Ippudo

Ippudo
333A Orchard Road
#04-02 Mandarin Gallery

1 Scotts Road
#04-22 Shaw Centre

5 Wallich Street
#01-15 Tanjong Pagar Centre

3 Gateway Drive
#03-03 Westgate

112 East Coast Road
#01-04 I12 Katong

Multiple Other Branches Across Singapore

https://www.ippudo.com.sg/

Karaka Tamago Ramen (SGD $19.80)

Trendy Tasty Ramen

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 7
Food & Beverage: 8
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $38 per person.


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Described as "the most famous tonkotsu ramen shop in Japan", Ippudo is a prominent ramen noodle restaurant chain with outlets worldwide. Also known as Hakata Ippudo, it was founded by Shigemi Kawahara in 1985 in Fukuoka, Kyushu, Japan, with its name meaning "one wind hall" as a symbolic goal to revolutionise the ramen noodle industry. Ippudo first opened in Singapore in December 2009 and gradually expanded, with 9 full-service outlets across the island at this time.

Ambience at Ippudo is cozy and casual, with earthy warm wood tones. Warm lighting illuminates the sturdy wooden furnishings, while splashes of white, yellow, and red, lend a touch of modernity and offset the traditional vibes. The thoughtfully arranged layout lends a sense of privacy to the seats, making it rather cozy. Large paintings, murals, and calligraphy art adorn the walls, drawing the eyes. Also love the flowers placed strategically around, as well as the open bar counter and kitchen.

Service at Ippudo is said to be restaurant standard, with diners walking away having a hospitable and memorable experience. Staff are indeed polite and friendly, engaging guests readily and quickly seating them (despite the short queue). They display good process knowledge on ordering digitally, but just cursory product knowledge on the menu; I once had staff say they thought sake was a dessert. I note they proactively offer to clear finished plates throughout the meal, and clean up efficiently when diners leave.

Food at Ippudo is focused on Japanese cuisine, specifically ramen noodles and izakaya bar snacks. Their award-winning tonkotsu pork bone broth is the star, achieving the perfect balance of texture and taste that appeals to the masses. The noodles are made fresh daily, cooked to your choice of doneness. Portions are medium to large for individuals, and may also be shared. Prices command a small premium over other places, prepare to spend around SGD $38 per person for a meal here.


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Ippudo Exterior

Ippudo Interior

Seating

Seating

The Sake Sanzen Junmai Daiginjo (SGD $44) is brewed by the Kikuchi Sake Brewing Co. Ltd., and has garnered multiple awards, including gold in the Fine Sake Awards 2020 and 2021. Brewed using Omachi, the original sake rice sourced from Okayama, Chugoku, Japan, and polished to 50%, this is a medium-sweet sake. The body is sharp, crisp, and smooth, with aromas and tastes of grapefruit, mandarin orange, spring water, and pomelo. Has a refreshing fruity sweet grainy flavour, and an uplifting finish, very nice.

Sake Sanzen Junmai Daiginjo (SGD $44)

Sake Sanzen Junmai Daiginjo

The Gobo No Manma Burdock Root Chips (SGD $6.80) are an interesting appetizer. The thinly shaved burdock root chips are crisp yet stringy, with a satisfying but dry chew, and pleasant earthy nutty savoury flavour. Rather playful to eat. Worth ordering!

Gobo No Manma Burdock Root Chips (SGD $6.80)

Gobo No Manma Burdock Root Chips

With the Crispy Fried Corn (SGD $6.95), they've basically sliced the corn kernels off in strips, deep-fried them, and seasoned with smoked paprika before serving. These are crisp and juicy, with enticing vegetal sweet spice flavour, nice. Price a tad high for this snack though.

Crispy Fried Corn (SGD $6.95)

Crispy Fried Corn

Loved the Aburi Eihire (SGD $7.80). The lightly grilled pieces of dried stingray fin are chewy and tender, carrying bold smoky savoury meaty flavour. Paired with a creamy dollop of Japanese mayonnaise sprinkled with shichimi togarashi pepper on the side, lending milky spice notes. A fantastic drinking snack. Highly recommended!

Aburi Eihire (SGD $7.80)

Aburi Eihire

The Chicken Karaage (SGD $6.90) have decent sized pieces of boneless chicken chunks, deep-fried and served with a wedge of lemon. Crunch in through the crisp exterior, and the interior tender chicken karaage meat releases a juicy burst of savoury salty sweet flavour. Good!

Chicken Karaage (SGD $6.90)

Chicken Karaage

The Pan-Fried Gyoza (SGD $16.80 for 10 pieces) was sub-par, not worth ordering, and expensive for the portion size. Skip this.

Pan-Fried Gyoza (SGD $16.80 for 10 pieces)

Pan-Fried Gyoza

The Katsuo Bakkoshi Takoyaki (SGD $6.80) was delicious and well-executed. The large rounds of takoyaki arrived sizzling on a mini hot plate, the wispy katsuobushi / bonito flakes curling delicately in the air, lending robust meaty savoury salty flavour. The takoyaki itself is juicy and soft, releasing the filling of bouncy octopus and crisp spring onions within, a piping hot burst of sweet savoury earthy flavour. Coated with creamy Japanese mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce, lending milky sweet salty notes. Great as an appetizer, or a snack with drinks. Highly recommended!

Katsuo Bakkoshi Takoyaki (SGD $6.80)

Katsuo Bakkoshi Takoyaki

Katsuo Bakkoshi Takoyaki

The Shiromaru Special Ramen (SGD $20.85) is the house signature 'default' ramen. The original creamy tonkotsu pork bone broth, bold with meaty sweet salty savoury flavour, is made with pork head bones boiled with white onions, salt, soy milk (the secret ingredient), and garlic, for across 7 hours. The roasted pork belly chashu is medium thick, tender, and succulent, with bold meaty savoury salty spice fatty flavour from being marinated with usukuchi shoyu / light soy sauce, koikuchi shoyu / dark soy sauce, water, brown sugar, sake / rice wine, garlic, ginger, and spring onions. There's crunchy black fungus / cloud ear fungus with vegetal earthy flavour, and a wobbly soft half onsen egg with eggy sweet flavour. Garnished with crisp dried seaweed sheets and fresh spring onions, both with bright vegetal earthy sweet flavour. Paired with your choice of doneness for the ramen noodles, I prefer the hard al-dente texture, love the thin silky smooth feel and mild grainy sweet flavour. So yummy. Highly recommended!

Shiromaru Special Ramen (SGD $20.85)

Shiromaru Special Ramen

Shiromaru Special Ramen

A seasonal special, the Yokohama Lekei Ramen (SGD $18) features a blend of the house signature tonkotsu pork bone broth with tori paitan chicken bone broth, resulting in a creamy milky soup that carries robust meaty sweet savoury salty flavour, yum. Garnished with crisp seaweed with vegetal earthy salty flavour, soft spinach and cabbage with vegetal sweet notes, chewy young bamboo shoots with earthy woody flavour, and a wobbly soft half onsen egg with eggy sweet flavour. There's 2 cuts of meats - 2 slices each of pork belly and pork loin cha shu, both tender and succulent with meaty savoury salty spice flavour. Paired with your choice of doneness for the ramen noodles, I prefer the hard al-dente texture. On the side is a bowl of spicy marinated leek which contrasts the richness of the soup. Highly recommended!

Yokohama Lekei Ramen (SGD $18)

Yokohama Lekei Ramen

The Karaka Tamago Ramen (SGD $19.80) features the house signature tonkotsu pork bone broth, blended with miso paste and Szechuan / Sichuan peppers, resulting in a creamy grainy soup that carries sharp spicy savoury earthy salty flavour, nice. Garnished with tender miso paste marinated minced pork with bold meaty earthy savoury salty flavour, crisp spring onions with vegetal sweet notes, and a wobbly soft whole onsen egg with eggy sweet flavour. There's 2 slices of pork belly cha shu with a tender succulent chew and meaty savoury salty flavour. Paired with your choice of doneness for the ramen noodles, I prefer the hard al-dente texture. Highly recommended!

Karaka Tamago Ramen (SGD $19.80)

Karaka Tamago Ramen

The Shio Pudding (SGD $7.80) features a soft egg custard pudding, laced with salt. This results in a unique taste profile to the dessert, being eggy salty sweet in taste. Couldn't quite get it, seems to be an acquired taste. For now, I understand it's been taken off the menu too.

Shio Pudding (SGD $7.80)

Shio Pudding

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