Ippudo Philippines flagship store is now open at the 3rd level of SM Megamall, Mega Fashion Hall and I got a sneak peek at the newest ramen restaurant in town.
Filipino ramen aficionados can expect a complete and unique dining experience at Ippudo Philippines. The interior of the restaurant boasts a stylish yet relaxing ambience, perfect to catch up with friends, unwind or even have a meeting over lunch or dinner. I’ll let the photos do the talking.
Red and white mixed with wood and stone.
The interior does give off a sense of feeling like you’re in Japan. Although, I’ve never been there, I felt like I was transported to the land of the rising sun the moment I entered the restaurant. I guess Ippudo wanted to make the experience as authentic as being in Japan. Lavett!
Ippudo has a floor area of 200 meters squared and has 79 seats, a comfort room, a noodle room (where you can see the noodles being made) and a bar that can let you take a peek at the kitchen.
What caught my attention the most about Ippudo’s interior is their seats that carry a basket underneath. It’s where you can put your bag or belongings so you can concentrate on enjoying your bowl of ramen. Well played Ippudo, well played. 😉
The semi-open kitchen where you can take a peek at how they create every Ippudo dish.
Ippudo’s philosophy is to continuously innovate to remain true.
I had lemonade ‘coz it’s one of my favorite drinks. Sadly, it wasn’t as sour and lemon-y as I hope it would be.
Soon they started serving their recommended side dishes.
Goma Q Php 140. It’s cucumber with sesame sauce, a good dish to prep your palate.
Dashimaki Tamago Php 150. The Japanese fluffy omelette roll served with spicy cod roe mayonnaise dip.
Curry Cheese Harumaki Php 190. It’s a crunchy spring roll that gives the right amount of curry and cheese. It left a lasting impression on me, so it’s something that I would recommend you try.
Ippudo Hakata-Style Gyoza Php 195. It is a dish itself. I had to stop myself from ordering a cup of rice to pair it with.
Ippudo Pork Buns Php 100. Aaaah, that melt in your mouth pork belly enveloped in sauce & soft mantou bread is something you must order in Ippudo. Although, I find it a tad bit salty for my salt loving palate, maybe on my next visit it would be better.
During our private tasting, Yota Shiiba, the operations manager of Ippudo Philippines gave a few words on how important it is to incorporate three key elements when it comes to managing the very first Ippudo restaurant here in Manila- creating a good ambience and dining experience for guests and embracing the spirit of Omotenashi hospitality, Philippine’s culture of strong family-ties and creating a bond between colleagues and guests, as well as making ramen of the highest quality & spreading ‘Smile’ and ‘Arigatou’ with each bowl.
Before we started with our ramen, we learned about how to zuzutto, and how to enjoy eating ramen.
Zuzutto is the distinct noise that the Japanese describes when one is simultaneously consuming the noodles and soup. To enjoy your bowl of ramen, you must learn how to properly eat it. First, you sip the soup. The rich broth is the culmination of many ingredients and long hours of preparation. Next, you slurp. Pick a few strands of noodles and slurp! Savour the flavour. Last but not the least, delight your palate with the toppings that are also meant to feast your eyes. Take pleasure in the harmony created by the topping and the soup. Sip, slurp, top!
Black pepper, sesame seed & fresh garlic are the condiments you can add to your ramen.
Shiromaru Motoaji Php 375
Ippudo’s original tonkatsu broth served with ultra-thin noodles, pork loin, bean sprouts, kikurage and spring onions. Classic Hakata-style ramen.
They also have Shiromaru Special priced at Php 480 that has additional pork belly, seaweed and salted soft-boiled egg.
Akamaru Shinaji Php 390
Ippudo’s original tonkatsu 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. A hint of spicy is expected.
Karaka-Men Php 390
Ippudo’s original tonkatsu broth served with thin wavy noodles, pork belly, and sprain onions. The Special spicy minced meat, miso paste and fragrant garlic oil, add a kick to the senses.
Here’s my bowl of Shiromaru Motoaji minutes before I consumed it. Press some fresh garlic to enhance the creaminess even more. Perfect for those who find comfort in anything creamy, without the heaviness of the cream. Our server Joanna suggested I have the hard noodles. It wasn’t really hard at all, the noodles were al dente which made me enjoy my ramen even more.
I was also able to try the Karaka-Men ramen and the spicy lover me immediately fell in love with it. Perfectly blended spicy minced meat topped with tender pork belly swimming in a flavourful broth. Definitely my favorite ramen from Ippudo.
Kae-Dama (extra noodles) Php 70 which you can request to order.
Style blogger friends Aisa, Sarah, Ava, Ana & Paul enjoyed Ippudo’s dishes as much as I did.
My date Kris of OC Mom In Manila & I ended our hearty meal with Ippudo’s house tea. Too bad I wasn’t able to take a decent photo with my seat mates Ro of Animetric’s World and Michelle of Mrs. Martinez as we were too consumed with our food.
For those who have little ones like me, if your dinning at Ippudo, request for a kiddie set. Ippudo doesn’t have a kiddie meal but you can share a bowl of ramen instead. Pink set for girls and blue set for boys. During our private tasting, I kid and asked one of the servers if I can request this set for me to use next time I dine. Too kyooooot noh?
Ippudo is officially open today! Run to SM Megamall Fashion Hall! Congratulations Ippudo PH for opening your flagship store! We hope you’ll open a few more in the coming months.
3L Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, EDSA corner J. VArga Ave. Mandaluyong City
Open daily from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Tel. no (02) 470-1837
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