Ippudo hails from the ramen capital in Japan, Hakata (Fukuoka), and opened its doors in October 1985. Its popularity in Japan counting 65 branches all over the country made its founder Shigemi Kawahara the Ramen King of 2005. The restaurant has since then branched out to Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, China, Australia and New York. This September, Philippines will be added to that list.
Excitement has been stirred up with news that the same group behind the tremendously successful Yabu: House of Katsu, pioneer of the Tonkatsu craze in Manila, is bringing Ippudo to the local scene. Ippudo will join the early starters Tim Ho Wan, Lugang Café, 8Cuts, Osaka Osho, Boqueria and newly opened Saint Marc’s Café in the SM Mega Fashion Hall.
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During a business trip in Hong Kong last year, I picked Ippudo as venue for a lunch meeting. We ordered deep fried oyster with wafu tartar sauce (HKD 38), Ippudo’s salmon cutlet (HKD 82), the Ippudo BBQ Pork Buns (HKD 28), Eel Rice in Stone Pot (HKD 68), Ippudo Karaka Ramen (HKD 78) and another ramen which name escapes me.
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I particularly enjoyed the Eel Rice in Stone Pot and hope that it’s also included in the Manila menu since menu varies from country to country. The silky eel had this slightly sweet and aromatic smoky taste. The salmon cutlet was also nicely done.
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Ippudo’s Hirata Buns are no Tim Ho Wan’s sticky pork buns since they are the more traditional ones that are steamed instead of baked, filled with your choice of pork or chicken and served with Ippudo’s original spicy bun sauce. Of course, Tim Ho Wan’s sticky buns have stuck a mark in my heart but Ippudo’s Hirata Buns are also worthy of an appetite.
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The ramens we ordered were good but I don’t remember it making as much of a mark as the other ones I’ve tried… that or maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for ramen that day since I leaned towards the eel in stone pot more.
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Ippudo Manila will offer a variety of ramen bowls and I look forward to checking them out and weigh how it fairs vs. the other authentic ramen bars that opened in Manila. I hope their menu includes Akamaru Modern which is original silky Tonkotsu soup noodles topped with Ippudo’s secret “Umami Dama” miso paste, pork chasu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions and fragrant garlic oil, which I missed to order in Hong Kong since they ran out.
I also look forward to trying the Akamaru Shin-Aji which is apparently Ippudo’s latest signature ramen, where this 25-year old recipe requires slow cooking over long hours to achieve the perfect fusion of oil and liquid that results into a rich Tonkotsu broth deep in pork-bone flavor, which they also serve with Buta Bara (Yushoken also adds this ingredient in some of their ramen bowls).
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I’m sure #IppudoPH hashtags will round up soon on social networking sites. Ippudo Manila is opening this month of September!!! Let the reckoning for their ramen bowls, steamed pork bun and the eel in stone pot happen soon. Are you as excited as I am? 
Ippudo Manila
Third Floor, SM Mega Fashion Hall,
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Ippudo Ramen Hong Kong Flickr Set
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