Ippudo

I eat at Ippudo at least 3 times a week, and would eat there more frequently if it was in my neighborhood. However, I've learned that if I don't want to wait, I should dine alone, there's rarely a wait time for single diners at one of the communal tables. Another reviewer said they wouldn't go back because of MSG...if MSG is what makes these noodle soups so good, I wish there was MSG in everything!

If you look around online you'll find a lot of people identifying the flaw in Ippudo: MSG. We went there yesterday evening and were thirsty for the rest of the night. My girlfriend woke up this morning with a (suspected) MSG headache. Sure the broth tastes good but that goodness seems MSG-derived, making Ippudo a write-off for us at least. (I nonetheless understand that MSG is an integral part of popular Japanese cuisine.) Incidentally, the Japanese theme-park behavior of the servers, who can also be slightly obnoxious, is another reason this place is overrated.

Pork buns are salty, sweet, melt in your mouth good. Ramen noodles are almost creamy and so delicious! Of course you have to wait 2 hour for salty, tasty goodness...You live in NYC! Ippudo makes me glad that I do:)

Yes, the food here is great, but the fact that Ippudo somehow thinks it's too cool of an establishment to accept reservations is obnoxious and irksome, to say the least. I tried to go on a weeknight with my girlfriend, and we were told that there was a 2 hour maximum wait to seat our party of two people. When I asked the hostess what a 2 hour maximum meant and what the minimum wait might be, she wasn't able to give me a straight answer, avoided eye contact, and was pretty rude and dismissive. We didn't bother waiting and left to go somewhere else because we had no idea how long we'd actually have to wait, we weren't willing to wait for 2 hours (I personally wouldn't wait for that long anywhere), and we weren't willing to pay $15 each for a bowl of noodles and broth that we could make ourselves or get somewhere else for cheaper (albeit a less good version, I'll give them that). Ippudo needs to get over itself, start accepting reservations, and reduce the price of dishes that they currently charge ~$15 for, but which probably only cost $1 to make.

Love this place, the pork buns are insane, atmosphere is great but they NEED to start taking reservations. Went last night and the wait for 3 people was 2 1/2 hours and a lot of people were actually waiting. Ended up going to City Crab, which was fine. Please take resi's or expand!

This is hands down the best ramen you'll get in NYC. People rave about this place and I didn't get it until I went. I've always thought that ramen is the same everywhere, but Ippudo is in a class all their own. The noodles are amazing, the broth is heaven, and even the sides like the pork buns are fantastic. Unfortunately the wait just to get a table is sick. I've never waited less than 40 minues. My wife and I thought we'd be smart and beat the wait by getting there early. We showed up at 6:30pm and there was a 1.5 hour wait. We went to a yakitori place on St. Marks instead. I got my ramen, it was good, but not Ippudo good. but then nothing is worth waiting 90 minutes for.

I haven't tasted such good ramen noodles since I came to the United States, the pork bones soup base was very rich and tasty. Ramen noodles are very fine and cooked just right. Although there was a wait, while we were waiting, I saw people chilling at the bar drinking beer and sake or having snacks. So it's really not that bad if you know that the food was that good. Service was great, the waitress was very attentive and kept filling up the water for us. Reasonable Price for lunch, $12-15.. Decorations inside was cool, I would say it's pretty upscale and up-to-date. There're definitely more in the menu, but Ramen is what it is famous for in this restaurant!