In October 1985 Japanese ramen chef, Shigemi Kawahara, opened his first “HAKATA IPPUDO” restaurant in Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Japan. He has since created a global award winning ramen brand with Michelin star status. In February 2013 IPPUDO opened its first outlet in Malaysia at Pavillion, Kuala Lumpur. Today, it has nine outlets, 7 in the Klang Valley (Pavillion KL, Gardens Mall, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Sunway Pyramid, Sunway Velocity Mall, Jaya One, One Utama) and 2 in Penang (Queensbay Mall and Gurney Plaza).

The lady who brought the IPPUDO chain to Malaysia is Dato’ Rosie Tan (Khor Swee Wah@Koh Bee Leng) through her majority owned company, Calibre Wealth Management Sdn.Bhd. Dato’ Rosie Tan is the No.2 at Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad. Her husband is Dato’ Tan Heng Chew, President of Tan Chong Group of companies. Their son is Anthony Tan, co-founder of GRAB Holdings Inc, Southeast Asia’s leading mobile technology company. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 

1. Ippudo. https://www.kuali.com/dining-out/ippudo-redhot-ramen-has-landed/ 
2. Malaysian Foodie. 16 December 2013. StrawberriY Gai. https://www.malaysianfoodie.com/2013/12/ippudo-ramen-chain-grows-malaysia-launch-second-store-gardens.html#.YWq_QxpByUk 
3. Ssmeinfo Company Search on Calibre Wealth Management Sdn. Bhd. 16 October 2021.  
4. Ippudo Malaysia. https://www.ippudo.com.my/ 
5. Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad. Tan Chong Motor Holdings Berhad (tanchonggroup.com)