Ippudo
Lab Concept 
Queensway Plaza
93 Queensway
Admiralty
Hong Kong

Ippudo was the one spot in Japan that I didn’t get to visit.  People said it was better than my favorite, Ichiran.  I found that very hard to believe, but that only made me more intrigued by the place.  In the States, there’s only a location NYC that is infamous for its long lines and hours long wait.  I made sure to make time for Ippudo while in Hong Kong.

BBQ Pork Bun
I could tell that they  used the frozen pre made buns, which I always frown upon.  Despite this, the pork buns were surprisingly pretty good.  

The pork was pretty fatty, maybe too fatty.  Hoisin wasn’t used, but rather some other sweet salty savory brown sauce that paired well with what I believe was Kewpie.  The single leaf of iceberg lettuce added color and some crunch.  Thumbs up!

Special Shiromaru Motoaji
The classic tonkotsu ramen was good.  The broth was milky and luscious, but not quite reaching the level of flavor at Ichiran.  The pork was surprisingly very meaty and not your typical fatty chashu.  The straight thin noodles were al dente, just as we requested.  While the broth was tasty, it still benefited from some freshly pressed raw garlic.

Special Akamaru Shinaji
The akamaru has a richer oilier broth.  The addition of their special “umami dama” miso paste really added a kick of flavor.  I can’t say its quite the same effect as the spicy chili at Ichiran.  I preferred the akamaru while The Annoyer preferred the shiromaru.

Ippudo was solid, but it lacked the kick-in-your-face punch of flavor that really wowed me and made me fall in love with Ichiran.  Ichiran didn’t need the extra garlic.  It had all the umami-ness it could ever need in that one little bowl.  I am glad I got to try Ippudo, but can safely say I would not wait an hour to eat this.  Luckily, we didn’t have to wait to eat it in Hong Kong and it ended up being one of the cheaper meals of the trip.

10 – You NEED to eat here
9 – Awesome
8 – Very good
7 – Good
6 – OK
5 – Average
4 – Not bad
3 – Not good
2 – Terrible
1 – Do NOT eat here