“… I guess you only like to go alone when you blog about restaurants, huh?” Eric asked me.
“Hmm, I guess.” It had never occurred to me, but in fact I did generally only write about places I had been to alone. “But I also like to defecate alone, and I don’t blog about that.”
“…but you do write about it,” Eric retorted, “you just don’t blog about it.”
“Right.” I said. The question has been asked before, and I’m not clear why, but people assume that in order to write about food, one must attend the restaurant alone, in peace, where they can collect their thoughts. Suffice it to say it had never occurred to me that in order to write up a restaurant I had to be only, however to clarify; it has only ever occurred to me to write up a restaurant when I was alone.
Eric had been in town for a couple of days but not in the City itself, so when we met for lunch, I wanted to take him somewhere good. I had been tipped off about the Ramen house Ippudo the night before by a friend’s sister. I had mentioned that David Chang’s Momofuku Noodle House was some of the best food in town, and she said Ipuddo was better. In the past I have toyed with the idea of reviewing Momofuku, and even dined there with the intention, photographing my food, and taking notes, but I have determined a master chef, deserved better than this novice critic. There will be a Momofuku review, just not today.
So after meeting up with Eric on this rainy day, Ippudo it was. Considering the plethora of Ramen houses in the east village, one simply cannot exist without being at least servicable. Truth be told, I arrived on a semi-full stomach. Waking at about 11:30 and seeing the poor weather I decided it was a perfect day to use some of the corn-meal I had bought for cornbread and turn it into mush; a midwestern favorite I learned to appreciate during my stay in Southern-Indiana. The recipe I followed, on the back of the container, was for 8-9 servings, and only having an appetite for 4-5 people, I was left rather stuffed. Luckily Eric and I didn’t meet up for another couple hours.
Chai siu baau
When we arrived at the restaurant we were told there would be a 20 minute wait. We spent the time pouring over the menu. On the way to our seats the hostess yelled something, in what I must assume was Japanese, and the rest of the staff yelled back. Once seated it took little deliberation before we agreed we should split the pork buns. They were delicious, up to Momofuku’s standard. Two simply weren’t enough, but at $8 a plate, two was all we were going to get. Honestly I could have eaten 40. Whomever first plated the pork bun, really cracked the code on the sandwich/taco/bun/whatever-you-want-to-call-it-carbohydrates-and-stuff-in-between-deliciousness. The only gripe I would have with this item is in fact the pork to bun ration. Too much bun, not enough pork. It’s a difficult balance to strike, as you don’t want too much pork, and not enough bun either; Momofuku-1 Ippudo-0.
When mulling over the ramen choices there are many variations on the theme. For a couple extra dollars here or there, you can get unlimited noodles; extra pork; or even different items added to your ramen, such as pork belly. To test the place in it’s most honest incarnation one must go with the standard ramen. However Ippudo won’t let you off that simply as for a couple extra bones you can get a starter and a light salad. How could I refuse?
Grilled Eel
There were four options, and none of the first three mattered since the fourth was grilled eel over rice. A delicacy and a treat. This eel was fantastic. Cooked well, sauced to perfection, and the rice was fluffy and sticky. I could have eaten 17 more bowls, or even an entire eel. Eric was nonplused. “I mean, grilled eel is always great,” he mused, “this just doesn’t stand out.” I started to realize why one should review food when alone.
The salad was lacking anything worth noting outside of the dressing, which was designed with soy sauce. The heavy saltiness of the sauce really changed my perspective on salad, and not in a positive way. I was happy to have rejected most of the salad and relish my eel with each succulent bite. Ippudo-1, Momofuku-1
The ramen arrived before I had finished my eel. At this point, I was truly stuffed to the gills, but I pressed onward.
Ramen
Ramen is delicate. The flavors must be treated with great respect, and the result can be the success of a meal that can satisfy even the most cynical of eaters. Ever since seeing the classic Japanese film Tampopo, it has been my search to find that perfect ramen. The meat in ramen often finds itself a little dried out — such is the nature of meats in soup — The noodles are rarely made fresh, and the egg is seldom both perfectly runny, and yet still contact.
Ippudo pulls the noodles in house, which is a rare treat if you are ever afforded the opportunity to witness the act. It results in a noodle slightly doughy, but delicious in it’s own right. They add ginger to the soup, which enhances the depth of flavor, but also at times overpowers the delicate broth. The pork is dry, but lean, and the egg is perfect. The search for my perfect bowl of ramen continues, however the best I’ve found is still at Setegaya, which used to have a location on 1st between St Marks & 9th st. Momofuku-2, Ipuddo-1
After we finished out meal we waited about 20 minutes for our server to even ask us if we wanted anything else. After asking for the check another two and half years went by before our wannabe-hipster-waiter finally brought it. In reality all the hoopla does this noodle-house a disservice. The understated nature of a tiny store-front with a small menu and good service is all that is necessary when you want a bowl of noodle soup. No real eater goes to a restaurant for the fine china, or the feigned enthusiasm of a wait staff. People who do, are probably morons, and they probably live in places like Southern-Indiana, and eat things named after their texture; like mush.
Ippudo, for all of it’s flaws in management, is still a great restaurant. The food speaks for itself. The wait is a shame, and being only a few blocks away are other great noodle-houses, I can’t imagine going out of my way to eat here again. In the end, in the instance of ramen, one’s own preferences reign, and the variations can be subtle. Worthy of a rainy-day lunch, a chance to impress a business associate, or fantastic grilled eel.
A Dish Best Served Bold 