Ippudo vs. Totto

Irasshaimase!

This past weekend we were able to squeeze a foodie's wet dream into 3 nights. It was my first time in NYC and luckily we were able to hit up some hot spots! The big apple is definitely on my list to visit again.

The vibe in New York is drastically different than what you get here in San Francisco. The buildings are much taller, the streets are pumping with people, and the cabbies drive like they were casted on the next Fast and Furious movie. 

But let's get back to the hot spots. From gay bars to Michelin Star restaurants, I think we did a pretty good job diversifying our trip. The real star of this post will be a battle between two of Manhattan's hottest ramen shops: Ippudo and Totto.

As some of you readers may know, I spent a few weeks this summer at the ramen holy grail aka Tokyo. For weeks I yearned for a hearty bowl of miso ramen from a tiny subway station, but finally here on the lovely East Coast I was able to taste a little bit of Tokyo.

Ippudo

Where do I start? Ippudo Westside is the newer shop located on W 51st St. It's only been open for about a month and we were lucky to get seated immediately at lunch time. Service was a bit slow due to some health inspection ordeal, but let me tell you...it was worth it.

To start we ordered tako wasabi, shisito peppers, and yamitsuki goma kyuri. Goma= sesame kyuri=cucumber. This is probably one of my favorite Japanese appetizers. The cold crisp cucumber combined with the sesame dressing is a refreshing treat. This one had some kind of furikake seasoning on top as well. No complaints for the appetizers. Two thumbs up. But wait, the ramen! I ordered the akamaru modern with a soft boiled egg. My bf and our friend had the karaka-men. It is a shocker that I didn't order the karaka-men as well because I love spicy, but I had to order the akamaru to taste Ippudo's secret umami miso paste.

So how was it? I was taken by surprise at how wonderful the bowl of ramen was. The pork broth was very rich and complex. The noodles were thin and straight and unlike the typical wavy ramen noodle. I would have enjoyed a chewier noodle, but their noodles complimented the soup perfectly. I stole a bit of spicy paste from my bf's karaka-men and the spiciness added another dimension to the broth. I appreciated that it was a chili paste rather than a spicy miso, which prevents it from being overly salty. It even had a kick which is very rare!

Totto

Totto ramen is just a block away from Ippudo on W 52nd St. They specialize in a chicken broth. The little shop was reminiscent of Tokyo with stairs leading down to the 10 seat counter. We sat there at the counter facing the boiling noodles for our fourth meal at 11:30pm. It was still pretty crowded and they close at midnight. 

I ordered the totto extra spicy ramen with added corn and bamboo shoots. It really was like a trip back to Japan with back to back Japanese meals all day. I tasted the broth before mixing in the spicy chili oil into my soup. The chicken broth is much lighter and delicate compared to tonkatsu broth. It was warm and simple. Much better than anything you can find here in the bay area. It made me sad as I thought of this. With the extra spicy sauce stirred in, the heat added an extra savory flavor that I really enjoyed. The noodles here were also thin and straight, but slightly chewier than Ippudo's. The ramen ninjas behind the counter were legit Japanese and were really nice giving us extra nori and soft boiled egg.

The Verdict?

Comparing the two would be like comparing apples and bananas. Both were exceptional bowls and tasty in their own way. The broth was rich vs. light and the spiciness was also different. Ippudo's spicy paste had a spicy umami flavor whereas Totto's was a chili oil kind of like the sate used in dim sum. It had a nice smokey flavor, but did not interfere/overpower the light chicken broth. Personally, I prefer a richer broth, making Ippudo the winner of this post!

Truly the city that never sleeps. I will be back for you!