Restaurant Love: Ippudo

One Sunday morning, R got a message from his dad saying that he’s craving for ramen. Knowing my intense love for food, R’s dad asked me for recommendation. I suggested Ippudo’s newest branch in Uptown Mall. And soon, I found myself rushing to dress up as we were being picked up for lunch.

Hello, Ippudo!

The newest Ippudo branch was busy when we went. All small table were occupied so we settled with the huge communal table. 

Everyone was hungry so we quickly ordered Shiromaru Motoaji Special (PHP495), Akamaru Shinaji Special (PHP495), Karaka-Men Special (PHP495), Beef Ishiyaki Rice(PHP495), Pork Bun (PHP125), Fried Chicken Bun (PHP125), Hakata Style Gyoza (PHP210) and Matcha Crème Brûlée (PHP160). We also got some shakes (PHP110) for drinks.

Service was quick and our gyoza and pork buns were served in less than 10 minutes. 

Uncle H loved the gyoza. It was meaty, succulent and packed with flavor! He liked it so much that he asked me to order another. 

The pork bun was a hit with J. She got half of the bun and ate it blissfully. We also ordered another bun after finishing our first order. 

Sadly, the fried chicken bun did not get the same love as it was hardly touched. It was good though. It was just a bit messy to eat as the fat fried chicken stuffing was a bit too thick for the bun. 

Both R and Uncle H loved their spicy ramen bowls and quietly finished it without sharing with anyone. 

J was such an adorable kid though as she shared her non-spicy bowl with me. But it was in exchange of some of my rice bowl. 

My Beef Ishiyaki Rice was delightful! The stewed beef with yakiniku sauce and melted butter was flavorful. It went so well with the fluffy rice, sweet corn, crunchy french beans and tangy cherry tomatoes. The staff assisted me with mixing my dish but there were still some parts that got too burnt because of the hot stone pot. So make sure you mix yours well to avoid burnt rice, meat or veggies. 

After finishing my rice bowl, I signalled the server to serve the mouthwatering matcha créme brûlée. 

It was as good as the first time I had it. The soft creamy custard with a hint of matcha went so well with the caramelized sugar and vanilla ice cream. I read from another review that combining the crème brûlée with the mint leaves on top would put this dessert to the next level. I tried it but I didn’t like it. It didn’t blend as smoothly as I thought. 

Overall, it was a pretty good lunch. I was a bit surprised though that our bill totalled near PHP4,000. I guess Ippudo is not that affordable. 

Ippudo is located at Ground Floor, Uptown Mall, 9th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.