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MELBOURNE | Ippudo opened in Japan’s Fukuoka prefecture in 1985 and has since expanded to over 80 branches in Japan and 50 elsewhere in the world. The first Ippudo in Melbourne recently opened and we were invited to check it out. Ippudo’s popularity stems from the consistency it offers across its locations. Unlike many Japanese ramen chains, where the version you find outside the country is quite different to what you find in Japan, the ramen at Ippudo is consistent around the world. That bowl of ramen you’re enjoying at Ippudo in Melbourne is actually really close to what you get at Ippudo in Tokyo.
Once you brave the queues (at this early stage you’re going to have to queue if you visit during peak times), you enter a 100 capacity space that’s light and bright, with light oak, lanterns and high ceilings that give it a modern Japanese feel. The space is buzzing an full of atmosphere, and little touches like baskets under the seats for your belongings are much appreciated.
Ippudo specialises in tonkotsu ramen with a thick, creamy pork bone broth broth that’s been slow cooked for 18 hours. Noodles are thin hakata style, and available in five different kinds of texture from soft to hard. The signature ramen here is the Shiromaru Motoaji – tonkotsu broth filled with noodles and topped with pork loin, bean sprouts, spring onion and black fungus. It’s a tasty ramen, but not as flavoursome as some of the others we’ve had in Melbourne. Our recommendation is to go for the Akamaru Shinaji, which is the same as the Shiromaru Motoaji with the addition of special blended miso paste and garlic oil. It packs much more of a flavour punch. The third option, which we haven’t tried, is the Karaka-men – the original broth filled with thin, wavy noodles and topped spicy-miso ground pork and roasted cashews. Disappointingly you have to pay extra for nori (seaweed) and a soft boiled egg, but the standard servings are quite large, with lots of noodles making for a filling bowl.
It’s not just about the ramen here, with a quite extensive selection of other dishes on offer. Think karaage, pork buns, gyoza, poke bowls, and sushi. We tried the karaage, which was fantastically crispy pieces of juicy fried chicken thigh served with lemon and Japanese mayo. The pork bun wasn’t as good unfortunately – it was a bit dry and lacking in flavour. For drinks is Japanese beers like Asahi and Sapporo on tap with an assortment of wine, cocktails, sake and non-alcoholic drinks to suit most tastes.
Ramen has become a staple fixture on the Melbourne dining scene in recent years, and Ippudo brings another quality option to the table. Order the right things, and you’ll have a very enjoyable meal.
Ippudo (Melbourne CBD)
31/37 Artemis Lane
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Telephone: (03) 9654 9057
E-mail: [email protected]
Website
Open
Sun – Thu: 11:00am to 10:00pm
Fri – Sat: 11:00am to 11:00pm