Upscale and Modern Ramen Braserrie Experience at Ippudo SG (Mandarin Gallery)

I've heard about IPPUDO from my ramen-loving ex-colleague but never got the chance to pay them a visit for some Japanese gastronomic indulgence so when I received an invite from Estelle of OpenRice Singapore for a food tasting session at IPPUDO SG (Mandarin Gallery branch), I replied in the blink of an eye to say that I am coming. I got so excited too with the location because the last time I was at Mandarin Gallery, I had an unforgettable fine dining experience courtesy of my lady boss.

I really looked forward for Tuesday night to come! I actually attend food tasting sessions and other events via media invitations to have my much needed break from mommyland. I was welcomed with Choya + Mandarin Orange drink by Vivien Seah, the eloquent and very friendly PR & Marketing Executive of IPPUDO SG. Vivien had my two thumbs up not because she recommended me a good drink to start with but for the reason that I will reveal at the end of this post.

Allow me first to present you the menu that IPPUDO SG prepared for us. The menu was exclusive for this particular food tasting session.

THE APPETIZERS:

GOMA Q

Goma Q is a fresh Japanese cucumber with sesame. It served it's purpose to whet our appetite. If I had this at home, I could have finish the whole serving. It was that good! Very fresh, crunchy, and delectable.

PORK BUN

Pork Bun is IPPUDO costumers' all-time favourite! The steamed bun with braised pork and IPPUDO's original sauce is far beyond comparable to other steamed pork buns that I have tried before. This one's look very simple but really tasty!

CRISPY CORN

Smoked-taste corn which is crispy and addictive but all of us had difficulty eating it using our chopsticks. One of us poked the chopstick at the centre of the corn for her to eat without fuss and we all followed suit. LOL.


THE SIDES:

SPICY SHRIMP MAYO

Lightly battered deep-friend succulent prawns served with IPPUDO's homemade spicy mayonnaise dip. I had two of these, it is not that spicy and the homemade mayonnaise dip made the succulent prawns taste even more divine! The photo above is not deceiving at all. It tastes as divine as it looks.

BEEF TATAKI

The beef-lover me savoured this pan-seared tender beef slices. As recommended by fellow blogger Hazel of hazeldiary.com, the premium pan-seared tender beef (from Australia) is best savoured with the bed of finely chopped spring onion and scallion. Don't forget to squeeze that lemon and dip it in the tangy sauce!

THE RAMEN:

 SHIROMARU MOTOAJI

IPPUDO's original tonkotsu broth served with thin noodles, rosu chasu (pork loin), cabbage, kikurage & spring onions.

This classic Hakata-style ramen comes with very rich and savoury broth. Costumers can choose between soft, medium, and hard ramen. Vivien chose hard for us and it is chewy and tasty.

AKAMARU SHIN-AJI

IPPUDO's original broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil.

This refined, modern-style ramen is served with thin noodles, buta bara (pork belly), kikurage and spring onions.

They specially added a perfectly boiled egg for each of us which made this ramen stand out from the previous one. I also liked the special blended miso paste as it gave a twist to the taste of the original tonkotsu broth.

KARAKA-MEN

IPPUDO's original tonkotsu broth with special spicy miso and ground pork. I was already very full by the time this ramen was served but I still tasted it even though it's spicy. I personally prefer the Akamura Shin-aji among the three ramen.

THE DESSERT:

YUZU SHERBET

This sherbet is very refreshing! Vivien said she could have let us have a taste of IPPUDO's homemade desserts but since we were served with very savoury dishes, she thought of serving this instead.

IPPUDO SG is packed with customers especially during peak hours. The photos above are the proof how popular IPPUDO is. Can you spot the long queue outside the restaurant?

This photo is taken around closing time hence less people. The interior is simple yet elegant. Diners have a choice of seating at the counter and watch the chef prepare their orders.

Trivia on their excellent service standard: According to Vivien, if the costumer's ramen order was served but the costumer happened to have taken a quick break in the restroom, they actually cook another fresh ramen for the costumer if he/she's not back within 5 minutes.

Speaking of Vivien, (the pretty lady standing on my left) as promised at the beginning of this post I will reveal to you why she got my two thumbs up. This food tasting session was the best session I have attended so far not just because the food, food presentation, and the ambiance was great.

My great experience was mainly because this session was very well organised. Vivien entertained and attended to our needs from beginning to the end. She even went the extra mile of serving the food and drinks to us personally.

What I really commend  is the fact that each of the food tasters were given a copy of the exclusive food tasting menu, she also prepared the press kit in advance, and the photos of the food we had in a CD (I didn't use the photos but I still find her intention commendable). Hats off to Vivien, the rest of the IPPUDO SG team and OpenRice SG team for a job well done!

FYI:
IPPUDO was founded in 1985 in Japan's ramen capital of Hakata by Shigemi Kahawara, the internationally renowned Ramen King and CEO of Chikaranamoto Company, which encompasses some of Japan's finest restaurants. Today, there are IPPUDO restaurants throughout Japan, serving more than 30,000 costumers per day. IPPUDO SG is the second overseas venture after IPPUDO NY.  

Location:
333A Orchard Road
#04-02/03/03
Mandarin Gallery
Singapore 238897

Website: www.ippudo.com.sg.
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/ippudosg

*To see the complete list of gourmand places we have tried, click here.