Sake Bar at Ippudo Midtown, NYC
Ippudo Ramen here in New York City is famous for two things: their amazing tonkotsu ramen, and the hour-long lines people wait in to get a bowl of it.
Now Ippudo Midtown on West 51st. has taken steps to make that wait a little more bearable by opening Sake Bar, a warm space in the front of the restaurant where folks can enjoy a cold beer or a glass of Japanese sake while waiting for a seat…
Eataku was invited to the grand opening and I wanted to give you guys a look. Here you go…
As is common at auspicious occasions and celebrations in Japan, Ippudo had a barrel of sake on hand for the opening, which was provided by Hakkaisan Sake from Niigata, Japan, who sponsored the event…
Tim Sullivan, Hakkaisan’s sake ambassador, and Ippudo’s ramen master Fumihiro Kanegae were both on had to hoist their hammers and break open the barrel in a traditional “kagami biraki” ceremony…
After drinking the Honjozo sake from the barrel, we were invited upstairs to Ippudo’s private kitchen & dining room for an exclusive sake tasting and food pairing…
First up were glasses of Hakkaisan’s mildly-sweet sparkling nigori sake…
The first dishes were treated to were Japanese squid salad…
“Dashimaki” rolled omelets…
And ohitashi spinach with shaved bonito…
A bottle of Hakkaisan’s junmai ginjo was opened next…
Served with seared mackerel, cucumber in sesame oil and this amazing Scotch-marianted pork belly, or “buta kakuni”…
Then it was on to Hakkaisan’s “futsu shu” sake…
With which we got lily bubs with konbu seaweed…
And Ippudo’s outstanding black pepper chicken wings…
We were also able to try Ippudo’s own brand of “cup sake”…
All these varieties of sake are available at Sake Bar, and the food dishes are on the Ippudo menu. Also, as a special promotion during the bar’s launch, Hakkaisan is offering exclusive special blue “hyotan” bottles of their “Gold” junmai ginjo sake…
The bottle can be taken home and the label easily removed so you can use it at home as a vase or container. Plus, the first 15 people who order a bottle each night will receive a special wooden sake “masu” box!
I do frequent Ippudo for their tonkotsu ramen, which I really enjoy, but am always trepidatious about the lines. But now Sake Bar will at least make it a little easier to enjoy a cocktail in comfort while I wait.
dailybridgerton
yousharknotpass
tangentwithtanner
prguitarman
discoholicmusic
gracieabrams
andulkaphoto
