Ippudo 5th Avenue ramen photo by NYNJ Ramen Enthusiast

Ippudo is famous for their Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, but I have been enjoying working my way through the rest of their menu. Order of the day was their Mandala Miso ramen. Mandala is a Sanskrit word for “The Path to Enlightenment”, and in terms of Ippudo, that may be an apt moniker as this bowl brings the best of their offerings all together. The soup is their standard pork base, but amped up by an excellent blend of misos. There is also a hint of ginger that rounds things out nicely. The noodles are their thicker Tokyo wavy, which I prefer to their standard Hakata thin style. There were two types of chasu, a thin strip of pork loin and tiny slab or pork belly. Lots of menma bamboo shoots, corn and scallions round out this excellent bowl.