Ippudo Shinjuku Island Tower

ok, I am an ippudo freak. this branch meet my expectations. I had the A special with gyoza; not too thick but rich broth, delicate noodles, nori was crispy. I keep trying different ippudos, Japan only, and continue to be impressed.

A two month stay in Tokyo has only consolidated my opinion that ramen is probably the greatest comfort food out there. So when I was in need of it and also wanted to try something new, I was feeling a little clueless. Luckily, I have a very good friend who speaks Japanese and spent a year in Japan before me, so she gave me strict orders to visit Ippudo — she didn’t specify which one, so I assumed any one would do – and order «the ramen entitled thusly: 赤丸新味» I didn’t know what that meant, and even though they had an English menu, I forget how that exactly translates, but I followed orders and got that, along with a plate of gyoza.
Here’s how it translates: delicious. I prefer a thicker noodle than the hakata style Ippudo serves, but everything else about it was really tasty. It came with this black garlic oil on top, which made the ramen a little spicy and very garlicky. I wasn’t even hungry for it, but I ordered a half-​refill of noodles to go with my remaining broth anyway. The gyoza was also delicious.
My friend also instructed me to thank her later. So yes, friend, thank you for telling me about Ippudo. It was very, very tasty.

Ippudo’s ramen is solid and reliable. I personally prefer the akamaru to the shiromaru, but both are good. I am generally not a fan of thin noodles, but the noodles here work well with the broth and the rest of the ingredients. You can choose from 3 levels of firmness, and I prefer my noodles firm. The eggs are perfectly cooked. The various toppings at the table are tasty on their own or in the ramen. The Hakata one-​bite gyoza are very tasty.
Lines can be daunting at lunchtime, but they move quickly. The operations here are extremely efficient. An employee will take your order while you wait, and your food will be in front of you minutes after you sit down.

Delicious soup and Gyoza. Good service. Clean space. Friendly workers. Nicely decorated. Fresh vegetables. Tasty soup base. Perfectly cooked noodles. Pork does not have much fat. Gyoza is crunchy. Lots of things on the side to add to your soup: fresh garlic, sesame seed grinder, etc.