Ippudo joins the street

Ippudo, the international Japanese ramen chain, has added a third London restaurant, bringing the chain’s “most beloved” ramen to Villiers Street.

The latest branch will offer both restaurant-style seating and a traditional dining bar, where customers will be able to watch the Ippudo chefs preparing fresh bowls of steaming ramen. In addition to Ippudo’s signature ramen like the Shiromaru Classic, or the spicy Karaka-Men, the Charing Cross branch will be serving the Hakata Niku Ton — “a bowl full of tradition”, named after the original Hakata Ippudo ramen shop which opened in Fukuoka in 1985. Notably, visitors to the latest Ippudo will also, for the first time, have the option to order ramen to take away.

Ippudo opened its first London branch in 2014 in Central Saint Giles, before adding a Canary Wharf venue a year later. The Villiers Street branch is the latest addition to their collection of 240-plus restaurants in 13 countries worldwide.