IPPUDO

When we think of ramen, most of us associate it with our college years’ go-to cheap meal, but the number of ramen restaurants steadily cropping up in the Klang Valley is here to show that there is more to this Japanese noodle soup dish. Opening its third outlet in upscale Bangsar, Japan’s famous Ippudo offers a distinctive outdoor ramendining experience. Walk in to meet a team of friendly and efficient staff greeting you at the door. The spacious dining area relies heavily on wooden furnishing, which gives a comfortably soothing ambience as you eat.

But Ippudo’s true appeal lies in its tonkotsu – a milky beige pork bone reduction that is rich in flavour but without the overpowering smell and taste of pork. Try their classic Hakata-style ramen Shiromaru Motoaji, with ultra-thin noodles perfectly cooked al-dente, tender pork loin, bean sprouts, kikurage (a type of fungus) and spring onions immersed in their signature tonkotsu broth. Don’t forget to add shiotamago (salted soft-boiled egg) to your ramen and sink your teeth into the hardened egg white. Let the runny egg yolk mix with your broth for added flavour. Alternatively, get the modernstyle Akamura Shinaji with tonkotsu broth, enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil for a bolder, sharper flavour and served with thin noodles, pork belly, kikurage and spring onions. More adventurous ramen connoisseurs could savour the new Ippudo Kuro, available exclusively at Ippudo’s BSC outlet. With its thick, chewy noodles served in Tonkotsu broth, the dish features BBQ pork, flavoured black fungus, spring onions, spicy blended miso paste and fragrant garlic, freshly crushed at your table to provide potent pungency.

Ippudo also has a fullrange bar that serves a wide selection of alcohol for you to pair with your ramen, including their in-house cocktails, whisky, sake and wine. Lot C4.07.00, Connection 4th Floor, Pavilion KL, 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL (03 2110 6233). Lot-T218, 3rd Floor, The Gardens Mall, Lingkaran Syed Putra, KL (03 2201 6283). Lot G110, Ground Floor, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Jalan Maarof, Bangsar, KL (03 2011 6238). www.ippudo.com.my