Home Food Reviews Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery, Singapore

RAMEN SHOWDOWN PART 2: Ippudo at Mandarin Gallery

You can never have too much of ramen...

After a promising ramen dinner at Yoshimaru Ramen Bar, I was hooked on discovering more ramen places in Singapore. Ipuddo came highly recommended when I asked for food recommendations and the long queue outside the shop at Mandarin Gallery got me very excited about the ramen I was about to tuck into.

Manga comic on the wall

Posh décor

We sat in a cosy corner overlooking the posh décor of Ippudo – there was a chandelier hanging in the middle of the restaurant, a wall of ramen bowls and manga comics on the wall where we sat. I was told almost everything is fresh and handmade, from long-simmered broths, carefully prepared meats and ramen noodles. While the spicy miso ramen the man at the next table had smelt delicious, I stuck to the original tonkotsu broth for an unadulterated pork broth experience.

Shiromaru Motoaji

The Shiromaru Motoaji (SGD15) – a Hakata-style ramen – came with rosu chashu (pork loin), cabbage, kikurage and spring onions. From a glance, the broth looked promising. Porky and unctuous with a nutty aroma. But unlike the luscious, dense broth at Yoshimaru, this was more callow (hardly creamy) and did not satisfy the pork lust in me.

Thin, springy house-made noodles

I did however appreciate the thin, springy house-made noodles, cooked ‘katame’ or al dente. They were toothsome but had to be eaten quickly to prevent them from becoming too soft. The pork loin was fatty and pleasingly tender; a nice complement to the noodles which had a faint alkaline smell and taste.

Karaka-Men - original tonkotsu with special spicy miso and ground pork

Special spicy miso does the trick!

rif’s Karaka-Men (SGD17) – original tonkotsu with special spicy miso and ground pork – was tastier than mine. The broth was spicy and lively; fire and pork. It was the miso that made our tongues tingle and cheeks flush. If you’re not big on pork broths that are rich, creamy and almost gelatinous, you’ll find this just right.

Sampling the Karaka-Men

I’m not sure if I had set my expectations too high – Shigemi Kawahara is after all the Ramen King – but I found Ippudo overrated and quite expensive. Note that I like my broth very porky so those who don’t might disagree with me.

*My ramen experience at Yoshimaru Ramen Bar

Ambiance: 7/10
Price: 4/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Toothsome noodles but the broth wasn’t as rich or dense as I liked it to be.


Ippudo
Mandarin Gallery
333A Orchard Road
#04-02/03/04
Singapore 238867
Website: https://www.ippudo.com.sg/

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12 comments

The Yum List March 13, 2012 - 10:28 am

There seem to be soooo many places to visit in Singapore. Good to know which ones are not so worth visiting.

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Bangsar Babe March 13, 2012 - 10:32 am

I wouldn’t say Ippudo isn’t worth visiting. It’s quite good…definitely better than the ramens I’ve had in KL. But if you’re like your broth crazy porky, this isn’t it. :)

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Baby Sumo March 13, 2012 - 11:37 am

Ahh I almost went here when I was in Sg too. But unfortunately not enough tummy space LOL.

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Bangsar Babe March 13, 2012 - 11:45 am

You should try this when you’re in SG next. Let me know what you think!

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lotsofcravings March 13, 2012 - 11:45 am

all this ramen makes me want to go make some pork broth but the idea of cooking it for half a day (in some cases, the place i go to in Brisbane cooks their for 19 hours) is not my kind of weekend..

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Bangsar Babe March 13, 2012 - 11:47 am

Hahaha! Too much work la. Just go get your ramen fix from the shop. Save you the hassle…no? ;)

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Sean March 13, 2012 - 2:18 pm

oooo, they’ve cultivated a solid reputation though. i’ve never been here, but i’ve heard about ippudo too many times to count! will definitely check them out if i have a chance :D

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Bangsar Babe March 13, 2012 - 2:26 pm

Yes, those who knew I was going to Singapore recommended this place!

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Michelle C March 13, 2012 - 2:47 pm

they have this in new york. reviews are not that good so didn’t go in the end. :)

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Bangsar Babe March 13, 2012 - 3:37 pm

I suspect they have a problem with the QC as Ippudo is crazy packed…even in SG. -_-

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Timing March 13, 2012 - 6:18 pm

SG places, the queue cannot trust one. I found that out when trying this chickin hotpot place with like a dozen ppl queue’ing – “got queue must be the food is good, right?” … WRONG! The food at this particular place like crap D: …

Anyways my fav ramen at Ippudo is the “Spicy Black,” which is tonkotsu-mix-miso broth and tambah chili oil and black pepper. Flavor overload! The queue sucks though, weekday night also easily 30min++ wait so more often than not I just don’t bother going.

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Bangsar Babe March 13, 2012 - 7:12 pm

Lol! I guess you’re right. Mmmm…I’ll remember the “Spicy Black” when I’m there next time. :)

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