Ippudo Ayala 30th — Restaurant in Pasig

(This is a review for Ippudo’s Gyudon only)

We’ve eaten at Ippudo Ayala 30th several times, but this is the first time that I have tried their Gyudon, and let me tell you, IT IS SOOOOO GOOD!!! I think I dreamt about it in my sleep last night! 😅🤣🤭

Ippudo’s Gyudon is made of thinly sliced beef yakiniku, mushroom tempura bits, and egg yolk on the center of a bed of rice, in a sweet and salty soy-honey sauce, garnished with spring onions and Japanese aioli.

The serving is, however, quite small for me. I’d rather have in the same-sized bowl where they serve their ramen, but since I was with the fam and ended up finishing my youngest son’s ramen bowl, eventually it became just the right serving.

Are you dreaming of Ippudo’s Gyudon too? Try it for yourself now!

Ippudo is located at the Lower Ground Floor, Ayala Malls the 30th, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.

Opening hours is 11am to...

Having tried Ippudo Ramen in Kyoto, Japan, it’s hard not to draw comparisons. The version we have here in the Philippines is quite good, mind you—but as you’d expect, the experience is just on another level when you’re having it in its country of origin. That’s probably true for most cuisines; there’s something about local ingredients, technique, and atmosphere that’s tough to replicate.

That said, if we’re talking purely about what’s available locally, we’d say Ramen Nagi edges out Ippudo—not just in terms of flavor, but also in portion size. Ramen Nagi’s bowls feel a bit more satisfying overall.

Still, Ippudo remains a solid pick. The broth is flavorful, the noodles have that nice bite, and the quality is consistent. If you’re craving ramen and spot an Ippudo nearby, it’s definitely worth a visit—you likely won’t walk away...

I don't know if it's just me, but their broth tastes a bit underwhelming here. It's not as rich as I would expect from Hakata style tonkotsu ramen. I got the Akamaru kind, and it was okay. I'd say this is underwhelming compared to what they serve at Ramen Nagi.

The gyoza was very average. Nothing special about its taste. As for the iced tea, it felt like I was drinking 50 percent foam. Doesn't really taste good.

Overall, the food was okay.

As for atmosphere, it was fine but seeing the seat upholstery patched up with duct tape at where I was seated has given me a bad impression.

EDIT as of 3/9/2024

Management reached out to me and made up for their mediocre ramen by giving me a better bowl on the house. I was even able to finish the soup. Thank you, Ippudo...