Ippudo NY
Ippudo's founder burned miso for a broth in 2003 and invented a bowl that other New York shops now sell. This room opened in 2008 as the group's first door in America.
Why go
Will Hartman's ramen guide for The Infatuation picks this address out of the branches carrying the name. The bowl it picks is the tonkotsu.1 The lineage is worth knowing before you order. The kogashi ramen that Gogyo sells came from Ippudo's founder. Karazishi Botan was opened by a ramen master who worked here. Two of the more interesting bowls in this city trace back to this kitchen.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the Akamaru Modern if you want the rich bowl and the Shiromaru Hakata Classic if you want the plain one. Start with the pork buns, thick slices of pork under a good amount of mayonnaise.
- Avoid: a weekend at peak. Put your name down and go drink somewhere nearby until it is called. The Infatuation has given that advice about this door since 2011.2
What locals & experts say
- Will Hartman, The Infatuation's ramen guide:
The rich, porky ramen at Ippudo is still one of the best bowls of noodle soup one can eat in New York City.
1 - Bryan Kim, The Infatuation, on the room in 2011:
For years now, we've associated the word Ippudo with two things: excellent ramen, and waits that can feel like brief eternities.
2
Good to know
- Booking: the operator now links a reservation service for this door, which the 2011 review predates.
- Doors: two trade under this name. This page is 65 Fourth Avenue; the other is 24 West 46th Street. Westside closed on 9 August and the operator announces 325 West 51st for Spring 2027.
Verdict
should-visit — Go on a weekday. The same group cooks the flame-seared bowls at Gogyo in Gramercy and a vegetable-led menu at ippudo V. A full room here does not end the night.