IPPUDO RAMEN

If it may not seem that obvious enough, but I am a lady who loves her noodles. Yup! After being a scrawny kid who would always "side" all of her grub with Nissin's Ramen (beef flavor mind you), I am all grown up and with a vengeance. I may have been contented with the curly noodles and packets of instant flavorings before but now I am doing all that I can to catch up on what I have been missing when I was a squeaky girl of 10: Bowls and bowls of piping hot authentic Japanese Ramen! Oh yowza!

So after spoiling myself rotten and getting pounds of fat by my noodle "comfort zones" such as RAMEN NAGI, MITSUYADO SEI MEN, UKOKKEI RAMEN RON, IKKORYU FUKUOKA, WRONG RAMEN, ETC ETC...., wouldn't you know it? ANOTHER ONE COMES ALONG! Yep! The new "bowl on the block" is supposed to be one of the most popular Ramen houses there is and it is here to promote long queues once more...

Introducing IPPUDO RAMEN!

I have seen the scary images of how the lines just stretch out to kingdom come for diners who are yearning to slurp on this legendary Ramen. At first, the Chinese Adonis and I promised that we would just go there after a month or so to wait until the hype dies down.

BUT! Since I'm a lady who would ALWAYS eat that blasted marshmallow even if there's a promise of one more piece, I got impatient and declared to the hub that "Yes. We will do IPPUDO tonight."

And so we did! On a Sunday even!

Oh yes. Just like Austin Powers: I TOO like to live dangerously.

:P
 

IPPUDO RAMEN!

You think the coast is clear?

I DON'T THINK SO.

Now what's the english of "Inangkupu?"

So this is the line from the entrance of IPPUDO....

IPPUDO line that stretched at the curb.... 

AND here's the IPPUDO line that went beyond the black chairs.

Finally! I see 2 familiar faces!!

We invited Mareng Gail and Pareng Jun because we promised that when we eat at IPPUDO, we will tell them.

And yup! We always keep our promises! Especially those sworn over food. He he he he!

While waiting, Jun played video games....

Me and the hub however watched some movies on my tab!

Ooh! Ooh! Julie and Julia!

Mareng Gail came later on with her shopping loot!

One thing I took note of IPPUDO was that they really took care of their customers, even the ones who are lining up outside. I hate it when a restaurant is having that "15 minutes of fame" and the staff gets obnoxious to the diners.

IPPUDO frequently sent out their servers to give some iced water and crunchy noodles to the people waiting in line. I think it's very generous gesture from the new "talk of the town" because instead of being all "high and mighty", IPPUDO was like "Yey! Thank you for coming and waiting in line! We appreciate it!"

Kudos to IPPUDO RAMEN for having this gentleman manning the wait list. I'm sure he has been in IPPUDO the whole day and constantly answering "when is our turn" questions from the guests. But he still maintained an eager smile and would constantly reassure us that we are so near already in getting a table.

And just in case you are the shy type, IPPUDO provided this sign to fully explain that long "waiting game". 

While waiting, feel free to check out the IPPUDO menu!

IPPUDO PHILIPPINES!

Get to know IPPUDO's creator.... 

IPPUDO history!

IPPUDO menu 1...

IPPUDO menu 2... 

IPPUDO menu 3....

IPPUDO menu 4... 

IPPUDO menu 5... 

IPPUDO menu 7... 

IPPUDO menu 8...

I think I skipped a number, but I'm too lazy to scroll up.

IPPUDO menu 8...

(Because I'm lazy to scroll up, hence, the repitition).

IPPUDO menu 9...

Waiting... and waiting.

I spy a guy in red looking at me. Could you see him?

FINALLY! We're in IPPUDO!

IPPUDO interios are a notch higher than your usual Ramen houses in terms of "sassy"!

Tee hee! I just love that word. 

There are tables in IPPUDO Ramen but there are also counters like how they do it in Japan. Yup! It goes for those who just want to have their ramen and leave!

So really. IPPUDO is not somewhere you would stay and have a loooong chat with someone. It could even be an ideal place to BREAK UP with someone because everthing's so fast paced there.

You: Sorry. It's not you (SLUURP). It's me (SLUUURP).

Then gettahellout! He he he he he!

Red is the domineering color in IPPUDO!

Like Jun, I should've worn that usual birthday color!

Yup! We finally got in after 1 hour and 44 minutes. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Our server at IPPUDO was cheerful and said everything with a smile!

Except during the time when she was asking about Yub's order and he was smiling freakishly at me.

Oooh... Somebody is checking out our server's butt! Kidding! Ha ha ha ha ha ha1

FINALLY!

Jun had IPPUDO's Karaka Chasyu (P460.00).

Gail's IPPUDO Akamaru Tamago (P420.00).

My husband does not like Ramen AT ALL but he loves me enough to always take me to my usual noodle cravings.

But tonight, even if there was a lot of "non-ramen" dishes to order, he got the IPPUDO Shiromaro Tamago (P405.00)! Hmmm... I'm not sure if he is moving over to "our" side, OR he's just raking it pogi points for some action later (naughty wink).

Naaah. It was neither. Curses! Ha ha ha ha ha!

And for that, you get a blurred solo shot.

HA!

Honestly, I don't really like the chasyu in my ramen. If  I had my way, I would ONLY get the noodles, spicy broth, and some egg. So with that, I naturally ordered the IPPUDO Karaka Tamago (P420.00)!

The IPPUDO tonkotsu broth definitely packed a punch on the flavor meter. It's just so hearty and full of lip smacking ramen goodness!!! I would have preferred it to be more spicy though. 

ERICJAZ FOODIES with Gail (http://gail-og.blogspot.com) and Jun in IPPUDO!!! 

Yihiii! We're so eager to eat!

My husband hungrily dove his chopsticks into the steaming hot bowl of IPPUDO ramen and scooped out oodles and oodles of very hot noodles!

After his first sip of the IPPUDO milky broth, his face said it all... 

Now THIS ramen, I like!

As for me, I spied IPPUDO condiments that would be perfect for my Ramen!

Have you seen XMEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST? If everyone was at their usual pace in enjoying their food, they would seem like Quicksilver when they're next to me. Yup! I am SO slow! I am ALWAYS the "last gal standing" at the table because I would always always prepare my food the way I like it AND, I talk a lot.   

So, while Yub was already on his 3rd slurp of IPPUDO noodles, I was still onto the grinding of sesame seeds part.

Of course, I could NEVER have enough spicy oil and garlic on anything. 

Sorry Yub. It's going to be garlic breath from me tonight.

And VOILA!

My very rich and spicy bowl of delicious IPPUDO Ramen. This is just so seriously tasty and addicting! I'm craving for one right now!

EGAD! Why do they create food like this when I'm trying to cut down on my carbs? Why?

Of course, I washed all that flavorful soup and chewy noodles down with a tall glass of IPPUDO Iced Tea.

 

I'm not sure if I stopped slurping on my IPPUDO Ramen though after I had a mouthful of it! Never mind that it's piping hot! 

The IPPUDO Tamago was a thing of beauty too!

I love my Tamago extra runny because I mix the gooey yolk into my broth!

Now IPPUDO made it just the way I like it!

Talking and slurping at IPPUDO!

Pareng Jun ordered an extra serving of IPPUDO noodles (P70.00) and filled it up again with chili oil and powder. He was really sweating from the hot kick of his own fiery Karaka broth, but he LOVED IT!

And then Im done!

Our IPPUDO bill!!!!

Burp! Now THAT was one delicious dinner! In the future, I may think twice about lining up again for that long but wow, that bowl of IPPUDO noodles was definitely worth the wait that night!

We shall return! DEFINITELY!

LET'S EAT!

IPPUDO RAMEN (PHILIPPINES)

3/F SM Megamall, Mega Fashion Hall, 

Julia Vargas Ave cor EDSA

Wack Wack, Mandaluyong

(02) 470-1837

IPPUDO PHILIPPINES FACEBOOK PAGE

IPPUDO RAMEN WEBSITE