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Astor Place (6)
8th St-Broadway (R, W)
3rd Ave-14th St (L)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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my fiancee: so where did you go to dinner with your friends?
me: ippudo
my fiancee: that almost feels like you cheated on me.
porkbun, kakuni and akamaru modern.
ive been here about three or four times already. the only thing…
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I was visiting NYC and my friend decided to bring us to Ippudo for lunch on Sunday. Since I read multiple yelp reviews beforehand, I knew we were going to have to wait for a looooonggggggggg time. We put our name down, walked around the neighborhood and finally found a waiting spot inside the restaurant. Good thing we decided to wait inside instead of standing outside because the hostess did not go out to announce the opening of a table. She just announced it from the stand and if your party couldn't hear her call your name, then I guess it's your lost.
We all ordered the Akamaru Modern Ramen. The broth was incredibly flavorful, the noodles were done just right and the pork was melt in your mouth delicious! Definitely worth the hour wait!
Tip: For all your garlic lovers out there, remember to ask for extra garlic. They give you fresh cloves and a garlic press so that you can put as much as you want in your ramen.
I was never into this search for the ultimate ramen place....until I got to NYC. This place has indeed one of the best ramen I've tasted in a while. How and WHAT makes a bowl of ramen so damn good? Is it the milky broth with its texture and flavor? Is it the perfectly soft yet firm noodles that go into each bowl? Is it the mildly hot but just enough to blow once and slurp it all up? Or is it that extra thin slices of Chasu that accompanies the bowl, depending on what you order? I might have to say, in this case, it's all of those. Ippudo managed to excel at each and every one of those characteristics in a good bowl of ramen.
We had dinner here on a saturday night and the wait was a little long. I got to grab a few beers at the bar, but once our names were called, it was gametime. We had the agadashi tofu, pork chasu bun, which was really tasty.
I had the special ramen with fish and chicken broth, my friends had the classic and modern chasu, and another was daring to go for the black halloween...ballsy.
This place has a wait, but honestly, its worth it in the end.
House made hot sauce...$2
Pork buns...$8
Spare Ribs...$10
Bowl of Akamaru Modern ramen with pork belly...$18
Not being able to take home what you paid for...priceless
My first trip, not knowing the reputation of Ippudo, I was unhappy with the wait time and sticker shocked by the price.
For the second time, I went in with a much more prepared mindset. Spare ribs and the pork belly was definitely the highlight (therefore 2.5 stars). The pork buns could have done without the mayo. $2 for "housemade" hot sauce (we easily overlooked it), but I've had the same exact hot sauce all over Chinatown. And guess what?...you CAN'T take home what you can't finish. I understand that doggy bag is generally found in Europe, but we're not in Europe! Thanks for the lame excuses, Ippudo. So for $18 ramen, I sat there, unbuttoned my pants and finished my ramen. Thanks, Ippudo!
If there's a next time, I'm bringing my own tuppeware and hot sauce.
We lucked out on the wait and had the best ramen I've ever had. The "Modern" w/ a side of their spicy sauce is where it's at. It hit the spot on this winter night, and I was definitely full after slurping my entire bowl down. I am contemplating having a birthday dinner here and I need to try all the ramen options and some of the apps too.
But in a word: Delightful.
Another one of those 4/5 star straddlers. In the end, the ramen won out and I had to push for 5. The unctuous broth cut as deeply into the noodles as it did in my stomach. Going through a bowl of the richest kotteri ramen is a feat. Coming from LA, I've had a lot of ramen to compare to, and I still think Ippudo is one of the best.
The downsides are mostly related to the price ($16) and their strange restaurant policies. I came here after picking up a half-dozen momofuku cookies. They didn't allow outside food so they confiscated my cookies. I can understand that; it's petty, but it's understandable. What bothered me more was the inane pork bun policy. At the bar, you order the pork buns individually for $4 each. Once seated though, the pork buns only come in orders of two for $8. We had a party of three and they didn't allow us to order three pork buns. The table next to us later had the same problem. The six of us should've just split three orders.
I'll admit the food wasn't terrible. The pork buns are pretty good actually. The wait is a little ridiculous. 45 minutes at 6pm on a Tuesday?
The prices are outrageous - $18 for ramen with some pork belly? Ok fine, if I must. But you won't let me take it home??? We got some song and dance about how they want you to experience the ramen with ambiance and don't want us to steal their recipe. My friend explicitly told them she wanted to get naked with the ramen later (no really, she said that) but no dice.
They were 4 stars until they forced my 95 pound friend to stuff 6 pounds of noodles in her face for fear of wasting money. Won't be going back.
The wait can be bad, but I highly recommend "standing" by the bar window and ordering your appetizers there (if your party fits). You will get the food and drinks a lot faster from the bar. Take a look at the menu while you're at it. Then when you get seated, you can order ramen and sides.
Wait Efficiency, simple as ABC. Appetizer, Bar, Choose entrees.
Highly Recommended the Akamaru Modern 'the original tonkotsu' soup noodles with Ippudo's special… Read more »
Went to Ippudo NY for the first time yesterday, at the recommendation of a friend. I've tried a bunch of other ramen places in the area, but none as good as Ippudo!
I've been warned about the wait, but I think my boyfriend and I lucked out because when we got there (around noon on Sunday), it was only 5 minutes for us! Was it worth the wait? Absolutely! At that point I probably would have waited up to 45 minutes for the bowl of awesomeness that I received.
After reading previous reviews, I was also ready for the shouting from the servers and cooks -- that's just the Japanese way of greeting you (and thanking you for your patronage upon leaving).
For Appetizers, we started with the Fried Chicken Wings, and a plate of Cha-su. The thinly sliced cha-su was fabulous! A perfect sneak peek into what was to come with your ramen in a little bit. It was presented beautifully and tasted just as good as it looked. Next to come out were the chicken wings, three decently sized wings seasoned with black pepper and a sweet sauce that didn't overtake the crispness of the fried wings. (If you dont like pepper, don't order this app. My boyfriend can't really eat spicy food and the amount of black pepper they put over the wings was a little much for him. I, on the otherhand, LOVED it :)).
After Apps were done, next came out our bowls of ramen! Boyfriend had the Akamaru Modern, and I had the Aka Miso Ramen. I'm very picky about my noodles and I must say, these were the best noodles I've ever had at a ramen place! Both broths were amazing, but I'm certainly more partial to my pick :D I took my sweet time, making sure I found every kernal of corn that was put in my bowl. Boyfriend is usually a slow eater but he finished his ramen in record time!
Afterwards, we also tried the dessert since everyone else was getting it too. We ordered the Matcha Creme Brulee. It's definitely a lot of green tea. Once you get over how green it is, its actually a nice touch after eating a lot of savory goodness :) Perfect way to end the meal.
So how long is the wait here?
Let's put it this way... if you're supposed to meet somebody outside the Union Square/14th St. station, but you're a stupid tourist and you end up getting off at 14th St./7th Ave. instad (and obviously didn't even take the right Metro line), if this person were to walk clear across town to come retrieve you (since you don't know your way around and it's cold and scary outside) and together you walk back all the way from the way way West Village to the freaking far East Village and arrive at your destination some unknown amount of time later, you'd STILL be waiting.
Yeah, about that long.
BUT, I'd like to say that it's actually worth it. 'Til there was Ippudo, I'd never "dined" on ramen. However, ramen is one of my most favorite foods ever, so to have it served up pretty and posh in an upscale restaurant every once in a blue moon is actually a treat. I was quite happy with our meal here.
Started off with the avocado and tofu tartare (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), garnished with "kelp beads" and served on a bed of clear rice noodles, two sauces on the side. Wouldn't have been my first choice, but it was different, in a good way. I was especially a fan of the sesame sauce.
For the main course, I ordered the "Shiromaru Hakata Classic" (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), while new friend tried the "Akamaru Modern" (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). True to its name, mine was quite the typical standard flavor ramen; the Akamaru is a little different, and comes with a meatball-looking thing on top (I think it's just the special sauce). The noodles here are straight--sort of the same width and look of soba noodles (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). Yet their consistency is straight up ramen. Yum.
I am glad though that I didn't spend the entire wait in the cramped entrance area... though the art in the front is pretty cool, one can only stare at a bunch of bowls forming a bowl for so long (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The bathroom though is quite the art show! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
This is long over due, but I just wanted to say thanks Ippudo for such a lovely meal. It took us three tries to actually come here, but I'm so glad we did. The noodles are homemade, and the broth is delicious. It was soooo good, that even my bf ate his whole bowl...which definitely says a lot since he doesn't care for noodles. I don't think he slowed down once from the time it was set on the table to the time he slurped up his last bite. Our group ordered the appetizer sampler, but it wasn't as memorable as the noodles. Who can resist a steaming bowl on a cold winter night??
Tip: If you ever get the chance to go to Ippudo in Tokyo. DO IT!!! I thought i had tasted heaven here until I went there. It's 10 times better...but how can that be?!! You just gotta see for yourself.
Put our name on the list for a party of 6 around 8pm. There were SO many people waiting and finally got a table an hour later. The hostesses were super nice and always had a smile when we asked how much longer our wait was.
The pork bun was delicious - though it does look like the chinese pork bun they serve in restaurants, I felt that the meat was more tender, and it had a more americanized spinoff. Pretty delicious but not out of this world. The bun seemed freshly made.
Got the Akamaru Modern as suggested by other yelpers and the broth was delicious. The traditional #1 meal had broth that was more pork flavored and tasted like Daikokuya back in LA. I wasn't too impressed with the noodles as they were a bit harder than what I was accustomed to, however, when you eat it you can tell it was fresh. You can order extra noodles for $2, which is a small bowl's worth. They recommend you order it after you've finished your noodles so that it's still fresh, versus damp and hard after it's sat in the bowl.
Our waitress was very short with us and gave us attitude, but I'm assuming it was just her personality and that it's not the same for other patrons.
Ramen is something I can get in LA, so I wouldn't recommend coming here if you want to experience NY. Perhaps a lunch here as I heard that the lunch wait is much shorter than dinner.
Seriously, Ippudo serves up Miso Ramen Heaven!!!
But, they need to STOP YELLING RIGHT NEAR CUSTOMERS' EARS!
Yes, we get it that they are suppose to give customers a near authentic Japanese vibe with confirming order calls, customer welcomes and such. But, these food-servers (especially the older Japanese lady) need to use some common sense. To the servers: If you happen to be serving a customer his or her food, please hold off your yelling until after you finished placing the food down and stepped away from that customer. This also includes being right behind customers when walking around.
Ok, I'm still giving this place 4 stars (-1 star for the near-proximity yelling) because the ramen and especially the soup is really that good. I'm super picky about soup since it's my favorite food, and this soup is over the top "Bad to the pork-bone." I really appreciated and could taste the amount of time and effort that went into making that broth/stock. This place sets the standard for how deep, rich and full-flavored miso ramen can be without punching you in the face with salt. The ramen noodle itself was perfectly sized and cooked with a nice level of al-dente.
Surprisingly for me I've never ever eaten up all of my soup (usually due to its high saltiness) in any ramen shop I've ever been to before, but this place was my first. By the time my noodles were gone, my soup disappeared. Kudos to the masters in the kitchen for getting the ratio of awesome soup to noodles perfected.
In the end, it was a pricey meal at $13 per bowl (or $16 for the set), but that's how much awesomeness costs. My Food Awesomeness Meter registered 100% on this meal.
P.S. I'm afraid to say Ippudo beats & pulverizes my former miso ramen champion Santouka in L.A.
Heard great recommendations about this place as well as all of the positive reviews on yelp, so I had to come here for the ramen while I was in NY!
Be prepared to wait or have a snack before hand, because this place seems to be super packed at night and for a large group of 6 or more, it was about an hour and 15 minutes.
Once you enter the restaurant, they have a cute little bar in the front where you can hang out, grab a drink and wait for your table. I like the bar because it's nicely decorated with this huge ball hanging from the ceiling as well as a bunch of bowls attached to the wall. When you are being seated, the servers and cooks greet you with an authentic welcome in Japanese.
As for my meal, since I wasn't too hungry, I ordered the pork buns and split the spicy ramen with a friend. We thought that we would still be hungry, so halfway through our meal, we also ordered an extra bowl of noodles. Once I took a sip of the delicious soup base, I knew I came to the right place! The noodles were a little bit harder than I prefer, but they were still good. The egg was really yummy as well. Overall, we were both pretty stuffed!
Overall, I thought the ramen had a lot of flavor and pretty good but just a little bit pricey for noodles. I think I'd still come again because I enjoyed the ambiance, the service and the food!
A long, long wait but well worth every aching stomach growl. I dragged my bf out to try some ramen noodles (even after he complained about the expensive bowls of noodles). We both enjoyed every last slurp.
When you enter the restaurant, there is a nice hostess that highlights and writes the names of each guest that enters or is seated. Even with all the craziness, she has quite a good system going. When we were finally called for our table, a waitress came to escort us. We walked to the back and all you heard was the waitress saying something in Japanese and then an echo of a few men at the stove hollering back. It appears to be their way of saying "welcome".
The soups were delicious!!! They provide you with a soup spoon as large as a ladle - very interesting way of drinking soup. Our waiter was very nice. He made great suggestions and told us what additions went well with what soup base. I enjoyed my meal! I would definitely go back, but only when I'm not starving. Wait is forever.
I know that an entire army of people have already rated this place, but out of honor and respect I must give it an official review.
I love this place with all of my heart. It has become not only my favorite ramen spot in Manhattan, but also my favorite restaurant period.
Ramen is amazing and I love how there is a new special on the menu everytime I go. I usually go for it and am never disappointed. I love the al dente noodles and the broth.... oh man the broth...
Just to top it all off I can't forget about the pork buns. My girlfriend and I have contemplated coming here one time and creating a meal out of 4-5 orders of pork buns, but we can never do it... that ramen is too tempting
LOVED LOVED this place! pork buns and Ramen enough said...Pork belly was cooked to perfection! the yelling in japanese don't let it freak you out..i have no idea what they say, but me and my friend ended up screaming with them....they keep screaming..like...arigatooooooooo......over and over again..its kinda cute! didn't really bother me!
Service was great, watiress recommended topping for our ramen! And the bar, had ramen noodles cased in glass..that was really neat...very original! I'll be back for more ramen and pork belly!
The ramen is to die for! I ordered the "Akamaru Modern: 'the original tonkotsu' soup noodles with ippudo's special sauce, miso paste and fragrant garlic oil, slices of simmered berkshire pork, cabbage, onions, kikurage & scallions." The broth was delicious! Although I thought it was pricey for ramen ($16), the ingredients were fresh. The pork was tender. Don't add extra soy sauce for those of you who add it to everything. You don't need it. Eat the ramen as is. I chose the combo ($19) that included a side salad and a side dish of eel on rice. It was just $3 extra for the combo. You could pick your own sides. The salad dressing was tasty. The restaurant was busy but service wasn't bad. I was warned there would be a long wait for lunch but we were seated in 10-15 minutes for 2 people. I'm addicted and a fan of Ippudo.
Screw the noodles. Just give me the shinomaru broth. And a syringe.
I was lucky enough to be invited to the soft opening...everything on the menu (minus drinks) was on the house. To be quite honest, the only thing worth getting is the ramen, which, despite the price, is good enough to muster up four stars. The other side dishes (marinated beef, pickled veggies) are okay but vastly overpriced. I haven't been there in quite some time only because the wait-times have gotten longer and longer.
Well here's the story. I'm new to NY and wanted to meet my cousins up for a meal at the infamous ramen house Ippudo. I knew what I was getting into ahead of time based on the yelp reviews and showed up 20 minutes early so we wouldn't have to wait SO long. But maybe they have that overdeliver kind of attitude...you know the...I'm going to tell them its 1 hour 45 minutes but really its just 45 minute wait and so they'll be happy.
Anyway, luckily it was even shorter than 45 minutes for a table of 5, we waited about 30 and got seated. They were nice enough to call us as we were contemplating outside to grab some other cuisine down St. Marks street (I mean 1hr 45 min? riiiidiculous!) Once seated, in this amazingly large booth, we were immediately brought waters and looked at the menu salivating.
Everything was tasty, we ordered the pork buns, ribs, edamame and entrees were the ramen. Most of us ordered the Modern and my husband ordered the Classic. He ordered "extra noodles" but was very full at the end (and hes not a tiny guy!) The pork buns were good (but Momofuku is better). I didn't have any of the ribs but it looked good drenched in sauce and spiced on top. The broth was very rich and the noodles were yum.
At the end of our meal we were served hot tea and we all walked out the door with smiles on our faces.
Last night I died and went to pork belly heaven. This is my obituary:
A girl with a penchant for pork belly finally convinced her boyfriend to endure the long wait at Ippudo. They thought they were being smart by arriving at the restaurant at 11:45PM in order to avoid the notoriously long wait. They still waited 30 minutes to be seated for a midnight dinner.
They shared a bottle of Orion brew at the ramen-decorated bar before being escorted to a round communal table amidst the hustle and bustle of the dimly lit dining room. The ramen chefs all cheered boisterously as they entered. Dhale and bf thoroughly enjoyed the chic vibe of the dining room which elevated the ramen experience to a whole new level.
The Fatty McFatFats ordered the Pork Hirata Buns, Samurai Pork Ribs and the Kakuni Pork Belly for starters. Oh, and a side of the cucumber salad to ease the guilt of consuming so much pork belly. As they bit into each morsel, their bodies were transcended into a euphoric state. So tender, juicy and moist with just the perfect balance of fat. Even the cucumbers did not disappoint. Cool and crisp with a lovely hint of sesame chili oil.
After 4 courses of appetizers, they decided to split a bowl of the Akamaru Modern with, of course, pork belly. The broth's explosion of flavors induced an eye-closing-moment-of-silence from the couple. Rich and savory but never overpowering the natural essence of the soup. Generous portions of perfectly crispy pork belly floating atop the magical broth like little edible life preservers. And endless threads of al dente ramen to bring this symphony together. It was mind blowing.
They came home and laid their bodies down for the most satisfying food coma in history.
OMG!! We came here yesterday. We were told that the wait was 1 hour and 45 minutes!! We were crazy enough to do it. Waited at the bar and they had happy hour from 5pm to 8pm from Monday- Thursday. I ordered the Lychee Martini and it was strong but very yummy!! Definitely got me chillin and buzzed for the night.
I guess a lot of people didn't want to wait so we ended up getting a table within 45 minutes, which isn't bad at all. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. Ordered the infamous Pork Hirata Buns and I really didn't think it would be that good... but boy was it YUMMY!!
I ordered the Akamaru Modern Ramen and the noodles came out al dente. Oh and the Berkshire pork was very good. I think the "special sauce" in the broth makes the ramen so different than the other ones I have had, it had a deep savory flavor. I wanted to try the matcha crème brulee but we ordered the almond tofu instead which was light and tasty. I guess it means that I would have to return. ;)
The overall ambiance was very intimate and cozy. Lighting was dark but it pulled everything together. This is a great place to have dinner with a group of friends or your significant other. The chefs and wait staff would yell when customers arrive and when they leave, which makes the place inviting and fun!!
Curious to test the hype, I went to Ippudo for lunch last Saturday. Party of 2, we arrived at about 1pm and after a 10 minute wait were seated at a communal table.
Food was good, but my bowl of ramen, the classic, had only one piece of meat in it. If I'm paying $14 for a bowl of broth with some noodles, I expect at least a generous portion of meat, one little piece, inexcusable.
While the broth was deep, rich and satisfying, it does not warrant venturing across town and waiting hours in line for.
Service was excellent, our waiter was nice, as well as the rest of the staff there. I guess you're paying for the name and the decor at this place.
Great food, totally worth the wait. Stick to the bar and grab some apps and drinks, the cherry blossom drink is amazing.
Decor is really cool too!
BRING YOUR OWN TUPPERWARE.
Not worth the hour wait, the overpriced menu, the attitude, loud atmospher and the fact that they won't allow you to take any of your remaining ramen soup home.
I was raised in Hawaii and ate a whole helluva lot of ramen growing up and i always take home part of my ramen to eat for breakfast the next day. Setagaya, Rai Rai Ken, Kambi - all in East village, all appeal to my little Polynesian quirk nicely, thank you very much. But NOOOOOOOOOO uppity, noisy, attitude ridden Ippudo tells me that they don't have any such vessel for me to transport the remainder of my soup home in because reheating will jepordize the quality of it. I think she who is paying for the food should be the one making that judgement call. Well does that mean i only need pay for what i ate if you won't let me take home what i'm paying for?
I WILL NOT EVER GO BACK THERE!
As an answer to the question of: Ippudo v. Momofuku?
This is pretty much a wash, and it will usually come down to the common denominator on two factors: Ramen and Pork Buns.
When it comes to Ramen, there is no question that Ippudo rocks the house. Great flavoring, Great sides to accompany it. The accouterments really add a nice texture to the experience. Unparalleled in my opinion. Momofuku is a tad bit on the salty side, and is only saved by a hefty portion of their pork. Their broth is nothing to write home about, and if I did, my mother would ask me why I'm writing about such crappy Ramen.
BUT, it can never be mentioned enough how incredible the Pork Buns are at Momofuku, which places them leaps and bounds in front on this end. (I realize that I've capitalized "Pork Buns" here, and when you make something this good, you give it the due respect.) It has a great layered taste, lingering after you've bitten trough the thick piece of pork belly seasoned to perfection. Ippudo's pork buns are puny in comparison and smothered with sauce. In my not-so-humble opinion, sauce smothering is the lazy man's seasoning. (I remember an old Schoolhouse Rock bit on not drowning your food, and I believe that it has profoundly affected me to this day.)
Sadly, or in my opinion, not so sadly, I recommend you check both these places out, and love that you live in a city with such incredible dining. If you're still up in the air about which is better, well then, I guess you'll have to just flip back and forth and eat at both locations over and over and over and over and over and over . . .
Incredible Ramen, Fun atmosphere, and a full array of options to accompany your meal make this place… Read more »
IPPUDO! IPPUDO! IPPUDO!
Long lines, dark lighting, noisy crowd, and overpriced ramens (i swear for my $13 dollar ramen, they probably make $12.50 profit....Ippudo, come on)
YOU know as well as I do that the BROTH costs nothing when you make it for thousands of people and YOU know the noodles cost like 10 cents a person...
But all this does not change my love for Ippudo because no experience ever beats a nice soothing broth going down your stomach as you chew your noodles, vegetables and pork belly at the same time.
Their pork belly is the best i've had in the field of japanese ramens. No joke, it MELTS in your mouth. It's like pork belly chocolate or something...it's unreal.
Next time u visit NYC, circle Ippudo as a MUST-Go-AND-Stuff-My-Face restaurant.
As a ramen-lover, I was so excited when this place first opened up.
The first few visits were just to die for - soooo delicious!
Then as what happens with most restaurants, they lost their touch. Either the master chef who came over to train all the others has left the country, or they just started slacking.
My favorite - the Akamaru - is still delicious, but I rather go sit at the bar and have some of those AMAZING pork buns, sip some sake, and call it a night. :)
If you read any of my reviews, you'll know I'm a recovering vegetarian. I also grew up thinking pork was unkosher and therefore, just not something I should ever eat.
Fast foward to a few weeks ago when one of my friends and suddenly had a soup craving while walking around the city. Luckily we were 3 blocks away from Ippudo, where she'd tried to go before, but couldn't stand waiting hours to be seated. At 5pm on a Sunday, the wait should have been 45, and we were seated within 20. She insisted we get the pork buns... which were AMAZING.
Then, the ramen. DAMN. Just plain incredible. So filling and totally umami.
What can I say... Best Ramen outside Japan? I don't know for sure... but it was good, very good. The broth flavor transcends your mouth to another place.. far far away from the mad trendy crowds and load burst of Japanese welcoming each new customer. These guys know there stuff, and everyone seems to know it. I can hold the 100 min wait against them... they are popular, that's fine. We put our name in and went to get a drink, came back and had a beer at their bar, watched the bartender squeeze grapefruits... she is good.
We tried both the classic and the Akamaru Modern... Both were outstanding... I think I preferred the classic though. Nice pieces of pork belly floating upon a greasy white broth. I can honestly say, these soups made me some how drunk. I felt in a warm cozy place for another hour after leaving the restaurant. 14$ each... Worth the wait if you plan accordingly.
Say what you want, it's already been said before...
Yes, the waits are too long; yes, Ippudo NYC is super trendy; no, this is not the most traditional Hakata tonkotsu ramen, neither is Ippudo the best bang for the buck.
There is, however, a reason that Ippudo singlehandedly popularized Kyushu-style tonkotsu ramen across Japan, and is still going strong (just opened their 39th location on the West Exit side of Yokohama station). For better or worse, Ippudo was solely responsible for elevating ramen from a working man's fast food to something more special; I rarely visited Ippudo while living in Japan for 5+ years, because I, too, love those cheap, hole-in-the-wall Mom and Pop ramen shops. I lived in Kyushu during high school, very close to Hakata, where Ippudo originates from, and 3+ years in Tokyo, and Ippudo's ramen, though not the most traditional, certainly competes with the best ramen anywhere in the world, period.
And Ippudo NY is something different entirely- the largest, most upscale and busiest Ippudo (and the only one outside of Japan), Ippudo is the King of Ramen, not only in New York, but anywhere in the Western Hemisphere, and probably outside of Japan for that matter.
The noodles are skillfully hand-crafted fresh every morning in the basement, the true-to-taste tonkotsu broth is superb (and somehow they've managed to all but entirely do away with the acrid pork fat smell so ubiquitous to Kyushu ramen, which may leave some dismayed, but is certainly an accomplishment and welcomed by North American diners), and Ippudo NY features a full appetizer/entree list, as well as a full service bar, sake list, etc.
Even in Japan lines often stretch out the door and down the street; and none of the Japanese locations have a fun bar area with a cute bartender and great drink specials to help pass the time while waiting.
Give up and just go- great service, delicious food, fun atmosphere- this isn't your Mom and Pop ramen shop, this is 21st Century, gentrified ramen with a trendy twist, and there's a reason everyone loves it.
This place was decent. Actually, above average really. I think it's just because I've heard soooo many great things about it, that my standards were flying sky high.
The soup base was great, I wasn't used to the noodles. Wouldn't say it's the BEST ramen outside of Japan b/c everything I've had back in Vancouver was much better. Like, leaps and bounds. For the set lunch, it came to about $20. Which IMO, is hefty for ramen?
I have eaten at Ippudo twice so far, and I can honestly say that the ramen is pretty good. Is it the BEST ramen in town? I can't really answer that. However, the ambiance is nice and they really did try their best to give visitors the best "ramen" experience when they designed this restaurant.
Two of the negatives that I can think of are:
1) The long wait. I know that this is probably one of the trendier and more popular ramen places in town, but waiting an hour for ramen might be considered unreasonable to some.
2) The prices. Yes, the ramen was good, but paying $12-$13 for a bowl of ramen can be quite steep. The last time I went there, the bill came out to about $100 for a party of 2. This included drinks, appetizers and ramen.
Overall, definitely a place to check out!
Salty, fatty goodness! Got there at about 6:30p last Thursday. We were quoted an hour and a half wait so we went to a nearby bar for 2 happy hour drinks. We decided to check back after 45 mins, and viola..were were next to be seated. I honestly think they inflate the wait time to build some hype and suspence.
Anywho..got the pork buns, the ribs, and the Akamaru Modern. All are MUST HAVES. The pork buns were the best i've tased. BF said they tased like a BLT though lol. The Ribs were so tender and flavorful. The Modern was a little salty though, but overall great flavor. didnt add anyting to it.
Overall i'd say go to Ippudo at least once. Its a cute place to take out of towners, and though $14 bucks for ramen seems rediculous...overall, its pretty reasonably priced.
First impression of this place: wait was kinda long but employees were very welcoming and very enthusiastic. Enjoyed the atmosphere, had a very homey feeling. Lighting was perfect, not too dim nor bright. I was hesitant on spending $13 on ramen but there's a first time for everything and I didn't regret a single penny. Food was awesome, never had ramen like that before. I would definitely come back and try out the other stuff on the menu.
I would drape myself in their pork belly side if it was socially acceptable. Tender and soft like butter, oh so delicious and only an extra $3.
Only 3 stars though cause the wait was really long (even while getting a little tipsy at the bar) and the ramen was just a-okay. Had a much more memorable bowl at Mitsuwa across the river. Probably would've been more satisfied ordering a bowl of rice and 3 of those pork belly sides. Atmosphere is nice, I guess, but dark and service was friendly but unremarkable. Would go back if I didn't have to wait so damn long.
Honestly, I hate this type of atmosphere. Long lines (though not when I went), posh, loud music, dark lights, and overpriced. Maybe the NY scene is too much for me but I felt like I had to eat my ramen really fast.
I got the Akamaru Modern which has their Ippudo broth plus some miso broth (I think). My friend described the broth as "creamy without the cream" and that's precisely what it is. It even had some red paste in the middle that mixed in well and really enhanced the depth of the broth. I liked the noodles, I liked the meat. Very satisfying.
My ideal ramen joint is the mom 'n pop shop that I would love to just chill and relax in. But for good ramen, I'll stop by Ippudo sometime.
This place was so hyped up for me before I got to try it, that I thought for sure I was going to be disappointed... but NOPE! No disappointments here. The only annoying thing is that there is always a damn long wait. This still remains the top place that I want to take my boyfriend to, we tried last time but the wait was something ridiculous. But if it were up to me, I say the wait is worthwhile.
The ramen and the damn pork buns are so DAMN GOOD that it makes you want to cry. How can noodles be so good??? It makes you wonder...
The soup is delicious, rich, and sooo so so satisfying. The pork is nice and tender.
The pork buns are a MUST get for your appetizer. The buns are soft and fluffy, and the pork is just right amount lean vs fat. Flavoring is amazing.
I LOVE this place with all my heart (and mouth), but I really really wished they would expand it into a bigger restaurant.
I was expecting a lot from their pork buns and was left feeling disappointed. Maybe it's because Momofuku's version is my idea of pork-laden sublime. Maybe I'm an extra picky pork bun enthusiast. Who knows; but what I do know is Ippudo's version drenched in spicy mayo and iceberg lettuce just didn't ring true for me.
Pork buns aside, I loved the décor of the bar area. The use of ramen on the bar itself is fabulous. I would love to try and build something similar as a coffee table with the ramen under glass. The noodle bowls as display pieces on the walls were a nice touch too and it was an easy place to just hang out at the bar.
It was extremely busy on a Sunday evening which leads me to believe that the ramen is probably amazing, however, those pork buns are no comparison to what Momofuku is creating just a few avenues over.
BOYCOTTING Ippudo until they bring back Kogashi Miso Ramen. Please support me on this one.
Its such a sad day - I cant get this Ramen anywhere in NY. I need to fly to Tokyo to get GoGyo - the best Kogashi Miso out there.
Very garlicky, but quite good. I really appreciate the sesame seed grinders on the table.
The Akamaru…
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Happy Hour!
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
now serving on sundays!
Neighborhood: East Village
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: East Village
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Category: Japanese
Edgewater, NJ
Category: Japanese
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