Let’s take a little break from The Great British Bake Off shall we? Life isn’t all walnut cake and lemon macarons, a girl still gotta eat! Last week, Mother and I discovered Ippudo in Canary Wharf’s brand spanking new Crossrail Place.
The menu is relatively simple; a wide range of starters and a variety of ramen. Since our New York adventures at Mandoo Bar and Mimi Cheng’s, we’ve become a little bit dumpling obsessed and spied some on the the table next us that we had to have. There are three options for gyoza on the menu but these are the simple ‘Gyoza’. Next time we’ll have to get them not to share.
We also ordered a Pork Hirata Bun each. I can not use enough positive adjectives to emphasise how moist that pork meat was. I didn’t even know it was possible to cook pork to that texture and with so much flavour! Fluffy light little steamed buns. No more need be said.
Then, our very first ramen! Warning: ramen isn’t very attractive.
I ordered the Akamaru Modern without mushrooms, and Mother ordered the Shiromaru Hakata Classic. I’ve seen ramen served with egg before which you can order as one of the extra ramen toppings listed at the end of the menu. I really enjoyed mine, but mum wasn’t too keen on hers.
The atmosphere in there is brilliant. All the chefs shout out to welcome you as you arrive and again as you leave, which is part of the Ippudo experience instilled from the founder Shigemi Kawahara. Dinner for the two of us with two drinks was just under £40, which is not too bad as far as London eating out goes. I will be returning, perhaps at their other branch at Central St Giles.
I’ve got the ramen bug, where next?
I went to this japanese/caribbean place in Brixton called Nanban, I had their curry goat ramen. It was a really interesting fusion, you should check them out.
This place sounds really decent. You've convinced me to give them a go.
Adding that to the list!