[title]
Ramen Connoisseurs know about Ippudo. When I arrived at this Charing Cross branch of the international chain, there were already two groups ahead of me in the queue. Considering it was a Monday lunchtime, this was a very good sign: no Londoner waits for anything on a Monday unless it’s excellent.
There’s a semi-open kitchen in the narrow, corridor-like entrance, and the restaurant proper is at the back. The look is minimal, but smart; it’s small, with plush navy banquette seating and some trendy light fixtures. Service is efficient, which is great, because by the time you’re seated you’ll have fully ogled the menu.
Ramen comes in three main varieties on the ‘grand menu’: Classic (£11), Modern (£12), and Karaka-men (£13), which Ippudo describe unironically as ‘a bowl full of stimulus’. You can then pimp your choice; upgrading to ‘Tamago’ gets you a soft-boiled egg for £1.50, which wobbles exquisitely on top of the broth.
The Classic was a juicy, creamy tonkotsu broth with deliciously thin noodles, fatty pork and slivers of kikurage mushroom. It’s not that there was anything particularly remarkable about this ramen – that's kind of its charm: this is solid, warm, comforting stuff. More stimulating, obviously, was the ‘bowl full of stimulus’: spiked with fiery miso paste, it comes served deep red. But I reckon it’s the classic people are queueing for.
Starters, too, were quality: crisped up, greasy kara-age chicken was a highlight, and gyoza was fat, hot and juicy. Ippudo does a clever deal where you can pay £1 on top of your ramen cost and get one starter ‘for free’. If you’re willing to share, one Classic ramen and a starter would make a nice light lunch for two, clocking in at £6 a head.
Crucially, this branch is the best place to eat in that culinary wasteland between the Strand and the river. If you're hankering for ramen, Ippudo will deliver the goods.