I didn’t grow up eating a lot of ramen – in fact, I think my first brush with it was Top Ramen bricks at boarding school. But in the years hence, I’ve eaten quite a bit of it… albeit almost always in France. Aside from the super-spicy tofu ramen I have with my dad in Huntington, in fact, all of the ramen I’ve ever enjoyed has been either French or Dutch. (My sister forbade me from eating any noodle soups at all in Japan, due to my life-threatening buckwheat allergy. And despite there being no buckwheat in ramen noodles, I acquiesced to keep her from developing an equally life-threatening ulcer.)
All this to say that my love of ramen is not necessarily based in any traditional flavors. I’m not sure if the ramens I’ve sampled are “authentic” or not, but many have been delicious, and perhaps none more so than the tonkatsu ramen at Ippudo.
Ippudo is a Japanese chain boasting a few outposts in Paris (and one in New York my brother professes to be his favorite). The menu is pleasantly short, featuring three donburi bowls and three types of ramen – shoyu, veggie, and tonkatsu – each of which can be dressed up as “tamago” (with egg) or “special (with even more toppings) for just a few extra euro.
While there were a few street food-inspired appetizers that tickled my fancy – including takoyaki and kara age – I erred on the side of lighter fare in order to have more room for the steaming bowl of noodles to come. Edamame is something I rarely order, telling myself I could easily make it at home, but I never do, and I always enjoy it, and a few of the beans may have found their way into the broth as an added bonus.
In the category of slightly more “travaillé” options, this cucumber with garlic and sesame sauce was pleasantly fresh and nutty, with just a smattering of chile on top.
But the main event is really where it’s at.
The basic Veggie ramen comes with a vegetable broth base topped with shiitake, cep, and eringi mushrooms, as well as kombu, beetroot, peppers, fennel, mâche, and ratatouille. It might seem like an odd combo, but it works, with the beet lending a nice touch of sweet earthiness to the bowl. The noodles themselves are made in-house and seasoned with paprika, for an orange tinge and a lovely flavor. Noodles can be ordered yaya, futsu, or kata (soft, normal, or al dente) to suit your preference.
The Yokohama, was, for me, the must-order. Thick noodles float in the rich, pork-based broth, topped with chasu, marinated bamboo shoots, and nori; I paid the four euro extra for an egg and house-made hot sauce, and I was not disappointed.
Ippudo Ramen – 6 place Jacques Bonsergent, 75010