photo by arthurohm
College students everywhere know, when you're broke there are really 3 main food groups: Food Your Mom Buys You, Food The College Buys You To Convince You To Attend Lectures, and Ramen. And while post-college we all occasionally scarf a bowl of Top Ramen in the wee hours after a night of drinking, the real deal is finally becoming popular again. Since David Chang's popular restaurant Momofuku opened in New York City, other New York ramen eateries are finally getting the attention they deserve. And one standout is definitely the recently opened Ippudo NY, an outpost of a popular Tokyo ramen restaurant.
This week I dragged a hesitant friend out for lunch to check out Ippudo. He's a bit light in the wallet these days and made me promise we wouldn't spend too much money, and boy did Ippudo turn out to be a steal. Sitting side-by-side at one of the communal tables facing a large mirror, we talked at each others reflections as we hastily devoured our pork buns and steaming bowls of spicy tonkotsu (pork) ramen.
So the pork buns. In my opinion (and I know some people would throw their chopsticks at me for saying so), Ippudo's kicked Momofuku's... buns. They were chewy, warm, garnished with crunchy lettuce, just the right amount of mayo, and filled with the most delicious pork belly I think I've ever had. That's what killed it, the pork. The pork was unreal.
The ramen on the other hand, may not best its rival, but certainly provides a very different yet equally crave-worthy interpretation. We both had the spicy tonkotsu ramen and requested the medium spicy option. As a person who loves spicy food, medium spicy is definitely plenty spicy! The noodles are house-made, and were delicious. And oh how my eyes lit up when lounging atop my broth was more of that exquisite pork! Sadly, they were thinner slices this time, and there was so little. Why do you tease me so Ippudo? The pork was again the highlight of the dish.
We each cleansed our palates and spirts with a masu of their two cheapest sakes (both really great for the price). We left full to the brim and extremely pleased. And overall the bill came to about $30 a person including tip. That's a steal, and certainly cheaper than the same meal would be at Momofuku. The inner college student in me smiled all day. I'll be returning soon, and this time I'll be getting extra pork buns.
