NYC boasts an enthralling ramen scene, offering something for every palate and preference imaginable – with rich to lean broths and noodles of every thickness from thick to thin. Enjoy your bowl solo, or bring along friends!
Greenpoint Ramen made waves when it opened with single-seat seating options and Tokyo-style broth. Try HinoMaru’s signature Hakata-style 17-hour simmered pork bone broth featuring cha shu pork, wood ear mushrooms, and scallion garnish.
Totto Ramen
Totto Ramen offers deliciously spicy ramen in New York. Their “rayu” spice blend creates extra steamy broth, giving off just enough heat to make you sweat profusely and have a runny nose. Their noodles are perfectly cooked and seasoned, providing the ideal base for this robust soup.
This restaurant features a small seating area featuring soft colors and greenery to provide a relaxing environment and an array of buns, sweets, and bites to complement their ramen. Their sour plum glazed pork bun is particularly delectable. Don’t miss it!
Totto Spicy Ramen offers an intense flavor experience that will leave your throat burning! The bowl features wavy noodles topped with spicy ground chicken, scallions, garlic cloves, bean sprouts, and chili threads, all for just $4! Additionally, its ground chicken was deliciously rich while boasting just the right amount of spice to complement the broth – creating the ideal balance.
Miso Ramen is another delicious option. The broth contains three different kinds of miso for an abundance of flavor. At the same time, its perfectly cooked noodles are finished with a half-seasoned egg, pickled vegetables, scallions, and chashu for an enjoyable vegetarian-friendly dish.
E.A.K.
Harlem-based chain, with locations on both the Upper West Side and Hamilton Heights waterfront, plays up its edgy style through cheeky slogans (“But First, Ramen”) and Instagrammable branding (including stickers for takeout). Their black garlic oil adds an aromatic punch, made by frying slices of garlic in vegetable oil until they turn black before grounding it, an approach used by other Japanese ramen shops; however, Miyashita doesn’t use this tactic due to a high incidence of peanut allergies among Americans.
At this izakaya/ramen spot, diners are welcomed by a sleek and modern interior featuring small tables and booths in its welcoming space. While their menu features Japanese tapas as well as their famous Iekei style broth combining tonkotsu and shoyu broth with thick noodles topped with roast pork belly, spinach, seaweed, and an unsalted butter pat, their bowl stands out among NYC’s competitive market for ramen.
Takatoshi Nagara earned himself a Michelin star as a Tokyo ramen chef before opening this blonde wood-bedecked Manhattan shop six years ago. His signature tonkotsu ramen is popular among fans who frequent it for its 12-hour simmered pork bone broth and thin straight noodles; additionally, there is also an option of vegetarian miso broth, which features chewy noodles with bean sprouts and cauliflower sauteed in it for vegetarian guests to try!
Chuko
Chuko serves up some of the best ramen in Queens and Manhattan. Popular among students and locals alike, its minimalist space encourages diners to focus on the food instead of its surroundings. Offering traditional Japanese fare and more contemporary fare such as dumplings and sashimi dishes as part of its menu – Chuko delivers outstanding ramen at reasonable prices with exceptional service!
Prospect Heights restaurant, founded by a chef who had worked with Morimoto, embraces the wabi-sabi philosophy of finding beauty in imperfections. Their bowls are Tonkotsu-based and packed with premium ingredients, such as the popular akamaru Shinji: rich pork bone broth simmered for more than 18 hours to be served with chashu pork, egg, scallion wood ear mushrooms, and bamboo shoots – among many other classic Japanese dishes like salads and sushi on their menu.
Queens-based Chuko Ramen House features a cozy ambiance, with warm lighting and wood-paneled walls, along with an extensive menu that boasts plenty of vegetarian offerings, such as delicious takoyaki featuring cabbage, butternut squash, scallions, and more – while its signature dish, ramen, is served alongside the side of kimchi and pork buns – located close to Barclays Center – it makes the ideal place for quick bites before an event or concert at Barclays; At the same time, its bar provides drinks and snacks in between games or shows!
Kyuramen
Kyuramen, located near Goethe Institut New York, serves a delicious variety of Japanese cuisine. Customers love their ramen and sushi here; the service is excellent, and the food quality is fresh, too. Plus, they offer drinks such as iced lemonade and Thai Iced Tea to complete the experience!
This Brooklyn ramen shop stands out with its distinctive cooking style and offers an extensive menu suitable for vegetarians and meat eaters. Its small yet cozy atmosphere and friendly and helpful service make for an enjoyable meal with friends.
While New York City boasts many ramen restaurants, some are more popular than others. Here is our list of beloved cult classics and up-and-coming destinations offering unique takes on this timeless dish.
Ippudo is one of the city’s premier ramen spots, having opened in 2005 and quickly becoming a favorite with locals and tourists. Their unique design features quirky art installations with close-quarter seating – it is worth trying their iekei shoyu ramen!
Queens Japanese restaurant Wabisabi lives by the philosophy of finding beauty in life’s imperfection, evident in their bowls of Tonkotsu-based ramen with all the traditional toppings.
Karakatta
The noodle soup craze has taken over NYC, from vegan bowls to triple pork broths. Here are NYC’s best places for noodle lovers of all stripes to slurp their bowls. Whether traditionalist or adventurous diners alike will find something delicious here!
At this vegetarian ramen joint near the Barclays Center, they serve bowls brimming with cabbage, butternut squash, and scallions. Their famous spicy miso ramen features pork chashu as an add-on and soft-boiled eggs; you can even get appetizers like gyoza or karate chicken to go along with your bowl!
Queens-based Hinomaru Ramen follows the wabi-sabi philosophy, finding beauty in imperfections. Their menu offers various regional Japanese styles, their most beloved dish being their HinoMaru signature dish: Hakata tonkotsu broth combined with thin noodles, wood ear mushrooms, scallion, and an egg for an oozy treat!
Ramen lovers should make time for this upscale contemporary Japanese spot that offers dining and takeout. All food is freshly prepared on-site and served on traditional Japanese tables so customers can slurp away while sipping sake or beer from their drinks.
This small cash-only ramen spot is one of the newest offerings on NYC’s ramen scene. However, its cramped space does not lend itself well to groups, so dining solo or with another person may be preferable. Their menu offers several delicious choices, such as the spicy ginger stamina with pork belly and ground chicken and their signature Shoyu Ramen, which includes pork belly, chashu pork, garlic oil, and soft-boiled seasoned egg dishes.
Ichiran
Ichiran stands out as an alternative to more communal ramen restaurants in NYC, focusing on solo dining. This Japanese chain operates two locations in New York City; Bushwick features more communal seating while Midtown leans closer to its Japanese roots with 46 “flavor concentration booths” featuring foldable dividers similar to study carrels found at libraries – making Ichiran an ideal location for an enjoyable solo lunch experience.
This menu offers various tsukemen dipping sauces, pork bone ramen in either shoyu or tonkotsu styles, and an innovative rye noodle dish. In addition to this selection of dishes, there is an impressive range of appetizers and desserts – as well as beer and wine available – plus its famous teppanyaki chicken and teriyaki beef bowl options.
Tonchin Ramen in NYC offers classic Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen made with cha shu pork, thick noodles, scallion greens, nori sheets, and wood ear mushrooms. This minimalist-designed spot serves some of the finest ramen and has received multiple Michelin Bib Gourmand awards for its tonkotsu broth. Ideal for drinks, dinner gatherings, and meetings of friends – their delicious grilled skewers stand out among others, as do its spicy miso soup or Katsu Curry dishes made from scratch; when visiting Tonchin, you know you’ll get nothing short of the best!
