IPPUDO Westside
Restaurant · Midtown West ·
Japanese ramen, small plates, and upmarket sake served
Japanese ramen, small plates, and upmarket sake served
"Ippudo has landed in Midtown, and you’d think we’d be happier about it. We love the original location, and the food in this new Ippudo is just as good. But we’ve been eating here pretty much constantly since it opened, and it’s starting to become a problem. Apparently a daily bowl of hot pork fat and liquid sodium isn’t part of the ideal health plan. For those of you who are more practiced in the art of self-restraint, this new Ippudo is nothing but great news. You don’t need us to tell you that this part of the city needs better restaurants, and having an Ippudo at your disposal for after work drinks and dinner or Pre-Theater Eats is a game changer. The most important question, though, is how this new location stacks up to its now legendary predecessor downtown. When it comes to the food, we find it to be essentially the same. There are some differences on the menu in terms of the small plates and non-ramen options, but everything we’ve eaten has satisfied like Ippudo should. The room is a bit smaller and certainly more sterile, but that’s to be expected - this is Midtown, and this part of the city is not zoned for cool restaurants. It’s a union thing. But the best thing about this new Ippudo, at least for now, is that you can actually get in. We visited on a recent Saturday night, and the wait at 7:30pm was only about 30 minutes. By 9:00 it was free and clear. We don’t know about you, but we'll trade the aesthetic pleasures of Ippudo number one for the wait times at Ippudo number two any day. Now we just have to figure out that self-control thing. Food Rundown Pork Buns I don’t even really need to say it because everyone agrees with me, but contrary to Steinthal’s stubborn insistence, these are the best pork buns ever. They’re leaner than Momofuku’s, and they have fcking mayonnaise on them. And don’t even start with me if you’re one of those “I hate mayonnaise” people. Your argument is invalid. Hirata Chicken Wings An excellent plate of wings that have been glazed in a black pepper sauce. They’re a little bit spicy, a little bit sweet, and a lot delicious. We also love the slaw that comes on the side. Order some. Akamaru Modern The best bowl of ramen money can buy. This thing is big, rich, and full of porky flavor. Shiromaru Hakata Classic A more traditional tonkotsu pork ramen, and probably the lightest on the menu at the Westside location, but that’s sort of like calling a small sumo wrestler skinny. There’s still a lot of weight in this bowl." - Chris Stang
"The cucumber salad at Ippudo is so good. It's crazy. It's salty and it has that toasted sesame oil. It's crunchy and so cold every time, and I can't go there without ordering that. It's another example of, like, "We have to share it...I don't wanna share it...I wanna eat the whole thing by myself." - brennan carley
"There are a million places to eat ramen in New York City. Many of them are excellent. None come close to Ippudo. Yes, the waits at this Japanese import are insane, and no, you probably won’t get in unless you show up at 5pm. But sometimes real love takes sacrifice. And this ramen is worth the sacrifice." - team infatuation
"Think you can’t get a best-in-class meal in midtown? You are wrong, and Ippudo’s here to prove it. The ramen here is just as impressive as the Rockettes’ high kicking – we promise." - katherine lewin
"“Ippudo is the most delish ramen. It's really good if you got off the train and you have like 30 or 40 minutes before your show starts. If you can't really have a full sit down meal, but you don't want to get fast food, it sits in that zone of Dig where it's like just a one-dish situation. But it's a little more indulgent and delicious than Dig. Depending on the time of day, there can be a little bit of a wait. It's in-demand because it's so good, still, all these years later. If it ain't broke don't fix it! It's really delicious and obviously not my go-to when I'm singing or performing because of the heat and the acid. I don't want to have to worry about my throat and nose. But when I'm just going to see a show and I want something delicious beforehand, it's the best. It's my favorite ramen in that neighborhood.”" - brennan carley