It’s a Saturday afternoon, and the West Hollywood location of Ippudo is buzzing with an eclectic mix of diners. Family gatherings agonize over group orders, young brunchers freely share appetizers, and single millennials stare into middle distance while nursing their ramen. This is but one of a few hundred Ippudo locations worldwide, of which only a handful are in the states, of which only one – – Ippudo V in Brooklyn – – is fully plant-based at this time. After spotting Ippudo V signage on a drive-by and booking a lunch date in anticipation, I have a few questions for the hostess. According to her, once the new (omni) location in Culver City is operational, the plan is for this branch to become the second Ippudo V in the US. Although they’ve already hung their new signage in anticipation of this transition, on the date of our meal only about a third of their menu is vegan. Nonetheless the options look promising, so my wife and I take a chance and place our order.
My prior experiences with shishito peppers tend to fall somewhere between limp and lightly blackened, cooked in crimped foil towards a dali-esque presentation or toasted and turned on a dry griddle. These flash-fried peppers are blistered lightly and uniformly, translucent skin lifted evenly off their tender but well-bodied flesh, and they come with a mound of yuzu salt for sprinkling or dabbing. Although I do ultimately prefer these peppers with a touch of char and a citrusy marinade, a great service is done to the integrity of the vegetable in this presentation and it’s a nice lead-in to the bolder courses that follow.
The Brooklyn Bridge roll is a cucumber, avocado, and pickled radish creation topped with unagi-style broiled eggplant. There’s no overpowering saccharine drizzle from a squeeze bottle; the glaze on the eggplant is light and aromatic, not too sweet, with just a touch of smokiness from the brulee that elevates the profile of the eggplant. Each cut is topped with a single vibrant sprout, perhaps shiso, which adds a tasteful herbaceous note and puts a bow on a spectacular veg-forward roll.
The Pla-ton “Tonkotsu” comes topped with chashu tofu, fried enoki mushrooms and marinated carrots. There are no special effects or studio trickery here; this bowl is about the noodles and the broth. The noodles have a subtly irregular cut and a firm chew. The broth is cloudy, with inscrutable umami depths that reward exploration. The fine fat globules throughout the broth give it a silky and full-bodied character, while larger droplets of avocado oil shimmer on the surface. It’s just briny enough to open up the back of the palate without losing its balance; it’s an absolutely stunning bowl of ramen that I can’t recommend enough. Whether you spring for extra toppings is between you and your pocketbook – – I can’t imagine a regrettable configuration, though I personally would prefer not to mess with the clean laminar flow of a perfect swig of broth.
As effortlessly as they craft their ramen, Ippudo West Hollywood / Ippudo V is still working on crafting their messaging – – it sounds like some of the omni locals are just as disjointed by their pivot as I was to find meat still on the menu. While there is no playbook for a move like this, serving superlative ramen would seem to be a good place to start. The journey toward a plant-based diet is rarely linear, and for every individual that goes cold-tofurkey many others take a messier angle of approach. To catch a restaurant in the midst of a clunky metamorphosis is extremely relatable. In light of my own imperfect journey and Ippudo’s clear commitment to their plant-based recipes, I’d like to be the first to give Ippudo V a warm welcome to our community.
