I have been to here quite a few times already due to convenience of LOCATION as well as the fact that I actually quite like this brand. Yes it can be inconsistent, but the taste is mostly goodish. I have to admit I have been to Ippudo HK outlets more than 10 times by now and even within this month along I am paying my 4th visit already. I think Ippudo in HK is slightly confusing for a regular customer like myself - did you know that the Tsim Sha Tsui outlet is the flagship store and carries the most variety of items? But in the 3 Hong Kong outlets at Causeway Bay, Central and Admiralty, also serve ramens which are not available on the Kowloon side of town.

Here is a Summary Break Down:

.1) Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon Store -
- Much more snacks than on Hong Kong's 3 outlets.
- Unique Kasane (かさね) Ramen. Chicken x Pork broth. This is very good and fragrant. ~ 8/10
- New 博多醬油拉麵 (中華そば) is a new item and quite good with a clear soy broth. Read my review there to find out. Link: http://www.openrice.com/restaurant/commentdetail.htm?commentid=2259506 ~ 7.5/10
- 辣肉味噌拉面 (からか麺) - The chili miso pork mince noodles. Only available on the Kowloon side and served with a unique thin curly noodles. ~ 7/10

.Hong Kong Island Side - Akamaru Shinaji 赤丸新味
This is the 2nd addition to the original Hakata Ippudo flavour and also available on the TST side, with a stronger ramen garlic oil, miso, with slight chili. At the beginning this was not that great and in fact the Causeway Bay store was the weakest store out of them all but nowadays it is actually one of the best ones again. Go figure, but this is after my observation after many visits. This Akamaru Shinaji noodle should be ordered SUPER HARD as is traditional Hakata tradition. It has a lot of pork back fat (背脂) which is quite Kyushu and Japan like overall, but slightly anti-Ippudo's normal style. Ramens are about personal opinions but here, this is done really well and up to Japan's standards when it comes to the Akamaru Shinaji version. ~ 9/10

.背脂 is quite Japanese like. The irony is that Ippudo isn't famous for this, but in Hong Kong context where everyone wants a strong but clear broth, not much ramen shops does this style. Again, I am just talking to myself but the Japanese chefs happen to concur when I talk to them. Sigh....

.Akamaru Shinaji 赤丸新味 #2 -
Another bowl of the famous more newer flavour. Still utterly good and apart from Nagahama No.1, one of the best ramens in Hong Kong still. The TST store's Akamaru Shinaji seems slightly less fatty. ~ 9/10

.Soy Sauce and Pork Bone Tonkotsu Ramen -
Previously one of my best preferred ramens in HK, this particular bowl was a little too heavy on Fish Powder but not enough on Soy Sauce component. I used to really like this but this more recent visit in the same store was slightly too weak yet fishy. It varies ~ 6/10

.Fried Chicken -
I didn't expect this to be so good but it was easily hands down one of the best ones I have had in Hong Kong. Comes with some sort of vinegar. ~ 9/10

.一口豚カツ -
This was surprisingly great with a good mix of pork fat and meat flavour, also leek. At only $30 I can't rave enough about this. ~ 8/10

.野菜炒め -
At the lowish price of $30, surely this cannot be faulted. Executed well enough and the portion generous, taste was balanced. ~ 8/10

.餃子 - Gyoza Dumpling
There are a few versions available at different outlets, including a Pork tonkotsu soup based one and a baked Lasagna style one. This is the original made with chicken meat. It was browned better than before, but skin was still a little moist and not crispened up enough. The 大阪王将 version still remains the one to beat and so much more better. ~ 6/10

.博多一風堂辣沾麵 -
The spicy minced meat Tsukemen, a new addition and only available on the Hong Kong Ippudo side. This was actually tasted at the TST Store by special arrangement at an Event, as they are all managed under Maxim's Group in Hong Kong, despite being the same name but HK stores have different items to Kowloon Store. The Kowloon TST store offers more diversity but the HK stores also offer alternative items. Hard to decide!! This version with Cheese, minced Spicy Meat, crushed Cashew Nuts, with thick noodles was nice enough. ~ 7/10

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The Akamaru Shinaji 赤丸新味 available especially at this store, was utterly addictive and on par with the Japan's version. The other items are not as diverse as the flagship TST store, but here it is much better than before and very well balanced. Despite the many new Ramen shops opening lately, this shop still remains one of my favourites in terms of composure and balance.

博多冷やし中華@ 一風堂
Hakata Hiyashi Chūka @ Ippudo

One of my favorite things to eat during the summer is really chilled noodles. Chilled Chinese noodles, cold soba or udon, Vietnamese vermicelli, I am all up for them. While Hiyashi Chūka (冷やし中華) chilled ramen seem like a simple-enough dish, it is surprising that I have a hard time finding a good one in restaurants locally.

I went to Ippudo today for the new “carbonara” spinach salad only to learn that it is exclusively to the TST branch. Not being very interested in their tonkotsu ramen, I ordered th new Hakata Hiyashi Chūka(博多 冷やし中華, $78). With the noodle set I also ordered the char siu bun (+$20) and iced Oolong tea (+$8)..

The bowl of chilled chewy ramen was topped with classic hiyashi chūka's ingredients: lettuce shreds, char siu strips, cucumber strips, tomato slices, a lot of fine egg crepe juliennes (my favorite), and a dollop of mentaiko. Mixed with the slightly tangy sesame sauce with a hint of bonito flavor, the whole bowl was cold and very refreshing! .

I added grounded sesame and onsen tamago (溫泉玉子, $10) midway through and it’s just another way of eating this noodles. The noodles remained al dente and cold till the end. It was not heavy yet hearty enough to fill you up. I thought it was excellent for the summer. The whole bowl was quite big and girls may not be able to finish it alone.

As for the char siu bun, the slightly grilled char siu was excellent with the fatty layers. The bun was still horrible like I had before Iced Oolong tea is normal..

I think I will come back again to Ippudo in the summer just for the博多 冷やし中華!

Hakata Ippudo could be considered as one of the leading Japanese ramen restaurants worldwide. As the frenzy ramen craze hit Hong Kong, it expanded its stores in Hong Kong as well.
With all this ramen craze, it made me wanting to go and try out the various restaurants to figure out the best ones. Obviously I'm putting this restaurant on my list.
Just as many other ramen restaurants, I was expecting a queue. To my surprise, there wasn't a long queue outside on a Wednesday lunch time. Me and my friend took our waiting ticket and waited for people inside to finish dining. After merely about 15 minutes, we got a table.
After the shouts of welcome from the staff, a waiter came to pour us a glass of water and gave us the menu.
I picked the Akamaru Shinaji ($68). It actually has an intense pork bone soup base, topped with miso, garlic oil, lean slices of pork, black fungus, soybean sprouts and scallions.To me the pork bone soup base wasn't really intense. It was flavorsome but it's not exactly rich in flavor and texture nor is it heavy in taste. Something pleasing about it was that it's pretty much MSG-free as far as I could tell. The pork slices were pretty lean and soft, which I find that really nice. The noodles used were rather thin, non-curly and resilient ones. The texture of the noodles was good, with a hint of al dente.
My friend picked the Spicy Tonkotsu ($58), which is basically also known as the Red King at many other traditional Japanese ramen shops.It consists lean slices of pork, soy beansprouts, black fungus and spring onion as toppings, as well as the yuzu spicy miso to bring out the flavor. My friend allowed me to have a sip of the pork bone broth, i.e. the tonkotsu. The broth is flavorsome, and pretty much MSG-free too, but I think it's not rich enough as well. As the spicy yuzu miso gradually melted into the tonkotsu and blended together, the spiciness was brought out. Nevertheless I still think the soup base was still not rich enough. It's just flavorful yet the overall texture and sensation of the soup were obviously not rich enough. The spiciness was not exactly exciting either, which might be a dismay to some spice-lovers.
When we both had finished the ramen, we both agreed that it was merely mediocre, and we both also agreed that it didn't give a sense of fullness. A bowl of ramen is supposed to give a satisfying fullness to your stomach, yet those here failed to do so.
After trying the ramen here, I sort of held my doubt for this restaurant. It was not bad but it lacked authenticity. Even with the setting of the restaurant, it doesn't feel exactly traditional either. The setting is indeed a very smart and bright setting, but I think a smaller crowded and a dimmer environment may probably give a better ambience and authenticity. Being modern is definitely not one problem but perhaps they should have made it modern in a way that still keeps many traditional details to give authenticity. Maybe this is the effect of becoming a chain store, and I can only say it's a pity then.

I have heard lots of good things about Ippudo and was curious to find out the reasoning behind the good reviews. I came here on a Friday night with two friends. Arrived at 7 and finally got seated at 7:30.

Overall, the food was all right. It was nothing too special. I would say the best part of my ramen (I ordered the Miso Tonkotsu) was the egg. It was so good and maybe one of the reasons why I would come back.

While many people have written about the food here, I want to comment on their awesome customer service. The staff here was incredibly friendly and accommodating. They were observant to our needs when it came to little things such as seating us and refilling our water pitcher. My friends and I also ordered an appetizer to share. However, before we started on our appetizer, our ramen came and we decided to eat that first. Afterwards, we asked them if they could help us evenly cut up our appetizer so it would be easier to share. They came back and told us that it had gotten cold and they wanted to recook our dish. We very impressed by this, but felt it was a bit unnecessary since it was our own fault for letting it get cold.

Came here with a friend on a Sunday afternoon. I was SO happy there was no wait.

Overall the ramen was delicious, but everything else mediocre. We had one spicy and one regular (Ippudo ramen). The soup was not overly oily, yet still very flavorful (nice mix of meaty + miso taste). The pork was fatty but so delicious. Definitely get the ramen side dish if you want to experiment. The menu doesn't specify but the side sampler comes with bamboo (spiced just right), a soft boiled egg, green onions and some tender pork.

Is it just me or do they not have the tea flavored eggs that have become a staple in the East Village New York branch?

The atmosphere really doesn't live up to expectations. The wait staff doesn't really speak English and are constantly yelling mispronounced Japanese phrases. For some strange reason they also seemed anxious to get us out the door. They kept taking away our dishes before we finished them.

I guess I'd go back since it's in such a great location (right across from Times Square), but realistically it's nothing to write home about.

I initially wanted to try my luck with "Tamashi" or "Buta O" but was not too positive about getting a seat since I left work at 7:45p.m. Nevertheless I went to Tamashi first. The queue wasn't too long and I saw the Japanese boss and a pretty staff waiting outside and apologizing to customers as they were about to close ... so next.

I found Buta O and was surprising to see the shop opened but with no queue! Well, it's because they've stopped their daily supplies of ramen ready.

Being in ramen mood, I decided to find something random but eventually decided to try the Ippudo at Causeway Bay. The location is easy to find even for those who don't go to CWB much - it's directly across Times Square, where Kaya is located.

Once I got out of the lift, I almost queued for the wrong shop, i.e. Genki sushi, right next to Ippudo. For the reader's information, before you approach the staff, you'll need to input the number of persons (guests) on the touch screen and then take a ticket - a bit like queuing for bank services. I couldn't manage that and asked the staff for assistance. Perhaps sensing that I was a hopeless case, she just gave me a seat for 1 instead. - well, that's an advantage of dining alone.

Since I've been trying to compare different spicy ramens, I ordered the "Akamaru 赤丸新味"

I've requested the noodle to be extra soft plus a soft-boiled egg.
Having tried kimchi ramen and spicy ramen at different shops, this wasn't spicy enough for me. It's also less spicy than the TST branch which I've tried awhile ago. It's basically a pork bone based ramen with a tablespoonful of spicy miso. The pork bone base was quite good and on the thick side. Actually, it's not terribly different from the one at Daruma or Hide-chan. The char-siu was really good though. It was meaty and definitely marinated with sake and soy sauce. The egg was pretty good too - very soft inside and perhaps 1/2 cooked.

Anyway, I had to put some chilli oil into mine after I've finished 70% of my ramen (which might be considered blasphemous for the ramen "connoisseurs" out there - well, at the end of the day, it's about how you enjoy eating it and the condiments were placed there for a reason. So just be flexible. I'd recommend adding some sesame into the soup too. There isn't one strict Japanese formula of eating ramen you see..)

I've also ordered a fried pork cutlet just for the fun of it. It's too fat - not recommended:All in all, it's a good experience if you don't need to wait more than 20 minutes. The pork bone based soup is delicious. However, with so much competition around, I can't say Ippudo stand out too much. It's still a "Good" for Ippudo but when it comes to spicy ramen, I prefer Tatsuya at Tai Hang so far.

The search continues....

Came here w/ my friend and right when I checked in to get a table, it was convienent. They have a computer where you can put the # of guests, take a # and also leave your cell phone # and an automatic machien will call you when your table is about ready. How nice! My friend told me about this place and how it's super good and packed in New York City but I was delighteed that we only had to wait 3 minutes.

It was pretty busy and nice inside, good enviornment. I had the Miso Tonkotsu, and added 10$hk for an egg. I thought it was pretty good, the broth was flavorful and the egg was a typical japanese ramen egg- that being - when you open it, the inside has the yellow yolk that spills out. YUM. It was only $58 too ! What a great price!

BUT, i found they were skimpy on the toppings.........my noodles supposed to have bean sprouts, slices of pork, but it seemed to be mostly ramen and soup. Sure there were 2-3 very thin and small pork slices and a few bean sprouts but UGHHH , add a little more will ya If I came back again, I'd definitely have to add more toppings to make up for the lack of reg toppings that come with the bowl. So that would mean more money, so I guess, if I threw in 30$ worth of toppings, it would be nice. That would bring the bill to like 88$.

The amount of nooodles n broth was just right, i left feeling satisfied but I wasn't STUFFED, i was about 70% full which is just perfect.

We also had this pork in steamed white bun thing, which was pretty good.

PROS
-good broth, noodles
-nice enviornement
-convienent getting table/ticket system
-good price

CONS
-not much toppings that come w/ the noodles

I loved Ippudo in NYC so I was excited when I learned that Ippudo was opening in HK. Never made it to the TST one because I live on HK Island so it was easier for me to visit the CWB branch. Didn't have to wait in line for lunch on Thursday - guess the lines have died down or migrated over to Butao.

I ordered the Wasabi Tonkotsu Ramen and the Pork Bun. Never tried wasabi in ramen broth before so didn't know what to expect. The wasabi tonkotsu broth was rather interesting. Wasn't overly done - the broth had a hint of wasabi taste. There was a couple of times where the wasabi got to my head and my eyes watered a bit. Something unique that you can try once. There were 2 pieces of char siu and it was nothing to rave about. The noodles were too thin for my taste - I didn't like the texture of it.

Next the pork bun came. This is where I got really disappointed.In NYC, this dish is one of the most popular dish to order because it is soooo good. The pork belly is soft and served with a special bbq sauce wrapped in a bun. The one I got in CWB looked like it but tasted nothing like it. The pork is thin and smeared with some mayo - what the heck?! I expected some quality control here but the taste shouldn't be that much different across all the geos. Nothing special here in Ipuddo HK in my opinion - you can find better ramen else where.

Shouting intelligible pseudo-Japanese sentences doesn't make the place more authentic nor the food taste any better, so cut it out folks. Especially one dude who was standing right behind and screaming at the top of his lungs. I couldn't hear my own thoughts, let alone enjoy my food. I had to politely but firmly tell him to stand somewhere else to shout, because i was that close to leaving the place before the food came.

The ramen was thin and curly, a bit like instand noodles really, I actually prefer the thicker ones, al dente. But the soup was nice, not too oily, very flavourful, and the spicy lived up to its name. The wasabi did too - I'm just not sure if wasabi has a place in a broth though. The pork was lean and tender, yum.The fried rice was nothing to write home about, and the stir fry vegetables were forgettable. Maybe the other dishes fared better.

Please stop shouting.