They say variety is the spice of life. This was probably one of the things that crossed Donald Lim’s mind when he made the decision to combine two famed restaurant brands under one roof.

The landmark Ippudo Maisen, which opened in February 2025 in The Gardens Mall in Kuala Lumpur, is the world’s first and hitherto only outlet that combines two familiar Japanese restaurant concepts – Ippudo, famed for its tonkotsu ramen, and Maisen, renowned for its tonkatsu (breaded, fried pork cutlets).

“As the Malaysian licensee for both Ippudo and Maisen, combining the two allows for obvious advantages such as menu variety, operational efficiency, and even with real estate since spaces too large for a single concept can now be considered.

“Offering variety in the menu lends itself well to the local conditions,” explains Lim, who is the director of both franchises.

In Japan, Ippudo and Maisen have no affiliation with each other.

Ippudo was launched in 1985 by Shigemi Kawahara in Fukuoka and built on the concept of hearty Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. The brand took off so spectacularly that it now has 200 outposts all over the world, including London, Paris and New York.

In Malaysia, Ippudo’s first outlet was opened in 2013; there are now 12 around the country.

Maisen meanwhile opened in 1965 in the Hibiya Mitsui building in Tokyo and has become ubiquitous throughout Japan, especially at transportation hubs, where its katsu sandwiches are everyday staples. The first Maisen in Malaysia opened in 2023 and it has since expanded to two outlets.

Lim (second from left) said it took some effort to convince the principals of both brands to agree to the world’s first Ippudo-Maisen combined outlet. — Ippudo Maisen

Lim says convincing the principal owners of both brands that they needed to come together for the first time in history under a single combined outlet – well, that was certainly no easy feat.

“Ippudo and Maisen are both still separate brands. Convincing both parties to agree to the combined concept required effort, but ultimately they agreed that this would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. It helps that as experienced restaurateurs and hospitality professionals, how we articulated our proposal to both principals was positively received.

“Customers will note that the branding at the restaurant allows for the identity of each to remain prominent and independent of the other,” explains Lim.

The focus of the world’s first combined outlet is to offer diners the best of everything from both brands. You can expect to indulge in the full range of menu options from each brand as well as a few additional items that are only available at the combined outlet.

Whet your appetite with a selection of Ippudo’s kushiyaki (skewered, grilled items) menu. From what’s on offer, there are a few stand-outs, some of which are only available here. Like the Tsukune Kushi Teriyaki (RM5) – a fat, plump chicken meatball that has traces of teriyaki lining its structural foundation and giving it sweet, sticky underpinnings. This is buoyed by the plump and juicy meat itself.

Sample the Bonbochi Kushi (RM4.50), too. Attained from the posterior of the chicken, this skewer yields meat that has a distinct charred surface that yields to flesh that is firm yet doesn’t have a dry, sandpaper-ish quality to it.

Next are Ippudo’s star offerings, the tonkotsu ramen. The silky rich tonkotsu broth that is at the heart of each bowl of ramen takes 15 hours to produce, based on a recipe that has been perfected down to a science.

Ippudo's shiromaru special ramen features the eatery's signature tonkotsu broth that takes 15 hours to attain perfection. — Ippudo

If you’re new to the brand, start with the OG offering that shot the restaurant to fame in the first place – the Shiromaru Special (RM39). This features the original tonkotsu pork broth with ultra-thin noodles, salted soft-boiled eggs and pork belly (chashu), bean sprouts, seaweed and spring onions.

This is a meal that is akin to an all-star sports team, where each member plays a key position in lobbing the entire team to victory. For example, the seaweed, bean sprouts and spring onions may seem like sideshow attractions but they add dimension and texture to the meal. The noodles offer spring and bounce, while the pork belly a tender, malleable porcine richness.

Drawing the team together is the broth, whose murky waters boast unimaginable depths. Each slurp serves up a wonderful potion of flavours that means you’ll want to drink it to the last drop.

Ippudo isn’t immune to the mala craze that has swept the world, so if you’re a mala groupie, indulge in the Mala Tonkotsu Ramen (RM39) which is made up of traditional pork tonkotsu broth infused with chicken broth, enhanced with Szechuan peppercorns and chilli peppers.

The highlight here is the broth itself, which is velvety and rich, showcasing the original tonkotsu and chicken broth that gives it animalistic richness alongside Szechuan peppercorns that adds spice, heat and a little pep.

The jumbo tenderloin katsu from Maisen features high-grade pork that is so tender, it can be cut through with chopsticks. — Maisen

Now move on to Maisen’s wide recipe repository. Start with the Jumbo Tenderloin Katsu (RM50) which comes with rice, miso soup, pickles, tofu and fruits.

Maisen’s fame began with its pork katsu and the brand takes it very seriously as the premium cuts are sourced from the top 10% of the pig. The panko breadcrumbs that are used to bread and fry the pork must achieve “kendachi” or standing upright when served, a task for which chefs have to take a course in order to master!

The jumbo tenderloin katsu is testament to all the hard work put into the pork katsu – an exterior that is crackly and crispy with bread crumbs swaying as they arrive – segues into juicy, incredibly succulent meat.

Pair this with the Amakuchi or Karakuchi sauces served on the side for the ultimate sweet, tangy complement to this breaded beauty.

Maisen's unagi katsumabushi features breaded, fried unagi that can be topped with a yuzu-based dashi broth. — ABIRAMI DURAI/The Star

Up next, savour the experiential qualities of the Unagi Katsumabushi Set (RM59). Here, tender slices of eel are coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried to perfection. The assemblage is completed with rice, an egg, spring onions and other condiments, alongside a yuzu dashi broth.

To fully enjoy the meal, pour the yuzu dashi broth and other condiments into the bowl and top it with the egg (don’t miss this bit).

Stir everything together and enjoy the textures and flavours that bloom as the meal progresses. The unagi katsu is very flavourful and fried and breaded beautifully. The yuzu dashi broth is admittedly sharp, astringent and a little acerbic on the palate on its own but adding the egg into this concoction has the effect of neutralising these qualities and giving the broth a silken, eggy richness.

The soft serve Hokkaido milk (left) and sea salt ice cream (right) are both incredibly smooth and sweet.

End your meal with the Ippudo Maisen soft serve ice creams, only available at this outlet. The Hokkaido Milk (RM6) is a pure-hearted winner with a smooth, creamy underbelly and a highly addictive quality.

Moving forward, Lim says there are plans to open more combined Ippudo Maisen outlets in Malaysia, given the positive response the first outlet has garnered from diners.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive. Both new and regular customers have expressed their appreciation for the combined menu. Our goal was for the whole to be greater than the sum of its parts and we have managed to accomplish that.

“We’re planning more combined outlets to share this unique synergy with even more people,” he says.