Love! I wish I could say this when I go to K-Town but with the headed shrimp that's not de-veined, love is not what I'm shouting. As a matter of fact, I think I broke up with K-Town after eating at Ippudo. I walk by and there is no line. As a matter of fact, there is a happy hour sign?? I walk in, give my name and grab a happy hour Sapparo at the bar. By the time the bartender pours the beer, I hear my name being called to eat. When I walk in, the kitchen staff and waiters start cheering for BillySalts? I raise my hands and they're singing in friggin' Japanese BILLY BILLY BILLY! Nice touch Ippudo. nice... If you have a bunch of people in tow, this is a fun place to chill. You'll need to make an advance reservation for a booth because this place is cra-zay hot, everyone waits outside for hours to get in. I've been here before and know what to do. I feel like I'm in line for the Soup Nazi: Sit down Place Order for Ramen Cover clothes (For slurp spillages) I don't know how these people order appetizers like pork buns. One bowl of ramen and I'm done. I'm sitting I'd say less than 3 minutes and my hot sexy mamma ramen comes to me. Roast pork slices, noodles and broth. Gimme my spoon cause its on baby! I have a guy reading on his iPad and eating, you better put a sheet over that brother, I'm gonna dive into this huge bowl in a second while singing: Splish Splash I was takin' a bath! The Ramen? Is outstanding!!!!!! So good, so flavorful, so filling. It's alright and outta sight! Just like Clinton St. Baking Company, when you see an opening here, jump on it. Its a good time with good food. You'll have fun, trust me read more

Come prepared to wait. Wait at the bar and order pork buns http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/44SY464xDHbvOcjDzRbKkQ?select=isrCMmrLAYSaPl53CK1q7w -weak showing of pork, however. When finally seated, be sure to order a bowl of ramen with pork, like the Akamaru ramen: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/44SY464xDHbvOcjDzRbKkQ?select=ScuMMtSwTwPSsQsiYAvVog Even in the heat of summer, I will be craving Ippudo's ramen, piping hot bursting-with-flavor broth, delicious fatty pork, nom nom nom. Big smiles all around. read more

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I get it, there's a lot of hype about Ippudo and the insane wait times can lead to unrealistically high expectations. But after eating my way through many ramen spots in the city, I still come back to Ippudo time and again. The key standouts are the pork buns (seriously amazing) and the ramen broth, making this my preferred ramen noshing locale. Pork buns are simple, fatty pork belly slices (2-3 per bun) with iceberg lettuce, zingy mayo and soft, doughy, slightly sweet buns with a squirt of Sriracha. You get 2 buns per order and I frequently find that each person needs his/her own order. The ramen broth is amazingly smoky and complex. I definitely recommend for your first time getting the Akamaru Modern and then later branching out into their other flavors, like the Wasabi ramen. The decor is surprisingly sophisticated; subtle touches of color and patterned clothes, mosaics made out of sequins and dark wood make up the palate. Once you are whisked inside, away from the madness of the crowded lobby, the restaurant itself is spacious and doesn't feel crowded. Be prepared to potentially share a table, but as soon as your steaming bowl of ramen gets set down in front of you, all you'll think about is slurping as quickly as possible without burning your mouth. read more

IPPUDO NY - Wasabi Noodle special - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

Akamaru Modern ($14 at lunch): Tonkotsu pork bone broth with "Umami Dama" miso paste, handmade noodles, fragrant garlic oil, cabbage, kikurage, scallions, and sliced chashu pork. A soft boiled egg for $2 is a great addition. I loved the Akamaru Modern, but next time I want to try the Shiromaru Hakata Classic, which doesn't have the miso paste and comes with slightly different toppings. The pork buns were just okay. At Ippudo, the ramen is where it's at! We got here before they opened and were able to get a seat without too much of a wait, but I've heard of wait times longer than an hour if you get here during the rush (which seems to be pretty much anytime). read more

I'd had Ippudo bookmarked with the note "best pork buns per Wendy at NAOE" for well over a year before finally making it in. With my pork-and-ramen-loving brother in tow, we headed over to Ippudo for lunch for a very non-traditional Independence Day meal. Even though it was a holiday, Ippudo was hoppin'. We were told there'd be a 20-30 minute wait, but were seated in under 10 minutes. Neither of us were starving, so we opted to share the pork buns and the Akamaru Modern ramen, topped with more delicious pork belly, and it ended up being the perfect amount of food. The pork buns arrived at our table almost immediately. The buns themselves were pillowy, stuffed with a tender piece of pork belly, a piece of lettuce, and the "special sauce." In a word, they were awesome. Definitely a must-order for any fan of buns, pork, or a combination of the two. The ramen was equally delicious. A simmering bowl chock-full of noodles, pork loin, pork belly, a dollop of spicy sauce and that amazing broth. A winner with every slurp. I love that Ippudo has the option of adding a second portion of noodles to your ramen in the event you need more - we didn't take advantage, but it's great for hungrier diners. The prices were reasonable, and we left feeling sated, but not overly stuffed. I'll definitely be hitting Ippudo for future pork bun and ramen cravings when in NYC! read more

IPPUDO NY - Dry ramen bricks under glass make up the bar. Very cool. - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

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I was vacillating between 3-4 stars but ultimately settled on 3 because even though it was a damn good bowl of ramen and it was a really cool-looking joint, I ultimately couldn't justify the price for what I got. It was recommended by a friend, and I was warned that it wasn't a cheap (or even moderately priced) ramen joint, but I was curious and was willing to pay to satisfy my curiosity. I came here on a rainy afternoon for lunch--it was the perfect weather for it and I was ready! I got their Karaka Men $14 - "The original silky "Tonkotsu" (pork) soup noodles with Ippudo's special blend of hot spices, topped with pork chashu, sesame kikurage, mushrooms, onion, minced pork, and scallions." Sounded spicy and good, and I added a poached egg for $2. It was very good; all the elements in balance and quite tasty, but I can't say it knocked my socks off. The portion wasn't especially big, but it was fine enough to satisfy (but not stuff) me, even though I was quite hungry. In retrospect I wish I'd tried their hirata buns too but at the time I didn't want to overstuff myself. With tax and tip it was a little over $20, which to me was just waaaaay too much to pay for ramen that was really GOOD, but not GREAT. STEPH JUDGEMENT: If you're really curious and willing to pay, go for it, but I don't think it's going to blow your mind. read more

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I don't speak Japanese but I'm pretty sure Ippudo translates to happiness in a bowl. We stopped in on a cold December day for lunch and must have just beat the crowd - we waited less than five minutes for a table but saw lines of people queued up as we were leaving. We ordered two different types of ramen and the pork buns to start. Everything was fantastic and rivaled Momofuku as the best ramen I've ever had. I normally love all things pork belly but decided to order the Shiromaru Hakata Classic (pork loin chashu instead of belly) and actually preferred it to the bite/slurp of Akamaru Modern (pork belly chashu) that I had. Ippudo is hyped to the gills but in my opinion, deservedly so. Get there early or be prepared for a long wait. read more

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Unimpressive, overpriced and a long wait for average food. I been observing the long lines here for a long time and was excited to try it out. I lived in Japan for a while and wanted food just like from there. This place but its nothing out of the ordinary its just they have a nice trendy looking atmosphere and thats it... food is average, service average, prices overpriced and wait is ridiculous. read more

Ippudo... wow. That is what you'll end up saying if you get a chance to dine at Ippudo because you'll be awed out of your pants. I've only been here once, and it was totally worth the wait. By the way, the waits are crazy, crazy long. Be sure you eat something before you wait in line; otherwise, you might not eat for the next two hours. I started to wait in line on a Thursday at 7 PM. The staff gave me a two hour approximate wait. I decided I would come back later and hope there wouldn't be a wait. I had dinner elsewhere, but I insisted on eating at Ippudo anyways. I came back at 10 PM. There was still a sizable line. I was annoyed, but I persevered. I got scared because at around 11 PM, the staff started rejected people who wanted to wait in the line. I was literally at the cutoff. I was informed I might not be able to make it into the restaurant if there isn't an opening by 11:30 PM, but luckily two spots opened near the ramen bar 10 minutes before closing. Man, the food here must be concocted with some kind of magical recipe. I did not know people could make ramen taste so good! I wasn't even hungry, but I wanted to keep eating. I had the Akamaru Modern and added several toppings to it. The appetizers were so clutch too. I had the Tofu and Nasu Agedashi, the Hirata Buns, and the Samurai Rib. AMAZING! Not only did I get into the dining area super late, the service was quick and attentive. How do they do that? The place was already packed and still extremely busy. Yelp does not provide enough stars for places like Ippudo. read more

Ippudo NY ramen was good. It was great. And coming from someone who lives in Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley area, where awesome ramen is a dime a dozen, that means something. In fact, I'll tell you quick and simple. The only reason that Ippudo isn't sitting on a 5-star review is the absurd wait times. Eating at Ippudo is probably one of the hardest things to do in New York City. The wait is insane, and even when you are finallyseated, it feels like you're always being rushed and service takes way too long. If you can get past feeling like you're in a crowded subway train though, the food is all amazing, and the prices really aren't bad at all and all worth it. I personally ordered the Akamaru Modern ramen, essentially just a flavor-supercharged version of their tonkotsu ramen, and also got to try just about all their appetizers. The Ramen was perfect, and although I usually like my ramen really strong, I feel like it's just the right amount of flavor that anyone could enjoy it. If you have a chance, I would definitely say swing by Ippudo and give it a try! read more

We loved our meal at Ippudo! The ramen was well prepared with tasty broth, quality toppings, and soft but sturdy noodles. We waited 1.5 hours for a spot at the bar. We had good service and were very pleased with the price (most ramens were $16 or $17). We suggest putting your name in and wandering around while waiting for them to text you that your table is ready. It's worth the wait. read more

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This is definitely my least favorite ramen place I have ever been to and I have been to a lot of ramen places from the West coast to the East coast. I chose this place because of their vegetarian menu & for the fact that I read on yelp they had vegan noodle options. When I got there I was very disappointed to find out that only one of vegetarian options could be made vegan even with swapping the noodles. So I was forced to order the wasabi ramen which was the least appealing sounding ramen on the entire menu. When it arrived, 10 minutes after my cousins arrived, I was again disappointed to see there was barely any veggies in it and that the toppings mainly consisted of green onion and some sort of soggy rice krispies. I kid you not, they added rice krispies to soup, called it a topping, and charged me $16. That wasn't even the worst part, the vegan noodles are disgusting they are basically extremely over cooked rice noodles. I guess I should have been concerned when the waiter said the rice noodles would take a while... every rice noodle I have ever cooked has taken maybe 5 minutes. The service wasn't great either, when my cousin was done she wanted to order more noodles, but our waiter avoided us like the plague so she was unable to. All in all I thought this place was terrible, but if you like pretentious ramen, aloof waitstaff, and a restaurant where you have to scream to your dinner companion just to have conversation then this place is for you! read more

IPPUDO NY - Rice Krispie treat ramen... - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

After perusing some NYC reviews, I figure I should try out the ramen comfort food noodle craze during my weekend trip to the city. I found this specific restaurant based on MiRIAM W's reviews - I had to try it out. My dinner party and I ordered each of the ramen noodles offered. My classic was tasty with fresh ramen noodles and AMAZINGLY salty wonderful pork slices. I wish they gave me more than two slices. I don't remember what exactly they're called, but the third one on the menu was extremely flavorful red broth and wonderful. The other one was good too, but it was too spicy for my personal taste. My table also ordered some pork buns with sweet spicy hoisin sauce blend that made their pork slices spice sweet in addition to its salty wonderfulness. My Manhattanite dinner party were extremely impressed with this place so it's gotta be good. I found it delicious read more

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Ippudo is kind of like Starbucks or Mcdonalds. Their ramen is consistent no matter which location you go to. I have been to one of the locations in Tokyo (in Roppongi although they have over 65 locations throughout Japan) and now in New York, and the ramen tasted exactly the same. Ippudo is famous for their tonkotsu-based soup, which originated from Hakata, Japan. My favorite is the akamaru modern, which I got at this location. It's the original tonkotsu-based soup topped with ippudo's secret "umami dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and garlic oil. It's a lot more rich and flavorful than the shiomaru hakata classic. If it's your first time, I recommend you try their akamaru modern. The shiomaru is good as well but it's a little more simple and lighter. It's all about what you are in the mood for. If you are craving a spicy ramen, try their karakamen. In Japan you can adjust the spiciness, although I'm not sure if you can at the NY location. Ippudo is one of those ramen places that is tried and true. It's good, consistent, and prices are reasonable. The ramen here is a great introduction to hakata style ramen. read more

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Karaka Men - rich rich complex pork broth with spicy paste - add a soft boiled egg for silken texture and slurp up those perfectly cooked toothsome noodles- do this now! read more

IPPUDO NY - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

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Ippudo is sooo yummy. I come back again and again and I love it. My first time was with a coworker who brought his sister visiting from Spain, who was awed by the staff's energy. It's a cool joint to take someone new to the city to, for the bustling chefs and interesting interior decor. The wait's usually the shortest during the summer, when no one wants to eat something that'll make them even hotter, but it's worth the wait during the fall beacuse it'll definitely warm you up better than a cup of Campbell's soup. The Akamaru Modern is my favorite. It may seem like $13 is a lot to pay for a bowl of ramen but it is the best made ramen you'll ever have. The noodles are fresh and the broth is perfect - not too salty, rich with pork flavor, and the Akamaru sauce gives it a kick. I've tried the Shiomaru which is also good, but I keep coming back. The appetizers are pretty delish (ie the steamed pork buns, braised pork belly), but the noodles are the reason to go. Mmmmm.... read more

IPPUDO NY - pork belly - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

I've wanted to try this place out for a while, but never gotten the chance to until earlier this week. I've heard how the wait is really long, but I was not too surprised that on such a rainy Monday night, there were already a lot of people waiting to get seated. However, friends had came here early and gotten a table ahead of time, but they wouldn't seat them until entire party is there. I've only waited for a mere 10 minutes because I was late, but my friends waited about half an hour before I arrived. The ambiance of this restaurant is really cute. We were seated by the wall with the Japanese characters, which was pretty neat. The wait staff were really friendly and attentive. For appetizer we had ordered the baby octopus, which was very fresh. We also had the pork buns and they were really good. It has fatty tissues in the pork, but I think that was what made it even more delicious. I had the Akamaru Modern ramen, which was indeed very good! The noodles were not soggy at all and it's made the way I like it. Too bad I am always a small eater, or else I would've added $2 to get more noodles. Oh yea, it's like they know my favorite color is red or something because my bowl was red and all of my friends got a white bowl haha...just what a coincidence hehe. The bathroom is downstairs and they are pretty clean. When I came back up from the bathroom, I guess my eyes were trying to adjust from light to the dark hallway leading back to the dining area or maybe because it's a dark hallway with mirrors...that I walked right into the mirror thinking it was an entrance. Luckily it was just a light bump. read more

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Alas, I've finally visited the famous Ippudo in NYC after countless mentions amongst tv hosts and programs and the verdict is.... OVERRATED. A haiku to sum it all up. Ramen too mundane. Pork buns made up for the wait. Plus sh#t's overpriced. read more

IPPUDO NY - Pork buns - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

Food was great. Wish there was more broths. To be honest, just the ramen wasn't fulfilling. I was still hungry which was rare :( They had the berry sparkling sake jelly!! Only had the peach flavor before but the berry was great! So why did I give it a 4 star? 'cause the ramen was worth it and they did not make us wait over an hr for a table of 4. :) OR A star per person? Yea? :D -M read more

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Ippudo is an awesome NYC eatery. My friend suggested this place as my first meal in NYC. Ambiance is modern and chic, although a bit loud. Even on a weekday lunch, there was a little bit of a wait, which can probably be attributed to the immense popularity. Since I wasn't too hungry, my friend and I shared the Shiromaru Hakata Classic ramen. We ordered the set which came with a salad and grilled eel over rice ($17). We also ordered the Hirata Buns($9). Hirata Buns are delicious! The buns were sooooo soft and the meat was tender and went well with the sauce which wasn't too spicy. The eel over rice was too was awesome. The rice in particular won me over because it was so soft and cooked just right. The eel was good too and wasn't overly sauced. The ramen was nice and piping hot when it came out. The broth was a bit too salty. But the noodles were cooked well. Service was really quick and efficient. Overall, this place was pretty dope! read more

IPPUDO NY - chicken Hirata buns and eel over rice - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

Easter Sunday. Left Westbury at 10:07 am and parked effortlessly off of 4th Ave. by 10:40. Doors open at 11...soon after our Karaka - men is lovingly placed in front of us. Today I tried the extra serving of noodles but will stick to the traditional thin ones in the future as the wavy ones were a bit gummy and missing the nice earthy bite that is so memorable. Each time I am here I marvel at how the staff seems to work together as a team and are really so friendly. As always, we look forward to our next visit. read more

Very, very good ramen. We went early and so had absolutely no wait at all. I got the Shiromaru Hakata Classic and my friend got the Akamaru Modern. She seemed like she was in heaven and was going to start tearing up at any moment (touched by the amazing ramen?). I have to say, they do a really good soft boiled egg. Delicious. Super fatty soup, but super super super amazing. I think I tasted butter or something but damn, that was good soup. A little pricey, as ramen usually is. I'd have to say though....this is only the second best ramen I've ever had :-p. If you're ever in California, Orenchi is worth a try. read more

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I can't think of a better way to write my 100th Yelp review than on my favorite NY resto (and in my top 5 in america; haven't decided a chronological order but Ippudo is pretty much #1 as of recent). So a little over a year ago, I discovered what it was like to have a beyond earth experience with food when I devoured the Akamaru Modern ramen bowl at Ippudo. Now I've never been to Japan, nor have had ramen (prior to Ippudo) that leaves me with the feeling of wanting to swim in it all the live long day; but going to Ippudo gives me the impression that I am in Japan, swimming in the best ramen noodles and broth and pork known to man. I've tried almost all the bowls and all are stand-out, it really just comes down to preference. Akamaru Modern and Miso have been my favorites. I like my noodles hard *that's what she said* but even the regular noodles have a perfect bite to them. Again, all about preference but EVERYTHING is guaranteed to be good. Other dishes that are just as mouth-watering are the Hirata chicken wings and the Hirata pork buns, and the Japanese cucumbers which is the best appetizer ever created. If you still have room for dessert, the match green tea creme brulée is amazing, as everything else on the menu is. Seriously. The wait is totally worth it, people. There is a bar (with a great selection of japanese cocktails, beer, and sake) & you're in the east village so walk around outside. If you're bored waiting then you are a boring person. Choose to leave and you will be missing out on an amazing food experience in NY. read more

It was a cold, rainy NY afternoon and I was craving some hot noodle soup. My friend suggested Ippudo because of it's authenticity and the interesting fact that the place is modeled after the real Ippudo in Japan. I ordered the Akamaru (spicy) ramen and a friend ordered their regular ramen. It was alright. I found the broth watered down for my taste, but a the same time, salty (possibly due to the spicy paste?). I just wish there was a better balance in flavor. Personally, I prefer richer, pork flavored broths and I just wasn't feeling it. The noodles are thin, squarish in shape, and cooked very al dente. For the price, I was a little disappointed that we each only received 2 small slivers of pork in addition to the little sprinkling of toppings. The decor is very modern and the main dining area consists of communal dining tables. The servers are very helpful in explaining their menu and service was attentive. read more

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#171 NY Review #8 LA, taken as a whole, has amongst the best Asian cuisine you'll find in the US. That said, Ippudo was the ONLY Asian place I put on my NYC food list in preparation for my trip. I figured that nothing would be spectacular enough to overlook NYC's other cuisine specialties given the limited number of meals we would have. In short, I can say that Ippudo lived up to the hype and was as good as my favorites in LA (Daikokuya, Santouka, Shinsengumi, Mottainai), and even better in a couple cases. I ordered the Akamaru Modern (picture: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/44SY464xDHbvOcjDzRbKkQ?select=3F4sn6NuGG2b9uhLLJWPpw). The tonkotsu soup base was slightly superior to anything I've had in LA. It was richer and more flavorful than Daikokuya's Kotteri style, and throw in the pork belly being uber-soft *drool*. In fact, a friend (whom I will not identify) said, "I would bathe in that soup". Me... no thanks haha. The two things I didn't care for were the noodles and the limited number of pork belly slices (2). The noodles were a thinner style than I prefer (in the Shinsengumi mold, if you're familiar). I like a thicker noodle, like at Daikokuya. I can't put Ippudo #1 on my ramen list, but it's definitely in the top three. Damn, I wish I had tried those pork buns too. read more

IPPUDO NY - 09.03.10 - akamaru modern - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

AWESOME!!!!!!!! (I think the amount of reviews shows) Ippudo Special Ramen = AWESOME! Hirata Pork Buns = AWESOME!- I CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW GOOD THOSE WERE! TRY THEM I BEG YOU! LOL! Tako WasabiI = AWESOME! Wait for a Table? = Not so awesome but the Food TOTALLY MAKES UP FOR IT. So get there early and walk around while you wait. I got to sit at the bar and watch the Chefs cook everything in front of me and i think they're the BEST seats in the restaurant. You get to see how much time and the art that is put into and every dish. They announce you and your party when you walk into the dining area and all the staff or chefs greet you. The service I had here was quick and great. This is one place that I wont forget to visit next time im in New York. read more

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Ippudo is definitely a locals and tourists hotspot. The ambiance is beautiful with its squared dark wooden tables around a fireside and glass segregated booths along the back wall. Its atmosphere inside the restaurant, contrary to the bustling chaotic crowd in the waiting room, speaks classy relaxed and romantic. The food is flavorful and wholesome and service is friendly and attentive. The ramen here are a must try because they are so simply YUMMY and the broth -so fatty, juicy, and thick-- is the best part! I tried the Shiromaru Chashu and the regular Ippudo Ramen and both were delicious, and tasty. The pork buns are so heavenly tender and lush. And the Sashimi tuna with wasabi sauce was amazing. Sure the menu can be a bit pricey for the small portions they give but the quality of the food and aura is worth the extra cash from time to time. The line can go on for about 2+ hours but come at lunch time to cut your wait time in half or grab a coffee at the Starbucks down the street. I am definitely coming back next time I'm in the big apple and dragging my whole posse with me! read more

IPPUDO NY - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

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Came here right when they open for the night at 6pm and there was already a line. Nothing too crazy though, just a 20 minute wait. I ordered 2 things only. First was the pork baos. They were decent. I ordered them because a lot of other reviewers raved about them but I found them to just be slightly above average, not as amazing as the other people have claimed. The second item of course is a ramen dish, the shiromaru hakata classic. The ramen was pretty good, but definitely a bit overpriced. While it is good, you can get something pretty similar from other places like naruto ramen where their basic ramen is only $10-12. I'd say if you haven't, do give it a try but nothing to come back again for. read more

Making a trip to Ippudo again for some good ramen is a bit of a no brainer. Though the last time I was here must have been 5 years ago or more. This is arguably the best ramen I've had. And while their prices have climbed steadily and doubled over the years, their quality remains unwavering. Our wait for a table of two on a weekend lunchtime was around 20 minutes. The nearby Halloween store kept us well occupied during that time. They text you when a table is available and you have 5 minutes to get there. I booked out of that shop and power walked to Ippudo to not risk losing the table. We sat at the bar area. My ramen was heaven. Get the pork belly to go with it. A decision I did not regret. Every spoonful of soup, every savory morsel of pork and veggies, made my toes curl a little and gain some more respect for these people who take their ramen seriously. Thank you. My friend got some appetizers. Pork ribs and duck. Both were really delicious but the portions were small. All the servers and workers screaming in Japanese adds and subtracts from the atmosphere. Yes I guess they do that but it's hard to talk to anyone. Time to shut up and get to slurpin'! read more

This was my first experience with real Japanese ramen and I thoroughly enjoyed it. We only had to wait 15min to get a table on a Friday for lunch, which was a total shocker. We were taken to a nice booth in the corner of the restaurant... a great view of the kitchen and dining room. We started off with the pork belly app and the pork buns. The pork buns here are not what I was used to, they have the same "design" as a pita pocket, but the pork filling was fantastical. The pork belly app was a huge hit with the table and the accompanying sauce was delicious. I went with the extra spicy tonkatsu... honestly, nothing was more perfect than that bowl of soup on a cold january day. great spice, delicious al dente noodles, really good pork flavor. the only thing that sucks is that I won't be able to eat anything like this in DC... oh well. read more

IPPUDO NY - Extra Spicy Tonkatsu - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

I have been to many Ramen joints around the country and on this day I found one that brought tears to my eyes and made me dance like a madman! Okay, that may be an exaggeration...but it was so darn good! This restaurant is conveniently near Webster Hall. We were warned of long wait times and decided to have a very late dinner at about 11:00 pm. Even at that hour we still waited about 30 mins! So remember to always consider the time and wait before planning your visit. You are greeted to some Japanese fan-fare as they seat you in their very busy yet spacious restaurant. Now, we did indeed come here for ramen and amazing ramen we had. I had the original and my wife had a miso variation. Both of these were so delicious that I left no survivors in my bowl. I must tell you though...an unintended champion of deliciousness came in the form of their version of a pork bun. The bread was exquisite, the sauce was sweet with a hint of heat, and the pork itself was to die for. Overall the food here is a miracle for your mouth and I highly recommend it. I will stress that you come here when you have it in your budget, as it is the pricier of the ramen houses I have visited. It set my wife and I back 62$ after tip for two ramen and an app. read more

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If you are in NYC and you love food, this is the place to be!!!! From the glorious ramen noodle bowl wall to the ramen bar top, it's super trendy and fun. Not to mention, the ramen is pretty damn good. Where else can you eat ramen with some Tribe Called Quest and Wu Tang Clan background music!? First off the space is beautiful. There are lots of communal spaces in the dining area....long tables, bar tops, and large round tops all made for sharing with strangers. BTW, they do not take reservations so be prepared to a) wait and b) eat with randoms. After reading the reviews, the pork buns seemed to be the most popular appetizers and rightfully so. They come with delicious pork belly wrapped in the softest buns you will ever have. As for ramen, we settled on the following: Shiromaru Hakata Classic $15 The original silky "Tonkotsu" (pork) soup noodles topped with pork loin chashu, sesame kikurage mushrooms, memma, red pickled ginger, & scallions Akamaru Modern $15 The original silky "Tonkotsu" (pork) soup noodles topped with Ippudo's secret "Umami Dama" miso paste, pork chashu, cabage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil The Classic was good but a little on the plain side. The Modern was definitely more flavorful thanks to the miso paste and garlic oil. When you mix it up, it has an extra pop that the classic doesn't have. They don't come with a lot of meat so I would recommend ordering an add on of roasted pork or pork belly. I would also recommend the soft boiled egg. You can't have ramen without the egg! I got a double order - tee hee. For you spice lovers, get a side of the Bakudan for an extra kick in your soup! It can get quite expensive, but hey, you're in NYC. We ended up spending about 70 bucks for an app, two bowls of ramen, add ons, and a round of beer. read more

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Although the restaurant opens at 5pm on Fridays, my bf and I got there around 5:30pm, and the wait was over an hour, longer than the time quoted by the host. It gets pretty packed in the bar/waiting area so good luck to you if you don't get seated right away. At least the ambiance is cool and comfortable, and they play good music. I found that the service from the hosts was a bit off putting. I don't know if they act so stern because of the overwhelming crowd (they may be nicer when it's not so busy) but I can't deny that our waitress including the staff bussing the tables and filling the water provided stellar service. To the main event - **Hirata Pork Buns: the consensus rules. get the pork buns. although each bun is stuffed with simple pieces of romaine lettuce and mayo that may not be so necessary to include, the pork is flavorful, tender and fatty. the buns can do bad all by themselves without the pork. **Akamaru Modern Ramen: i was hoping this would change my ramen life. sadly, it didn't. it was definitely delicious but i have concluded that since this tonkotsu broth didn't move me, i am a miso girl, and at that, a spicy one. the noodles in both this bowl and the karaka miso were thin but good, yet for my personal preference, they could have been a bit more al dente. **Karaka Miso Ramen: i much enjoyed the karaka miso broth and all of it's spiciness. i thought this bowl was better that the akamaru modern. my bf disagrees. i added a poached egg to my bowl, and our waitress suggested that i also add the leaf mustard to round out the veggies. i shot down her suggestion but looking back, the cabbage and bamboo shoots in my bowl could have used more veggie company. The ramen bowls are pretty pricey and only get pricier with additional toppings. I don't know if I should just chalk it up to the fact that Ippudo is in NYC. This doesn't appear to stop sole diners which I actually saw several of, enjoying their bowls of ramen while reading a book or playing on their smart phones. read more

IPPUDO NY - Karaka Miso Ramen + a poached egg - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

*3.5 stars* Does it live up to the hype? Nope. We got here at 11am, exactly when they opened, and there was already a small line out the door. By the time we had finished, there was already a huge line out the door... lots of people waiting. I ended up getting a Akamaru Modern w/ Unagi set. Broth was delicious (creamy), but noodles on the other hand weren't impressive. I'm confused by all of the 4-5 star reviews... its pretty disappointing, especially for a pricey $14/bowl. Then again, this is NYC. I didn't get a chance to try the pork buns, but it seems like they're a much better option than the ramen. We joked that I'd enjoy Ippudo better (on this visit) if the portion size of the unagi and ramen bowls were switched... but really, next time we'll probably get pork buns and split a bowl of ramen. -- PHOTOS: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ippudo-ny-new-york?select=1Jf1jvVAgoDqt0Q-zQa9zA#1Jf1jvVAgoDqt0Q-zQa9zA http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ippudo-ny-new-york?select=1Jf1jvVAgoDqt0Q-zQa9zA#1Jf1jvVAgoDqt0Q-zQa9zA read more

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Ippudo's broth is about as good as it gets! Compared to the many other Ramen shops we've tried, Ippudo's would rank very close to the top. The Ramen has a lot of great things going for it. #1 the ability to order more noodles! A good Ramen house that offers extra noodles?!? It doesn't get better then that. In our experience only the bad ramen houses offer this kind of deal. The high point of the dish was easily the broth. We got the akamaru modern ramen. It's tonkatsu flavor base was outstanding. Smooth, creamy, and flavorful. All without being overly salted. The meat was good, kind of a hit or miss, some pieces had plenty flavor and were very tender, while others were tough. The boiled eggs were a nice touch though! We highly recommend getting the eggs soft boiled. The creaminess of the egg york goes very well with the ramen! We also added the braised pork belly and decided it was a waste of money. It doesn't add anything to the dish and it seemed like the ingredient was out of place. So for future reference don't add the pork belly. We knocked a star because the noodles were a big let down. Personally we don't like them that thin, but the broth was good enough for us to look past it. In addition, you must get the pork buns! They are ridiculously good!! As for the restaurant. It's waaay overpriced for ramen ($20 bowl for ramen after extra noodles and pork belly) and my god is this place crazy busy. We're so thankful we got there at 5:15pm. They were able to sit our party of 9 in an hour and thirty minutes. The wait time they told us was accurate. Right before we got seated, we heard it was a 2-3 hour wait time for just a party of two! I mean the Ramen's good... but not worth that kind of wait. That broth made it a real treat to eat at Ippudo's. We would recommend anyone that likes Ramen to try it out, but only if you can withstand the wait and don't mind spending some extra money on something that's usually much cheaper. read more

IPPUDO NY - akamaru ramen ($28) + kakuni-pork belly ($4) - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

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I think this place is so overrated. Why do New Yorkers like to jump on the food-band wagon so much without really considering the food? I think the portions here are tiny and think it's a rip-off to have to order a separate serving of noodles "on the side"--something any diner with a normal appetite would do. Don't get me wrong--the food is tasty and the ambiance/interior is better than other noodle shops, but the food is simply NOT that good. Their pork belly appetizer is very good though. read more

IPPUDO NY - Pork belly appetizer @ Ippudo - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

Today (2/23/19) was the fourth time I've been to ippudo and the only time I've felt the need to write a review. Honestly, the ramen is always amazing which is why we always come back. The portions are huge, it's vegetarian friendly and the meal is incredibly hearty. We even tried the vegetarian buns for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed them. I'm upset giving 3 stars because the food is amazing and the service is too. The reason I am is because the hostess is horrendous and skips people that have been waiting in line for personal favors. We put our name down for a table at 5:43pm on a Saturday and were told that the wait would be about 30ish mins. Okay, perfect! Usually we come super early because we know there's a crazy wait. I joked, "okay so add another 10 or so minutes and our table will be ready by then." By the time we came back from running errands, it had been close to half an hour. We checked in and were told "there's only a few parties ahead of you and people are just taking a while to pay the bill but it should be soon." Then we watched as a party of 5 ladies came in. One checked in with the hostess and was obviously friends with her. As she went to use the restroom, we could hear here say "I owe you a favor!!" Um what??? 5 minutes later, the same hostess tapped her on the shoulder and said it would only be a few more minutes, and then another hostess took them to their table as one of the five said "omg wait that was so fast!" The girls sitting next to us had been waiting just about as long as we had and went up to the hostess to complain about it, and the hostess just shrugged her shoulders. Completely unprofessional and unfair. We watched a few more times as people who got there after us were seated before us. We ended up waiting a total of 80 minutes after being told the wait would just be half an hour. It's going to be hard for me to want to bother coming back to ippudo which is an absolute shame. read more

WHOOO I love ramen and they do a great job of it at Ippudo NY. This is the most reviewed place in NYC so it was a MUST for me to come and eat. I got here at 12:30 in the afternoon with no wait. It's one of the best looking ramen restaurants I've ever been to from here to Japan. The service was great and the presentation was a plus as well. I ordered the pork buns which was delicious. The only place I liked it at more is Momofuku Noodle Bar. I ordered the Akamaru Modern ramen. It had thin noodles with pork slices. I also ordered a side of egg which was runny. The best way you can get a egg. The 3rd Item i had was the eel rice bowl and it was splendid. I couldn't go wrong with anything I ate here. Great food and great service. Recommendation: Akamaru Modern ramen w/ Egg, Pork buns, and grilled eel over rice. read more

IPPUDO NY - Akamaru modern - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

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Our experience at Ippudo could not have gone any better. We showed up 10 minutes before opening time and there was already a short line. However, once they opened things moved very fast and smoothly. We were seated in less than 10 minutes and received our food shortly after ordering. Since this place is well known for their long lines, everyone working there is very well-trained to accommodate the needs of customers. We ordered pork hirata buns, the akamaru modern and karaka-men. The buns are good but nothing I'll rave about. The ramen though... by far the BEST ramen I have ever had. The broth of both bowls were so delicious that not one drop was left. It was extremely flavorful. The noodles here are special because they are hand-pulled and the texture was great! We loved it so much that we came back on our second day right before opening to have another bowl of ramen before leaving the city. This place lives up to all the hype. Must try if you're a ramen lover but I definitely suggest you go early like we did. read more

IPPUDO NY - Ramen Near Me - New York, New York

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Ippudo sounded like a good idea, until I heard that the wait can be up to two hours!! What is it with New York and these excessive wait times?! That is definitely something I will not miss when back in LA. But I did want to try it, especially since there are 43 Ippudo's in Japan and Ippudo NYC is first location outside of Japan. I did however manage to make the 2 hour wait work in my favor. On my way home I stopped by and put my name down and came back an hour and 45 minutes later for dinner. Upon arrival I was seated immediately. Perfect! Obviously if you can't get there 2 hours before you actually want to dine, you should either A) pay someone else to go put your name down or B) go elsewhere... Walking into the dining room, you are greeted with the the familiar shouts heard when entering a sushi restaurant, although they are even louder, longer and more enthused at Ippudo. You will be seated either at the counter or one of several communal tables. I heard that their hirata buns were great - filled with pork or chicken and filled with lettuce and a spicy bun sauce. These may have been the best buns I've ever had - yes better than Momofuku. We also tried the bakerutsu tofu- spicy tofu casserole served with minced pork, crunchy noodles in a spicy broth in a stone pot. This arrived to us boiling hot. It's a great appetizers for those who aren't averse to hot things - both temperature and spice. I had to have the famous ramen...I choose the akamaru ramen, the original tonkotsu soup topped with Ippduo's special sauce, pork belly, cabbage, scallions, miso paste, kikurage (a Japanese mushroom) and garlic oil. This is definitely a great ramen, and at $14 it's incredibly filling and enough for two people...I recommend sharing. I would love for them to open an Ippudo in LA. It's a fun, ethnic experience in a modern atmosphere at a great price. read more