usa :: new york :: general

[jubei]

i'm guessing because ramen is more like a comfort food...? (this is only from my observations from my one trip to Japan and watching Japanese tv shows so I don't have too much of a basis.)

it's probably like having the best burger chef in the U.S. move to Japan... no real reason.

[DaBestSpoona]

I second the menkueitei in midtown, especially if the old guy is cooking, not the younger guy with the mustache and glasses. Get the Tan Tan Men.

Santoka is the best in the area, I try to go once a month.

[tony_hige]

I think it's easier to get a bowl of ramen in NYC that compares to JP than it is to get a bowl of pho that compares to Saigon. NYC pho really sucks. But back to ramen, I've always dug Ramen King on like 38th or 39th off of 8th Ave - don't get turned off by the name, you can get a decent bowl of ramen that compares to Tokyo.

[Ryan]

ahhh, as much as i am intrigued, I probably should stay away from Japas38, my coworkers (Japanese expats) used to drag me there to abuse their expense accounts - emptying bottle after bottle of Iichiko always resulted in terrible things.

I've read rock-mei-sha in west village has good ramen too, but it's kinda out of the way for me.

as for the NYC vs JPN thing, I think most shops not making their own noodle is a factor for sure, lack of talent like you said is another one. I am hoping the rising interest in Ramen shops gives new shops better chance at success, but the trend just may end up like sushi where bastardized versions take over the city.

rock mei sha ramen is good, but its not the best imho. i like minca alot, probably gonna go there tonight..

[swisloc]

consider myself schooled. gotta check these places out.

[unmetro]

check it...

http://gridskipper.com/travel/new-york/the-gridskipper-marmorial-momofuku-ando-memorial-memorable-memorial-prize-for-outstanding-achievement-in-the-arena-of-noodle-making-228059.php

[mizanation]

joobs and corporategrunt,

good points on why there isn't any good ramen in nyc.

i have to disagree about the burger thing though, jubei--japanese hamburgers are pretty damn good. everytime i go to japan, it saddens my heart that they make western food better than us. their pasta is insane, their burgers are nuts.

HOWEVER, no where in japan do they make pizza better than new york. we still got that!

also, although japan's burgers are good, i still think the burgers they make in california are the best damn burgers in the world.

tony hige, ramen king is ok. but it doesn't compare at all to japanese ramen.

no where in new york or new jersey have i had curry that was as good as the curry i had in london, in one particular restaurant on brick lane. for the past couple years, i have studied the art of curry and now make my own curry (which my indian friends say is "perfect"). now, whenever i need to satisfy my curry fix, i can make it myself.

perhaps it is necessary for someone in new york to take the initiative and make a REAL ramen place in NYC?

[bluespring]

if you wannabe real Ramen nazi about it, i suggest trecking out to edgewater, NJ and try Santoka....their Toroniku Ramen with Shio broth is tops on my list.

cheap and awesome soba from mitsuwa

[nwhysee]

Hey has anyone seen "Mabo Ramen" at any of these places? I would murderdeathkill for some of that stuff right now.

[jubei]

perhaps it is necessary for someone in new york to take the initiative and make a REAL ramen place in NYC?

I would totally do it just so that I could wear jeans everyday... lousy office job lol

back on topic, isn't most of the work in making ramen creating the broth?I watched a documentary on my plane to the Philippines on Ajisen Ramen (another Ramen chain) and saw them making a vat of broth. They put like a basket of garlic heads into it... it looked freaking delicious.

[mizanation]

yeah, the broth is the soul of ramen. some places have vats of ramen broth that have been cooking continuosly for years. when it runs low, they don't make a new batch, they add on to the old batch, preserving the deep, deep taste.

[jubei]

it's like whiskey... only more delicious

[kauflust]

A good movie about the art of ramen: Tampopo

[savage]

I don't like Rei Rei Ken either.

Go to Momofuku's!!!

[corporategrunt]

yeah, someone needs to go into these ramen shops and wreck shit up a la Tampopo and reeducate.

I guess I should be thankful that I actually have some amount of selection when it comes to ramen. going to a college in midwest was terrible when strictly talking about ramen.

[DaBestSpoona]

Go to Momofuku's!!!

You serious?!?!?

I took my wife who is from Ramen country Kyushu, with low expectations of the ramen to begin with, she didnt speak to me for 3 days.

[kauflust]

^ haha

tenchars

[corporategrunt]

I can't hate on Momofuku since I have never been although I've been meaning to, but most Japanese that I know who have gone there tell me that it's not bad, but it's not really ramen as they know it, and that they probably won't go back.

Spoona, three days is pretty hardcore! my friends from Kyushu have criticized Minca when it come to their tonkotsu as well. has your wife tried Minca's ramen?

[coleslawyum]

Yeah, I agree that Momofuku isn't ramen. I consider it more like some spaghetti floating in some salty lukewarm water.

I've actually had some really bad ramen in Tokyo, but also some really good ramen too. But whether you have shitty ingedients or not, if your soup sucks, your ramen sucks. Best ramen in NYC? I would have to say Minca. They make a clear broth too. I think their chashu (simmered pork) is awesome.

[Sammy You]

You serious?!?!?

I took my wife who is from Ramen country Kyushu, with low expectations of the ramen to begin with, she didnt speak to me for 3 days.

a bunch of us decided to go there for our japanese friends birthday... because he thought it would be good from all those website reviews..

yeah it was total shit

if you want good ramen go to mitsuwa

[mizanation]

i wish they would open up an ippuudo in nyc.

[Ryan]

momofukus is horrible

you shouldnt even call it ramen.

[mizanation]

all this ramen talk is making me hungry.

[DaBestSpoona]

I can't hate on Momofuku since I have never been although I've been meaning to, but most Japanese that I know who have gone there tell me that it's not bad, but it's not really ramen as they know it, and that they probably won't go back.

Spoona, three days is pretty hardcore! my friends from Kyushu have criticized Minca when it come to their tonkotsu as well. has your wife tried Minca's ramen?

The problem we had with momofuku was that was evidently a total lack of effort going into the ramen. The broth was salty and tasted kinda like the chinatown wonton noodle soup dishwater. The pork was stringy shredded instead of chu shu. The noodles were mushy glop. It's possible to have an off nite, but what we've experienced were in line what alot of other people experienced on chowhound.

We havent tried Minca yet. We live in Queens and it's a 15 minute drive to Santoka, so we go there alot.

[mizanation]

We havent tried Minca yet. We live in Queens and it's a 15 minute drive to Santoka, so we go there alot.

15 minutes to ramen heaven.

[tony_hige]

i have to disagree about the burger thing though, jubei--japanese hamburgers are pretty damn good. everytime i go to japan, it saddens my heart that they make western food better than us. their pasta is insane, their burgers are nuts.

tony hige, ramen king is ok. but it doesn't compare at all to japanese ramen.

I'll agree with you on ramen king...just had a bowl in harajuku 10 minutes ago and I got reminded of what ramen is. burgers on the other hand...where are you finding these great burgers in tokyo? I've had good burgers, but never any that compare to the US.

btw, arcuates are everywhere here....

[mizanation]

hey tony hige, glad you are enjoying harajuku.

concerning japanese burgers, have you tried mos burger? that's a good place to start.

[poly800rock]

I'll agree with you on ramen king...just had a bowl in harajuku 10 minutes ago and I got reminded of what ramen is. burgers on the other hand...where are you finding these great burgers in tokyo? I've had good burgers, but never any that compare to the US.

btw, arcuates are everywhere here....

mcdonalds, wendy's, lotterea shrimp burgers are the fucking shit. SO FUCKING GOOD

[DaBestSpoona]

I'll agree with you on ramen king...just had a bowl in harajuku 10 minutes ago and I got reminded of what ramen is. burgers on the other hand...where are you finding these great burgers in tokyo? I've had good burgers, but never any that compare to the US.

btw, arcuates are everywhere here....

kuaina in gotanda is good

I like Freshness Burger

Look for the Green Mos Burgers, not the red sign ones. The green ones have the bigger american style burgers with better quality meat and toppings.

[tony_hige]

kuaina in gotanda is good

I like Freshness Burger

Look for the Green Mos Burgers, not the red sign ones. The green ones have the bigger american style burgers with better quality meat and toppings.

Mos Burger is okay...I hate their Japanofied burgers. Nasty. Freshness Burger is good...I'd put it on par with In and Out. But that still doesn't come close to great for me, great as in outdoing the best that the US has to offer (I'd drop my spots, but this is a ramen thread).

While it's a bit apples-and-oranges, I still think Japanese ramen sucks in comparison to Vietnamese pho.