Everyone wants to know if the newly opened Ippudo Ramen in Pavilion serves ramen as good as the ones in Singapore. Or the ones in Japan. And is Ippudo the best there is for ramen satisfaction in KL?
While I missed out on Ippudo during my Japan trip, I did enjoy my ramen immensely at the Mandarin Gallery outlet in Singapore. And just like everyone else, I had the same burning questions as above.
It was announced on their FB page that the soft launch was yesterday. While I avoid driving to KL like a plague, I did make a trip there yesterday to sample a bowl. During my meal, I realized staffing issues are definitely absent. The kitchen was in full swing and there were many cheerful staff who greeted us boisterously the moment we stepped in.
Teething issues may however still be prevalent as orders were mixed up; we were served our drinks twice and Fui who arrived earlier wasn’t served garlic for his order but I was. Both of our orders were the same by the way.
All in all, it wasn’t an unpleasant dining experience as the staff were genuinely friendly and was quick to apologise over the minor boo-boo.
I had the same order as I did in Singapore – the Shiromaru Motoaji, Ippudo’s original tonkotsu broth served with their very own noodles, belly chashu, bean sprouts, kikurage & spring onions. We chose the Shiromaru Special (RM34) for a sample of everything; the egg, pork belly and seaweed.
A minor different I noticed is the absent of cabbage, which was available in the version of Shiromaru Motoaji in Singapore. But I assure you that it is a very minor omission, for I barely saw the cabbage in Shiromaru Motoaji I had in Singapore anyways. The flavoured egg here is as adeptly prepared but it didn’t seem flavoured at all.
But the differences in the pork and broth were the most apparent. Since we (Fui and I) wasn’t able to speak to anyone in the Ippudo team (the service staff couldn’t really confirm anything for us), we are guessing that perhaps the pork used is different. But that’s just a guess. I’ll update again once I have concrete, official information.
Meanwhile, do head over to Ippudo Ramen in Pavilion. Ippudo ramen is still my preferred choice compared to Menya Musashi, Gantetshu Ramen at One Utama, Yamagoya, Goku Raku, Santouka and Marutama Ramen. Reasons for my verdict? I prefer not overly rich, oily broth and thin springy noodles, which is what I get at Ippudo.
But I do prefer the thick big slices of pork loin like the ones served by Menya Musashi, Gantetshu Ramen at One Utama. One can’t have the best of everything huh?
Still, the pork belly at Ippudo Ramen isn’t too bad; pleasantly fatty and soft in both my ramen and my pork bun (RM7.00).
Do look out for my update again, as I have another date with Ippudo Ramen next week. 🙂
Here’s the menu for Ippudo Ramen, just so you can plan what to order! (Note: I have left out the appetizers menu.).
Ippudo Ramen Malaysia @ Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Lot C4.07.00, Connection Level 4 – same floor as Chatime and Dome Cafe.
For those who have tried Ippudo and the other ramen joints in KL, do leave a comment and tell me your preferences? I would love to hear from YOU! :DD
PS: Menu and Singapore’s Ippudo Ramen experience –> HERE.
The pork bun looks like a perfect afternoon snack.
A stone’s throw from my office. Will probably head there when the crowd isn’t so maddening.
I’m disappointed to learn that it’s not as good as the one in Sg! But I’llwait for your 2nd review..
The broth is fantastic but did get a little cloying for me towards the end. I love the noodles! Disappointed with the egg, I don’t think it’s flavoured at all (despite what the menu says), the charshu was also pretty forgettable. So my personal favourite is still Marutama for the overall taste and price.
oh u ate almost all the ramen in KL!
Actually I been to Japan few times, at there a bowl of ramen is rm45 and above,so personally I still can tolerate for the price, pay a visit to this pavilion outlet yesterday, for me, quite a pleasant bowl of ramen, but I personally love menya mushashi dry ramen (tsu ke men) and gantetsu thick slices of pork, marutama is great as well
Hi Woo! Glad you enjoyed your Ippudo! 🙂
I like the broth and the noodles. But the pork slices are meager right. menya mushashi dry ramen (tsu ke men) – I have alws ordered the soup one, will give this a try! 🙂
and gantetsu thick slices of pork – hell yea! I love them thick! 🙂
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Oops, you may want to fix your typo, it’s ‘tonkotsu’ broth instead of ‘tonkatsu’. =)
OH thank you thank you for pointing it out! 🙂
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