Menkoi Sao is a Hokkaido style ramen shop that focuses on serving hearty, comforting bowls without…read moreovercomplicating the experience. We walked into a casual space with the kind of atmosphere where you come in for a satisfying bowl of noodles rather than a long dining experience. The smell of the broth coming from the kitchen adds to the warmth, creating that cozy feeling you expect from a good ramen spot. The space is straightforward and functional, letting the food speak for itself. The ramen is the main reason to visit, and the bowls are built with a lot of care. The noodles have a nice firm texture and hold up well in the broth, giving each bite a good balance between the noodles and soup. The broths lean richer and more flavorful, especially for those who enjoy a deeper, heavier ramen style. The toppings are generous, with slices of pork, soft boiled egg, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and green onions adding different textures and flavors throughout the bowl. The pork is tender and well seasoned, and the egg is cooked to that perfect jammy consistency that ties the whole bowl together. The Spicy Miso Ramen stands out as one of the more popular choices, bringing heat while still keeping the savory depth of the miso base. The curry ramen is also worth considering if you want something different from the usual ramen options, offering a thicker, more aromatic broth that still feels comforting. Beyond ramen, the fried chicken, known locally as zangi, and fried rice make good additions to round out the meal, especially if you are looking for something more filling. The zangi is crisp on the outside and juicy inside, a solid complement to the heavier noodle bowls. Service is quick and friendly, and the food comes out efficiently even when the restaurant is busy. The staff handle the steady flow without losing the casual neighborhood feel, making it an easy place to stop by whether you are dining alone or with a group. The menu has enough variety without feeling overwhelming, and the focus stays clearly on the ramen. Menkoi Sao is a solid option for anyone looking for authentic feeling Hokkaido style ramen in New York. The portions are generous, the flavors are bold, and the bowls are the type of meal that feels especially satisfying on a colder day. While the richer broths may be heavier than what some people prefer, it works well for anyone who enjoys a more traditional, full-bodied ramen experience that delivers on warmth, depth, and comfort.

Genuinely... no offense meant. But I miss the old ramen spot that used to be here a few years ago…read more I've been back twice since this new crew took over and it's decent, but it's not like the old spot. I always used to come here for chicken tantanmen ramen, especially in the winter months. I've tried their version... it's not bad but it's exceptionally spicer than the last owners. I personally love heat, but it's like overpowering, you lose the flavor of everything else. Which I understand is some people's thing, I just wish it was spicy, not SUPER spicy. Last time I came here I got the miso chicken, it was good, but lacked that punch I want in my ramen experience. I will say, however, that the fried chicken is to die for! Worth the $20. Also, the service is impeccable on. The people are very kind. Last time I came they gave me a bib because I was wearing a dress and she was so sweet about it. She even accommodated me at the window because I'm a larger person and sitting on those little stools is like sitting on a nail when you have a butt as big as mine. The environment is just like it was before and gives me fond memories of the years I spent in West Village working. Cozy, off the beaten path, and always busy. I guess I just miss my old Ramen and the memories attached to it. I'll be back again to try something new!

First time trying tsukemen and I fell in love with it at Okiboru House. We went around 6pm on a…read moreSaturday and did find ourselves having to wait in line. It did not take too long before we were seated. (Max 8 minutes?) The place isn't huge but it is designed for fast pace dining so people were eating and leaving after they finished. The menu is accessed using a QR code and the best thing is that you pay right after you order on your phone to avoid any wait time for the bill. Their main dishes were Tsukemen & TonTori. We got the Tsukemen with warm noodles instead of cold noodles. It comes with 3 pieces of cha shui (pork), shredded scallions, a piece of fish cake, nori, and a slice of lime. We added their house made chili paste on the side for an additional $1. SO WORTH IT!! I highly recommend their spicy sauce. It adds such a kick to the bite. The broth on the side is a mixture of chicken and fish. So flavorful and rich without any fishiness to it either. Before dipping the noodles, you need to squeeze lime over the noodles. Without it, it just doesn't taste the same. Before tax and tip, the total came out to $22.90. After, it was $30 and although that might sound pricey for a bowl of noodles, the noodles are so thick and they're all made in house so the quality is top notch. I definitely want to come back to try their TonTuri noodles and appetizers!

This place blew my expectations! Every aspect of the ramen was PERFECT. The restaurant is fairly…read moresmall, it almost feels like you've been transported to Japan. For the service, you order and pay through a QR code. This isn't my preference but not a big deal. I ordered the tskumen with cold noodles and added an egg. The noodles, pork, and egg couldn't have been booked more perfectly. Loved the broth so much. I could have drank it.

Upon walking in, I was welcomed in the common Japanese way of greeting customers into an…read moreestablishment: いらっしゃいませ or Irasshaimase. That IMMEDIATELY dropped me in to the experience and culture of this spot and for that alone I give it 5 stars. Kennedy, who sat and welcomed me so warmly, was also my server. What an absolute PLEASURE she is! Besides that, she was super informed, answering every question I had with an expert's knowledge. and FAST! I don't even think I waited even 15 minutes before my appetizer and drinks came. Even so, I was already having a great time before I even ordered! I got there during happy hour so I got the chicken karage. The meet was SO TENDER with the perfect amount of crunch, also don't know if I've had a spicy mayo as gods as Taishoken does it. Also g with that I also ordered the sake flight, which is such a great value. You get to try 3 different sake's (and the portions are very good!) for under $10. Legendary! Out of what I had, I'll be honest, I wasn't the biggest fan of the Fukuju blue, but LOVED the masumi! Again, the karage was perfectly spicy, crispy and tender, possibly the best I've had in a while. SO ADDICTIVE! For my main entree I got the kamo shoyu tsukemen (the duck was calling me). The flavors in this are so well balanced, I love when my food takes me on a journey and this certainly did! The duck was beautifully fatty and succulent. Even the noodles by themselves were so good! I think what made this even more special is that they accommodated to my dietary needs. Normally this comes with a pork basked broth but they were able to give me a vegetable based one instead, which was INSANELY GOOD. The FLAVOR??? OUT OF THIS WORLD! In terms of vibe (especially as a Black Native American), I just really loved all of the R&B and hip hop that was playing at the time. Black and Asian cultured mix and tangle with each other so much and I just think this spot really perfectly captured that love affair between the cultures. It was as if I was transferred straight to Tokyo with all of the familiarity of being in NYC. I f you're ever in the mood for some ramen, cold noodles or just a cute and affordable happy hour that also helps you appreciate the culture of Japan, THIS is definitely the spot! I can't wait to go back, quite possible my favorite restaurant of 2026.

We made a reservation for the restaurant on a Saturday, but it wasn't busy when we walked in. The…read morerestaurant is actually quite big and could be pretty good for a group. They are also very welcoming to kids. They had a kid place mat as well as crayons. They also have a kids menu. The noodles were very good and springy. My daughter ate a lot of noodles and she is a noodle connosiuer. The prices were very reasonable as well. An extra bowl of just noodles was only $3 and you get a huge portion. They even give you a bib so you don't get your clothes dirty while slurping noodles. Definitely recommend.

beautiful restaurant with a good amount of seating and speedy service in midtown. We ordered two…read moretypes of miso ramen, one regular and one spicy and both of our orders were very good. The spicy version is spicy but not super spicy so it (probably) won't overwhelm someone who's not used to it. Overall we really had no complaints everything was good, well worth a visit!

We were excited to return here for another meal tonight after first dinning here in August 2025…read more After placing our drink orders, we were told by the server while she pointed at the fine print on the menu that we all need to order one ramen per person. This was shocking and news to us. When we were here in Aug. 2025, my partner and I shared one ramen and an appetizer as we weren't too hungry and didn't encounter this weird rule. Our friend was highly insulted by this rule as she is gluten intolerance and couldn't eat ramen. But mind you, we all ordered a drink each and plan on ordering more drinks and other appetizers. I get it if we were dining during peak hours or sat at a table without ordering. However, we were there at 9:30pm, about 30 mins before closing. Was it necessary to force this weird rule? Lastly, none of the menus on their website mentioned this weird rule. And there were no fine prints in the Resy booking. The server did offer to speak to the manager for an exception. But the moment was ruined.

Chicken Katsu Curry my favorite Japanese dish and the one here was very delicious. It was a black…read morecurry too which was awesome. Had a calpico to go with it and it was just such a nice meal.

I love warabi mochi and saw that J's kitchen started selling warabi mochi so I had to come and…read morecheck it out. We tried the regular (kinako) and the hojicha flavor. Personally I enjoyed the original flavor more. It was already sweet on its own without needing to dip in the brown sugar syrup but it wasn't overly sweet. Comparing to the warabi mochi I had in Japan, I do think the texture is not as soft. But still it was nice to enjoy some warabi mochi in nyc as I don't see many places selling it. Pricing is about $10-11 per container which I think is a tad bit pricy. Ambiance is super casual, you can order via kiosks. It's self service and you clean up after yourself.

Spectacular hole in the wall - and I'm not joking about it being a hole in the wall, because there…read moreare only a handful of seats, maybe 8 max. Don't worry, it adds to the ambience and intimacy of this restaurant. It was a little breezy last night, so my friend wanted to get a warm bite to eat. She opted for this spot and I was all in. We got lucky because we walked up and there were a few open seats, so we didn't have to wait at all. The menu is brief- meaning they specialize in their craft (and even easier for me to choose because there's no analysis paralysis). We were immediately provided with water and our order was taken by a smiley and warm waitress. My pal and I shared some crispy chicken as an app, which was so beautiful plated, I almost didn't want to eat it. For ramen, I selected the miso (not spicy) ramen. The broth was rich and I loved the runny, half egg. It was perfectly cooked between tough and runny. The mini bok choy gave the soup so much character. My favorite part of this restaurant was the open air view that we had. Sitting, eating, and people watching is the perfect combo in NYC. Definitely recommend this spot. The food, ambience, workers, and price are all on point and very reasonable for the big city. Would definitely come by again!

It's So Hard to Find Ramen Without Fish Sauce in New York!…read more My friend and I were on a mission to find a good ramen spot, and after striking out at two other places, we finally found Ramen Ishida at 122 Ludlow St. One of my biggest challenges with ramen is finding a broth that doesn't contain pork or fish, since I can't eat either. I was really happy to see that Ramen Ishida has several options centered around miso and chicken-based broths. The restaurant has a small, traditional lunch-counter feel, which gives it a cozy and straightforward atmosphere. Our food came out really quickly, and everything was cooked perfectly. It was delicious! Was it the best ramen I've ever had? I'd say no, but that's really based on my personal taste. I can definitely see other people ranking this place much higher. The service was friendly and fast, although I did have to wait a little while for my ice, but they were managing a pretty steady crowd, so I understood. It also seems to be a very popular spot. There are no reservations, so just walk in and hopefully you'll find a seat. Once you do, sit back and enjoy! Considering the competition in the area and the limited seating, I'd give Ramen Ishida 3.5 out of 5 stars. Still, I'm grateful to have found a ramen spot in NYC with options that work for me.

I had to see if Ramen Nakamura lived up to its #3 ranking on Timeout's best ramen list. This hidden…read moregem on the Lower East Side is a small, intimate spot perfect for a quick, fantastic meal. The appetizers were a highlight, especially the yummy Yuzu Wings-which was my favorite. Also enjoyed the shishito peppers, the geso calamari had a nice chew. My parents enjoyed the corn ribs and gyoza. For ramen, our table tried the rich and creamy Tontoro Pork, the light and clean Jidori Chicken and the Tokyo Tsukemen with pork and flavorful fish dipping sauce. I've just returned from Japan and this is pretty authentic ramen. A special shout-out to our server, Carlos, who was attentive and made the experience even better. And a fun fact we learned: Chef Nakamura is one of the "Ramen Gods," a title earned from competing on a Japanese TV show called Ramen King, the ramen version of Iron Chef.

My all time favorite spot, had a bite and got choked up y'all, I wish this was closer to Jersey! My…read morehusband uses this place to bribe me into doing errands in the city and I'm totally okay with that! The staff are always super sweet, too. I just love everything about this place except the location.

I came here for ramen and it was really good. First there were not alot of places still open at the…read moretime. I saw this place and it was a pleasant surprise. The soup was hot and flavorful . The dumplings were crispy and had a generous amount of filling . The service was good. The place is beautiful and a great place for dinner. I would definitely come back.

***4.5 Stars*** My…read morefamily had a good lunch experience at Kogane Ramen. We stayed in the area, so the location was very convenient for us with 2 small children (4 and 2). We arrived at 12pm on Sunday, when they opened and I was surprised to see that we were the first ones there. The ambiance was cozy and upscale. We loved the bench seating with our kids, very spacious ( i think 6 adults could squeeze). Small wooden bowls for the kids to share a ramen. My wife ordered the spicy miso, I ordered the special Yuzu ramen and the kids split the Shoyu ramen. We also ordered some chicken yakitori and sweet potato fries to share. Food came out quickly and everything tasted good. The yuzu takes a little getting used to (tangy but savory), but my wife loved it. I would definitely come back.