Best ramen in Berkeley now, so it's very exciting to have it here. However, all the salt made my mouth dry for two days after I ate it. The line is also absurd--not sure if it's worth it read more

Average. Never had ramen before coming here but I know there's better out there! We had wings and they were undercooked. The lady who runs things took it off our bill but mann, did I want those wings. The ramen was ok. You have the pay extra for the egg, which sucks. But overall the ambiance is nice and the set up is nice. Expect to wait in line before getting seated. Prices are pretty high. You're definitely paying for the experience, not necessarily the best food. read more

This location unfortunately doesn't compare to The NY location. I wanted this to be amazing. It turned out average. Overpriced, but still flavorful, if go again, but dismiss should there be lines. read more

Overrated, expensive and too salty for my liking. I don't think I'll come back again.

Very average ramen. I went into it with very low expectation and I was still disappointed. The portion of the ramen is so small for 16 dollars ! The service was decent although you can see the workers are very inexperienced but I can't fault them because they were trying their best. I would have given the place 3 stars if it weren't for this bad stomach ache I had right after eating there. Overall I would not go back. read more

Sigh. I'm glad I didn't have to wait in line to eat here. I forgot from my NY visit that I don't love this type of skinny noodle. The soup itself was great. Boiled egg was a bit of a disappointment. Wings were good but way overpriced for just 3 wings. I've had better karaage and buns elsewhere...... read more

I ordered the very first item on the noodle soup menu, upper right. It has zero spice. It was still good! But when I go back I'll order something with spice. Everything else was perfect. Great waitstaff, every item was cooked to perfection. read more

The ramen was great, nice flavorful broth, thin noodles, melt in your mouth pork. However, the other aspects of the establishment makes it not worthwhile to go back. The wait is usually pretty long, we waited around 30 minutes for a late dinner on Friday. The price is almost insanely high for ramen ($14 to $20). And the portions are ridiculously small. At least you can get extra noodles for $2. read more

Food was very good but was very disappointed that after paying $20 for a bowl of ramen they don't give you takeout containers if you dont finish it. Their reasoning was basically that the ramen doesn't taste as good the next day so they decided for you that you dont get to save your leftovers. read more

Recommended by tour guide at Cal. Hands down delicious!

This place is ridiculous. My husband dropped us off and was looking for parking. My kids were starving and I asked to be seated and they refused. I said I could order for my husband. There were PLENTY of tables and they refused. So ridiculous. My kids were having meltdowns and they heartlessly refused and half the restaurant was empty. read more

FINALLY IPPUDO HAS ARRIVED IN THE BAY AREA!! I've heard so much great reviews on them when all my friends went to the ippudo in New York. You have no idea how excited I was when I knew they were opening one near SF. My boyfriend and I drove 45 mins to get here. We came on a Thursday afternoon at 3pm and luckily we snagged a parking spot right away. When we arrived the employees greeted us in Japanese which is pretty cool. The place was pretty big and I'm so glad we didn't have to wait in line. It was pretty empty on a Thursday afternoon. I got the Akamaru Special and my boyfriend got the Shiromaru Special. Both of us enjoyed our ramen but definitely think it was a little salty because we notice we drank a lot of water. Other than that I think it was perfect. The prices varies from $14-20 for a bowl of ramen. Our total was $40 for two bowl of noodles. We would come back when we're craving for it. read more

Ippudo Berkeley - Akamaru special $19 - Ramen Near Me - Berkeley, California

There is absolutely nothing special about this place. They charge way too much for the ramen. You can get the same quality ramen in other places for way cheaper. It's as if they are trying to just be "hip". Pricing is just ridiculous for what you get, and I'm not one to stay away from expensive restaurants, as long as that restaurant has something unique to offer for the price. This one does not. I've had way better ramen for cheaper in Honolulu, for example. Not impressed at all. I usually go to a ramen place a couple of blocks down on Shattuck that was was at better and with way more reasonable pricing. read more

Ippudo is perfectly good. It delivers, it does exactly what it says on the tin, etc etc. It is a chain with a well-deserved reputation and I'm glad that it's here in Berkeley. But it is, in the end, the American version of the chain, and so if you've been to versions of it in Japan, you probably will feel a little let down. The atmosphere is nice, but the sleek interior misses the warmth of the Japanese iterations. The air isn't pungent with that tonkotsu smell, which is probably all for the better for an American dining experience, but still feels off, somehow. I found myself somewhat uncomfortable with the performative "Irasshaimase!" "Ichi/Ni/San me sama!" and "Arigatō gozaimashita" but that's my hang up -- it doesn't have to be yours. The food is solid, the broth for the tonkotsu is rich and everything it needs to be/should be (and I'm not saying you shouldn't get the shoyu or other based ramen, but this *is* a Hakata style ramen place originally -- get the tonkotsu). The Akamaru in particular is as fragrant and delicious as one could want, but there still seems to be something missing compared to the Japanese version (there's not the same garlic and fat floating on the surface, it seems to me). I'm also a bit sad that they've not kept the various condiments at the table -- whole garlic cloves with garlic press, ginger, chili oil, sesame, etc. Some of these can be requested, but part of the delight of sitting down to put together your favorite combinations into the bowl is missing. (I also wish they had the same ice tea with the pitchers at the table but oh well.) Then, of course, there's the price. And here's the thing: you can't get ramen of this quality in Berkeley without paying this price. Iyasare is the same, as is the Ramen Shop. It just strikes one as a little silly that they have the Japanese language menu up on the walls which tell you very plainly that most of their bowls cost less than 1000¥ (~$10), but the prices we're looking at in the actual menu start at around $15. If, as Ippudo has said, this has to do with both cost of rent, quality of supplies, and paying their employees a good wage, then good. That's fine. It's just, again, a little bit odd to pay close to $20 for something that's usually salary men or drunk college kid food. All in all: it's good, you should go, ignore people complaining about the noodles (that's Hakata style, okay) or the egg (it's not a classic aji-tamago, but it is seasoned and properly soft boiled/runny yolk), or anyone who tells you that it's not authentic enough or good enough. It is. It's just that it's not the perfect replica of what us whiney babies remember and so we're taking to Yelp to Yelp them a new one. In the end it's good stuff and the expanded menu is quite fun. Have at it. read more

we tried it for the first time monday night. nothing like in japan or in taiwan. =[ no tsukemono, no sesame seed grinder, no special condiments, no one-bite gyoza, and the ramen egg wasn't a ramen egg at all. it was just a medium-boiled WHITE egg with a yellow yolk. it was not a busy night, there was almost no wait, so i don't understand. i ordered the akamaru and a friend ordered the spicy. the broths were fine, the noodles were good, but, overall, the dining experience and flavors were sub-par. i also ordered a side of menma for my ramen. they were thickly cut, more than four times how they are supposed to be cut, and they were salty. texture is very important in food as it alters the tasting experience. menma is supposed to be soft with a slight crunch, flavorful from being marinated and not taste of salt. what i got were hard pieces of salt objects that were not pleasant to chomp while slurping ramen. we ordered pork buns, as well. the taste was a little more like burgers than the traditional buns, maybe due to the mayo. i thought they were a decent price, but personally not to my taste. maybe upgrade from iceberg to a proper lettuce, and i would feel better about it. when i pay $17 ($20 including the salty menma) for a bowl of ramen, i expect it to be equal if not better than the original. we've always had good experiences at ippudo in tokyo, osaka, nagoya, and taipei. berkeley, unfortunately, was not one of these experiences. at least the service was good. read more

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MY NEW FAVORITE SPOT IN BERKELEY!!!!! The most delicious ramen I've ever had! I'm sure all the flavors are delicious; I was beyond happy with my spicy flavor (I forget the exact name of the ramen I got). We also ordered veggie and pork belly buns and it literally was one of my favorite meals I've had! Can't wait to go back! It's a little pricey so I love to go for an occasion or if we're celebrating! read more

Meh. I expected a lot more for the price. The sizes were quite disappointing. Although the broth was good, it doesn't make up for their stinginess. The waiting service was great, however. Sigh...the quest for a local ramen shop continues... read more

The service was good and food tasted great, but our chicken was served 100% raw on the inside. It was a great experience until my fiancé ate 2/3 of this chicken realizing it afterward. It was a promising first time there, a definite last. Our waitress was very sweet and was quick to apologize and had our meal on the house. Thank you for the customer service. read more

Lines are not as bad as they might seem when you pass by. Been here a few times and enjoyed each experience. Better than the NYC branch given much shorter lines. read more

This place is extremely overpriced and not worth at all. I don't understand the hype at all. They don't even give that much ramen. And the soup is average. I really don't think the price fits. read more

So far, this is our favorite ramen place in the area. The ramen and broth were delicious. Maybe a little overpriced here b/c of their brand and following. Ignoring that, it's still our current goto place for ramen. read more

I've been to Ippudo in Kyoto (as a regular), Tokyo and New York. This place makes broth that tastes like paint, expensive paint.

To my delight, Ippudo opened up shop on the west coast! Having been to Ippudo NYC and Hong kong, it's still a fave of mines, and when I was visiting the Bay Area, I made it a must to visit the Berkeley location. Arriving there at noon, I felt as though I hit the lotto when there was no line wrapped around the block and no wait. We were immediately seated. This location is bright, clean, and chic compared to the other locations I've visited. We both ordered the karaka spicy special and was kind of in sticker shock as it was $20 bucks a bowl. The bowls arrived out within a few minutes piping hot. The broth is as I remembered, and what makes ippudo a fave of mine... perfect balance of salt and fattiness. The noodles were perfectly cooked to kata (al dente) with a nice bounce and chew. Thin slices of pork belly was generous but the only complaint was the egg. It was almost hard boiled and served cold. If it was slightly less cooked, I'm sure the broth would've heated it through. It was definitely worth the trek from San Francisco to Berkeley for the ramen, and hopefully on the next trip out west, the San Fran location will be open. read more

Ippudo Berkeley - Ramen Near Me - Berkeley, California

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In a few words....probably the blandest Ramen we had and we tried a lot of Ramen here in US and in Japan.

This was my first ramen experience and I think I've spoiled myself. I don't think I will ever be able to find better ramen than this place. I ordered the Spicy Karaku... amazing house made noodles... spicy pork belly, and an assortment of spices. The SAKE was out of this world... and they have a very smooth light beer. Usually the LINE IS OUT THE DOOR so come an hour before you actually want to eat so you don't starve yourself in line. The service is outstanding, food comes within 10 minutes. I recommend this place to anyone! read more

Ippudo Berkeley - Spicy Kiraku - Ramen Near Me - Berkeley, California

Long wait fine, long wait and changed your waiting system with no signage not fine. Waiting in line and have folks who arrived after us getting seated before us is not fine. read more

The broth is very rich. Ramen broth tends to be salty when not done right, but everything in this broth is balanced. They give options on the softness of the noodles, which is always nice for customers' various preferences. One thing they need to work on is the consistency of the egg. Eggs should be soft boiled with the yolk undercooked, taste slightly salty due to the incubation with mirin and soy sauce. The eggs here have been up and down in texture and taste, which was very disappointing because I pay $17 for a bowl of ramen with egg. Also, I just thought since people are willing to pay a good 20% overprice for the bowl compared to other high-rated Ramen restaurants, maybe adding one more slice of pork belly to the bowl wouldn't be a bad idea. This place has good recipe but needs to work on consistency and amount of food. read more

Big fan of Ippudo in New York, and this one is just as good. A little more casual, and the line only took about 30 minutes. Get the pork buns and the Akamaru Modern. read more

Service is great! Got there 45 minutes early on a Wednesday for lunch with 2 friends and were first in line. Not as great as I remember the NYC one being.. which was disappointing for me. I wouldn't stand in the line i saw when we left to come here. Egg was overcooked which is my favorite part of ramen. Got 1 order of pork buns EACH which was yummy. read more

Really like the place, everything is good but the pricing was a little ridiculous for a small bowl of ramen.

Very flavorful ramen but a bit on the expensive side...the Chashu Rice was crazy good but careful if you are not a fan of salt...suggestion: provide a complimentary bowl of Edamame prior to serving the meal. read more

I waited on a Friday night 3 weeks after it opened. It was about 2 hours from when we entered the line to when we were seated. The establishment was smaller than I had expected but I heard amazing things about this chain. I ordered the karaka spicy special with the medium firm noodles. The menu is quite pricey if you want everything (the meat and egg) in your ramen so be wary of that if you are on a budget. Overall my experience with the food was good, however the taste of the broth was not as tasteful as I had expected. The egg I received in my ramen was cold in the center and they do not cut it in halves. Their pork belly was the highlight of my experience with the ramen as it was flavorful and extremely tender. In terms of the staffing, their waitresses didn't seem too familiar with their menu as I had questions about it and they responded with a shrug. They weren't particularly attentive either considering that they had a lot of staff much most of them were standing around. Overall the experience was good, but for the wait and price I did not think it was worth it. read more

Ippudo Berkeley - Ramen Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I went around noon, and there was no line. Got the Shiromaru Classic lunch set w/ black sesame ice cream. The ramen itself was not amazing, but still a solid choice compared to nearby places. It was $1 for the ice cream, but both portion size and taste were disappointing. I liked how you can customize noodle firmness, though. Worth trying, just to see, but probably won't be going often. read more

Ippudo Berkeley - Shiromaru Classic - Ramen Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I am a huge fan of their New York locations and waited with baited breath for them to open this downtown berkeley location. The food is consistently delicious- broth is a bit light but very flavorful, eggs are a bit firm for my taste but noodles are excellent. I often go during off hours- 11am or 3pm so I don't have to wait for a table. It is as pricy as the ramen shop on college ave but I find it more welcoming and family friendly. It is my favorite ramen place in the east bay. read more

Came on a Friday at around 10pm. Line was pretty short. Waited for less than 10 minutes. If the line was longer, I wouldn't have waited or would I wait in line for this in the future. I've had ippudo once in NYC and it was pretty good. My husband ordered the classic and it looked really sad - you can barely see the toppings. I ordered the spicy one with an egg. I'm surprised they give you a whole egg that wasn't cut in half. The yolk was good, but the outside looked like they had a hard time peeling it. So although it worked, it just doesn't look so great. You would expect a lot more for paying so much for a bowl of ramen. The ramen was good - don't remember it being as good as the one in NYC. Presentation wise - definitely not. Service was nice, quick and friendly. Definitely come later in the evening if you don't want to wait in line. read more

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There is no indoor waiting area - so it looks like people are waiting to get into a club outside, and let me just save you the trouble and tell you to go somewhere else for ramen. It's not worth the wait. The decor is nice, the service is good, but the noodles are average at best - I asked for the very chewy option and still got noodles that were too soft. The pricing is high for what you receive (an egg is extra, while it's default at Orenchi Ramen). The broth was good, but as the noodles don't have that el dente texture, I actually enjoyed my Ranch 99 tonkatsu noodle package more than Ippudo's product. Overhyped. read more

Excellent ramen that taught me what umami really means! There can be a long wait during peak times but the food doesn't take long to come out. read more

Good ramen. A little pricey. We were seated immediately as we dined late. I would not wait in a long line to eat here as many do. Excellent and friendly service. read more

If you love Ramen, this is a must. You get to customize your noodles, broth and toppings. It is rare to find Ramen shops that let you choose the level of firmness of your noodle. I personally prefer extra form noodle and can't stand soggy noodles. Also, the pork and chicken buns are delicious. read more

This place is way overrated. The broth was not fantastic - and it *should be* all about the broth. In fact it had a bit of a musky rank flavor that pork sometimes has-I have a sensitive palate. That seems to happen a bit randomly with pork and personally I think it has to do with maybe how the animals are slaughtered so is not necessarily the fault of the cook but perhaps the fault of the industry and that we support it. The noodles are too thin for my taste, although to their credit they tout that they are 'thin'. It was crazy loud, a popular thing these days that I do not like nor understand. And the lighting is AWFUL, like having a searchlight in your eyes. Of course pricey, but ramen is...Totally not worth any wait. read more