Ippudo HK    一風堂  

Last Thursday, I had the chance to visit Hakata Ippudo - one of the world's most famous ramen chain stores - here in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay). Having heard so many people rave about this restaurant and how they waited for over an hour just to get a table, I was curious to see what the hype was all about.Luckily by the time I went, around 9pm, dinner service was coming to a close - there was no waiting, meaning I was seated immediately. A huge relief, especially after hearing all those horror stories of endless waiting!To my surprise, the interior and decor was not as crammed as I thought. Coming here, I had the impression that it would be one of those ramen stores situated at the back of a Japanese alley with only 5-6 seats (if you've been to Japan, you know what I mean!). The interior was actually very spacious: table of different sizes in different corners of the restaurant. Moreover, the tables weren't so awkwardly close that your elbows were touching with the person next to you (which is a real luxury when it comes to packed-to-the-brim fast food stores!). Overall, a very pleasant and comfortable atmosphere.In terms of the menu, I thought that it had a good selection of main courses and side dishes. Main courses wise, there were 6 different types of ramen, as well as a cold selection. I personally thought that prices were quite reasonable (starting at HK$55 / US$7 / £4.5 / €5.7). While ramen has never been cheap, I think that given its location in Causeway Bay and the whole surrounding, I was willing to pay around $50-60 per bowl.I decided to go for the Ippudo Tonkotsu ramen. Within 10 minutes of ordering, my food had arrived. The soup base was rich and packed with flavour, while the pork was lean and tender. I felt that the balance was perfect because too often I find that soup bases are not thick enough, causing it to lack flavour. So because the soup base was so rich, I could taste its flavour throughout the noodles and pork. However, my only criticism is that it didn't have enough pork. By the time I had finished the two slices, there was still lots of noodles left to eat!

Prior to ordering, the waitress had also asked whether I preferred my noodles soft or hard. I asked for my noodles to be softer and when it arrived, it was indeed soft - but not to the point it didn't have a bite to it.I also brought along my mother, who ordered the Miso Tonkotsu ramen. She personally thought that the soup base was too rich and that the sesame oil/soya sauce was too overpowering for her taste. The portion was also slightly too small for her. I agree that the portion is not the biggest; so while it may be sufficient for a quick lunch, it would be best to order some side dishes to compliment your main course when it comes to dinner. However, she did enjoy the noodles as it had the right chewiness.Overall, I had a very positive experience. While I certainly had high expectations for this restaurant, there is still room for improvement but it didn't disappoint. I would definitely revisit and recommend to others.