As we get ready to go back to school or work, our lives become less absorbed in capturing the so called “golden hour” and more focused on where to find good food on a budget. The answer? Ramen shops. I have been an avid lover of noodles ever since my incredible trip to Thailand, aka Pad Thai heaven.
Noodles are a quick and easy dish. Eating a small noodle bowl can be healthy and refreshing. Here are my top ten favorite noodle grabs you can slurp on while the humidity begins to end.
1) MomoFuku Noodle Bar
If you’re looking for a smooth transition into the ramen world, head to Momofuku Noodle Bar. It’s located in the heart of the East Village and is a quick and affordable place to go. With some yummy beginner noodle dishes such as the Pork Buns and the Momofuku Ramen, you will experience some incredible cuisine.
2. Nakamura
Known as one of the best ramen bars in New York City, Nakamura serves fresh ramen bowls with unique ingredients. Located on Delancey Street, Nakamura has a fun and edgy vibe. Serving both firm and chewy noodles, each and every type of diner can find their own noodle paradise. Nakamura’s famous must-try bowl is their Classic bowl of Chicken and Seafood broth with their own soy sauce.
3. Kogane Ramen
Located in Brooklyn, Kogane Ramen serves noodles created from scratch daily. The restaurant incorporates a “Tokyo style,” which translates as thin and kinky noodles. With rotating long and thin noodles, the Kogane’s Ramen is a 10/10. The bowl order to try is the Tonkotsu Ramen with white broth, black garlic oil, scallions, egg yolk, mushrooms, and pork jowl. The pork jowl, with its fine tenderness, is a highlight of Kogane Ramen.
4. Minca
I love when restaurants have a large variety of choices, and Minca has just that. In Alphabet City, the fun and casual is iconic for their authentic noodle bowls and their consistency of broth to noodle. A fan favorite is the Tsukemen, where you can select either a pork, chicken, or vegetable noodle. Want something extra to spice up your meal? Get Kimchi on the side. Kimchi’s unique favoring balances out the ramen beautifully.
5. Ippudo Ramen
They’re known for their long waits, so it’s best to go to Ippudo Ramen as early as 5pm to taste their legendary ramen selections. With vegan and vegetarian options, Ippudo is for any type of eater. Located in Hell’s Kitchen, their fluffy pork buns and the tender roasted pork are musts. For appetizers, their salad selections are incredible, and you can even replace noodles for either the vegan or vegetarian options. Additionally, Ippudo Ramen offers excellent wine selections such as the Plum wine/Sake. A must-try ramen bowl is the Shiromaru Classic. From the broth to the noodles, Ipudo Ramen cures all noodle cravings. Ippudo Ramen has a fun and friendly vibe; whenever a staff member yells the whole staff yells back.
6. Totto
A popular ramen joint, Totto in the Hell’s Kitchen area prepares divine ramen dishes. With selections such as wavy noodles and tender pork belly chunks, Totto combines both sweet and savory ingredients, and will give you a kick you can’t experience anywhere else. While it started small, Totto now has three locations. They’re known for their Paitan Broth. You can add chicken broth with a poached egg and Totto’s own Rayu.
7. Yuji Ramen
This tiny ramen joint in Brooklyn exceeds all ramen expectations. When walking into Yuji, you immediately feel at home. From their dishes such as a Brothless Maze to their ramen soup dishes, each visit to Yuji is better than the last. The sushi rolls are fun appetizers, like the tiger and ocean rolls. The Yuzu Pickles are also a great appetizer to split. For tuna lovers, the Tunakontsu Ramen Broth is must, with two thick tuna slices layered on top of the ramen.
8. Ramen-Ya
With great reviews, the West Village’s Ramen-Ya is an 100% a must for all New Yorkers. The restaurant includes a plethora of ramen selections and unique appetizers. With a great low-key vibe, Ramen-Ya’s staff makes sure to please every customer that walks in. At low prices, the ramen dishes are delicious. I recommended the Tonkotso Miso Spicy and the Miso Ramen, where you can include either chicken or pork. Another popular dish to try is the Shio Black Ramen with chicken. One thing to note is that Ramen-Ya is cash only, so make sure your pockets are flowing with dollar bills.
9. Momosan Ramen
Looking for something fun and trendy to check out? Head to Momosan Ramen in Murray Hill. With fun appetizers and choices to share such as the famous Ribs, you truly shouldn’t miss out on Momosan. The Roasted Duck Salad is also a must and very refreshing. The Gyukotsu Ramen and the Tonkatsu Ramen are also savory and sweet choices to choose from. The broth in both the ramen choices is sweet with a slight kick to it. The Peach Puree is also an excellent beverage try.
10. Ivan Ramen
To finish up our noodle tour of NYC, I saved the best for last: Ivan Ramen, on the Lower East Side. A fun fact about the restaurant is that its restaurant chef, Ivan Orkin, was on an episode of Chef’s Table. One word for this ramen is “revolutionary.” You can take some Instagrammable pics of their fun and kooky artwork. There are mouthwatering appetizers you can split like the Fried Eggplant and the Pork Buns with the side of sautéed unions. Their signature ramen dishes include the Chicken Paitan and the Triple Pork Triple Garlic Mazeman. Yum. I’m already craving this.
So check out some of my suggestions for some of the best ramen your stomach can get this fall in NYC. Save me a noodle!