NYC's 10 Best Bowls of Ramen
6. Minca Ramen at Minca -- This place is very old in East Village ramen years, and incites fierce loyalty with its choice of five types of noodles, multiple broth options, and comparatively low prices. The signature bowl features a powerful soy broth, a tea-boiled egg, kelp, and thin noodles. 536 East 5th Street, 212-505-8001
5. Spicy Miso Ramen at Ramen Setagaya -- No better repast as the winter winds whip the East Village than this spicy bowl of miso ramen. The medium-weight miso is earthy and gritty, the level of heat higher than you'd ever expect, and the kernels of corn a cooling component. Anneal your innards with this soup and you won't regret it. 34 St. Marks Place, 212-387-7959
4. Powder Snow Ramen at Ramen Misoya -- The pork dropped into your soup is exceptional here, where three types of miso, each associated with a city in Japan, underpin most of the ramens. The restaurant boasts, "Our broth is made with pork born, chicken bone, garlic, ginger, and seaweed kelp." While grating Parmesan on top of ramen and throwing on a big pat of butter isn't unknown, here it's done with greater success, making a really memorable bowl of noodles. 129 Second Avenue, 212-677-4825
3. Tabata Ramen at Tabata Ramen -- The signature soup at this new Hell's Kitchen noodle parlor features cooked and toasted ramen in the same bowl, with a novel broth thickened with coconut milk and soy powder. Chicken nubs as the protein and raw purple onions are further evidence of the kinkiness of this formulation. You'll find yourself going back a few days later for a second serving. NB: Location behind the Port Authority may be one reason for prices almost 30 percent less than most ramen parlors in town, with no diminution in quality. 540 Ninth Avenue, 212-290-7691
2. Shiromaru Hakata Classic at Ippudo -- Pork bone broth highly emulsified, and a shade of beige that simply didn't exist before. Noodles slightly firmer than most and thinner, and pickled ginger is an important component of the flavor package. But the premises threaten to overwhelm the noodles, and the Valley of Blackened Trees and Wall of Bowls have become bona fide East Village landmarks. 65 Fourth Avenue, 212-388-0088
Off-price Ramen Tabata, behind the Port Authority
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
