Ippudo Ny Inc

Ramen richness awaits

by wavecat

This place gets 5 stars for its ramen. It was very juicy and rich, with plenty of meaty broth surrounding the tasty noodles and a couple of slices of savory pork. One can see why people line up and wait for a while (a half hour for me) to pay top dollar for a bowl of noodle soup. You can get a very nice bowl of noodle soup elsewhere in NY for half the price. The service was brisk and the servers were enjoyable to talk with. I think they could use a little help with their waiting area. You have to remember to check back with them occasionally, because they won't say your name very loud and they might not remember your face. I take away a star because of the atmosphere. The seating arrangements are all right, but the loud music and trendy surroundings do not encourage one to unwind for a bit. It almost seems like they want you to gulp and run so that they can seat another party. Still, I would come back for more of that lush ramen.

Cupcake Fiasco

by impulsivegirl

This is my first review on Citysearch, but unfortunately there are NO ACCOLADES for Ippudo. I would award them 0 stars, but Citysearch doesn't give me that option. I've been coming here for ramen, since I moved to NY about 2 years ago; but yesterday, I abruptly left the restaurant when management decided to slap me with a surcharge of $4/person for eating a cupcake in their restaurant. No one gave me a warning, but they just automatically added the ridiculous surcharge to my tab. I went late in the afternoon, and did not have to wait for a table, but for some reason, things were EXTREMELY SLOW in the kitchen. I mean, come on, it should take 5 minutes to bring out a bowl of ramen. I was STARVING and the only thing to stave off my hunger were the cupcakes that I bought from Butter Lane. I asked if, instead, I could order an appetizer or drinks, but they didn't even give me the option. Moreover, I think it's annoying when this "policy" was not listed anywhere on the menu. The manager on duty said management is allowed to do whatever they please, but shouldn't they, instead, try to please the customers? Afterall, you are paying $15 for a bowl of peasant food. So fellow ramen enthusiasts, beware!

• Cons: Management

Soup of the noodle was not hot

by Rainbowseeker

I had a early lunch today.

In order for them to maintain the quality of the food, I was impressed with their services which were implemented as if they read a written manual.

I noticed they changed the taste and temperature of Ramen noodles slightly so that American people could enjoy.

• Pros: Well-organized
• Cons: Prices were much higher than in Japan

Believe

by foodlover13

Saturday, Jan 09, 2010 (2 of us). We went to Ippudo in Osaka/Umeda just 2 months ago. It was one of our BEST experiences dinning out! Naturally, we wanted to try Ippudo in New York for a comparison as well as satisfying our craving for ramen! Like others, we had to wait for seats. Waited by the bar for 1 hour and 25 minutes, just as the hostess predicted. She was very good and came around to check on us twice. If you do not like people hovering over you, you will not want to wait. There were 'massive' people waiting to taste the famous ramen. We did not mind the crowd and just ordered up some drinks.

Here is a list of what we had:

ZUISEN AWAMORI this is a shochu from Okinawa. Served on the rocks. Smooth. VERY GOOD.

GINGA KOGEN BEER-comes in a blue bottle. It is unfiltered, full of flavors. Reminiscent of beers from Belgium. VERY GOOD.

TAKO WASABI-raw baby octopus was very fresh with just the right amount of fresh wasabi, seasoning and citrus. The flavors come together harmoniously. EXCELLENT.

HIRATA BUNS-these are the famous pork buns. The buns are pre-made like the ones some Chinese restaurants serve Peking Duck with but the pork belly or fatty pork is what makes this dish. Pork melted in your mouth but was a bit too small. VERY GOOD.

DUCK WITH BALSAMIC SAUCE AND YUZU PEPPER-This dish is served cold. Presentation was nice. Many pieces of duck breast were given. Sauce was great. Interesting dish. QUITE GOOD.

SHIROMARU HAKATA CLASSIC RAMEN-this is the original recipe and how ramen should be. The noodles were al dente. Soup was very good. We would prefer the egg a bit under-cooked. We also would like the pork to be sliced thinner, instead of 1 slice, maybe 3... Regardless, we still loved the ramen! Had to order extra noodles to add in. VERY GOOD.

AKAMARU MODERN RAMEN-this is the original, plus 1 level up with flavors. If you are into stronger flavors, this is the ramen for you. Even though the pork and egg are the same as the classic ramen...we still ordered extra noodles (kae-dama). The texture of the noodles was amazing! VERY GOOD.

MATCHA BRULEE-green tea creme brulee. The flavor of the green tea was intense & satisfying. It leaves your mouth with a slight bitterness of the tea which we loved. VERY GOOD.

We did not get all the sides to add to the ramen. Definitely have to order more added ingredients next time. We are not sure if it is fair to compare to Ippudo in Japan. All we know is that we missed the ramen in Japan a lot! Ippudo NYC is the closest we can get. In comparison to its Japanese-sister store, the portion seems to be a little smaller. Ippudo NYC has more appetizers and we were pleasantly surprised. But, it is all about the RAMEN afterall. Overall, we've had a very memorable experience! Try it for yourself! ! (And yes, we pigged out!)

• Pros: Food, Decor
• Cons: Long Wait

BAD SERVICE!....GOOD FOOD!

by laduvet

I really want to give this place a very low rating for its horrible service, but I am giving a 3/5 for the phenomenal ramen they have there! I am not a ramen expert, I don't really know "authentic" asian cuisine but this is by far the best ramen I've had. NO JOKE.

Now the downside---the waitresses reallllly need to learn to be more attentive. Stop taking away my food before I am done, I was working on my soup while conversing with my friend and the waitress took away my bowl without asking me if I was done. WHAT...the hell?

Other than that...great ramen, really.

• Pros: savory ramen, I drool everytime I think of it
• Cons: worst service ever