Tag: ippudo

Review: Ippudo Westside, New York

~ Frank Cioffi
In the lower level of a West Side brownstone, Ippudo Westside is a welcoming location.

A bowl hitting all the right notes at this lively, comfortable restaurant.

Reading my reviews lately you’ll know many of my recent ramen experiences have found one element of the bowl lacking. That’s why my return visit last week to Ippudo’s Westside New York restaurant was such a pleasure.

Open counter seating and cozy bar area in addition to seated tables.

This is a restaurant suitable for date night. You enter into a separate cozy bar area. The restaurant seating is split into a U-shaped counter facing the open kitchen, with comfortable padded-with-back stools, and a separate table area. It was a lively scene, with the place filled on a early Wednesday night.

Main ramen dishes. Other menu items too many to show here!

There’s a broad menu of appetizers, side dishes, drinks and sake. This had me concerned that the ramen might get compromised. Not the case. I ordered the Akamaru, a version of their basic tonkotsu ramen that adds garlic oil and their umami paste. I had to order the egg separately.

Akamaru Shinaji ramen.

The bowl presentation wasn’t as elegant as the menu photo, but any concerns disappeared after my first taste. The broth was wonderful, perhaps a lighter version of their creamy tonkotsu, filled with flavor and a lovely lingering aftertaste. As the garlic oil and umami paste slowly blended with the broth, it had a light spice kick and added a deep richness. The noodles were wonderful, thin and cooked perfectly al dente with a subtle but distinct flavor.

The two very thin slices of chashu had good pork flavor and nice fat content. The egg was perfect. The menma, crunchy. This is the bowl of ramen I was hoping for, each of the elements executed well. It solidified the Ippudo chain as a high standard of ramen well above the oft-compared Ichiran.

QR code menu cube, but orders and payment taken by your waitperson.

The menu is provided via QR code on a creative wooden cube. Thankfully your order and the final check are handled by a waitperson. Service was friendly and professional.

Ippudo is a major, well-regarded chain in Japan and worldwide. I’ve been to Ippudo in Osaka and in Berkeley several times. Aside from one mediocre Berkeley experience, I’ve always been impressed. I had eaten at this NYC Ippudo seven years ago and remember being similarly impressed with the ramen and attention to details.

This trip to New York was short and I visited Ippudo on my last day. I wish I had gone sooner as I would’ve returned to try another bowl. Clearly, this is a very successful spot for Ippudo. On my next New York trip I’ll be back.

Ippudo also has NYC locations in the East Village, 5th Avenue and Brooklyn.

https://www.ippudous.com

Ramen Club 5-Star Rating System:

Food:                                   4.00 stars    

Service:                               4.00 stars

Atmosphere/Comfort:        4.00 stars

RATINGS LEGEND:     1 star: weak     *    2 stars: just ok     *     3 stars: good     *     4 stars: very good     *     5 stars: superb or special      *

Review: Ippudo Ramen – Osaka, Umeda

~ Frank Cioffi

Tonkotsu simplicity shines at this well-known ramen chain.

In Ramen Club we tend to focus on a broth’s complexity and largely base our ratings on that characteristic. More, deeper and surprise me have been my guiding principles. My bowl at Ippudo shifted my outlook solely based on the broth’s simplicity. 

Ippudo, known as Hakata Ippūdō or Ippudo Shiromaru Base in Japan, is a restaurant chain with locations worldwide (Paris, Sydney, London, Beijing, among others). Ippudo is known for its tonkotsu ramen, and has been described as “the most famous tonkotsu ramen shop in the country,”  though I can’t seem to source the origin of that description!

Friendly staff!

I visited Ippudo’s Umeda location in Osaka and was seated immediately at the counter. The vibe was friendly and the seats were well-padded for extra comfort (just like in NYC’s Ippudo). I started with their bite-size kyoza. Excellent! Perfect crispness on the skin, delicate wrapper and luscious filling.

A very comfortable counter seat, just like in Ippudo NYC.
Light, crispy delicious gyoza. Beer please!

I ordered the tonkotsu ramen. The presentation was simple and, at first glance, unimpressive. My first taste of the broth brought me back to my NYC Ippudo experience: simple, creamy, rich tonkotsu. Not complex, but delicious with good umami mouth feel. 

Tonkotsu ramen at Ippudo, Osaka

The noodles were thin, firm and flavorful. Chashu was very good. Onions and burdock root strips were what you’d expect. A no frills, perfect bowl of tonkotsu ramen. The number of condiments that were available caught my attention and I started experimenting to good effect toward the end of the bowl. 

I love those condiments!

Sidebar: My fellow Ramen Clubber, Michael, believes a bowl of ramen should be eaten and judged exactly as it came out of the kitchen. He thinks condiments are a crutch. I only partially agree. His is a European perspective that certainly applies to continental cuisine. The more I learn about Asian food, however, the more I realize that condiments can be an integral part of the meal, not a fix. 

Tonkotsu is arguably the most popular style of ramen, so I can understand why Ichiran and Ippudo, both of which hail from Fukuoka (the originator of tonkotsu) are so well-known. My prior review assessed Ichiran’s tonkotsu as respectable, but not great.  I’d give the clear edge to Ippudo, which takes this basic dish to a much higher level. 

Ippudo U.S. website: https://ippudo-us.com

Ramen Club 5-Star Rating System:

Food:                               4.0 stars

Service:                           3.75 stars

Atmosphere/Comfort:     3.75 stars