IPPUDO CUPERTINO

I love ippudo in Japan however I had a very different experience here in Cupertino. The gyoza were almost cold and I was disappointed by the taste. Then I was shocked by the ramen bowl size. They are quite small and more like kid's size than adult size. I could easily finish it. We had takoyaki as well and I left feeling hungry. Ramen is one of the cheapest options in Japan and paying $95 for lunch (4 persons, before tip) seems unacceptable. Kid-friendliness: No kids menu. Need to pay full price for kids. Parking: Parking is really hard to find. Wheelchair accessibility: There's wheelchair parking.

We came into the restaurant thinking it won't be as good as Ippudo in Japan. Surprisingly, it was delicious! The cha-su don was a nice appetizer to share. We got the Akaru modern ramen - which in my opinion was the best tasting ramen, and the Karka Spicy ramen - very spicy. We enjoyed the Hakata (thin noodles) firm noodle texture, which holds onto the broth so well. We didn't mind sitting by the bar counter. The metal chairs were a little uncomfortable, but it wasn't so bad that we couldn't sit on it. It does get busy, so make sure you get there early and get a table.

THEY HAVE A DYSON IN THEIR SHOP. I WAS BLOWN AWAY A RESTAURANT HAS ONE, so you know they take cleaning up and keeping tidy seriously, kudos! The seating is cozy and accommodates all group sizes. The food was excellent! The broth for the ramen I ordered was rich and flavourful. Their thin noodles were nice and had good texture. The chashu was delicious. What set this place apart from other ramen places I've been is there's less broth in the bowl than usual, so you can feel fine drinking more of it (for sodium conscious people) and the broth is more concentrated so each spoonful is very rich in umami. The takoyaki was fantastic. A popular place to eat so come early and don't mind the wait, it's with it. Would recommend!