Ramen Obsession #3: Bassanova Ramen in Chinatown!

I was curious about this place since the original branch is located in Tokyo and the chef was the one who created the ramen burger. Normally I order tonkotsu shio as a measure for ramen quality but decided to try the green curry ramen since this was their best selling dish:

Tondaku Green Curry Ramen: Berkshire pig Tonkotsu soup & Green curry soup, topped with pork chasu, grilled okra, grilled red pepper, grilled shrimp, fried garlic, and mesclun greens (I also ordered extra chashu)

The noodles were really good – this is the first time (besides Yuji Ramen) where I saw a noticeable difference with the quality of the noodles. They were a bit chewy and toothsome and held up to the temperature of the broth, which was robust but not overly assertive. All the individual components were great on their own and also worked well together (except for the mesclun greens which were kinda just there). The bits of shrimp and garlic was reminiscent of a belecan or XO sauce condiment, so some spoonfuls would have an extra burst of umami flavor.

Compared to other ramen it’s a bit pricier at $15 (they also don't include an egg with the bowl) but the noodles and broth are worth it.

Bassnova Ramen
76 Mott St
New York, NY 10013

Ramen Obsession #2: Ramen-Ya!

Continuing the trend on ramen - I decided to check out Ramen-Ya in the West Village.  Reviews on Yelp looked promising and the weather is perfect for ramen right now:

Tonkotsu Shio Black - tonkotsu broth topped with chashu pork, kikurage mushrooms, nitamago (seasoned egg), scallions, and black garlic oil (I ordered extra pork as well): the black garlic oil is fantastic and the broth is really good. Even when you get towards the bottom the broth stays consistent (unlike other ramen spots where the flavor sometimes gets too concentrated/salty). My only complaint is that the chashu pork here is more of a grilled style - I personally prefer the melty kind

Ramen-Ya
181 W 4th St
New York, NY 10014

Ramen Obsession #1: Hinomaru Ramen in Astoria!

Ever since I watched David Chang's Mind of a Chef on Netflix, I've been OBSESSED with ramen.  My brother had recommended Hinomaru Ramen a while ago and now was the perfect time to try it.

Buta Kimchi - pork belly with sauteed kimchi, topped with bonito flakes - pretty simple dish but very good, this would be perfect over rice

Crispy Fried Pig Ears - we were deciding between this and the fried chicken cartilage - the pig ears were excellent, really crispy and spiced nicely

Rock shrimp tempura, spicy mayo and sweet corn - the shrimp was exactly what i wanted it to be, and the corn adds a nice touch

Hinomaru (New York Style) Ramen: Creamy pork broth w/chashu, kikurage, scallion, menma, bean sprouts, fish cake, nori, fire ball - the fire ball is their signature topping (miso paste with different hot spices)- personally, I wouldn't use all that they give you since the extra miso throws off the salt levels in the broth (which I liked as is)

Uni Ramen w/ Parmesan Cheese, topped with Shiso and Nori: this was definitely what I was looking forward to the most when I checked Hinomaru's menu online. I wouldn't really call this traditional ramen since the broth was used sparingly and seemed more of a dipping sauce (it sorta reminded me of a ramen broth based soupy alfredo sauce). Interesting dish, glad I ordered it

Chicken Ramen: chicken based broth with chicken meat ball and poached egg - the broth tasted really clean, this seems like something you'd get if you went to a Japanese family's house for a home cooked meal

HinoMaru Ramen
33-18 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria, NY 11105
http://hinomaruramen.com/