Tonkotsu Ramen at Ippudo Westside New York
My business trip to the United States was quite unexpected. I had to rush my documents just to make the trip. Apparently, they never thought that some staff might not have a US visa to go there. Fortunately, I got my documents sorted out in time. While this is mostly a business trip, it is no secret that I do want to do things after work. Specifically, eat. It wasn’t easy to find good food where I stayed so it was a huge change for me to suddenly have a lot of places to choose from. Perhaps one of the dishes which I miss most is ramen. I probably had more than my fair share of Japanese Ramen in Singapore but I still have yet to find a Japanese place which satisfies me just as much in Ireland. I have been to a few recommended ones but they weren’t really that nice and honestly a waste of good money.
Chicken Karaage at Ippudo Westside New York
A good friend and I were in New York to see the sight upon my insistence. My friend was also a foodie so I know I would be in good company. First order of business was to find a ramen place. I’m a huge fan of ramen and ever since I got introduced to it, I would eat one at least once a week. There was an Ippudo near the Port Authority Bus Terminal so we made our way back there to Ippudo Westside. There is another one downtown but this was the closet one I could find. I was expecting the place to be a fancy one but the store location seemed to be an afterthought. Blink and you will miss it. I was able to recognize the Chinese characters of the restaurant and realized that it was the place. We were quite early for lunch but there was already a queue of customers. Most of the customers were of Chinese origin and I take that as a good sign.
Drinks at Ippudo Westside New York
We got a seat at the bar but we didn’t mind, I just wanted some really good ramen. We quickly ordered and I could hardly wait for mine. I know it was going to be good. They had an Ippudo in Singapore but somehow I never managed to eat there. Little did I know what I would be able to eat at the New York branch. The appetizer of chicken karaage we nice. Then again, I’m not sure anymore, I was probably deprived so long that perhaps everything looks good by now. Seriously, the chicken was nice an crispy and served as a good distraction for the main course. The ramen was just I expected it. The rich creamy tonkotsu broth packed with flavor and you could probably swear at a tear fell from my eye. The bowl was quite large which made the serving look small. The chashu was also melt in your mouth just as I want it but it was finished all too fast. It disappeared as quickly as it came. Although, you can say that it is probably the best bowl of ramen I had in more than two years since there was so little to choose from where I lived. It really is that nice. The broth was nice and creamy, the egg was also not that runny and it was just right. My friend was all dreamy eyed slurping away at the ramen and my friend loved it. I would love to come back here for another bowl. Maybe I could drag my friend back here for seconds. I hope it won’t be another two years before I have another bowl as good as this one.
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