On a chilly autumn day, nothing makes a New Yorker happier than a bowl of that Japanese speciality – ramen, a wheat noodle served in a broth with pork and topped with an egg, regularly slurped while reading The New York Times.
The East Village has seen a long, hard ramen war – and it just got more intense. Ippudo (+1 212 388 0088, ippudo.com/ny), the first US outpost from Japan’s ramen king Shigemi Kawahara, has just opened in the city. The chef made his name with Hakata-style ramen – noodles steeped in a rich broth that simmers for 15 hours.
Other key players include Ramen Setagaya (+1 212 529 2740), which regularly has queues for its noodles served in a sea salt-seasoned broth. And the new Momofuku (+1 212 777 7773, momofuku.com), which kicks the formula up a notch with seasonal veg.
But could another noodle steal NY’s heart? The latest competitor is the soba noodle – a hearty buckwheat. Japanese restaurateurs, the Matsushita brothers have got together with Jean Georges Vongerichten on Matsugen (+1 212 925 0202), a great restaurant serving handmade soba with luxe additions such as sea urchin.
