Ippudo - Bucket List Check

Happy 2015!!! Although the year got started with a few sad events in the midst, I did manage to end 2014 on a high note with my little munchkin. OK so it was not a blow out party, but it was  wonderful because it was calm which is exactly what this girl needed after the hectic year 2014 turned out to be.

Right before the year ended I did manage to check another name from off from my restaurant bucket list. Thanks to my friends J and J (Names are withheld to protect the innocent) who are two of my five partners in crime when it comes to these sort of endeavors, we managed to get into Ippudo after a one and a half hour wait. Ippudo was part of a list of noodle restaurants around the city that were noted in Tasting Table's Ten Great Bowls of Ramen We Are Craving Right Now List (although one of my favorites Nauruto Ramen was not part of the list much to my dismay). This place was well worth the wait especially because December 30th turned out to be one of the chilliest days we've had so far this winter, so a hot bowl of ramen was just the thing to chase the chill away. For an appetizer we had the Hirata buns, which are about as wonderful as Baohaus' Chairman Bao (but not quite enough to make me want to stop my illicit love affair with this little bundle of deliciousness). For our main course us ladies went with the Akamaru Modern while our other cohort went up a notch ordering the Akamaru Chasu (which is the Akamaru Modern with extra pork chasu). All I have to say is that this was probably one of the most wonderful and satisfying experiences I have had eating ramen. Now I am looking forward to checking out the rest of the other places on that list and hope that they are all as wonderful as Ippudo was. Here are some pictures I managed to take.

 Bowls adorn the entry to our noodle heaven

 My partners in crime

 Hirata buns

 Hirata bun food porn

 Akamaru Chasu

Akamaru Modern

My Restaurant Bucket List

This week was very stressful for many reasons. Because of this I had to find ways to calm myself and get my mind thinking about happy things. Of course good food is an instant mood booster for me, not only in the consumption end but on the inspiration end. I wound up turning to Mind of a Chef which is now available on Netflix. The first Season follows chef David Chang (of Momofuku fame) around. I have had the distinct pleasure of dinning at Momofuku's Saam for a birthday celebration that involved the consumption of that wonderful  BO SSÄM dish they are so famous for. Watching this show and the type of people whom David Chang associates with and who his friends are got me thinking about what my restaurant bucket list would be. I consider myself lucky because I live in the New York metro area which is not lacking for tremendous restaurants most of which would have made my bucket list regardless. I have had the pleasure of dinning at wonderful five star restaurants as well as some very unassuming but wonderfully delicious hole in the wall type of establishments that I consider better than some of their more expensive counterparts.

So the question now is, what would a restaurant have to tempt me with in order to make me want to put it on my bucket list? I am still not quite sure yet but I do know that I have started my list and I am planning on making good on eating at these places before either, they decide to close or I myself expire. I have just started it off with a few restaurants (places where I have not eaten yet) but I am sure the list will grow as I learn more about what makes my favorite chefs tick and if what the places are doing peaks my interest. Here is my short but very tasty bucket list.

Arzak - San Sebastian
Noma - Copenhagen
Bird Land - Tokyo
69 n' Roll One - Tokyo (for those who are serious about their Ramen)
Sushi Sawada - Tokyo 
Mugaritz - San Sebastian

I should mention that there are many places that are on my list of favorites where I have already eaten including the above mentioned Momofuku Saam Bar. These are my top ones.

Baohaus - NYC
Bar Americain- NYC
Brasserie Les Halles - NYC
Le Padock - Brooklyn
Woodbury Kitchen - Baltimore
Pok Pok - Brooklyn
Seersucker - Brooklyn