Ended my latest trip to Hong Kong with a meal at Ippudo! Located in the Telford Plaza in Kowloon Bay, it's very easy to find as it's in a hallway with a ton of Japanese restaurants. There's a electronic ticket machine in the front where you get a waiting number (and optionally, you can leave a phone number and they will call you when it's time). I was about 7 spots behind was seated in about 10 minutes.
Of course I couldn't pass on the ramen in Ippudo. On the menu I noticed they had half portion options for the Shiromaru and Akamaru options, so I opted to try one of each ($42 HKD Shiromaru 1/2, $45 HKD Akamaru 1/2), and it was a fantastic decision. The broths were definitely the highlight. The shiromaru had a lighter broth where you can really taste the pork flavors from the tonkotsu broth. The akamaru had some black garlic oil, as well as a more spicy kick that wasn't too overpowering but transformed the tonkotsu broth into a more vibrant, powerful flavor. And eating them right after the other was a perfect yin and yang combination. The chashu was flavorful and had a good amount of pork fat but they were very thin slices and not a whole lot of meat. The texture of the noodles was good: thin but springy. Combined with the green onions, bean sprouts, and kikurage, it was very delicious.
Portions are a bit on the small size (especially the 1/2 size options) but well worth the price. Highly, highly recommended! read more