Ippudo

Don't ever go here unless you want to wait FOREVER for over priced noodles. I came here HOPING to eat the ramen with my mom and aunt and ended up waiting OVER an hour. We still were not seated after an hour and twenty minutes, so I spoke to the manager and they tried to make us wait even longer. We ended up leaving. I've been a patron of Ippudo since they've opened and this is the first time I've EVER experienced something like this!

Ippudo has some of the best ramen in Japan. I used to eat at the Ippudo across the street from my university in Tokyo on a weekly basis. It was a little more expensive than the hole-in-the-wall joints but worth splurging for. They've brought the same dedication to quality to their Manhattan location. If I look down at the bowl while sitting at the counter I could swear I was in Tokyo. The gyoza is fantastic, the broth is rich, the noodles are thin and al dente, and it tastes exactly the way Hakata ramen should. The only catch is the Manhattan price tag for working class food that comes from the harbor in Fukuoka (Hakata). How would you feel paying $20 for a burrito or a hoagie? That's how I feel when I go here. Sometimes you have to pay extra to get the authenticity of a favorite food from around the globe. I love the food, but it always feels weird when I get the check. I wish they had remembered to do what they do best which is make ramen. Keep the deliciousness, lose the chic!

The Akamaru Modern at Ippudo is simply the best ramen dish I've had in New York. The other ramen offings at Ippudo are also better than any I've tasted around town. In fact, having recently visited Tokyo I'm convinced that Ippudo dishes can stand up to any in Japan itself. The appetizers and side dishes are also great, and the atmosphere in Ippudo is exciting and bustling. Just don't try to go at peak hours or weekends if you're not prepared for a long wait.

I habve been hearing a lot of hype about ippudo and finally decided to try it. In a nutshell the staff is nice and friendly. Put simply I was disappointed with the amount of Pork that came with my Ramen. At other places you get a nice amount. Here I got on paper thin slice. I also didnt like the fact that you cant take leftovers home. I was there at 5pm. The time the bar opens, already had my name on the list and still had to wait 10 minutes. It was ok but not great. Wouldnt rush back here and definitely not worth the hype.

The tonkatsu broth is rich and luscious, the ramen is fresh. The pork belly slices are so so tender and tasty. One of our favorite appetizers is the steamed pork bun (kind of like chinese steamed pork buns but fancier and the buns hold everything like a taco). Very modern and trendy, but still solid food. Our standard for New York ramen.

This is the right place to go... Just came back from there and I found their ramen is not as good as most of reviews said... We are talking about Ramen here, and Ramen is simply a combination of good noodle and good soup base...but I found neither from my experience... What I didn't like... First of all, waiting time, 45min+ when I was there at 6:30pm....yes, it's a busy place, but I found they tend to keep you wait longer than necessary...what you going to do during the wait? Yes, buy a beverage or two...well, I didn't...but you may want to start thinking how people get rich.... Secondly, $13 for a bowl of noodle, 3-4 slices of roasted pork, some seaweeds and huge amount of MSG...yes, you may not feel it if you were having your beer or soda with your noodles...but you won't be able to taste the real taste of the soup neither...I am sure that there are better options in that area... What I liked... Appetizer - not bad, we had beef tartarki and wagyu, both were good, tender meat... Service - good, keep bringing us water and nice people there... For 2 ramen, 3 appetizers, the bill came out $70 something, with tips, $80 something... Worth it or not? Depends on how you like to spend your money...

Best ramen e-v-e-r!