Don and I had dinner at Ippudo after going around MOA and having our nails done!
He has been raving about the pork buns ever since his Canadian client invited him to eat at the Megamall branch.
I was hesitant at first coz what enters my mind when “ramen” is mentioned are thick noodles. And I’m not a big fan of thick noodles. Tonight, I decided to give it a chance!
We obviously got the Ippudo Pork Buns (Php 125 each)and boy, it was really delicious! It is a simple dish, but I can eat this all day! It’s pretty straightforward: a soft, tastless, white bun + braised char siu pork belly + shredded cabbage + japanese mayo. I would certainly have this again and again and would choose this over the Tim Ho Wan pork buns.
We also had the Deep Fried Gyoza (Php 220), which was served on top of shredded cabbage and drizzled with spicy mayo, spring onions and chili powder; and ponzu sauce on the side.
This is a bit bland if you remove the spicy factor of the dish. I usually dislike gyozas coz of that somewhat bitter taste, but this tasted neutral.
Next up, we both ordered Shiromaru Special (Php 495 each) which consists of Ippudo’s original tonkatsu broth, ultra-thin noodles, pork belly, pork loin, bean sprouts, kikurage, salted soft boiled egg, spring onions and nori.
I wasn’t expecting thin noodles, but this was great! The broth needs a little more seasoning (at least for me), so I added some black pepper and grounded sesame seeds. The salted soft boiled egg compliments the dish well. That was probably my favorite part of this dish.
We only waited in line for a few minutes despite being waitlisted. We were seated at the ramen bar though, which was okay rather than waiting longer for a table.
The staff was very efficient. They work fast – we got our pork buns and gyoza 5 minutes after we ordered and our ramen 2 minutes after that! They refilled drinks even before you ask. This is a semi big deal for me! We were approached by staff to check if the food was good at least twice. We even signed the bill in less than 2 minutes after asking for it! This usually takes longer in other restaurants. No wonder turnover is quick! We got in and out of the restaurant in 20 minutes! And we left very full and satisfied. 😉
I’m not sure if it’s customary, but they shout out orders and other staff members either repeat what was said or acknowledge it. And this process bothered me a little. 😬 I like to eat with peace and quiet, but hey, the experience was superb regardless. 3 Chef Critiques for Ippudo! 
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