Built to last: Michael Concepcion on designing Ippudo Ramen Bar
MANILA, Philippines — Father-and-son entrepreneurs John and Michael Concepcion were both integral to birthing Ippudo Ramen Bar, an idea that traces back to the restaurant's original idea of celebrating ramen.
John's Standard Hospitality Group collaborated with Ippudo through Chikaranomoto Holdings to revamp the restaurant's Uptown Mall branch into a ramen bar, complete with a new design and expanded menu.
In an exclusive interview with Philstar.com during the restaurant's launch, Michael shared how the ramen bar's design was his pitch, working in tandem with Hong Kong-based architecture firm DEFT as he took into consideration the background of the Ippudo brand.
"The history of Ippudo was to bring ramen to the world, to introduce ramen to the world. Ramen is a very democratized household dish in Japan, but what the founder of Ippudo wanted to do was to sort of celebrate it," Michael shared.
Michael recounted when the restaurant first opened in New York City along 5th Avenue, a chandelier hung as proof its ramen was elevated. Fast forward to today, Ippudo is present all around the world.
But Michael pointed out the needs of Ippudo in the Philippines differed from Japan, where it can be found in train stations, is more transactional, and very quick.
As such, after a decade in the Philippines, Michael said customers were asking for "more experiential, more social dining experience."
This led to the Ippudo Ramen Bar having a specialized sushi and sashimi offerings from Koyo and a serious drinks program curated by award-winning bartender Shinichi Itoh.
Related: Ippudo reopens Uptown branch as 1st Ramen Bar
Ramen bar
Michael came up with the idea of simply calling it Ippudo Ramen Bar to not sound different from the original concept but still have a fun, social flair through the word "bar."
He pointed to the restaurant's tagline plastered on the window — "Small Plates, Baos, Sushi, Ramen & Highballs" — as it gives customers a good picture of what to expect.
"I think it's an exciting concept because Filipinos love ramen. And you're not going to eat ramen from a non-ramen restaurant, it's just not something we do," Michael pointed out.
But Michael did say everything Ippudo Ramen Bar has too offer is good quality, from the ramen and the shared plates to the energy and music playlists.
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Through this design, the core customers of ramen-lovers aren't alienated but still becomes an option for families visiting on a Sunday, couples celebrating an occasion, or individuals wanting to pre-game before clubbing.
"It's quite a versatile concept, I feel," Michael added.
Design
Michael shared with Philstar.com that the new space's "timeless" design is borrowed from mid-century modern styling.
"The flooring to the accents, the paper lanterns, the overall warmth of this specific wood, this color... I think my style of design, when I collaborate with architects and artists, I always encourage this is something that we're going to like for the next couple of years," he explained.
How good a design will be can go all the way back to the resiliency of materials used, this, Michael reiterated, is timelessness and particularly the term "built to last."
"When we choose our material, when we choose our product, it's built to last. We're not interested in something novel or a quick trend," Michael ended.
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