Just to preface everything, I have gone to the NYC location once, but that was … quite a while back but I did enjoy their ramen. I have gone to the Berkeley location roughly 2/3 months ago and found their ramen to be quite good and I just went to Ippudo SF location during lunch hours for a quick comparison. Price wise, I felt that the Berkeley one might have been a little less (I went during lunch hours and they had a lunch set pricing while the SF one did not). There is a little more variety in terms of some food items and beverages though at the SF restaurant.
I tried their pork buns to see how the little appetizers tasted. The bun was pillowy soft and had a good texture. The pork was relatively thick but was not overcooked and tough to chew through but relatively moist (I was actually hoping for something similar in size in the ramen, alas, they are thin cut). The sauce was mayo with the lettuce at the bottom to give a crisp texture and well, moisture management I guess.
At both the Berkeley and SF locations, I have tried their Akamaru Modern version and I was satisfied both times. Pictured below, I had the special version with the soft boiled egg and extra chasu pieces. As @Mr_Happy noted, the egg really wasn’t marinated so if you’re expecting that extra hint of marination, the version at Ippudo does not have that. Broth wise, it had a good pork flavor and was not super salty but it seemed to give a thinner viscosity – lacking the lip smacking, extra gelatin . The miso paste added a little bit of spice and the garlic oil does add some notes of garlic.
Noodle wise, I chose medium at the SF location and firm at Berkeley. I think I prefer the firm texture wise as it gives it a good bite. But the thin noodles definitely helped as a broth delivery device. Chasu as @Mr_Happy noted is on the thinner side but had a good marination.
Though after @hyperbowler’s latest link:
I like to think that Ippudo didn’t have their broth there… but kinda curious where Wakou’s broths are served now.
