The yardstick to measure by: Ippudo NY

What got me on this New York ramen obsession in the first place was the opening of the North America's first Ippudo Ramen in NYC, just before I visited the city with the whole family. Conveniently located in the Lower East Side, close to but not on St. Mark's where the centre of Japanese cuisine and culture resides in NYC, Ippudo was the closest thing to a real Japanese ramen-ya experience I've had on this side of the world. However it's not a typical ramen-ya in that it feels more like a modern hip bistro (with fancy nouveau appys and cocktails) than a cramped fast food joint (where you shut up, eat your noodles and get out). We liked Ippudo so much we ate there twice during that visit.

So it was fitting that the final bowl of ramen during this trip would be there, a full circle of NY ramen as it were. Sharon and I met in front of the restaurant right when they opened for dinner at 5pm (and there were already people lining up to get in, I've passed by the place at various times and never seen the place less than full) and were seated right away at a large communal table.

Since it was my last New York meal for a while, we splurged for a nice shochu cocktail (complete with half a fresh grapefruit and a juicer to do the work yourself) and some appy's, the avocado tofu tartare (basically avocado topped hiya-yakko-dofu) and yamaimo isobe (mountain yam, very crispy and fresh, topped with masago). They were tasty, but IMHO overpriced.

Shochu with freshly squeezed grapefruit

Yamaimo Isobe

Then the main event; Sharon and I both ordered the Akamaru Modern, which is tonkotso broth with a little ball of red miso on top, to mix in yourself. Although the standard toppings were a little skimpy (I think they are assuming you will order your own add-ons, although I prefer the aesthetic where the chef serves the bowl complete, as he/she wants you to enjoy it) they were well presented and tasty. I should remember to ask for a side order of the kakuni (pork belly) as there just wasn't enough in bowl to start.

Ippudo's Akamaru Modern

Speaking of not enough in the bowl, again I needed to order kaedama to fill me up. It's actually kind of fun to eat your noodles, and pace your soup to gauge whether or not you will be hungry enough to order another serving of noodles to add to it. The surprise was that Sharon also opted for kaedama, although she was regretting it by the end of the meal. ("Eyes are bigger than your stomach" was a phrase that I absolutely did not understand throughout my childhood, although I heard my parents say it enough times) The unanimous kaedama orders were not a complaint, they were in fact a compliment to the excellent noodles, made in the basement! Hakata-style, they were the thin straight kind, but just the perfect amount of toothiness to them, without any doughy or floury taste.

All told the bill for the two us came to nearly $80, which was a huge shock. I guess the add-ons like drinks and appy's really add up quick, but it was a real contrast to the other ramen-ya from this week. Definitely a tasty meal, but it reinforces the idea that ramen pricing in this city seems pretty arbitrary; there is no guarantee that a $14 bowl will taste any better than a $9 one. But I guess wine is the same isn't it? It's all about packaging and marketing, and Ippudo certainly has those things on it's side. The restaurant itself is by far the most elaborately (and beautifully) designed and decorated, and the hype machine seems to support that it's the "hot" place to eat ramen.