Typically, I have a rule that whenever I travel, I try not to eat at places I've been to or know that I can get to back home. But when the gf and I saw Ippudo in the SM Mall of Asia, we both knew that if there ever was a time for an exception, this would be it, since we don't go to New York regularly enough to make this really count against the rule.
Obviously, being a foreigner to the country, my words can only hold so much weight when it comes to regional familiarity. This Ippudo is located on the second floor of the Mall of Asia, which puts it on the tourist destination part of Pasay, near the airport and slightly off of Manila proper. There's tons of traffic, and the rules of the road seem to be their own entity in Manila, so I guess what I'm saying is that it's in the Mall of Asia and use whatever means necessary to get there.
When we originally saw the place, there was no wait which was an unfamiliar concept since the Manhattan location has like an hour long wait even at off-peak times; but when we actually went to eat, there was a small wait, but it moves fast because the staff of this Ippudo is an extremely well-oiled efficient machine that works fast, together, friendly and communicates better than most restaurants on the planet. They read back orders to ensure accuracy, and leave little doubts that things will be right when ordered.
The interior is nothing like those familiar with other Ippudos is nothing like the New York location; it's in a mall for starters, so it's better lit, there's less touches of the Japanese authenticity smashed into the NYC locations, but it's still methodical and maximizes the space well to accommodate diners.
The menu is pretty much identical to other Ippudos, so if you've been to any others, you know what to expect from this one. I went with an Akumaru and both a pork and a fried chicken bun since I was feeling fatty. The ramen is right up to par with those familiar with the company, and the medium noodles were right on the money on how they were cooked. It's clear the kitchen takes the original instructions very seriously, and hit the nail on the head when it came to the noodles and broth.
This location takes customer service and feedback pretty seriously apparently, based on the customer feedback cards they hand out to everyone, that other reviewers have pointed out. As good as the service is, I will say that the quality of the food isn't quite 100% just yet, and as I pointed out on my feedback, this Ippudo's only shortcomings were probably in the tonkotsu itself.
In short, it's not the melt-in-your-mouth tender that one expects from an Ippudo or most other quality tonkotsu ramens. It still has a great flavor and tastes delicious, but for pork buns or insertion into ramen, it's not tender enough, and it's not easy to bite and break into multiple bites, and you'll be forced to eat it all in one bite or have that awkward chewing and then rip it manually moment.
I hope they'll take this constructive criticism into consideration and work on tenderizing it somewhat, because as far as customer service, location and cleanliness goes, this place has those aspects on lockdown. Also being a little less heavy-handed on the mayo on buns would be good too.
Regardless, this was a pleasant surprise to have found on a first-ever trip to Manila. It's a great find for those who've never been to an Ippudo before, or for those who don't want to be too adventurous with Filipino cuisine and want something a little more familiar. I should also mention that the prices, especially for those enjoying USD to PHP conversions is extremely favorable for tourists, as a meal for two was almost half of what I'm used to paying in NYC. read more