The Ippudo Manila Experience

"Strike while the Iron is hot" as the saying goes— so that's what we did....

And in that nutshell, Lian and yours truly are back again (as usual) for another ramen review! The ramen house in focus is the newly opened Ippudo Manila located at the 3rd floor of SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall!

Let's start!

History and Background

Ippudo or "Hakata Ippudo" was established by Shigemi Kawahara aka Ramen King (of Japan) at Fukuoka City at the year 1985. Their specialty is Hakata-style ramen which is interpreted into three variations: Classic, Modern and Spicy. Also in their menu are several side dishes and desserts!

 

"To continuously innovate to remain true"
is the philosophy of Shigemi Kawahara 

Ippudo's simple yet flavoursome take on ramen became so popular that it led them to open to several Western and nearby Asian countries— and here in the Philippines last 10th September 2014. It was said that the Philippine branch opening was delayed since they "tweaked" the flavour of their dishes to cater our taste preferences but still retaining its Japanese-sourced ingredients!

Ambiance and Accommodation

I believe that the interior design of Ippudo is fashioned by the same people who did Yabu which is subtly reflected by the similar comfy seats and modern Japanese restaurant ambiance. The unique difference with the rest of the ramen houses that we've tried before are the seats around the kitchen perimeter. This is great news for solo eaters out there! Tables for two are placed on the right side while for group seats are situated far inside the restaurant.

Ippudo's entrance to the world of Hakata-style ramen!

 

Seats for two are located at the right side.

I would highly recommend to seat at the kitchen's perimeter (which was where we were seated) to be able to get a glimpse of the ramen preparation process— and it also gives a "more authentic" ramen eating experience (sort of).

Lian and I were seated at the kitchen perimeter!

 

If seated at the kitchen perimeter, you may be able to get
a sneak peak of the kitchen-- and this cheerful kitchen staff!

All of the staff was kind, accommodating and orderly. Every people in line were taken into account— they even provided complementary house tea as refreshments. Arriving and leaving diners are greeted in Japanese which I forgot to ask— again. Ordering and making requests were happily and quickly entertained by the staff as well. I hope that the staff will consistently maintain their great service towards their customers!

The staff attendant at the entrance taking down names.

 

Several of the dining staff.

Condiments are available at every seat namely: Black Pepper, Sesame Seeds and fresh Garlic which is "crushed" with the aid of a press. Out of the three, it seems that the Garlic is the favourite!

Left-to-Right: Black Pepper, Sesame Seeds,(Garlic Press) and fresh Garlic.

The Food Itself

So far, so good! However, the whole ramen experience will not be complete without trying their original ramen specialties. Lian ordered Shiromaru Motoaji with Tamago Egg (Php 405.00) while I ordered Akamaru Shinaji with Tamago Egg (Php 420.00) both medium-cooked noodles with Oroshi Ponzu Gyoza (Php 210.00) as side dish and Bottomless House-blend Iced Tea (Php 95.00) for refreshments— all inclusive of five percent service charge. 

Left-to-Right: Akamaru Tamago and Shiromaru Tamago

 

Lian and her Shiromaru Tamago

Lian's Shiromaru Tamago is the classic Hakata-style ramen— which I guess is their signature ramen dish while my Akamaru Tamago is the modern (and mildly spicy) version. Both ramen dishes have the same core ingredients: Hakata-style noodles in special Tonkotsu broth with Dashi as flavour enhancer (for the "Umami kick” I think) and Pork Chasu, Spring Onions, Kikurage and a bit of Bean Sprouts for toppings. The only difference between the two is the addition of Chili sauce (or is that powder) and Garlic Oil in the Akamaru— and the red bowl of course.

Ippudo's approach to Hakata-style ramen!

  

First and foremost, I would like to say that I enjoyed the House-blend Iced Tea! The taste was authentically "house-blend—ish" and it has the sweetness that I am looking for (no solo pictures though)!

For our ramen dish, the serving was plenty as usual. The Tonkotsu broth was exceptionally tasty and creamy in consistency with an initial strong hint of Pork flavour at the first sip. The Akamaru's level of "spiciness" was endurable for my taste buds— which was a good thing (since I dislike too much spicy dishes). The Garlic Oil flavour was somewhat lost though when it was mixed up with the broth.

The medium-cooked Hakata-style noodles was delicious (all thanks to the broth) and it was easy to pick-up with their chopsticks even though there were traces of those delectable oil in the broth (which makes the noodles slippery). The Pork Chasu was a pleasure to eat; it has a light but juicy flavour— not to mention that it melts in your mouth!

The Tamago Egg was served whole together with our ramen dishes. Though both of us have the same positive comments on our ramen dish, we have different opinions with the Tamago Egg. Lian said that their Tamago Egg was flavoursome by itself while me on the other hand wasn't able to "pick-up" its flavour. Maybe the flavour was mildly done as intended. Nevertheless, the Tamago Egg was done just right; hard-boiled on the outside, creamy on the inside!

Oroshi Ponzu Gyoza

The Oroshi Ponzu Gyoza was a-okay. I was expecting more though on the "taste-side" of things since their ramen dishes were very delicious. Good thing that they use quality meat for their Gyoza— in comparison to some that I have tried before where was it’s obviously made of your typical ground meat.

To summarize in Lian's words, all of the dishes were delicious!

Conclusion

Lian and I have waited for Ippudo's opening ever since I first saw their board-up and almost took several months before they finally opened its doors to Filipino "foodies". So does all the hype live up to expectations? Yes, absolutely! Ippudo's take on the classic and modern Hakata-style ramen is a winner! Does the intentional delay to cater our taste made a difference? To be honest, we can't tell since we haven't tried their branches in other countries yet. However, in comparison to the rest of the ramen houses in our belts, Ippudo's ramen still remains true to the "real deal". If the flavours were modified as said, it was mildly done in my humble opinion.

Let our (almost) empty ramen bowls...

 

... speak for themselves!

Lengthy "taste deciphering" and comments aside, their ramen dishes were really delicious! It may not be in our original bucket list but hey, it was a fulfilling detour! For ramen lovers out there, we would definitely recommend Ippudo for its great service, modern ambiance and delectable ramen dishes!

Ippudo Manila

3/F Mega Fashion Mall, SM Megamall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

Opens Monday-Thursday, Sunday 10:00am to 9:00pm; Friday-Saturday 10:00am-10:00pm

Facebook Page: Ippudo Manila

Ippudo Philippines Website: IppudoPh

Acknowledgements

We would like thank all of Ippudo's kitchen and dining area staff for their great service and accommodation— and for allowing us to take some pictures as we normally do! Hope that you will have plenty of happy regulars!

Please look forward to my next blog entry! Ikimashou!