Ippudo Ginza: Comfort in a bowl

Bowl-ing for soup: Kyushu-style tonkotsu ramen at Ippudo.

Ippudo isn’t exclusive enough a ramen joint to form a cult following, but its numerous locations across the city always provide a welcoming place to get a quick fix of Japanese comfort food.

Ippudo’s pork-based broth successfully walks the fine line between rich flavor and cloying heaviness, and its thin noodles are a perfect foil to capture the soup’s subtleties. We tend to order "bari-kata"-style for great al dente texture.

In both the simpler Shiro-maru and heavily seasoned Aka-maru varieties, Ippudo offers a good balance of toppings and a decent value. While not nearly as exciting as the many boutique noodle houses, Ippudo proves that consistency is also a virtue.