Ippudo - Simply, Was It "Worth It?" Part II (New York City)

Ippudo

On an earlier post during my earlier visit to Urasawa, I asked a simple question: Was the meal "worth it?" In regards to Urasawa, it was worth every penny I spent that night for dinner. Now the scene shifts to New York City's famous Japanese ramen restaurant: Ippudo. Although I've heard of stories where people wait over an hour to be seated here, especially during the winter season, my friend and I thankfully were seated immediately upon arrival.

Dining Room at Ippudo

After my friend and I looked over the lunch menu, we decided on the lunch set ($16), which included a choice of ramen, a rice bowl "don," and a small salad. After all the hype surrounding Ippudo, I was finally there to enjoy it! My friend decided on the Ippudo's famous Akamaru Modern with a Nitamago (Seasoned soft boiled egg, $2) added, with a roasted pork rice, while I went with the same ramen, but with a fried chicken rice bowl.

Top: Roasted Pork Rice. Bottom: Fried Chicken Rice

First, we were given our two rice bowls. I was able to try both and I preferred the fried chicken version a bit more than the roasted pork. I wasn't too keen with the spicy mayo used in the roasted pork version. Although both bowls had nice flavors and we were given ample portions of the meat, the rice bowls didn't quite stand out. I hope the ramen would stand out relative to these rice bowls.

Akamaru Modern

I wish I took more pictures. More pictures of the ramen, the nitamago, the noodles, but alas, I was too focused with the bowl of "soupy" (is that a word?) goodness placed in front of me. This was the main attraction, one of the reasons I was willing to pay more than $20 for ramen, Ippudo's famous Akamaru Modern.

The Akamaru Modern is a "tonkotsu" style ramen, which from wikipedia states:

"Tonkotsu ("pork bone") ramen usually has a cloudy white colored broth. It is similar to the Chinese baitang (白湯) and has a thick broth made from boiling pork bones, fat, and collagen over high heat for many hours, which suffuses the broth with a hearty pork flavor and a creamy consistency that rivals milk or melted butter or gravy (depending on the shop). Most shops, but not all, blend this pork broth with a small amount of chicken and vegetable stock and/or soy sauce. Currently the latest trend in tonkotsu toppings is māyu (マー油/麻油), a blackish, aromatic oil made from either charred crushed garlic or Sesame seeds. The noodles are thin and straight. It is a specialty of Kyūshū and is often served with beni shoga (pickled ginger)."

In terms of the Akamaru Modern, the thick, creamy broth was made from pork bone as stated above. With the addition of spicy miso paste, and garlic oil, the broth was enhanced beautifully with those two additions. I really enjoyed the rich taste of the soup broth, as it's better than any I've had here in Los Angeles. The nitamago was silky smooth, and the yolk was runny, just what I wanted in a soft boiled egg in a bowl of ramen. The bowl of ramen as a whole was great, probably the best bowl I've had in the United States. Compared to the local favorites in Los Angeles of Santouka and Shin Sen Gumi (I've yet tried Daikokuya) the broth is definitely richer and the addition of the garlic oil added a nice touch.

Now, the key question: Was this bowl of ramen worth the $22+ I spent that day for lunch? You could say, "Hey Panda, you went to Urasawa, Per Se, etc, what's another $20 for ramen?" While that may be true, I just don't know if ANY ramen was worth this price. After everything, even though this bowl of ramen was superior, I'd rather eat the lunch specials offered at Shin Sen Gumi (Ramen + Bowl of Fried Rice) that's under $8. I do think I'll return here on my next trip, at least to try the famous Hirata Pork Buns, Ippudo to me just wasn't worth the price. While this might be the best United States have to offer, you can just find me at Santouka, as I'm more than happy slurping down the ramen there. Until then, I'll end this review with another shot of the Akamaru Modern.

Ippudo New York
65 4th Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 388-0088
Official Website