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the buzz

“Deliciousness at Ippudo”

Ramen fans, get ready to start slurping. Ippudo has now (softly) opened. This Japanese chain with 34-units and a cult following opened its doors on Fourth Avenue today, and I’ve just returned from a fantastic lunch. This ramen is seriously good. It’s different from other New York ramen in two major ways. First, the noodles are made in house, and they’re thinner than other ramen noodles I’ve had. They’re also cooked closer to al dente which adds a really nice almost chewy texture to the broth. They sort of remind me of soft golden straw.

But the most astonishing part of the ramen at Ippudo is the stock. While slurping and spooning, I jotted down this phrase on my note pad: “perversely porky.” Yes, this broth is so rich, and so fully embraces pork’s oinky flavor it’s almost perverse. You could also call it liquid pig. (The broth is made by cooking pork bones for over 15 hours, which explains why it’s so intense.) Honestly, I think you’ll be amazed and the texture and the flavor of this broth. It was so good I had two bowls actually, because I wanted to taste both signature ramen dishes. The Shiromaru Moto-Aji ($16), the white pork ramen, is a classic, while the Akamaru Shin-Aji ($16), a bolder red broth, is more avant garde and it’s given more complex flavor by the addition of hidenotare—a secret sauce made from garlic oil and what seems like red miso to me. Both are garnished with a generous shower of scallions, crunchy cabbage, and tender slices of Berkshire pork. Both are served in oversized ceramic bowls in portion sizes made for one that can easily feed two. Sadly, to-go containers for leftovers are not available because apparently the noodles don't travel well. Oh well.

The room is also quite cool, and it’s far more of a “real” restaurant than the other ramen joints around town. While they won’t take reservations, you’ll have a fine time waiting for your table at the full bar up front serving 35 sakes in addition to beer and spirits. Toward the back you’ll find a super-Zen room decorated with a striking bamboo centerpiece and walls etched with stone and wood and accented with intricate kimono fabric from the Hakata region of Japan. The room is filled out with a few large solid wood communal tables and anchored by oversized square booths lined with tatami mats. A rectangular ramen bar is matched up with white leather loveseats for two that split down the middle to make it easier to get in and out, and then come back together for cheek-to-cheek slurping. These seats are adorable. There’s also a regular ramen bar with white stools overlooking the open kitchen if you just want to pop in quick on your own for a hearty and heavenly lunch.

My one word of caution (if it’s even that) is that it can get a bit noisy at Ippudo with all the shouts of Welcome and Thank you (in Japanese) to people coming in and out, but it does add to the authentic vibe. Furthering your Japanese immersion is the staff of waiters, bussers, and cooks who have all been relocated to New York City from Japan. They’re really the best people to talk you through the menu and introduce you to the experience that is Ippudo. I think you’ll love it.

Ippudo opens officially on March 31st but as I said, they’re soft open now, so if you’re in the hood, and you walk by, chances are you’ll be able to walk in and try it out. 65 Fourth Avenue, 212-388-0088.

Enjoy!

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Posted: March 24, 2008 - 2:54 pm

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