IPPUDO Philippines: #WorldFamousRamen Now in Manila!

Featured as MEGA FASHION HALL: 10 BEST New Restaurants @SMMegaMall in 2014!

IPPUDO is the most popular Hakata-style Tonkotsu (pork-based) ramen in the world. It was founded in 1985 by Ramen King Shigemi Kawahara in Fukuoka City, Kyushu.

Its name literally means “One Wind Hall” and is symbolic for the restaurant’s going against the wind and revolutionizing the ramen era of the time. It was the first shop to offer ramen in a carefully crafted setting, so that both men and women can enjoy an elegant bowl of noodle soup. It was also the first to refer to its broth by colour Shiro (white) for the classic and Aka (red) for spicy.

After months of waiting, Ippudo Philippines has finally opened to complete the Ramen Craze in Manila. 🙂

Here’s what to expect from the Ippudo experience in Manila (in comparison to Ippudo Singapore)…

IPPUDO PHILIPPINES
3F Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Telephone: +632 470-1837
Operating Hours: Open Daily 10.00am to 10.00pm
Website: www.ippudoph.com
Facebook: Ippudo Philippines
Instagram: @ippudoph
Twitter: @ippudoph

Note: Strictly No Reservations Accepted, No Take Out

IPPUDO SINGAPORE

I first tried Ippudo at the Mandarin Gallery in Singapore. You have to line up for a few minutes just to get a seat.

IPPUDO SINGAPORE MENU: Noodles, Soup, Original Tonkotsu | Modern Tonkotsu & Spicy Tonkotsu | Featured Ramen | Kaedama, Ramen Toppings, Side Dishes | Cold Appetizers, Salads | Hot Appetisers | A LA CARTE | Rice | Japanese Sake | Non Alcoholic, Cocktails, Beer | Spicy Black Ramen

The Ippudo Singapore menu is similar to the Philippines’, except for some featured ramen like the Spicy Black Ramen.

The dining area has their signature handcrafted bowl and soup spoon in Aka (red) and Shiro (white) color.

It’s quite small, so they maximize the seating capacity by sharing the table with other ramen lovers.

✮ Pork Bun Ippudo SG Buns Collection (S$3.5/piece ~P122). An all-time favourite! Steamed bun with braised pork and Ippudo’s original sauce.

They are famous for their very soft steamed bun and flavorful braised pork.

✮ Akamaru Shin-Aji (S$16 ~ P555). Ippudo’s original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil. Served with thin noodles, pork belly, black fungus, and spring onions. 

I love this spicy version of their original milky tonkotsu broth. 🙂

You have to eat it immediately upon serving. The best way to enjoy this is to sip the soup first before mixing it and eating the noodles. My friend Wars loved it!

✮ Spicy Black Ramen (S$18 ~P625). Ippudo’s original pork broth with special spicy nikumiso, specially prepared using black pepper, shansho, and other spices. Spicy Black is uniquely enhanced with our new spicy fragrant oil, a blend of our original koyu & spicy koyu. Served with thin noodles, topped with chashu and a combination of bitter-spicy salad & healthy pakuchi. 

This is my favorite because of its exotic spices and the unique spicy koyu (fragrant oil). I hope they bring it here to Manila.

Now that Ippudo Philippines is open, there’s no need to line up at the Singapore branch anymore. 🙂 But when in Singapore, try the IPPUDO TAO concept instead.

Ippudo SG @ Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road, #04-02/03/04,  Mandarin Gallery, Singapore 238897
Contact Number: +63 6235-2797
Opening Hours:

• Mondays to Saturdays 11am-11pm (Last order at 10pm)
• Sundays 11am-10pm (Last order at 9pm)

Ippudo Tao SG @ Mohamed Sultan
207 River Valley Road, #01-55/56, UE Square  (Along Mohamed Sultan Road), Singapore 238275
Contact Number: +65 6887-5315
Opening Hours:

• Mondays to Thursdays 11.30am-3pm (Last order at 2.30pm)
• 5.30pm to midnight (Last order at 11pm)
• Fridays to Saturdays 11.30am-3pm (Last order at 2.30pm)
• 5.30pm to 2am (Last order at 1am)
• Sundays 11.30am to 11pm (Last order at 10pm)

IPPUDO PHILIPPINES

Ippudo Philippines is a bit bigger at 200 sqm, with a bar section on the left side when you enter, and a private dining section on the right.

The bar section has a Chef’s table view of the kitchen, so you can see how they prepare the ramen.

The entire resto can accommodate 79 patrons. This is the main dining area for big groups.

The ramen bowls are specially handcrafted and made for each Ippudo store.

Ippudo Philippines is not a franchise but a joint venture with the Yabu group.

YOTA SHIIBA, who joined Ippudo in 2010 in Fukuoka, Japan, and worked in Malaysia and Singapore, opened the Manila store and will stay on as the Operations Manager for the next 3 years to ensure the authenticity of the ramen in every bowl.

Ippudo Philippines Menu: History of Ippudo | Founders’ Profile | Anatomy of an Ippudo Ramen | Noodle, Soup, How to Enjoy Ramen | Shiromaru Motoaji | Akamaru Shinaji | Ramen Toppings, Kae-dama | Gyoza & Buns | ALA-Carte | Rice | Dessert | Drinks |

The Ippudo Philippines menu will only offer their 3 classic ramen upon opening. Hopefully, they’d also offer their featured ramen soon, like the Spicy Black Ramen.

It’s great that the pricing in Manila is relatively cheaper than Singapore’s. 🙂

You can start off with a few appetizers and ramen side dishes while you wait for your ramen.

Ippudo Pork Bun (P100 +5% service charge). An all-time favorite! Steamed bun with juicy braised pork belly and IPPUDOs original sauce.

The Ippudo cuapao version was just OK. I was expecting a softer, pillowy bun.

✮ Ippudo Hakata-Style Gyoza (5 pcs. – P195 +5% service charge). Original pan-fried dumplings. An IPPUDO classic!

The gyoza is good–thin wrapper, a good sear on one side, and juicy pork inside.

✮ Goma Q (P140 +5% service charge). Sliced Japanese cucumber with sesame dressing.

Order these cool slices of cucumber to start the meal on a healthy note.

Curry Cheese Harumaki (P190 +5% service charge). Deep fried spring rolls stuffed with curry, minced pork, and cheese.

A bit weird in taste but good. Imagine lumpia with curry and cheese flavor.

Dashimaki Tamago with Mentaiko Mayo (P150 +5% service charge). Fluffy Japanese omelette roll served with mentaiko (spicy cod roe) mayonnaise dip.

Order this for something interesting and light. It’s like dipping a bland, soft egg in mayonnaise with fish eggs.

✮ Shiromaru Motoaji (P375 +5 % service charge). Ippudo’s original tonkotsu broth served with ultra-thin noodles, pork loin, bean sprouts, kikurage, and spring onions. Classic Hakata-style ramen.

Ippudo’s classic ramen is the best, with a silky smooth and milky broth that is light, yummy, and ‘di nakakaumay.

The ramen uses thin noodles and you can choose the hardness based on your preference. I like my noodles very hard, but what I got was still a bit softer than expected.

✮ Shiromaru Special (P480 +5% service charge). Shiromaru with salted soft-boiled egg, pork belly and seaweed.

Add +P105 to the basic ramen to get the special with a salted soft-boiled egg, additional pork belly, and extra seaweed to refresh the palate.

✮Akamaru Shin-Aji (P390 +5% service charge). IPPUDO’s original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil. Served with thin noodles, pork belly, kikurage, and spring onions. A refined, modern-style ramen.

This is my personal favorite, which is a spicy version of the shiromaru. It’s milky with a spicy garlic kick.

Note: You’ll have garlic breath after, so make sure to freshen up after (especially if you’re on a date).

The serving size is big enough for a hungry foodie but can still be shared among 2-3 people, especially if you want to try the other broth choices.

Related Blog Post: Marj Sia’s The Travelling Heels | Ippūdō Ramen Now Open In Manila (SM Mega Fashion Hall)

Kae-Dama (P70 +5% service charge). Originating from Hakata, diners may request for an extra serving of noodles as long as there is enough soup left in their bowl.

You can order additional noodles if you have enough soup left. But I would order extra rice instead to savor the leftover broth.

Karaka-Men (P390 +5% service charge). IPPUDO’s original tonkotsu broth served with thin wavy noodles, pork belly, and spring onions. The special spicy minced meat, miso paste, and fragrant garlic oil add a kick to the senses.

The Karaka-Men was a bit different. It uses a spicy miso paste like the gochugang used in Korea. It has garlic also, but I prefer the Akamaru Shin-Aji over this.

Remember, sip the hot ramen soup first upon serving before mixing it.

Afterwards, eat the noodles to enjoy the texture and flavor, then move to the meat and other toppings.

✮ IPPUDO Bakuretsu Tofu (P170 +5% service charge). Spicy tofu and minced pork with crispy noodles served in a hot stone pot. 

The tofu is milky soft in a spicy minced pork sauce, just the way the Singaporeans like it.

✮ Unagi on Rice in Hot Stone Pot (P490 +5% service charge). Grilled unagi on top of shredded egg and unagi flavored rice.

The unagi is very soft, tasty and grilled perfectly and best eaten with the equally addicting rice with unagi bits and egg.  The rice dishes set Ippudo apart from other Ramen shops in the metro.

Congratulations to Yabu and Ippudo for the successful opening of Ippudo Philippines!

Start your Ippudo experience with the Gyoza, then the Goma Q for something healthy, then the Curry Cheese Harumaki for something different. Drink some Hot Tea to prepare your tummy for the Ramen experience.

I personally recommend the Shiromaru Motoaji–order the Special Version to get all the toppings and maximize your ramen experience. If you like spicy, get the Akamaru Shin-Aji instead of the Karaka-Men.

It’s a plus that the prices here are relatively cheaper than in Singapore, but I do hope they bring their special featured ramen–like the Spicy Black Ramen–soon.

Budget about P750/head for a 3-course ramen meal.

One great thing about Ippudo is that their menu is not limited to Ramen only. I can’t wait to try the Unagi on Rice on Hot Pot Stone and the Ippudo Bakuretsu Tofu on my next trip. 🙂

IPPUDO PHILIPPINES
3F Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Telephone: +632 470-1837
Operating Hours: Open Daily 10.00am to 10.00pm
Website: www.ippudoph.com
Facebook: Ippudo Philippines
Instagram: @ippudoph
Twitter: @ippudoph

Note: No reservations and expect long lines this BER season.

Read related blog post: Spell Saab | IPPUDO IS NOW IN THE PHILIPPINES!

Read: #MegaFoodTour2.0: 9-Course Degustation Walking Tour of @SMMegaMall’s Latest Restos (A Photo Essay) 

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: We paid for our meal in Ippudo Singapore. Our meal in the Philippines was courtesy of Ippudo Philippines. I wrote this article with my own biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. Make sure to request for these special ramen utensils for the little ones.

P.P.S. Ippudo’s first branch is located at the 3F of Mega Fashion Hall below SM Bowling and beside TuanTuan. Their second branch will open in April 2015 still.