60 replies to this topic

[Laksa]

After watching Tampopo for the first time this past weekend, I am developing a serious yearning to eat some ramen.

Does anyone know where in NYC or surrounds can I get a good bowl of authentic Japanese ramen? I want one with everything in it, shinachiku, nori, yakibuta, the works!

I'm flexible on the "authenticity" requirement. I'm basically willing to try anything that doesn't resemble instant ramen.

[Jason Perlow]

Not exactly New York but fairly easy to get to from Manhattan -- Mitsuwa Shopping Center in Edgewater, NJ (literally across the water from the west side) has a food court with a noodle shop that serves various types of ramen, and they are actually reasonably priced and taste pretty good. The kitchen is only open until 7PM, however.

Mitsuwa is also a good place to get your fix on all kinds of Japanese groceries and staple items, as well as snacks like Pocky.

595 River Road,
Edgewater, NJ 07020
(201)941-9113
9:00AM - 8:00PM

[Gary Tanigawa]

Although it's been several years and I never ordered the ramen, Honmura An would be worth a visit. When I lived in Manhattan, I enjoyed its noodle dishes. I ate soba and udon, not ramen. Pretty expensive for noodles but worth the experience (imho). Lots of atmosphere (there was a glass window which separated the diners from a person making noodles by hand).

The address is 170 Mercer St. and the phone number is (212) 334-5253. You could ask them to fax you a copy of the menu.

edited to add: I did a search and found an online menu for Honmura An (unfortunately, I could not add a link to it). The menu did NOT list ramen.

Edited by Gary Tanigawa, 15 June 2004 - 12:13 PM.

[718]

Try Rai Rai Ken 0n 10th St , Sapporo on 49th St, Ajisen on Mott St. There are more I just can think of them now, also I don't know the specific addresses, so run a google on them.

[juuceman]

there's a new ramen place on 5th (or is it 6th) between A & B that the chef at jewel bako makimono told me about.. said it's the bomb..

[snausages2000]

My go to ramen spot is Menchanko Tei at 45 W. 55th St. (btwn 5th and 6th Ave). They have a couple other locations, including a spin-off cafe (under a different name) on 6th Avenue near W. 4th St.

I particularly like the Hakata Ramen - a big bowl of creamy ginger pork broth and ramen.

There's a sushi restaurant called Fuji on 56th St. btwn Broadway and 8th that I wouldn't recommend for fish, but serves a decent bowl of ramen.

Granted Menchanko Tei is better, offers infinitely more variety and is half the price.

Juuceman thanks for that tip, I'll look for that spot...

[Rachel Perlow]

Menchanko Tei was what came to mind for me as well (also Mitsuwa food court).

[twiggles]

I quite like Sapporo on 49th between 7th and broadway. It seems to be a favorite with Japanese businessmen. Great ramen soups. They also have nice cold ramen dishes during the summer. the Gyoza is yummy as well.

oh, also there is ONY (stands for original noodles for you ), they have places on 72nd between Columbus and Amsterdam and also the original on 6th Ave (around west 4th street, sorry i forget exactly where). You can customize your own ramen soup, and it's pretty good.

Edited by twiggles, 16 June 2004 - 09:43 AM.

[ankomochi]

I like Menkui Tei on 56th street and between 5th & 6th avenue. It's very small, simple, and nothing fancy ramen place, but ramen noodle is quite good. They have great garlicky gyoza, too!

[kurl]

Has anyone been to Honmura An lately? Is it still good?

[...tm...]

Although I like the ramen at Menchanko Tei and Sapporo better, Rai Rai Ken is set up like a traditional ramen shop, like in Tampopo. So if you want to relive the movie put on your cowboy hat and go in and sit at the counter. And I really liked the buckwheat beer from Rogue I had the last time I was there.

[Blondie]

Although I like the ramen at Menchanko Tei and Sapporo better, Rai Rai Ken is set up like a traditional ramen shop, like in Tampopo.  So if you want to relive the movie put on your cowboy hat and go in and sit at the counter.  And I really liked the buckwheat beer from Rogue I had the last time I was there.

I really like Rai Rai Ken too. For the record, it's on 10th St. between First and Second.

[Dryden]

Honmura An is still phenomenal, but I've never had the ramen, just soba.

[juuceman]

there's a new ramen place on 5th (or is it 6th) between A & B that the chef at jewel bako makimono told me about.. said it's the bomb..

this is it..

Minca thread

note that this place is in this week's time out new york as well..

[Pan]

Yep. And it's already crowded.

[HungryChris]

I enjoyed Tampopo quite a bit. There are some strange things in the movie worth discussion elsewhere. It did, however motivate me to explore the world of ramen. Let me also say that I know nothing of the authentic stuff, but we had great fun checking out first Sapporo and then Menchanko Tei. I think we liked the Hakata Ramen at Menchanko Tei the best. Ramen is always part of our visits to NYC now.

Cheers,
HC

Edited by HungryChris, 28 June 2004 - 08:41 AM.

[nicolekaplan]

we always go to menku tei, and we love it. the noodles are great especially the miso ramen and jar jar ramen. they also do a great dish of stir fried pork and veggies and for $3 you can get a side of curry rice or fried rice with your noodles. but when we feel like a change we go to mechanko tei, it is a bit more upscale (and pricier) but still delicious.

[Laksa]

I enjoyed Tampopo quite a bit. There are some strange things in the movie worth discussion elsewhere.

When you say "strange things", are you talking about the food, or the other aspect of the film? I saw sex (or sensuality) as a secondary and recurring theme throughout the movie. The food was just unfamiliar to me, nothing that I would have reason to hide from my mother , but the sex.... hmm....

[hrowe]

I just saw a new ramen place on Bowery between 7th and St. Marks, next to the hair cutting place.

Looks pretty standard from a glance at the menu....

[Pan]

I've walked past it a few times and intend to give it a try sooner or later. It's actually on Cooper Square (extension of 3rd Av.), not Bowery.

[HungryChris]

Deb and myself have made it a point to have ramen on each of our sortees into the city in the last year or two. So far, we have been to Sapporo East, Ajisen, and our favorite, so far, Menchanko Tei (the Hakata Ramen blows us both away) I think we have been there about 4 or 5 times. We will be back again in the first week of December and I thought I'd ask for reccomendations for good ramen in NYC on good old EG.
When I try to replicate the experience at home, I am at a loss as to what to use for the noodles. The best I have found so far is an Itialian product that I get at a local Asian store. It's Called Pasta Zara Angel Hair Nests. Just as it sounds, it's little nests of pasta that would fit into an average sized hand. It comes the closest to what we have had at the ramen shops in NYC.
I take the the little tip ends of pork tenderloin when I find them in Walmart and simmer them in salted water with a few pepper corns and a bay leaf or two and whatever chicken bones I have in the freezer. I slice baby bok choy into eights, removing the green tops and sautee the bok choy slices in a fry pan with salt, pepper, a little dark soy sauce, fresh julienned ginger and some hot chili oil.
I put the noodles into a bowl, add the pork broth, sliced pork, some sliced black fungus that have been soaked in hot water, the sliced bok choy stems and top with some sliced green onions and the bok choy tops and add about a table spoon of heavy cream. This is about as close as I have been able to come to Hakata Ramen at home.


Cheers,
HC

[anil]

Try Hanamura AN (sp?) - Just Below Houston.

[Pan]

I haven't been to Minca lately but did go shortly after they opened and loved their gyoza and ramen. 5th st. between Avs. A and B.

[Suzanne F]

Try Hanamura AN (sp?) - Just Below Houston.

You mean Honmura An? (Mercer between Houston and Prince)

They mostly do soba (buckwheat) noodles and udon. At one point they received 3 stars from the NY Times, but over many years there has been dissent. I've not eaten there, but always wanted to because I LOVE noodles, esp. those two.

[Abe Froman]

I hit up Momofuku Noodle Bar last week. loved the "signiture" ramen ehich had veg, shredded pork and pork-belly. outstanding. the broth was killer, very rich chicken based.

The place is very low key, sort of like an upscale japanese diner... everything is more or less counter seating.

Everything I saw leaving the kitchen looked great, good quality ingredients, it seemed.

check it out...

[jbonne]

seconding Momofuku, though i also quite adored Rai Rai Ken, around the corner. i hit both within an hour of each other. the former is sublime, the latter is gorgeously traditional. hard to beat.

[mascarpone]

I have to disagree about Momofuku. I was dissapointed with the Ramen there. Namely, the texture is soft (it should be more al dente) and, face it... real egg noodles should have a yellow color. These noodles are white and the bowl/ingedient presentation is totally unbalanced. I was much more satisfied with Minca six months ago before it slipped. Rai-Rai Ken is somewhat better than Momofuku, although not by a substantial margin. Momofuku is more of a general noodle soup bar than a serious Japanese Ramen joint.

[SobaAddict70]

Had dinner at Minca (first time for me) this past weekend with a friend.

mascarpone, Minca's slipped? It wasn't detectable to me, but then I hadn't had the benefit of prior experience. My friend declared Minca a step above Rai Rai Ken.

I had the Char Siu ramen, can't remember what my friend had. I definitely want to try the stewed pork belly once next time. Radish salad was kind of "ehhh", should have gotten their gyoza.

Ah well, next time. I love that their broth has a nice mouthfeel.

Soba

[jbonne]

I have to disagree about Momofuku. I was dissapointed with the Ramen there. Namely, the texture is soft (it should be more al dente) and, face it... real egg noodles should have a yellow color. These noodles are white and the bowl/ingedient presentation is totally unbalanced. I was much more satisfied with Minca six months ago before it slipped. Rai-Rai Ken is somewhat better than Momofuku, although not by a substantial margin. Momofuku is more of a general noodle soup bar than a serious Japanese Ramen joint.

i'm not sure Momofuku is trying to be a serious ramen joint. it seemed pretty clear to me they're aiming for a hybrid option, though it can be debated whether they're accomplishing it. i do have to agree their noodles need some work; they lack a certain springiness and bite until they've been steeping in the broth for 20-30 minutes, which seems counterintuitive, but yep, they actually seem to firm up with time. had no issues with the presentation, though the poached egg wasn't quite working for me. (disclaimer: i had the pork neck ramen, not their basic version.) they also score points with the pork bun and their take on tsukemono.

curious: what are your issues with Rai Rai Ken? they appeared to have nailed the noodle texture, and the broth managed to accomplish a certain richness and mouthfeel that otherwise requires glutamates. (i'm assuming they don't use glutamates, given the many natural disclaimers.)

[ankomochi]

I have to agree with Mascarpone about Minca. I made the second visit to Minca a few month ago, and i was greatly disappointed by their noodle. The first time i was there during summer, the noodle was good -- al dente and nice texture. But, at my second visit, the noodle was so not good. I don't know what was wrong with the noodle, but the noodle seemed to loose the consistence. Broth, however, was still good when i visited the second time.

Rai Rai Ken is okay, but I am not too crazy about their noodle. The noodle does not have great al dente texture. Everyone has his/her favorite when it comes to the type of noodle he/her favors. Rai Rai Ken's noodle is not for me, but many people seem to enjoy and like it very much.

Momofuku's Ramen is not Ramen. It's noodle in soup.