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I'd have sworn I'd tried this place before, but I guess not. We stopped by here a few weeks back, and I ended up getting the yuzu ramen. The yuzu flavor was pretty subtle, so I'd probably try something else on the menu next time. My biggest complaint is that the parking is terrible unless you luck out and get something nearby. Oishi karage is amazing! The sauce can't be missed, and highly recommend as an appetizer. It also took a bit to get seated despite many open seats. Otherwise, I'd love to come try more of the menu.
I got the akamaru modern ramen with tamago. It's a bit annoying that you have to get tamago, a standard ramen topping, as an add on, and the egg was boiled too much but marinated well. I liked the chashu, which wasn't too fatty nor too lean and was flavorful. The broth was kind of mediocre and bland, and the noodles were sticking together. The takoyaki was pretty good and had tasty sauces and was very hot. There is a decent amount of seating inside, and the food was ready in around 15 minutes.
I'm always a little surprised that Ippudo doesn't have a clean sweep of five stars across the board. I come here for one thing and one thing only: the vegan ramen. And to be clear, I do not order vegan ramen anywhere else. This is the exception. It's rich, deeply satisfying, and has that full-bodied, slurpable depth you usually associate with tonkotsu. No "this is good for vegan" qualifiers needed, it's just straight-up good ramen. If you've been sleeping on it because it's vegan, don't. This is the move.
What a disappointment. There were a ton of little flying bugs in the restaurant. When I pointed out that I and the couple sitting next to me had killed several of them, the waitress said "Oh yeah, we have a problem. Sorry about that." We moved to another table, but she said they were pretty much all going to be the same?! The food was decent, but the experience was not. They better figure it out.
I recently went back to ippudo berkeley. this most recent trip, the restaurant was packed, but we were still able to get seated quite quickly. I went with my go-to order, the karaka spicy ramen. Flavor is still great as usual, noodle texture is soft I do have to drop ippudo 1 star from my last review 3 years ago. They've raised the prices and the ramen at $19 does not include egg. The egg is an extra 4 dollars (!) now. Feels not as great of value as it used to be, but ippudo is still a consistently decent ramen
Came here on a weekday for lunch so service was quick with no wait at all. They do have plenty of seating, so I imagine even during busier hours it's not too bad. We tried the Akamaru and the Karaka Spicy Ramen, plus a side of karaage. Both broths were rich, fatty, and creamy, but I def liked the Akamaru more. If you get the Karaka, I recommend asking for the spicy paste on the side so you can control the heat level. I only used half of mine. Noodles were al dente, but they use the thin style which isn't really my favorite texture-wise. The chashu was so soft and melt in your mouth good! I just wish they gave more than 2 slices because it really wasn't enough. Also kinda suck that you have to pay extra for the egg, especially since the ramen itself is on the higher end. As for the karaage, it was juicy and has a nice crunch, but nothing stood out flavor-wise.
As someone from SoCal who knows good food (most places in Berkeley are mid), this place is one of the more decent spots I've found. Food is sugoi and service was fast and good. Would go again for ramen on a cold day out. I always get a bit of extra noodles to eat with the broth at the end. A bit pricy for the portion you get but what can you expect for Bay Area ramen?
My first time trying Ippudo and the timing was right since we had just crossed the Bay bridge on a cold evening and had a sore throat too, so ramen was our comfort food. I ordered the yuzu shoyu ramen. The broth was flavorful and not overbearing and had a nice citrus note. The citrus taste was balanced and complemented everything else, the noodles, the chicken and the bamboo shoots. My only gripe is that they charge for eggs and other toppings. But the egg ties everything together so can't have the ramen without it! Husband ordered the akamaru modern ramen and the broth and pork chashu was yummy. We had the mango cheesecake for dessert and it was creamy, cheesy and room temperature but served on a cold plate with whipped cream and fresh strawberries! Divine! Service was quick and friendly and we got our food in under 20 minutes. It wasn't too busy when went- there were probably 5 other customers dining at the same time. Dining areas were nice and clean and bathrooms were clean and tidy as well which is always a plus at any restaurant. Parking can be a hassle and you might need to drive around the block a couple of times before a parking spot on the street becomes available. Payment at the meters (curbside street parking) are not required after 6pm on weekdays I believe. Definitely a must-try place when you're in the area!
Taste good Portion is not big enough though Fair service but not that enjoyable due to high customer-waiter ratio
I've always seen Ippudo online and never got to try until this morning! Got the spicy karage - we prefer original. Bf said it reminded him of Tyson wings...enoki mushroom was star of the meal. My Akamaru ramen wasn't as creamy as I'd like but the pork chasu was good. Also tried the yuzu shoyu but since it's not something I prefer I feel like I'm the wrong person to review it. Overall just think there's so much ramen competition nowadays. Service 10/10
This chain ramen spot offers chain ramen product . Pre cooked and pre made and ready to order units ... Ambiance feels like a chain restaurant... so yeah zzzs worth one try I guess
So delicious and worth the price. Nice looking interior and fast service. Definitely will be coming here again soon!
Ippudo is chain so we did expect medium quality food and so so service. Pleasantly surprised by the quality of the service: very attentive servers, true professionals. Food was ok, nothing otherworldly and definitely had better broths before. But all in all, one of the best ramen options in Berkeley! Oh yeah, their menu is only accessible through a qr (digital) menu so took screenshots!
Today my sister was with me running errands and she'd never been to Ippudo. Found a parking spot right across the street. Just luck. At first she didn't want to wait in line, but I assured her a 2 top would not be a problem. A five minute wait. Typical of Berkeley, a older haole woman passed us by and said, "I'd never stand in line." Communist. Jeez. Inside the store is pretty small. Much tinier than San Francisco and the locations in New York. There's no bar and communal seating. Since there's not much space, it's pretty loud. Just not a cool vibe. My sister wanted to try the Truffle Fries. Not really different from the fries at Habit Burger. The ketchup was delicious. A curious thang! The menu had a few bowls exclusive to the Berkeley location, however I just got the same Akamaru Modern (extra firm noodles) and kae-dame. Shared a bit with my sibling Service was okay. Not quite the attention you expect to receive at Ippudo. Had to ask a server a few times for stuff. To be fair it was busy and I counted only three staff on the floor and one host. I'd just had a great service at Ippudo in The City last Friday with my friend Angela M, so I'm a little biased. Yes, parking is terrible in downtown. Too bad the new udon shop is open for lunch yet. I would have rather gone there. I don't think I'll be back to this location. read more
2 years ago
I have ate in Ippudo in SF and I would say this is a better branch. A lot more available options. Service is excellent and the food is tasty and flavorful. If its your first time here I recommend to have FIRM noodles. I will be back if i am in the area read more
Definitely enjoyed our experience here. Didn't take long to find parking. They offer the Yelp waitlist, but it wasn't implemented. The wait wasn't too bad, though. We were pleasantly surprised by the buns. While the pork buns were enjoyable, the chicken buns were delicious. The ramen was pretty good and having the ability to select how your noodles were cooked is much appreciated. I would come back for the buns alone. This spot is definitely worth checking out. read more
5 years ago
5 years ago
Came around 3pm on a Saturday, there were no lines and we were able to be seated right away. We ordered the Karaka Spicy ($15.8) and Miso Tonkotsu ($16.8). I really like the karaka spicy especially with the thin noodles as it had the right amount of spicy where it's not over the top spicy. The miso tonkotsu was alright -- there was a lot of corn which made the broth sweeter than what you would imagine a regular tonkatsu bowl would taste like. Prices are a bit high considering there aren't a lot of toppings and portion size was small. Given that, Ipuddo would be a ramen place I go to once in a while! read more
Came here around 5pm on a weekday and service was quite fast. I've been to the one in SF which had a more intimate vibe. This one has a more casual feel with tables more tightly packed. I enjoyed the ramen and buns but the takoyaki was quite mediocre and I would not get it again. I think the ramen broth tasted a bit flatter than the one I had in SF as in it had been sitting for a while, and the meat wasn't as strongly flavored but it was still tasty nonetheless. read more
Solid, but not quite the best. I am still dreaming of the delicious bowl of ramen I had at Marufuku a few months ago. To me, they are the gold standard of ramen in the East Bay. But before I can say that unequivocally, there are two places on my short list that I still need to try. Ippudo Berkeley is one of them (Silverliake in Concord is the other). I crossed Ippudo Berkeley off that list on 03/24/2019 when I had dinner here with my brother and a friend. We walked in at 5:30 pm and were seated immediately at a communal table. There were large baskets underneath which allowed us to put our personal items in them. The brightly lit interior looked modern and elegant. The decorations, made up of a large menu in Japanese and T-shirts from other franchise locations, showcased its history and business footprint. Aside from the aforementioned communal table, seating was made up of about 10 small tables or so plus counter seating. The open kitchen allowed us to see how the food was prepared. Water and menus were brought to us quickly. We decided to order a chicken karaage (6 piece for $9) to share. Each of us got a bowl of ramen and Miso Chashu Rice ($6). My ramen choice was the Akamaru Modern ($14), with a poached egg added ($1.5) The chicken karaage was first up. Six good size pieces were arranged nicely on a plate with a wedge of lemon, a Japanese shishito pepper, and a halved cherry tomato. The batter had a nice crunchy and the meat was juicy and flavorful. It looked like they had made some cuts on the chicken to allow better absorption of the marinate. The Miso Chashu rice was of good size. Diced chashu was placed top of a bowl of rice along with chopped lettuce with a miso dressing, garnished with a bunch of thin nori strips (seaweed). Honestly, I was a bit disappointed. Initially, I thought the lettuce was used to cut down the heaviness of the chashu. But the miso dressing sort of added another heavy flavor to the bowl and covered up the chashu taste. While I didn't hate it, there was just too much going on. The Akamaru Modern came with two pieces of pork belly chashu, kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and bean sprouts. The broth had great body but surprisingly light in taste despite the presence of their signature miso paste and garlic oil. I liked it but somehow I felt like something was missing. The noodles were the thin Hakata style ones. I asked for mine to be cooked firm and they were done perfectly (kudos for having that option). The egg was soft boiled, with the white being in a semi-liquefied state. It was good but I prefer mine just a bit more cooked. The chashu was intensely flavorful, but the portion was stingy (sliced very thinly). All the other stuff was fine. Overall, I thought it was solid, but I came to the conclusion that the bowl I had at Marufuku was just a bit better, both in taste and value. Service we received was very good. The staff was friendly and they checked on us several times during the meal. Water was refilled without asking. My brother took care of the check and I believe with T/T it came out to $90. Overall, I think Ippudo Berkeley is good and should be reckoned as one of the top ramen shops in the East Bay. Are they the best? Well, that depends on who you ask. To me, Marufuku is still entrenched on top, but I certainly do not mind coming back here again. BONUS MATERIAL: - Major credit cards accepted. - Take BART. Parking is a pain in that area. read more
Went on a Tuesday night. The servers were all very busy with a full house and people waiting outside as well. One of the servers had to take care of the waitlist and the tables inside. He did a really great job! Great service. I ordered the veggie bun, veggie ramen and nigori plum sake. My order came pretty fast. They didn't have veggie buns last time I went (maybe more than a year ago), so I was really excited to see it on the menu. It was really good. Will definitely order again next time. The ramen wasn't as good as I remembered, but it wasn't bad as well! Great place to go for this chilly season! read more
I've had Ippudo bookmarked since they opened their Berkeley location, and finally got to check it off my list when we were in the area to watch movie. We stopped by on a Friday night at 8pm and lucked out with no line, though we saw the line started to form after we were seated. We ordered the gyoza, akamaru modern, and miso tonkotsu. We both thought the ramen was just okay, and was kinda grossed out by the clumps of fat floating in the broth. Happy to check Ippudo off my list, but probably won't be back. read more
For Covid dining info: The restaurant is next to the bart station. So it's pretty convenient. There are only two outdoor tables. Both tables are open at 1:45 pm today. Maybe it was not a busy day and it was very windy outside. However, it was super busy inside. (More than 50% occupancy) the staff/waiter also checked people's temperature before letting them in which was nice. So I gave it four stars. For ordering info: Like most Bay Area restaurants nowadays, you can scan the QR code on the table, it will take you to the menu page. The site only showed you the menu. You can't order it from the website directly. The waiter will still stop by tables to take your order. It only takes 10 minutes from ordering to receiving the bowl which is awesome if you are in a hurry or super hungry. For ramen info: There are many flavors. I'm sure everyone can find the one they like to order. The first time I tried Ippudo Ramen was in a very cold winter in New York City. The ramen tasted so good. The Ippudo Berkeley definitely kept the taste, but the Ramen didn't have the same soul as the one in New York City. So I gave it 4 stars. The soft boiled egg was running with egg yolk which is perfectly delicious. The pork belly was flavorful with savory soy taste. Sides are all fresh & delicious. Ramen noodles were thinner than regular ones which is the signature of Ippudo. The tonkotsu milky soup is divine. Each item tasted good separately, but when combining them all, they tasted good, but not great. I was not wowed if that makes sense. So I give it 3-3.5 stars for ramen. Overall: There are definitely better ramen places in the Bay Area than this one. However if you are in the area and looking for safe and fast Tonkotsu ramen, Ippudo is still a solid choice. It was a great price point/value for students especially if they need to take someone out for a date, but on a tight budget. So it still deserves four stars overall. read more
4 years ago
Ordered takeout from here, but have dined in before as well! The ramen is pretty decent- the broth is a bit salty but that's typical for ramen, and a non-issue in my book. The buns feel overpriced, and the piece of lettuce that gets put in there is lackluster. read more
Not a bad place! It does have an incredibly long wait- but if you go on an off time during the weekend - like Sunday at 2PM it is not too bad. Service was fast and efficient. The food was good and noodles are on the thinner side. See photos for all the details :) Highly recommend their basic tonkotsu broth and the okonomiyaki. My husband was extremely happy with the fried shishito peppers! The seating is limited but they are set up for individual meal opportunities and large groups. read more
Came here late at night and there wasn't a crowd. I think it was a week night. Got the shiromaru classic ramen Decent size Relatively quick Not a fan of the ramen noodle itself. Maybe it was the texture The broth was fairly bland The toppings were good tho Pork buns Not a fan The pork weirdly didn't taste like pork imo The sauce wasn't incorporated well It was just mush (sorry ) read more
2 years ago
The ramen is ok. But what I don't like is they charge 5 dollars for a cup of tea. And they don't tell you before you ask for it. That's a unpleasant experience read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
I was an especially avid customer pre-COVID as an undergrad, and I still am. Ippudo is a ramen chain that hails from Japan and has opened locations all over the world. I recommend getting --pork buns --peach or yuzu sparkling drink: need to show ID --Akamaru spicy/tamago --Karaka spicy/tamago The menu contains the broth & topping information. You can order extra broth and noodles. Pre-COVID, I thought there were too little noodles for the dish vs now during COVID, I feel that there are too much noodles for the amount of broth they give you. Interesting observation... Now during COVID/indoor & outdoor dining era: No reservations. Show up, tell the host that you want to be sat inside/outside. There are only 4-5 tables available inside due to the safe indoor social distancing rule. Temperatures are taken, and you must tell the host of your order before you actually get seated. The ramen is fairly good but not the best you'll ever have (or had). A little pricier than your typical ramen shop. It's worth a stop if you're in the Berkeley area and are craving ramen. read more
For the quality of the ramen, the price is quite reasonable. Though I really wanted to order the buns and karaage, I couldn't because the portion of a bowl of ramen filled me up. The creamy broth of the Shiromaru ramen is not really my type but I could say it is delicious though I wouldn't order it again. Ippudo Berkeley is consistent with the food flavors vs Ippudo Cupertino which I had the misfortune to get a rather salty ramen sometime ago, read more
6 years ago
4 years ago
Yum yum yum! Perfect for the cold weather! The flavors here hits the spot! Service is great! read more
I came here for my brother's birthday and was shocked at how much I loved the food. The only ramen I've ever had was ramen 101 and now I can't go back. The ramen was flavorful and filling. I only ate about half of it and took the rest to go. The bao buns were out of this world. The veggie one was unreal. The cold sake was good, we meant to get hot sake but it's okay. We'll be back. Everyone else was also really happy with their food. There were quite a few different palettes at the table and everyone was able to find something they would eat. We also ordered the shishito peppers, the calamari balls (hella good), and the wings. I can't wait to go back. read more
2 years ago
8 years ago
I came here with a group of 4 on Ippudo's 4th year anniversary in berkeley and tried their akamaru modern ramen, goma q appetizer, and karaage. There was a special where three of their ramens, including mine, were discounted to $10 from $13-14. I felt that the food was underwhelming for the cost and that the add-on fees could have been more apparent when our orders were being taken. My party ordered the apps to share and the menu didn't state how many came per order, so the waitress asked if we wanted to add on an extra karaage so we'd have 4 pieces for our whole party. We said yes without knowing how much extra that would cost, and it ended up being another ~$2 which we felt was quite expensive given that the karaage wasn't very flavorful, and we would have liked to have known the add-on fee when being asked if we wanted another piece. Something like "do you want to add on another karaage for $2?" would have sufficed. The same thing happened with the ramen egg add-on where everyone in the party was asked if they wanted an egg in their ramen without realizing it cost extra, and we felt pressured to answer quickly because the restaurant was understaffed. Note that most of us had eaten ramen in plenty of other restaurants and recognize that add-ons often cost extra. However, it's reasonable to expect for someone to tell us that something they're offering is going to cost more and how much more it'll be. Additionally, about half the restaurant was full but we only saw one person serving. I don't know if I came on an off night, but I've been to Ippudo in other locations and I didn't feel the same rushed understaffed vibe elsewhere. All in all, I wouldn't come back here for food or for service. The ramen serving was plentiful but too expensive for how it was at full price. The same goes for the appetizers. It wasn't the worst, but it wasn't anything worth coming back for. read more
3 years ago
I have always held Ippudo in high regard, since the first time I went to one of their NYC locations. I was so excited that there was one in Berkeley I could go to whenever I wanted. It may have been my high standards, but I came away a tad disappointed. I think the food is still good, but it was not the same experience I had at other locations. The pork buns and takoyaki were great as expected, but I found that the broth for the ramen didn't have much flavor and tasted a little watery. Since I've only been in person once and got delivery another time, I'm willing to give it another shot! If anything just for those pork buns :) read more
Nothing better than a bowl of hot ramen on a rainy day in Berkeley! We arrived about a half hour after they opened on a Friday and we got a table right away. Shortly after, the restaurant filled up quickly! So if you're planning to come here, I definitely recommend coming right when they open. There are quite a few ramen options here with different broth bases. Their special of the day, Karakkachan, was a beef broth which isn't super common so that was a nice option. Two people at our table were already ordering that so I decided to go with another spicy option - the Karaka Spicy. This one is a pork based broth and it had just the right amount of heat! I added an egg which is always a must for me when I eat ramen. However I wasn't a big fan of the poached style for ramen, since I'm used to the soft boiled eggs with ramen instead. Other than that, the ramen itself was delicious and I finished every single bite! You can also decide if you want your noodles soft, medium, firm or extra firm. We compared the soft, medium, and firm between the four of our orders and there wasn't a noticeable difference, all were delicious! A slight downside...it is a bit expensive for the amount that you get here. My ramen was $14 and an additional $1.50 for the poached egg. Normally I get pretty full off of ramen but I was able to easily finish this smaller serving size. You also have to consider that most of these ramen shops in the city are more pricey but the ingredients are well taken care of. read more
*This review is for both COVID-19 and pre pandemic* COVID-19 REVIEW: In my personal opinion, ramen is not something that should be a "take out" meal. The steaming hot bowl of soup should be consumed immediately as it is served. However, there is a pandemic, and desperate ramen cravings call for snobbery to be dropped. Stomachs grumbling and giving in, we got ramen to-go... it had just been SO LONG we couldn't help ourselves and bit the bullet. Firstly, I want to start off by saying bravo to Ippudo. They really took care in prepping the to-go situation and it was ready VERY quickly. I also really liked how we had the option to cook the noodles ourselves! (no soggy noods yay!) Ramen was as delicious as we remembered and so were the shishito peppers! Will definitely cave in here again :) PRE-PANDEMIC REVIEW: Ippudo is definitely one of my top 5 Ramen spots in the Bay Area. I have also been to their other locations in New York and Japan! When they first opened, it was a bit of a pain to get it. There was always a very long line, but the restaurant did keep it quite organized and service was great once you came in. We came here a couple times with different groups of friends and it was always great. The pork buns are so tasty! Definitely a must have when you come here- you do not want to miss out how fresh the bun is and how juicy and flavorful the meat has been cooked. I have had TERRIBLE pork buns before and these are a definite WIN. For the ramen, I always go with the Karaka Spicy Ramen. Tokotsu broth is such a must when getting ramen on a cold day, and it really tells, in my opinion, the quality of a ramen shop. If their broth is rich and creamy - it's a good thing in my book! I like how the ramen is customizable as well, and there are things you can add like a seasoned egg, corn, extra meat, tofu, etc. What is really nice about the ramen here as well is that you can specify the firmness of your noodles! Something that many shops do not care to offer. Again, definitely a place to check out if you haven't been! read more
2 years ago
Heard about Ippudo for the longest time but never had the motivation in exercising nor the motivation to go to Berkeley. But my Kuya kindly brought me here!! .::FOOD::. Pork Buns $4.50 1pc, $8 2pc: steamed buns. The pork was marinaded in their sauce and it was pretty tasty! Shiromaru Classic $14: original tonkatsu pork broth with signature dashi, thin noodles topped with pork belly Chau's, bean sprouts, sesame kikurage mushroom, and scallions. To be COMPLETELY honest, the broth did not give me enough flavors. It was pretty plain and I did not feel like it was satisfying all the hype surrounding it. My friend had the one in NY and said it was much better. The pork was not melt in your mouth perfect either. A bit disappointed .::Service/Ambiance/Parking::. The service was GREAT. Very personable and polite from host to waiter. The host quoted us 10-15 minutes to be seated and it was honored. Food arrived in about 10-15 minutes. The ambiance is a clean cut and chic. Parking we were quite lucky on to park almost right in front on a random weekday night around 7:30pm. read more
Grabbed weekend dinner here and it was not as busy as I thought it would be. We were seated within 10 minutes or so. Also, returned on a weekday evening and the same thing. Excellent tonkotsu ramen! Special on akamaru for me and shiromaru for her. Between the two, akamaru was much more bold. However, it's all about preference really. I know a few who can't tolerate a rich tonkotsu base. They also did the chicken karaage right. Everyone has their own style, but they have it seasoned just right packed with a crunch. I'm a sucker for Asahi beer especially on tap. I could not pass up on the opportunity. They also had Sapporo as well. Prices are higher than the average. I wouldn't mind paying the price because it's good. You would think they provide to go boxes for at least non ramen dishes. That is not the case. Not a fan of the parking situation, but that is the case around here anyway. read more
I first tried Ippudo in the 4th St. NY location. I remembered seeing the long line, the ramen bowls hanging in the inside lobby, modern decor, and the yummy Amakaru Modern ramen bowl I devoured. I was excited when Berkeley opened their location. Although the NY version tasted better, I still appreciated it. The ambiance was modern, clean and classy. They even have these baskets to put your purses, backpacks, etc. in so your stuff doesn't get dirty. I went with coworkers for dinner today and we had a nice variety of side orders and ramen. We had the Amakaru modern, shiromaru classic, and karaka spicy- all were delicious on a cold night. I appreciated the option for the noodle texture and the medium was perfect for me. My shiromaru broth was creamy and had good flavor. A bit pricey, but expected in the busy Bay Area. It's best to come early (before 6pm) to get a seat. Otherwise, you'll be waiting in a long line of hungry ramen addicts. read more
Great find on Yelp ! I was in the area and had a taste for Ramen and this place was delicious. Freindly staff , clean and sanitizing between customers. Miso Tonkatsu Ramen was delicious with spice on the side and gyoza , very pleased and will definitely be back . Recommend a visit when in the area. read more
Updated review! I came back again only for the noodle and drove two and half hour. This time my partner drop me off so I could start eating first and order while he park the car. Store mostly empty with only few guests and lot of waiters and waitresses. I was told to wait for the other person and didn't give me table until the person come. I asked to order first but they don't allow, I just wanted to be seated and start my food so I talked to the waiter again and he finally let me seat. I understand if they are busy and they doing this but it's empty! And I just wanted to eat.Ippudo need to do a better policy on this part. One of the waitresses is very rude, she swing here and there without bringing our request and then asked someone else when she forgot our request. I haven't ever seen a waitress talking to the guest with the back and walking away. Definitely not coming back again! Two and half hour drive not worth for this kind of service! read more
Just so you know, I'm an Ippudo snob. Mind you, I'm not a ramen snob, just Ippudo. It started with their two ludicrously popular ramen houses in Manhattan. I really liked the Westside location where in my mind, the Akamaru Modern bowl had reached its stateside zenith (photo: http://bit.ly/2LCnThT). I went as far as trying the fast food version of Ippudo in Tokyo where they have at least two dozen Ippudos around the city (review: http://bit.ly/2vmuoKz). When the much anticipated Berkeley location opened, Jamie W. and I didn't try it for months since we were sacrificing ramen from our diets. We finally decided to give it a try when we noticed the usual sidewalk queue was absent probably due to the school break. Right away, we decided to split the $19 Akamaru Special Ramen which started with their special tonkotsu pork broth, their signature thin noodles topped with miso paste, slices of pork belly chashu, garlic oil, sesame kikurage mushrooms, bean sprouts, scallions, and a seasoned soft-boiled egg (photo: http://bit.ly/2M9Z8WE). Sure, it was better than most ramen bowls, but that special Ippudo oomph factor was missing. Umami gone boom if you ask me. As a complement, we ordered the $9 Organic Chopped Salad with kale, baby corn, cherry tomatoes, seaweed, red onion, cauliflower, soybeans, and tofu pieces lightly drenched in their wasabi dressing (photo: http://bit.ly/2Ma51TL). It was quite a healthy and hearty creation. We also went for the $7 bowl of Flash-Fried Shishito Peppers with yuzu salt and lemon (photo: http://bit.ly/2LCjxr3). Nicely blistered with the right amount of heated tanginess. But my first taste of ramen in over a year was just not the culinary memory I was expecting to evoke. FOOD - 3 stars...all the ingredients were present and accounted for but the Ippudo umami magic just seemed missing AMBIANCE - 4 stars...surprisingly spacious but then again, it wasn't crowded with students SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive TOTAL - 4 stars...Ippudo light RELATED - Collection of ramen houses I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2M741j1 read more
8 years ago
It be expensive. Wooheee. Unless you're getting the basic, boring ramen, you're gonna spend $18-$20 on a bowl or ramen, easy. The service is solid. I do have to say the music was absolutely horrendous, and so loud, it was hard to hear. Such a shame, since the spot is well designed, and with a little better music ambiance, would have been way better. The spicy is good and you have to get the soft boiled egg. Dayum. Could have used a tad bit more spice. I sampled my dining partner's spicy special from Ippudo NYC with the crumbled pork and it was even better. Way spicier and more depth in the broth. Both didn't have a ton of meat. I've clearly had better ramen in Japan, but it was good. The pork buns were good, but I echo the same sentiment... pricy. The pork was rich and not too fatty. I don't crave ramen, so I doubt I'll be back, unless some cooler weather has me in the 'hood and wanting something comforting. read more
6 years ago
Im so disappointed with my most recent delivery order. I ordered $85 worth of food from here. $20 for one Ramen. I know what I was getting into and it's usually worth it, but this time was a huge disappointment. The food is usually so FRESH. I've eaten here 3 other times and this is the worst. The broth on the Veggie Ramen was very good but the ramen was clearly old! they were stuck together and didn't unstick after putting the broth. Then the tofu was sliced so thick. Normally it's marinated in this delicious red sauce, but they didn't do it this time as you can see in the pictures. The buns came all disheveled and messy. Like they were just thrown in the box. I only ordered ONE ramen and a bunch of buns. I'm pretty upset that it wasn't given care. I know times are tough because of the pandemic, but what is the point of paying this kind of money when quality goes down...? I will still eat here, but very reluctant to ordering delivery again. Terrible. read more
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Ask the Community - Ippudo Berkeley
Is there gluten free noodles? And broth?
At the moment we do not have gluten free noodles or broth.
Is the vegetarian ramen vegan?
I don’t think the noodles are vegan. They contain eggs. Not sure if they offer alternative types of noodles. The broth is for sure vegan.
What is the current average wait time on a Fri/Sat. night early evening -- 6:30'ish?
20ish minutes
Is there still a line out the door with this bad air quality?
If you go before 6:15 usually lines are that bad.
What is the wait time for (weekend) lunch?
I went for a Saturday lunch at 2 and the wait was 20 minutes so expect 20-60 minutes. They tend to seat smaller groups communal style so if larger group you will need to wait longer.
Is the Ippudo location in SF the same owner as this one?
I would assume it's the same owner for all of them.
As of January 2018, what is the wait like for dinner?
Early in the week, 30mins or less. Friday and Saturday small parties, 30-40mins
Do they serve Brooklyn Lager at this location?
No, only Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin Ichiban is on the menu
When will you guys start doing takeout and working with delivery services like Postmates or uber eats?
the whole point of not offering delivery or take out is that they want people to come in and experience their food at the table. they don't want the quality to go south by packaging up their food (noodles get soggy, or stick together either when…
I had a bad case of food poisoning after eating there last night. My stomach hurts right after I left and vomit after I got home. I didn't eat anything all day except at your restaurant? I might need to file a compliant with health department?
If you have food poisoning after a dinner somewhere, it could well be that you were poisoned by something you ate much earlier in the day.
Are there gluten-free options?
Right now they can only offer to substitute bean sprouts for the noodles
Do you normally leave a tip at Ippudo?
Yes, I would tip at a Japanese-based restaurant in a US location, and I don't tip at US restaurants in Japan (such as TGI Fridays and Anna Miller's in Shinagawa).
Address there vegan and vegetarian ramen options?
They have vegetarian/vegan options now
Is there any possibility that the ramen gonna run out before it closes?
No, but maybe the extra toppings on the menu.
Is it possible to reserve a table?
Hey Shannenia, we’re excited for you to join us! Everyone’s anxiously waiting to come check us out, so we’ll be on a first come first serve basis. Hope to see you then!
Can we make reservations?
Hey Joanne, thanks for reaching out. Everyone’s anxiously waiting to come check us out, so we’ll be on a first come first serve basis. Hope to see you then!
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64 reviews that are not currently recommended
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