Ippudo

Laura and I looked at each other as soon as we sat down, "This place is so New York."  Sure, Ippudo had a 20 minute wait at 11pm.  And the dark, slick interior is cool as can be.  Thumping club music bounces offs the wall and all the servers and cooks yell out greeting in Japanese to each new party.  The point is, Ippudo oozes atmosphere.  And places that do that usually get by with average or good food.

But Ippudo has amazing food.  Truly delicious.  Japanese gourmet ramen.  A concept that sounds so simple until you taste it. 

My recommendation: Order the pork buns for an appetizers and stick with the classic ramen.  Laura and I both loved our dishes, large bowls filled with noodles and other fresh ingredients.

Bottom Line: Ippudo has top notch food and atmosphere.  It's cool and delicious.  That's rare, and is why there is still a wait for dinner at 11pm.

East Village, on 4th Ave between 9th and 10th