It seemed like forever.
Ippudo took its sweet time in opening its newest location in Southern California. In a region getting more and more sophisticated about its ramen, the introduction of a “big hitter” brand such as Ippudo was expectedly met with great anticipation. Though my schedule did not permit me to visit during its week-long soft opening, I eagerly grabbed a seat for dinner at the ramen bar within the first week!
Reservations: Nope. First come, first serve (as it should be for a ramen-ya).
Parking: This is as golden as you’re gonna get in Santa Monica, because Santa Monica Public Parking Lot 6 is just steps away!
Décor: Brightly lit, light wooden surfaces, with splashes of red. Background noise is moderate. The dining area at Ippudo represents a definite departure from the dimly lit ambiance of the (forgettable) previous tenant in this space, Taberna Arroz y Vi.
And now, onto the food!
I’m more of a beer guy when I slurp my ramen, but just for the sake of the sake enthusiasts amongst us, I’ve included a menu of the offerings at Ippudo…
Edamame: With truffle seasoning… The beans were proper, although the truffle seasoning was barely perceptible.
Coedo Shiro Hefeweizen (draft)… Surprisingly deep and crisp.
Ippudo Pork Bun: Pork belly, special BBQ sauce & mayo… Pretty damn tasty.
Ippudo Yakiniku Bun: Sliced cooked beef, Japanese BBQ sauce & mayo… A bit on the greasy side, but the caramelized onions, along with the thin beef slices, really make this beef bun nice appetizer!
Ippudo Katsu Bun: Deep fried shrimp katsu, with spicy chili mayo… Almost as good as Japan!
Shiomaru Classic Ramen: Original tonkotsu broth with signature dashi, thin (extra firm) noodles, topped with pork belly chashu, bean sprouts, kikurage mushrooms and scallions… While the noodles themselves were well-executed, the broth fell short of expectations. It is shio in name, but not salty in taste - a hollow vestige of the glory I experienced in Ippudo Japan. The hard boiled egg that showed up in my bowl simply added to the disappointment. I had ordered ‘ajitama’, but was later informed that management was experimenting with serving hardboiled eggs for the Santa Monica location (WTF?). The weak, straight-out-the-can corn which I had ordered as an add-on offered no rescue for this sad bowl.
Dessert time!
Sweet Potato Doughnut: Served with sweet potato yokan and vanilla ice cream… Pretty good, but it’s a lot of sweet starch.
Hojicha Pudding: Roasted green tea pudding with salted caramel sauce… Sounded good, right? Well, with a strong taste of industrial white vinegar, the “caramel sauce” proved to be an extremely poor match for the pudding. It marks the first time in quite a while that I sent a dessert back to the kitchen (the management took this item off the final tab).
REALLY new, spotless all-gender bathroom… Kudos here!
Service was friendly but spotty. Quite a few of my orders were misdelivered to my neighboring customer at the ramen bar. But the team is cordial, and learning the ropes in its first week of service.
Despite the nice build-out and their delicious appetizers, Ippudo Santa Monica, for me at least, has gotten off to a rocky start. Perhaps we just didn’t “hit it off” right with my lackluster classic Shiomaru bowl. And I will likely try the Akamaru Modern or Bonito Shoyu bowl next time. The highlights of this meal for me were the Ippudo buns. Granted, this first visit was during its official inaugural week; I will definitely give the team at Ippudo another chance in the future.
Ippudo
1403 2nd St.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
310.893.0577
p.s. Yes, I did feel the need to bang-bang and redeem my tastebuds afterwards. Tsujita Sawtelle remains ‘True North’ for porky ramen goodness in L.A…
The poached egg melted nicely into the broth.
