Ippudo is a table-service restaurant in Tokyo Disney Resort’s version of Downtown Disney or Disney Springs, known as Ikspiari. Located on the top floor of that complex, the restaurant specializes in ramen and is part of a global chain that is very popular in Japan and has extended to America. In this post, we’ll review the restaurant’s atmosphere, food and value.

Ikspiari features a wide range of restaurants. Part of the entertainment and dining district seems like an odd assortment of mediocre American chains. I mean no disrespect to Red Lobster’s cheesy biscuits but they aren’t top of mind when I’m looking for a dining location in Japan. Same goes for Outback Steakhouse and TGI Friday’s. Those spots, perhaps weirdly, take center stage in Ikspiari. We didn’t even venture to the top floor of the complex until our third visit before finding out about the, let’s call it, quality dining floor.

Ippudo resides up there and provides a peek of Tokyo Disneyland’s castle before entering. Despite being an international brand (you know, like Red Lobster), Ippudo is renowned in Japan. In fact, we were turned on to the restaurant by a wonderful Japanese couple that we sat with at dinner a few days before. They told us it was their favorite ramen spot and, after doing a little research, many others agree. Their expansion into America has been selective, with locations in San Francisco, LA and New York so far. That said, you could find Ippudos throughout Japan without much trouble.

Unlike Disney Springs or Downtown Disney, Ikspiari only offers 3rd party restaurants that aren’t owned by Oriental Land Company or Disney. It does make the area feel a little more commercial but there are some good options and it’s an enjoyable spot to walk around. With Tokyo close by, it’s hard to recommend spending much time there. But Ippudo and several other restaurants are really good options for a meal on travel days. If you’re interested in a full Ikspiari guide, let me know in the comments.

After you find Ippudo on the 3rd floor of Ikspiari, you’ll enter and find a comfortable space. The restaurant has tables on the outside wall with a counter in the middle. There’s seating for around 50 people, so it’s not a big restaurant but much bigger than most ramen shops we’ve been in while visiting Japan. Ippudo is a popular spot and could draw crowds if you visit during prime dining hours. Lines should move fast, as this restaurant is very efficient.

Being known for their ramen, the theming behind Ippudo is… Ramen? There are bowls used as decoration in the middle of the restaurant, as you can see above. The outskirts of the restaurant is decorated with soup spoons behind a glass wall. The red and white color scheme is effective and I’m a fan of leaning into the ramen aesthetic. Being a non-theme park restaurant, there’s no attempt at being transportive unless you want to pretend that you’re a noodle about to be slurped up. I don’t recommend that. Even without a transportive theme, Ippudo has an enjoyable atmosphere.

Moving onto the food, here’s a look at the menu (you may need to use Google translate as I opted for the Japanese menu). Guests order on a tablet that has plenty of language options on it. Most of the ramen dishes fall between 1,200 and 1,500 yen. That comes out to around $7.50-$10 USD as of November 2024. You can find cheaper ramen in Japan but this is still a very good value. The drinks and side dishes are also equally good values.

While known for their ramen, Ippudo does offer a variety of side dishes. We started our meal with Gyoza. They came out very hot, fresh off being pan fried. The little bit of crisp on the dumpling, along with a delicious filling, made for a good appetizer. I don’t think these were anything special but they do make for a very good starter or side dish and are less than $5 after conversion.

We tried two different types of ramen, the above was a creamier Miso option. Both had very thin noodles that were fantastic. Melissa preferred the Miso option, thanks to a more natural and less salty broth. There were several pieces of pork, bamboo shoots, egg and seaweed also included with the broth and noodles. This was a delicious bowl and one I’d go back for.

While Melissa preferred the lighter broth, I liked the Kiwami Akamaru option more. This was a soy sauce base with a little bit of chili paste added to the other ingredients. There wasn’t an excess of heat, just a touch. The broth was very rich and filling. My favorite part of Ippudo is the noodles offered, as they’re especially thin and delicious. But the broth is no slouch either! This wasn’t quite my favorite ramen I’ve ever had but I think it’d be in my top 5 all time.

As a whole, we found Ippudo in Ikspiari to be a really nice option for a travel day. I wouldn’t necessarily substitute a meal from the parks or Tokyo for this but it was comparable to (if not better than) a higher quality bowl of ramen that you could find in either spot. Along with that, the restaurant is comfortable and not quite as fast paced as other dining spots you can find in Japan. Because of the convenience, value and delicious food, we’ll be back to Ippudo plenty of times!

Overall Rating – 8.5/10

Have you been to Ippudo? Let us know your thoughts, along with any questions you might have, in the comments below! Planning a trip to Tokyo? Check out our guide to help you along the way! For those interested in going to Tokyo Disney Resort and Japan with us, fill out this form! If you enjoy what you are reading here on Wandering in Disney please share this post with your friends, as well as like our social media pages. You can also subscribe to the blog via WordPress or email. All of those links are on the right side of this page. Thank you for reading, we really appreciate it!