Ippudo ramen warms you with the best broth
A simple dinner can often be great when you have great company and good food. Ippudo has some of the best ramen in New York City. The porky broth they serve is deeply intense, and it grabs a hold of your taste buds without letting go. They define pork broth in a way that makes you believe no one has ever made it better before. Maybe someone has, but when you sip a ladle full of that sweet porky crack, you just fall in love. That's what happened last time I went to Ippudo with Stephanie.
We got lucky with a short ten minute wait on a week night and we also went early. Sometimes when you go to Ippudo at 8pm or something, the wait is ridiculous, probably around an hour or so. I think Ippudo has some of the best ramen in the city, but no ramen is worth an hour wait. There's two camps of thinking when it comes to waiting. One camp says, we should eat what we want to eat, and the wait is worth it because we're waiting with friends and we're waiting for good food. The second camp says, we should go where there is less wait because food somewhere else is just as good, and there's less wait at another place.
I'm firmly in the second group because the other thing is, when you have great company, the food always tastes better. Food becomes this platform for exchange and you socialize with your friends and you just become part of the moment. When writing this blog, too often I get caught with thinking that it's so important to be one of the first ones to try something. Sometimes you get lucky though, you go with someone special and the food is pretty good to boot.
If you haven't heard much about Ippudo... You either don't like ramen or you don't live in New York City. A Passion for Food, The Wandering Eater, and Serious Eats: NY has covered it. So go there for some write-ups if you want some more info.
The one thing special about going to Ippudo for ramen right now is that they have seasonal specials. I don't remember what my special was called but it was full of the rich porky broth and little bits of pork. It also had the little spoonful of red sauce on top like their akamaru modern ramen. Steph had that and the difference between hers and mine was the thickness of the noodles. The noodles in the akamaru modern were thinner and thus had a different mouth feel. When you go, you could probably ask about the thin/thickness of the noodles in the ramen you want to order (if you pick a seasonal special)
I can't tell you if Ippudo is worth the wait when you get quoted one hour. But if you get lucky and there is a short wait, you should always go in and have a taste for yourself.
Ippudo
65 4th Ave.
New York, NY 10003
212-388-0088
The way you've described this makes me want some. Nice pics, very nice description. This goes on my "to-do" list.
FN
December 14, 2008 2:13 pm
the last time I went on a weeknight around 8:30, there was definitely a 45 minute wait! I didn't wait, but I want to go back to try again (though not at 8:30)
Ang
December 14, 2008 7:04 pm
@FN,
Yea! Definitely put this on your 'to-do' list. It's a really enjoyable bowl of noodles. It just warms ya right up.
@Ang,
Seriously, Ippudo gets so packed. It's kind of ridiculous. I wonder if it's better during the summer when it's really hot outside.
Danny
December 15, 2008 12:30 am
Ooooo I've been wanting to try the seasonal specials...hopefully they'll still be serving them up when I return to back to the city in a few weeks! :)
p.s.
I'm right with you on the food & company matter - in fact sometimes I'd have to say company counts for more than food! (though of course one would ideally have both, heheh) ^_^
Kathy
December 15, 2008 1:09 am
Best part about Ippudo - ramen refills!!! Just make sure you save the soup so that they can add more noodles in your bowl.
Yin
December 15, 2008 12:56 pm
I have to disagree with you... it's so oily and ... I prefer other ramen places vastly. :) Of course, it's personal preference.
Yvo
December 15, 2008 2:20 pm
I have heard great things about this place and wouldn't mind going very soon!!!
Danny, I like this line: "I don't remember what my special was called but it was full of the rich porky broth and little bits of pork." :)
Yin - really?! refills? are the refills free?
ambitious
December 15, 2008 2:25 pm
@Kathy,
Have to agree with you, company does trump food in many cases. Sometimes what you eat doesn't even matter!
@Yin,
Ooooh ramen refills. That's pretty hardcore. I've never done that... that's so much noodles!
@Yvo,
Yea it's probably personal preference. Really though I like all of them. Setagaya, Minca, Momofuku. Can't go wrong with ramen.
@ambitious,
You should go! Try to beat the crowds too!
Danny
December 16, 2008 10:28 am
Tried to go again last night- right before 8pm I was quoted an hour and 15 minutes for 2 people! There was also a line at Setagaya. So we ended up at Soba Kohn instead.
Ang
December 19, 2008 11:27 am