You might have been seeing a long queue at the third floor of SM Megamall Fashion Hall, with seats outside, people waiting for that odd looking graphics on the wall of a store.
Is it a sale of some boutique? Nah…
It is about the ramen at Ippudo Philippines. I know this, because I’ve witnessed it myself.
Good thing, I did not line up recently to taste their new combos for the ramen, called the Ramen Sidekicks.
Ippudo is one of the most visited ramen joints in the country today. With ramen being a hit to Pinoys, more Filipinos are trying each offering.
The interiors of Ippudo runs some basic colors like red, black, white and a touch of brown (wood). And it is enticingly good.
To appreciate it more, here are a few photos.
IPPUDO APPETIZER
For starters, I tried their buns: the Pork and Chicken bun. At P 100 each, both pork bun and chicken bun offer a great tasting appetizer for anyone. The bun itself is soft and tasty.
The Ippudo Pork Bun has tender meat. It is a bit oily. The Chicken Bun on the other hand has crispy breading combined with cabbage and mayo.
While I give a little more favor to chicken bun, both are worth every peso to taste or even add to your regular meal at Ippudo.
- Ippudo Chicken Bun
IPPUDO RAMEN SIDEKICKS
FRIED CHICKEN SKIN SALAD ( P 220)
The Fried Chicken Skin Salad is mixed green salad with cherry tomatoes, shio tamago, and strips of crispy chicken skin with shoyu dressing and mildly spicy mayo sauce. Though the chicken skin might not be the healthiest ingredient on this salad (Hehehe), yet the combination of all of it is just great for anyone trying it.
The shoyu dressing adds a pinch of sourness that is right together with the veggies and the boiled eggs.
NANBAN KARAAGE (P 250)
Classic karage with sweet sauce and Ippudo’s tartar sauce, served with mixed greens salad on the side.
The tartar sauce on this one truly made the difference. A right dip for the tasty chicken.
CHICKEN WINGS (P 255)
The Ippudo’s Chicken Wings white sesame served with mixed greens salad on the side.
The hint of pepper on the chicken can make anyone who loves a bit of spice from pepper instantly like this.
OKONOMIYAKI (P 200)
Ippudo’s signature chashu, black konnyaku, egg, sweet okonomiyaki sauce and creamy Japanese mayo.
Rich flavor of juicy pork that has sweet, thick sauce.
Their signature okonomiyaki is far better than the okonomiyaki I tasted before from a different restaurant. If this is how a real okonomiyaki tastes, then Ippudo just nailed it.
AKAMARU SHINAJI
What sre the ramen sidekicks for if not for the main dish, the ramen.
As for me, I chose the Akamaru Shjnaji, made with tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil. Served with thin noodles, pork belly, kikurage and spring onions.
The thick, flavorful pork broth can be as good as it can on your tastebuds. Sipping ever ounce of it is a delight, even if you have it as a stand alone.
MATCHA CREME BRULEE (P 140)
Creamy matcha brulee topped with vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of matcha powder.
And this is to cap the night of Ippudo food coma, (Lol) a matcha creme brulee for dessert.
Ippudo Philippines is worth your every peso to try. You can never go wrong on your ramen, alone.
Honestly, the ramen sidekicks are on its own good to have whether with ramen or not.
But of course, it best paired with ramen. The combination of your ramen choice and the sidekicks are complementing each other on your taste buds.
