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11.30.2010

Ippudo: still the king of the hill

My foreign sojourn has finally ended (for now). Spain was amazing, but I do miss the New York food scene. There is no better way to express my renewed focus on the Big Apple than to re-visit and review Ippudo.

Akamaru Modern ramen. This bowl of al dente ramen got its explosive flavors from 3 main components. First, red miso paste, made from ground pork and garlic oil. Second, the creamy, rich Tonkotsu (pork bone broth). Third, the succulent pork belly chashu. Each of the 3 components had a very strong personality, but luckily, they worked together, not against each other.

Tori Ramen. One word- "clean." This dish represented a very different approach to ramen amidst the ever escalating arms race towards creating a more flavorful/ stronger soup-base. The soup, made primarily from chicken broth, had a very clean yet complex finishing, thanks to the addition of a small amount of pork broth. The shiso leaf made it even more refreshing.

 
Shishito. Deep friend Japanese peppers with yuzu salt. It put edamame to shame.

What set Ippudo apart from the other ramen places in NYC is that besides amazing ramen dishes, it also offers dishes like Shishito and Hirata Buns--- Ippudo has a deep repertoire. Despite the emergence of worthy challengers, for example the previously-reviewed Ramen Totto, Ippudo is still the king of the hill--- the standard against which all future New York ramen places should be judged.

Ippudo
65 4th Avenue New York
NY 10003
212-388-0088

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