with.
The broth is very rich but as long as I’m keeping up with my workouts, I think I’ll allow myself….
I also wouldn’t say I’m hooked on ramen but I will be more open to it now.
I’m also not a fan of lines, which is why I went during lunch, no wait.
Caroline, I’ll give Menkui Tei a try too while I’m at it….
Oops I noticed I named the wrong restaurant now. I meant Menchanko Tei! The names are similar, bah! 😛 And it’s the Hakata Ramen that I liked.
I’ve had ramen at ippudo, setagaya, menchanko, and rairaiken. if you take into account price, taste, ingredients, and dining experience, then RAIRAIKEN is #1!
the place is tiny and the “kitchen” is the restaurant. you sit on a round chair stool and depending on how big the person sitting next to you is, you might be sitting elbow to elbow. but who cares, service is fast and the cook reaches over and places a bowl of delicious ramen right in front of you.
the broth at ippudo is definitely more rich and flavorful but for me ramen is not supposed to be enjoyed in a fancy schmancy restaurant with rock music blaring out of the speakers.
My experience with XJ at Ippudo was more negative than positive.
I agree that the flavor of the broth, while very tasty, is almost on the verge of being too rich and salty. I guess they figured with the extra “quality” of the broth, they can charge an extra higher price. A bowl of ramen noodles should not exceed $10. An analogous situation would be eating Chinese food in midtown establishments like Mr. K’s. Chinese food should not priced at those levels.
Another major factor for our negative experience was the time spent waiting for a table, and the speed of the service. Granted, we dined at Ippudo during the first month or so when it opened, and everyone and their mother wanted to eat there. We waited over 1 hour for a table. When we were finally seated, we looked around and noticed at least 4 empty tables, that could’ve seated at least 12 people. Also, our waitress was not only slow in coming to take our order, but very slow in delivering our dishes. I chalked this all up to an inexperienced wait staff. But you’d think with the level of quality the management put into designing the ambience, they’d train the staff better.
Finally, for some reason the background music changed from enjoyable Japanese reggae, to heavy Rage Against the Machine. And it was played a decibel level that made our entire experience close to being awful.
Despite the quality of the food, and the probability that the service has improved, I probably would not go back to Ippudo.
Looks like I have a lot of ramen eating to catch up on….but I’ll postpone till winter since I’m not craving hot bowls of soup right now.
Xiu and Andy, Sara and I went during lunch so no wait, no rush, it wasn’t loud inside, can’t even remember the music, our waitress was fine….which does amount to a very different experience.
I think you can only blame yourself for standing on a long line though. You knew it would take that long.
I went to Rairaiken before and did not notice any differences in their ramen compared to Menchanko or Sapporo. At least I can taste a difference in the broth and the noodle in Ippudo. Maybe it’s due to the timing of our visit to Ippudo and they had significantly improved their service since they opened but I thought everything was above par. I do cringe at the price of their ramen but I could also see myself going there again during those cold winter months ahead.
Ippudo doesn’t taste the same way in Japan. The broth isn’t thick, but the noodles are still thin. I’m not saying that they are Chinese egg noodles, but the resemblance, style, and consistency are similar. My friend in Hokkaido who went to one in Japan and shared with me his experiences agreed. “Tampopo” is a classic tongue-in-cheek Japanese movie about ramen and some sensuality. It may be of interest considering the topic.
I meant that he agreed that it was thin. He also said it was very tasty and for only about 600 yen. We’re getting fleeced. 🙁 I’ll have to try it out when I go to Tokyo in Aug.
C, I think Ippudo is a chain from Japan, and there may be difference between Ramen places in Japan too. While I have no authority to say whether Ippudo is authentic or not, I do think the noodles and broth taste good, and yes, ultra rich, again, perfect for winter months.
I’m so jealous of your trip to Japan. I’m dying to to go!