What an unexpected and crazy weekend! The wind was blowing with rage last Friday; the trees were falling like dominoes, spewing electrical cables and producing huge damages in Westchester, NY. We were out of power from Friday at 1 pm to Monday at around 5 pm.
Friday evening, we were not fully aware of the situation, eating dinner (cheese, bread, and salad) by candlelight, thinking the electricity would soon be fixed. We seriously underestimated the power of Mother Nature and her side effects!
It’s only Saturday morning, when I woke up in a freezing house, that I realized that we were in a pickle! Neither the furnace nor the boiler were working, no internet, my cell phone was dying, and no coffee! Starbucks would have to do it! The first one I went to was closed due to the power shortage and the second one was packed with desperate people like me.
It is still winter here in NY and the temperatures are low, it’s been a challenge to stay warm! This is where Ippudo comes into the picture. I was craving something hot to eat, something that would warm up my bones: nothing better than delicious ramen!
Ippudo has three locations in Manhattan: East Village, Hell’s Kitchen, and Midtown. We went to the latter, closer to Grand Central Terminal. Ippudo is a well-known Japanese ramen chain founded in 1985 in Japan and is spread out in 13 different countries.
Japanese ramen is basically a big bowl with broth (chicken, beef, pork, or seafood), noodles, eggs, and other ingredients that vary according to the chef’s imagination. The process is more complicated and has its secrets – how to remove the porky smell is one of them.
They don’t take any reservations but the waiting time was not too bad, unlike in East Village and Hell’s Kitchen. Actually, we could’ve been seated directly but we preferred a spot at the counter, it felt more Japanese! We waited at the bar no more than 15 min. The restaurant is quite narrow and long. It is divided into three different areas: the entrance with the bar, the seating area in the middle, and the kitchen at the end. It avoids traffic jams and discomfort for the clients as well as the waiters.
We started with Edamame served with yuzu citrus salt. To make it fully Japanese I ordered a cold saké. The only one on the menu is the Hakkaisan from the Niigata prefecture: light and dry on the palate.
Shiromaru kasane
We ordered two different ramen: The Shiromaru kasane, made of thin noodles with pork bara Chashu (slices of pork), sesame kikurage mushrooms, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), red pickled ginger, and scallions.
Akamaru kasane
And the Akamaru kasane, thin noodles topped with the Ippudo’s secret “Umami Dama” miso paste, pork bara chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil. We added the boiled egg for both bowls. Both were delicious and served very hot. The broth was not greasy, the pork meat was tender, and overall they were extremely tasty.
Mochi ice cream
We enjoyed our dinner and the atmosphere of the restaurant. Passionfruit mochi ice cream to end with a sweet note.
The place is dominated by golden light wood, a typically Japanese wood used in many Japanese interior décors. The kitchen is open on the room that allows you to see the cooks preparing the food. The place is clean and they don’t hesitate to throw away a bowl of ramen and make another one if it is returned for whatever reason.
Ippudo is a casual fast restaurant serving mainly ramen ($16) and a few starters such as buns, edamame, shishito (Japanese peppers), chicken wings…
The service is excellent, efficient, and very pleasant. It’s a perfect place for a quick meal!
Ippudo
Midtown
24 W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
📞212-354-1111
East Village
65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003
📞212-388-0088
Hell’s Kitchen
321 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019
📞 212-974-2500
Price: $$
Ramen: $16
Open: Monday to Friday 11am-3:30 pm, 5:30-10:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 12-10 pm
