I have yet to meet a college student unfamiliar with the Styrofoam-cup borne salty, starchy and occasionally spicy snack that is “ramen.” Yet, relatively few have experienced the pleasure of encountering the dish from which it was derived. Featuring niceties like fatty roast pork, soy-soaked eggs and hand-pulled noodles, the bowls on this list bear little resemblance to that tangle of noodles laced with the occasional microscopic kernel of corn, carrot cube, or pea. Just be careful. After the real thing, reverting back to that Cup ‘O Noodles will be painful indeed.
Ippudo
65 4th Ave. (btw. 9th and 10th St.)
Ippudo is more than a pretty space. Widely reputed as among the best purveyor of ramen in New York City, the restaurant lives up to both its hype and impossibly chic interior. While the “Shiromaru Hakata” may be the classic, I personally recommend the “Akamaru Modern.” While the solitary slice of pork accompanied by only some stringy black mushrooms and a confetti pile of shredded cabbage may look like a measly lunch, suspend your judgment until mixing that scoop of red miso into the pork bone broth. The first slurp of the deep, complex, and incomprehensibly rich broth will remove any doubt as to the legitimacy of the meal; the last will have you convinced there’s no need to eat again for another month.
Read the complete post »
3 Comments | Posted on November 29, 2011 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Alice Preminger, Asian cuisine, Foodie Tuesday, quintessential college fare, ramen, St Mark's Place
Isaku Roll at Tanuki Tavern
If I had to pick one way to really enjoy New York City, I would choose dining out. It may get costly at times, but I think it’s one of the many privileges we have as New Yorkers. One of my favorite neighborhoods in New York City is the Meatpacking District; there are so many restaurants, shops, and bars in this area that are often times unfamiliar, but once you find them, become jewels of the city.
I had this sudden craving for sushi, and had to pick a place to get some quality Japanese food. Tanuki Tavern is not a typical sushi restaurant but it was somewhere I’ve wanted to try for a very long time. Located at the Hotel Gansevoort, both the innovative Japanese fusion restaurant and the building itself seem like they don’t belong in New York City. It feels as if you’re in some other city, like Hong Kong or Seoul (I’d love to compare it to a city in Japan, but I have yet to visit). The design is cute, clean, and captivating.
Read the complete post »
5 Comments | Posted on October 19, 2011 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog, Meatpacking District
tags: Amy Eats, Amy Inhee Park, deep fried deliciousness, Japanese fusion, ramen, sushi
If I don’t eat ramen at least once a week, my body enters a dangerous state of sodium deficiency-induced paralysis. With every salinated spoonful of piping hot broth, I feel my limbs gradually engorging like basketballs overfilled with air. I crave the tender pork and resilient noodles that glisten beneath their soupy blanket, and I long to hear emphatic shouts of “irasshaimase!” and communal noodle slurping. In light of Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s recent East Village ramen rating, I’ve also decided to compare some of the purveyors of this typical Japanese street food. Unfortunately, unlike Morimoto I don’t get paid to eat and consequently did not stop by his top pick of Momofuku Noodle Bar. At $16 a bowl, I’ll leave it to the salaried food bloggers to verify Morimoto’s assessment. Read the complete post »
No Comments | Posted on January 27, 2009 | Categories: Dining, From the Blog
tags: Asian food, ramen
