As to be expected from Ippudo. Great atmosphere, staff and of course the food. Be prepared to wait in line, unless going late afternoon or small parties. Place is new so giving some service lags on staff needing to get used to things. They have a VIP room as well, with set bill amounts but you can skip the line if it's worth it for work/large parties. Saved us a wait a bunch of times with this! read more

See all

I'm not really a soup and noodles person but my friend really likes this place, so I decided to check it out with her. We were told our wait time would be about 30-40 minutes but it only took about 20 ish minutes. We went at about 8pm and it was very busy. I forgot the name of the ramen i ordered but it was the first one on the menu. I asked for firm noodles and I also added a poached egg. Most ramen places I go to aren't as tasty but the ramen here is so savory. I usually rely on toppings for the taste but the broth they used was more than enough to satisfy my tastebuds. I also got a pork and chicken bun. They might as well call them crack buns because they tasted so damn good I wanted to order like 10 more but i was already full lol. Definitely coming back. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - I forgot the name but this is the first one on the menu - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

The ramen was good. But damn, it does not live up to Ippudo in Japan. But I guess that's not really fair, is it? Oh well... I came here on a weekday while on a work trip and came early enough so that we only waited about 15 minutes. The menu is a lot bigger than the Japanese locations. There's more appetizer options, which conforms to American restaurant style menus. I did like the edamame. The pork buns were good but I personally like Momofuku's pork buns a little better. I had the original tonkotsu ramen, and it was good. The broth was clean, but it wasn't the most flavorful or the most rich. Some people might appreciate that it isn't as rich as some other broths. The chashu itself is really good. The biggest knock though is the price. I know that it's SF and everything is more expensive... but it's hard to swallow $20 ramen ($15 + $5 for toppings). I'm glad I got to try this, but it kind of just makes me sad that I can't relive parts of my Japan trip without crossing the ocean. read more

Ippudo SF is probably my favorite location of the chain. I love the Bonito Tonkotsu - broth is packed with flavor, noodles are perfect and the pork belly chashu is so tender and flavorful. Another highlight for this location has to be the Akamaru Veggie - I'm a total carnivore so if it weren't for my friend ordering this dish I would have never tasted the wonderful broth. I would highly consider ordering this for myself next time... I wonder if they'd let me add pork belly chashu to it. Overall a solid spot for ramen in the city, not my top pick but it definitely gets the job done. read more

See all

Ippudo was meh to me. There are so many better ramen places in the city, this just didn't hit the spot for me. I was not a huge fan of the broth, plus our ramen came out lukewarm. Ippudo uses thin noodles, not my preference. But I did like how you're able to customize the firmness of your noodles. The chicken karaage was good, but a small portion. Wish there was more. Overall pricey for subpar ramen. read more

There will be a wait to be seated! Service was pretty quick and no fuss, and the menu is pretty simple. It is a little pricey for ramen in the city. The thin noodles are pretty good, I got it firm and I thought it was a good choice because I hate soft noodles. Average experience, don't think I'll come back but I'm glad I tried the new spot in SF. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Karaku with firm noodle. Not too spicy. - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very mediocre ramen... was not impressed. Worst part was that we were waiting to be seated and we saw a mouse run across the floor. They have mouse traps out. Not worth it in my opinion. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Solid, flavorful ramen and well-cooked pork buns at the Ippudo in SF. However, there was definitely a wow-factor that was missing from the ramen that would make me want to come back. The depth of the broth flavor was not quite as nuanced as I would expect from an Ippudo. The pork buns were well cooked, but the sauce was a bit too much. Enjoyed the lunch but probably wouldn't go back unless I was already in the area craving ramen. Recommendations: Karaka spicy, pork buns Pros: Noodles, pork in the pork buns, no wait Okays: Hard to find parking in the area, broth Cons: n/a read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Why'd you have to be so disappointing? Interior and seating is nice but my experience with the food and service was pretty lackluster. - karaka spicy Straight up sweet. Like I don't get the point of calling it spicy, should just order the original tbh. If you're expecting any remote heat this is NOT the one. Ugh. - tofu salad Should be a crime to serve this. Barely any tofu hidden underneath a mountain of the most bitter arugula I've eaten in my life. The little sardines were nice but you've got this giant plate stacked with an unproportionate amount of arugula(!!) that you can't even mix. The dressing is a bit light but it's ok. If you LOVE arugula then this is for you. I don't mind it but it was obviously it was not for me in this case. This was the exact OPPOSITE of an appetizer. - ordered 2 beers First time they came out with the wrong one, caught it when they said "Asahi?" and we were like, nope didn't get that. They came back with the proper one but I noticed on their way back they stopped by a different table and picked up their beer because they got it mixed up with ours so they came back and gave the other table and ours the correct drink. Win-win I guess? I ordered the Coedo pilsner but it came out as the Coedo Indian pale lager, I think? Brought it up, they switched it out, no big deal. But 2/2 drinks yikes. Can't speak on the veggie ramen but my sister got it and wasn't a big fan. I tried some of the "sesame" broth. Eh. Ehh.. never coming back. Like if someone were to treat me out to lunch and I found it was at Ippudo? To come back here? That's gonna be a NO from me, I'd rather eat cup noodles from the dollar store. EDIT: Forgot to mention the service, also dulled the experience. There's one legit person, named Nicole, who helped out. It feels like they have so many people there but you have to raise your hand up and wait a few minutes for someone to see you. It's weird, it's like no one looks across the place but they only look at the table closest to them. That was my experience on 6/15/2019. read more

I have to say, ramen should not cost $20 a bowl. But having said that, unfortunately we live in the Bay Area.... It's on par with the one in Japan, which is considered an okay bowl of ramen. But it's still better than most in the bay. I wish they have better cold dish options thou. Other locations has really good pickle dishes. Overall, I'll go back once a while when I miss some authentic Japanese food. read more

i used to come here so often when i worked in dtsf so i never really craved for it! so when i came back last week, i forgot how much i liked it! i first had ippudo in ny and remembered how delicious it was! i usually ordered the shiromaru classic because it's the original and basic order which has the perfect amount of flavor! sometimes i'll order the akamaru modern for the miso paste! definitely order the akamaru if you prefer a stronger and bolder soup base! i almost always get my noodles soft just because i like them to melt a little more! i've tried a few of their appetizers and enjoy them all! they also do have small baskets for you to put your personal items in so they don't sit on the floor or behind you on your chair which is a plus! read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Probably one of the best ramen I have ever had. The Spicy Karaka Ramen was really tasty and went well with the added boiled egg and corn toppings. They also give you a lot of noodles which makes the ramen worth it. The pork bun was also really good. only got one because I didnt want to be stuffed before the ramen came out. But would definitely order more the next time. Got the mango cheesecake to go and it was tiny but tasty. Also the staff was very nice and greeted you nicely when you arrive and as you leave. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Karaka Spicy Ramen - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Was not impressed with this ramen spot. Ippudo is one of the larger ramen chains with many locations, so I had pretty high expectations going into dinner. My friends and I arrived around 6:30/7 for a weekday dinner and wow... it was packed! I would say we waited somewhere between 30-45 minutes before we were seated. Once our name was called, the host brought us inside and I was immediately impressed by the interior decorations and setup of the restaurant. It's not the largest restaurant, so I can understand why there'd be a wait during peak meal hours. Their menu consists of a few appetizers and 7 ramen options. I went for the Akamaru Modern ($15), which is the more "flavorful" version of the classic pork broth ramen. You're able to add in any additional ingredients, including an egg ($1.50) which I opted for. They also allow you to choose your noodle firmness similar to other ramen spots! My friends ordered a few of the pork buns - those were tasty but super overpriced in my opinion! The ramen was disappointing... flavor was average, noodle texture wasn't as great as spots like Ramen Nagi, and the broth was just OK. I was underwhelmed, and I can't believe I paid an additional $1.50 for a simple egg! Overall I probably wouldn't choose to return for the average ramen. The prices were on the higher end too, but I guess that's what you can expect in the city. Service was friendly though! read more

San Francisco YB one finally opened. Been to 2 of the NYC ones and those were okay so decided to try our San Francisco one for lunch today on this cold, wet, rainy day in the city. Tried the "modern" thin noodle one, medium firmness. I was really disappointed. Not much of a portion of noodles at all. Noodles were a little starchy and broth wasn't overwhelmingly tasty! Will give it one more try for lunch another day and choose thicker noodles. I definitely prefer Ramen Parlor in San Mateo which has tons of flavor, substance and portions worth the $$$. Service was attentive, ambiance clean and spacious. Just really disappointed on the whole ramen experience. Bummer! Definitely still craving ramen! :0( read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very solid ramen joint - prime location (near Powell and Metreon), upscale decor, delicious ramen. A line started forming around 5:30 on a Wednesday, but it moved quickly. When we finished eating around 6:15, the line got longer. So come early even on a weekday! We ordered a spicy ramen and a regular salt(shio) one, the broths were not as thick as the one at Kirimachi or Santouka (kinda wished it'd be thicker), medium firm noodles, which are about right for us. The pork in the noodles are round-shaped, tasty and juicy. The karage chicken was juicy too. They are a bit pricy at $20 before tax for the spicy noodle special like others have commented. read more

See all

Sensational. Flavorful. Bold. All the things that described my entire experience at Ippudo today. I ordered the $20 spicy ramen special, which comes with extra pork and an egg. My favorite thing about Ippudo is the ability to choose the softness of your noodles, which I think is an integral part of a good bowl of ramen. I got mine medium, or "futsu," and it came out just right. The broth was extremely rich, and there was a generous amount of meat, and one whole egg rather than one that's cut in half. The meat was extremely thin and not too fatty, which is what I love. One thing to note is that you will have to wait in line until you're called, and it's good to make sure your whole party is there, or else they won't let you in to sit. There's plenty of communal tables, so if you don't mind a great experience potentially shared with other guests, Ippudo is perfect for you! I definitely think anyone living in the area should try it out. It's also really close to Westfield and all the great shopping in the area :) read more

Ippudo San Francisco - $20 Spicy Karaka Special - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

The wait was long. At 5:30 it was 20 something minutes to be seated and another 20 something minutes to order. Maybe they were just frantic; two servers each tried to give me a bill. The food was tasty, though the ramen is a bit small and most ramen places would call their super upgrade a basic ramen bowl. The shishito peppers were tasty but upset my stomach before I could even get back to the car. They also seem to run out of supplies a lot. They ran out of normal noodles and most sodas today. read more

On a Monday evening there was only a 20-25 minute wait for 2. When we left there was zero wait. This is delightful to me as in nyc east village I'd always have to wait about 45 minutes minimum. Karaka spicy was so good! Pork buns were good, but they weren't so succulent and tender that I was wowed. As a note, I noticed single diners were able to order a single pork bun. Good to know. I got a sake and it overflowed into the saucer as a show of generosity (per googling). I decided to sip it and never let the sake cup hit the table so I could pour the overflow into the cup to finish. Just a tip in case others are wondering the same thing. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Pork buns. Not the best like I've had in nyc, but good! - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

A great addition of a ramen icon to the Bay Area's ever growing ramen lexicon -- Ippudo is a reliable bellwether for the genre. Ippudo SF takes the form of an "upmarket fast casual" shop... everything from the single sheet laminated menus (that is relatively simple and streamlined in its offerings), overall atmosphere of the space, and straight-forward presentation. For those who are drawn to Ippudo for having experienced other locations -- this location is somewhere between the classic locations in Tokyo and the more premium outposts like those locations in NYC and Sydney (Westfield). All in all, the food was good but I admittedly expected the location to be more sophisticated in its offerings relative to other Ippudo locations I'd grown to love, and with respect to SF's other ramen offerings - especially considering its location and price. Service was a standout feature... the staff make for a tremendously welcoming, friendly, and efficient shop. read more

See all

Update: I've actually been thinking about the ramen I had a lot over the past few days and it was honestly so good that I don't care that I waited so long for the check. Will definitely go back for that shoyu ramen! My ramen was delicious! I'm a huge bonito freak so I got the shoyu ramen. The broth was delicious and hot and the noodles had a great firmness to them. The pork was whatever? But overall was a great bowl. But omg the service was awful! I got seated right away because I came late but then no one checked on me for a while. When I finished I did a ridiculous display of stacking everything on top of eachother but no one asked me if I was done or if I wanted the check. Tbh I'm writing sorry this review as I sit here because no one has checked in on me and I don't know what else do ??? I'm literally sitting with all of my bags in the table with my card in my hand lol. Ok they're bringing me my check finally: total time getting check 19 minutes... The ramen was good but I'll only go if I have to read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the better ramen places in the financial district. It's probably a dollar or two pricier than the other ramen places, but the service and quality is worth h the extra dollar. I ordered the wasabi ramen and was so glad I did, not spicy at all, but you can definitely taste the wasabi :). Make sure you get it with firm noodles per the chefs recommendations read more

TIP: Come right at 11am when they open. You'll get seated right away even on a weekend! I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't have to wait for tables, because the inside is surprisingly quite large. I got there right at 11am and we stood in line outside for about 2 min before the line started moving and we were quickly whisked to our seats. The service was on point. Pork buns were just as melt in your mouth good as I remembered, and the ramen was again surprisingly better than I had expected. I personally enjoy ramen with thick noodles, so for all y'all like me, be prepared b/c they only have thin noodles. That being said their broth was great! I had the ramen in the middle of the menu, I believe it's the one with miso. It was pretty delicious! I had a great experience, and I will definitely be back again! One of my new fav ramen places in SF :) read more

Coworker and I had lunch here last Friday. Thought the lines would be hella long so we got there as soon as it opened. There was a line but it moved quick and we got seated in less than 10min. Woohoo!! Had the Spicy Karaka Ramen and it was pretty good. No complaints but I still like Ramen Dojo (San Mateo) and Santouka Ramen (SJ) more. The server asked if we wanted to get the Egg...I wanted to but not for an extra $2. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Spicy Karaka - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

I wasn't a super fan after visits to two other Ippudo locations, but was curious to try SF location with a friend for midweek lunch. We arrived around 11:40 on the first week and waited about an hour. We shared chicken buns and both got akamaru tamago ($17) - tonkotsu broth with garlic oil and miso paste, plus a seasoned soft boiled egg. Surprisingly the broth was not as salty as my previous Ippudo experience. They always had thin noodles, and there is an option for noodle firmness (default is firm). I usually prefer soft and chewy noodle, and picked medium. It was still on the firm side for me, would like to try their soft next time. Chashu was tender, the meat portion was on the smaller side compared to other ramen joints in Japantown (special package gives extra meat for $2 more). Chicken buns had bunch of mayo sauce with karaage, $8 for two. Overall it was about 3.5 stars for me, definitely on the pricey side with quite some wait. My personal favorites are still Hinodeya (for their broth and noodles) and Ajisen (for their price and various flavors). Hopefully they smoothen the process soon with faster service (a few tables were not seated while there was a line outside, most likely from back order at the kitchen). Some bar seats could be fun too! read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Akamaru tamago 赤丸 - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great ramen, good service, nice ambiance, great location. Good for a quick meal. Right next to the Marriott.

Great meal... Incredible authentic Asian food.... They did as good a job as possible given their staffing

I have been eating Ippudo ramen for more than a decade in Japan (Tokyo and Yokohama) since I was around 6 years old. I also went to Ippudo in NYC, where they served close-to-original Ippudo ramen in Japan. And let me tell you...the Ippudo ramen in San Francisco was one of the worst Ippudo ramen, possibly one of the worst ramen, I ever ate in my life. The noodle is "acceptable" but the broth is not what Hakata-style is or how Ippudo ramen broth supposed to taste like in Japan. The design of the restaurant is great and service is good, but the actual food itself definitely disappointed me. Even my mother, who generally does not critique the food even if it tasted bad, was critiquing the ramen very harshly, which spoke volume to me. Heck, even the Ippudo cup noodle tastes better. read more

How's it going everyone, I'm back for another review on ramen restaurant and today , it's time for ippudo they have many location around the world , which actually hard to keep up the consistent. But still it's a very famous place, so I have to come check it out!!! I went there actually before the covid time , which is been a while but I think it could relate to what it is now. Anyway, let's start the review. As I said it's a pretty famous place that means it could get very busy and I went there at dinner time without reservation, baddddd choice of me I had to wait about 30-45 min. And it's cold outside haha , so let me remind you that anywhere you go , it's better for you to call up ahead ,at least just to check up on how busy they are. So you won't have to waiting in the cold like I did hahaha but they have a small bar that you could order drinks while you wait. Alright after the long wait , I have got the seat and inside the restaurant, it's actually quite big and modern decor. After seated , I start look at the menu and order it right the way. I got some appetizers, gyoza and tofu to start and the ramen I got was Karaka Spicy Ramen , the ramen has spicy sauce on it but also come with corn to give the sweetness to the dish , the broth was good , the noodle was good but still cannot beat my favorite place at Marufuku ! But it's not bad at all so everyone that haven't been here , you should come and try their ramen. I'm going to take my ramen journey to find the best place and let you all know read more

Ippudo San Francisco - The famous ramen shop, ippudo - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Let me start by saying I had visited several Ippudos while I was in Tokyo, and this rating is a direct comparison to the Tokyo locations and.....to my amazement, it was actually much better. Okay, okay, I don't speak Japanese and most of the locations in Japan didn't offer English menus, so we worked with a Google translate and did the best we could there. Here, we were able to read the menus and could do things the way we wanted and it made a world of difference. The location here was way better. They offered us a side of extra garlic, the spice was on-point and the noodles and broth were both delicious. The price point is probably high for ramen, but it's a place from Japan that is in San Francisco, I'm not sure what you'd expect. It'll definitely be my ramen stop in San Francisco. read more

Went here with a large group on a Tuesday night and was seated in the private room right away. There is a room minimum spend, so make sure you know you can meet this! Shishito peppers - as good as usual. Chicken karaage - crispy on the outside, juicy and tender on the inside, and not greasy! Ramen - so many different options and they all looked good. I just got the classic tonkotsu broth ramen. You get to choose the firmness of your ramen noodles. Restaurant recommendation was to get it firm! A little on the pricier side compared to other ramen spots in SF. read more

Ippudo San Francisco - Ramen Near Me - San Francisco, California

Ippudo has hands down the best Ramen I've ever had. The first time I tried Ippudo was because my bff has just gotten back from London and said had it there and it was to die for. Well she was right! As an appetizer you must try their buns! The bun filling is so flavorful and perfectly seasoned. For your main course you should obviously get a Ramen. My favorite one (I can remember the name of it!) is the vegetarian one that has garlic oil! It is soooo good! I can drink that broth for days! I always ask to add a seasoned boiled egg (I highly recommend it). I would describe the ambiance as modern chic. When you first walk in you do not expect to see how big the place is in the back. It has great decoration with a huge aluminum tree in the middle of the dining space. I also like that they place a box next to your table for you to set you personal belongings in. The only negative thing about Ippudo is that because it is sooo good, the line to get a table can be pretty long. But! You grab drinks and snacks at the bar while you wait. It is always ramen weather in SF! read more

Pretty good. Wait was about 30-40 minutes to be seated just for the 2 of us. The inside is bigger than expected very hip looking too. Broth was very good not overly salty. The thin noodles were different but a nice change to the normal ramen noodles most places serve. Chewiness option was also a very nice customization. Medium is good but firm if left in the soup for a bit turns to medium. read more

See all

They get pretty busy but our wait time was around 25 minutes during dinner. Interior design is pretty modern and have nice art. We had a few appetizer to start off. Tofu salad was decent with plenty of tofu. Unagi bowl was normal and didn't have that much taste. Their pork bun was flavorful but a little on the salty side, the bun balanced it out. Now Ramen, we ordered the classic and the karaka spicy. The ramen broth were okay and the spicy they use was a little different with minced meat. Overall, the ramen was good but not that great. read more

See all

Ippudo has been one of my most disappointing ramen experiences. One of the issues was definitely the hype. This place is supposed to be THE BEST. Another issue is the wait - because it's so revered, it generates a lot of traffic. Lastly were the prices - again, because this place has a reputation, they command top $. So, imagine how disappointed I was when I found out that I'd pulled my parents excitedly here, we'd waited in line, and it was all...just OK. It's actually really surprising to me that a Japanese chain would be mediocre. The ramen I've had when I've visited Japan has been universally stellar. Like most ramen places in the US, I think the broth is the most disappointing element. I'd rate this solidly middle-of-the-road even by SF standards, though - both Marufuku and Suzu in Japantown deliver richer, more flavorful broth. The noodles, too, were disappointing. The pork, tasty but lacking the overwhelm-your-mouth flavor that even many US ramen places get right. At least the decor and service here are good. I don't feel great about blowing $20+ ($30+ with drinks) on a mediocre ramen, though. I could be convinced to revisit again in the future in the hope that maybe this was a fluke, but it's unlikely I'll seek it out on my own. read more

Super tasty and soothing ramen. Efficient service. Enuf said!

Everything was good, I love the storefront bar that provides as a waiting area, I could drink there all day long. The food does meet the hype, but too fancy and pricy for my liking. Also, I dislike that they only offer one pork bun instead of two like the other locations. read more

See all

Food sucks here. It's honestly not any better than your typical, run of the mill joint. The buzz is definitely (or was) there but it's not worth any sort of wait. It's a solid 6/10. read more

Another ramen joint in SF, another disappointment. I got the standard tonkatsu ramen, and it was just ok. The soup was noticeably hotter than most other places I've tried, like maybe a bit too hot. The price was on par with most other SF ramen places. And the flavor was honestly kind of bland, lacking the depth that you would want and expect from a good tonkatsu broth. Nothing to write home about. I'm glad I came at 2pm on a random Saturday and waited exactly zero minutes, because after trying this, I'd say it's not worth any wait. SF, you continue to disappoint with your ramen. I know this joint is a transplant from NYC, but it's still disappointing. After all the ramen I have tried in the Bay, the best continues to be Ramen Nagi in Palo Alto. For context, my favorite ramen joint ever is Santouka, an LA staple and found only in Mitsuwa malls. There's one in San Jose, I believe. Now that is a broth that's unforgettably good! read more

TLDR: Solid taste. Below average value. Horrendously inattentive service. -Ordered Shiromaru special, karaage, pork bun, and ham katsu (special). -The ham katsu had an interesting taste/texture combo. Nothing else stood out that much. -Ramen portion on the smaller side. -The service staff is absolutely atrocious; never bothered to check in. Not one server came by to refill water throughout the evening; water cup just sat there empty from midway through the meal until we paid and left. read more

See all

Get the Shiromaru Classic and if you're hungry, get the special as add on for extra chasu, nori and an egg! I love the option of firm noodles (also their recommended option). Wasabi tonkatsu is no joke, you definitely feel the wasabi in your nose so get it only if you truly love wasabi! 5 stars because not only is the food great but I'm won over by their amazing service and attention to quality - our waiter voluntarily offered my husband a fresh bowl of ramen when he was giving our baby a bottle (momma was starving) and didn't get to eat it hot when it first arrived from the kitchen, which was super observant and generous of them. It speaks to how much pride they have for their ramen and how it should taste. THANK YOU! Would love to try the appetizers too the next time we're back. Parking tip: just pay and park in the 5th and Mission parking lot across from Metreon if you don't get lucky with parking. read more