There was six of us, but we definitely ordered for 12! Heck, my motto is to go all out especially when traveling and trying new foods in other states.

Yamitsuki Goma Kyuri. Cucumber marinated in Ippudo’s original sesame oil sauce.

Ippudo Salad. Mixed Greens. Wasabi Goma Shoyu Dressing. Daikon. Shredded Nori. Crispy Fried Sardines.

Tako Spicy Grill. Grilled Spanish Octopus. Potatoes. Ippudo Chili Sauce and Aioli.

Hirata Buns. Pork.

Shishito Peppers. Flash-fried peppers. Yuzu salt.

Akamaru Modern. Spicy Tonkotsu pork soup noodles. Umami Dama miso paste. Pork Chashu. Cabbage. Sesame Kikurage mushrooms. Scallions.

Shiromaru Hakata Classic. Tonkotsu pork soup  noodles. Pork loin chashu. Sesame Kikurage mushrooms. Menma. Red-pickled ginger. Scallions.

Left to right:

Hirata Milk. Green tea gelato parfait with red bean. Shiratama mochi. Matcha jelly. Almond Coconut Milk.

Lady M Mille Crepe. Layered crepe cake. Pastry cream filling. House cranberry cream.

Green tea brûlée. Topped with Green Tea gelato.

We ordered so much that I’ll have to break it down.

Our first wave of appetizers:

1. Yamitsuki Goma Kyuri. This is a cucumber salad dish. It’s very refreshing it makes a great appetizer/salad or even a palate cleanser in between dishes.

2. Ippudo Salad. Like any other Japanese salad except the dressing is better and evenly spread.

3. Tako Spicy Grill. This octopus dish is Grade 3/5 spicy. It has a really good kick. If you’re not used to eating spicy, eat cautiously.

3. Hirata Buns. The Hirata Pork buns were awesome. The aioli and spicy sauce really set off this bun.

4. Shishito Peppers. From what I hear, 1/10 shishito peppers are extremely spicy. It was thrilling not knowing whether one of us at the table would get the spicy one. Luckily, no one did and they were all very delicious.

The Ramens:

1. Akamaru Modern. Well seasoned chashu. What I loved is that the chashu aren’t fatty like at some restaurants. The noodles are thinner and more “al dente” than your typical ramen noodles. It’s very similar to the skinny Chinese egg noodles.

2. Shiromaru Hakata Classic. I didn’t find an extreme difference between these two ramen dishes except this one had ginger and a different cut for the chashu. The meat was even leaner.

3. Cold Ramen noodles. I’m not sure of the exact name of this dish, but I do know we ate it towards the end of our meal and were all pretty stuffed. If it was delicious, it was hard to tell. We were so gluttonous!

Onto the desserts…

1. Hirata Milk. Green tea gelato parfait with red bean with Almond Coconut Milk. This was creamy, light, and delicious!

2. Lady M Mille Crepe. Layered crepe cake. Pastry cream filling. House strawberry cream. This one had to be my FAVORITE. The pastry crepe layers were so delicate and when you cut your spoon, it cuts right through for the perfect bite BUT still retains it’s crispiness. How?! I don’t know but it was  one of my favorite dishes of the night.

3. Green tea brûlée. Topped with Green Tea gelato. Creamy, dense green tea sweetness. My 2nd fav!

We definitely had the full on Ippudo experience. Everything was delicious. What’s unique here is the fact that Ippudo is a more modern experience as opposed to your “homey bowl of soup noodles” kind of feel. Also, everything seems to be quite authentic. The noodles are a little different for the soup ramen, but the cold ramen dish had what seemed to be your typical ramen noodle. If I had to do anything different, I would add an egg to my ramen. Our friend ordered for us so we didn’t get the option. Regardless, it was still very good and I’d definitely come back for the fine service and food.

Rating: 5/5 spoons