World-famous restaurant IPPUDO opens a second branch in Bangkok featuring casual, family style dining headlined by signature ramen dishes.

boosted by a young friendly chef

What, another ramen restaurant? Don’t look now, but the recently opened IPPUDO (www.ippudo.co.th) at The Emporium Shopping Complex is not just another ramen restaurant. The second outlet of the world-famous Japanese ramen restaurant chain in Bangkok might, in fact, change your perception of what ramen restaurants are like, or should be.

Indeed, if the response to the newly opened restaurant is any indication, this second IPPIDO just might give its sister restaurant at the Central Embassy stiff competition. There’s already a long line of diners queuing up for a taste of its signature dishes, this early.

Located on the 4th floor of The Emporium, the new IPPUDO features a casual, family style dining with an open kitchen.

It is quite an intimate affair, and in fact, the interior, enhanced by a rich and vibrant modern color schemes, is interesting. But anyway, you go to IPPUDO for the ramen, and this outlet should not disappoint, as we have experienced.

Topping our favorites, of course, is the classic Hakata-style Shiromaru Motoaji (original tonkotsu broth served with ultra-thin noodles, pork loin, bean sprouts, kikurage mushroom and spring onions). But the refined and modern Akamaru Shinaji (original tonkotsu broth enhanced with special blended miso paste and fragrant garlic oil and served with thin noodles, pork belly, kikurage mushroom and spring onions), and the spicy special, Karaka-men (original tonkotsu broth with special spicy miso, cashew nuts and ground pork) are following closely. Served with their all-time favorite side dishes such as Hakata-style Gyoza, Pork Bun, Seared Salmon Roll with Mentaiko, and Bakuretsu Tofu, this is comfort food at its best.

signature dishes such as the Shiromaru Motoaji

The IPPUDO empire has come a long way since Shigemi Kawahara, crowned Ramen King in 2005, founded the first outlet in 1985 in the ramen capital of Hakata (Fukuoka City). As he once said in an interview, “I strongly desire that through a humble bowl of ramen, we can spread the Japanese spirit around the world.” That’s exactly what the IPPUDO’s outlets are now doing in over 80 stores in Japan and over 45 international stores worldwide.

How does it ensure consistent quality in all the IPPUDO outlets worldwide? “By using fresh local products, secret soup recipes, and authentic Japanese cooking methods and ramen production,” says the young Japanese chef we met at The Emporium. “The noodles are made fresh and in-house daily.”

So if you see customers patiently queuing in front of IPPUDO at the 4th floor of The Emporium, don’t be surprised. All of them just want to get a taste of the signature IPPUDO ramen, which many have dubbed as “cosmos in a bowl.” You probably would too.