Tokyo Eats: Ippudo

On our first night in Tokyo, Hubby and I explored Ginza.  It was already late when we finished shopping, and we were both hungry and wanted something fast.  I checked the internet for something nearby, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw Ippudo pop up.  I've already tried Ippudo in Hong Kong and  Singapore, might as well try out the original, right?  

Thanks to Google Maps and our rented wifi stick, we got there after some time of going around the wrong streets.  LOL.  There was a line outside when arrived, but we were ushered inside after a few minutes of wait.  The Japanese are really efficient that way :)

Unlike their branches in other countries, Ippudo Tokyo's menu is very minimal.  Two kinds of ramen and a few side dishes is everything they have.  Makes it easier to order since the items are few.

Hakata Bite-Size Dumplings

 The first dish that arrived was our appetizer:  The Hakata Bite-Size Dumplings.  The skin was thin and crisp, and the insides were juicy.  We finished it in minutes and found ourselves ordering another plate, in 10s!

Shiromaru Special 

Ippudo's original tonkotsu broth served with ultra-thin noodles, pork belly, bean sprouts, black fungus and spring onions.  Classic Hakata-style ramen.  It's the original taste of Ippudo.

The Shiromaru Special comes with 5 cha-shus, 3 roasted seaweeds, flavored soft-boiled egg, scallion, bean sprouts and tree mushroooms.

The Shiromaru Ramen is their basic ramen.  In Ippudo, you can choose to either get the one with cha-shu, the one with egg, or their Shiromaru Special with everything and more.  This was my order.  Of course I had the Special!  *glutton alert*

What I noticed about Ippudo's tonkotsu broth was that it tastes lighter than what I've grown accustomed to.  I ordered my noodles to be very soft, but the one that was served to me was a bit tough.

Akamaru Special

Ippudo's original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil.  Served with think and straight noodles, pork belly, bean sprouts, black fungus and spring onions.  A refined, modern-style ramen.

The Akamaru Special comes with fragrant garlic oil, 5 cha-shus, 3 roasted seaweeds, flavored soft-boiled egg, scallion, bean sprouts and tree mushrooms.

Hubby's order.  Also the special.  And he too found the taste to be a bit lacking.  It was fragrant alright - with the garlic oil and all, but the broth itself was not that impressive.

Overall, both of us were a tad disappointed with Ippudo Tokyo.  We wanted the flavors to be richer, bolder.  We're spoiled that way.  But to each his own.  Some find richer broths to be too much.  So if you like a cleaner and lighter taste, then Ippudo is definitely for you.  I'd have to give a special mention to the dumplings though, they're superb!  2 out of 5 stars.

Ippudo Ramen is at Daiichi Nakayama Bldg. B1F, 3-11-14 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo