Ippudo NY - New York, NY

5/5 stars

I was in NY Mon-Fri for work, but only had 1 lunch and 2-3 dinners unaccounted for so I had to choose wisely. I have a mile-long list of must-try restaurants in NY and Ippudo was at the top. They didn'tdidn'tdidn't disappoint.

We arrived 30 mins early before they opened Monday and there was noone in line so we decided to adventure to Milk Bar instead of waiting outside. When we came back, there was a line, but it wasn't bad. We made the first lunch seating and got to sit at the bar. It's the BEST place to sit. You get to watch pork buns being built, fish being torched, and fresh noodles being boiled. Everyone is sooooo nice too!

Of course I had to try the hirata buns filled with pork, mayo, and lettuce. It was most certainly the best pork bun I've ever had. The bun itself was steaming hot and pillowy. The pork was fatty and glistening. The mayo and lettuce a nice touch. I would've ordered another plate if I had another stomach. The ramen was extremely filling. For ramen, I chose the akamaru modern which is their perfect Tonkotsu with "Umami Dama" miso paste, chashu, cabbage, kikurage mushrooms, scallions, garlic oil, and a seasoned egg. Their Tonkotsu was incredible. Some Tonkotsu broths can be salty, but Ippudo's was perfect. The flavors were so deep. It was clear that this broth had been simmering for hours on end. The noodles here are on the thinner side, which I don't normally prefer, but they were fresh and springy.

Ippudo was a dream foodie destination for me and I'm so glad I got to cross it off my list. Even though there are a hundred other restaurants to try in NY, I'll be back to Ippudo.

(2015)