Gridskipper

Ippudo, a ramen noodle chain with 34 outposts in Japan, just made its way to the states. Rare Daily called the spot, set to open Monday, "the Balthazar of ramen restaurants." After seeing the space firsthand last night, the French bistro connection seems a bit farfetched. But the space, on 4th Avenue at 10th Street, is super sleek. Despite Ippudo's chain restaurant status, it feels more Chinatown Brasserie than Chipotle. There's plenty of white leather seating, white walls embossed with Japanese characters, dark wood, and an open kitchen, so you can watch as your ramen noodles as they're dunked in a boiling hot water bath. The man-of-the-hour, the restaurant's creator, Shigemi Kawahara, aka the Ramen King (yes, he's actually called that in Japan, and, yes, he's very famous there), was on-hand, being filmed by not one, but two Japanese film crews flown in especially for the event. More »