Ramen Quest: Ippudo Westside
I've been longing to try Ippudo Westside, but never had the opportunity to until recently. During spring break, I made sure to make a lunch date with my girlfriend Diane. Although Diane had been to Ippudo Westside already, she didn't mind visiting it again with me. Such a sweetheart!
The travel to this location is a stretch for me especially since I live in Bensonhurst and I also got lost on the way to the restaurant, but I eventually made it. We met on a Monday afternoon around 12:30PM and already it was crowded at Ippudo Westside. Luckily, we didn't have to wait for a table at all and was seated immediately when Diane arrived.
I really love that this location is a lot more spacious, well-lit, warm, and bright. It's very stylish and chic. Staff is very welcoming, warm, and friendly. Service is on point.
For lunch, Diane and I tried these:
I heard that the Hirata Buns ($9.00 for chicken or pork) were a must-get, so Diane and I ordered these for appetizer. The Hirata buns were served with lettuce, mayo, and Ippudo's spicy sauce. The bun was moist, delicious, and you definitely feel that spice, but luckily you taste and feel a little sweetness too.
Diane ordered the Shiromaru Hakata Classic ($14.00). The bowl looked very bright and inviting with different ingredients like pork loin chashu, bamboo shoots, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, pickled gingers, and soft-boiled eggs bathed in Ippudo's original pork broth.
I ordered the Akamaru Modern ($14.00). My bowl looked even more brighter, warmer, and inviting merely because my ramen was served in a red bowl. This was truly a winning bowl filled with a bolder version of the original pork broth, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, Ippudo's secret Umami Dama paste, and fragrant garlic oil. The pork chashu was delicious and juicy, and everything else was amazing.
The travel to this location is a stretch for me especially since I live in Bensonhurst and I also got lost on the way to the restaurant, but I eventually made it. We met on a Monday afternoon around 12:30PM and already it was crowded at Ippudo Westside. Luckily, we didn't have to wait for a table at all and was seated immediately when Diane arrived.
I really love that this location is a lot more spacious, well-lit, warm, and bright. It's very stylish and chic. Staff is very welcoming, warm, and friendly. Service is on point.
For lunch, Diane and I tried these:
 |
| Hirata Buns - Chicken |
 |
| Shiromaru Hakata Classic |
 |
| Akamaru Modern |
Diane and I both had the straight ramen which I really liked. The ramen was on point, really soaked the flavors and garlic oil from the broth and cooked al-dente - just the way I like it.
Overall, I really liked our experience and lunch at Ippudo Westside. I can definitely see myself coming back despite the time it takes to travel to Midtown.Service and food was impeccable. I definitely feel like it's a better experience during lunch, but not sure what it's like here during dinner.
Service: 90%
Food: 85%
Taste: 100%
Likelihood to return: 95%
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