Ippudo NY

Ippudo NY, the first American outpost of Japan's most celebrated ramen chain, opened in the East Village in 2008 and immediately attracted lines that stretched around the block — a response that reflected both the excellence of the ramen and the near-total absence at that time of serious ramen in New York City. Ippudo was founded in Fukuoka, Japan in 1985 by Shigemi Kawahara, who built his reputation on Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen: a milky, opaque broth made from pork bones cooked for upwards of 18 hours until the collagen dissolves into a rich, creamy liquid, served with thin straight noodles, sliced chashu pork belly, a seasoned soft-boiled egg, and a sheet of nori. This is the ramen that most New Yorkers now recognize as the benchmark, and Ippudo established that benchmark when it arrived. The Shiromaru Classic — the original Hakata-style bowl with a clean, milky tonkotsu broth — is the dish to order on a first visit: it shows the kitchen's control of the broth development and the quality of the noodle texture. The Akamaru Modern adds a ball of seasoned miso and pork fat to the base broth, creating a richer, more complex bowl. The buns — steamed hirata buns filled with chashu pork and dressed with mayo and pickled daikon — are among the best in New York and worth ordering as a starter. The East Village location tends to have significant waits on weekend evenings; weekday lunches are more manageable.