Totto Ramen, New York

Totto Ramen is one of New York City’s favourite ramen joints at the moment with a loyal cult following. Waiting lists form before it opens at 5.30pm and huge queues on the sidewalk are common. We visited the 52nd Street branch and the wait was around half an hour due to the small intimate nature of the ramen bar but it was swift moving even with around twenty people ahead of us.

The interior is no frills with seats at the ramen bar and a few tables dotted around the rest of the narrow room. This is not a place to hang around; the focus is on the ramen, in and out.

I chose the special Totto spicy ‘Nibo’ ramen, chicken broth base, original rayu, spicy sesame oil and dried fish powder with paiten ramen topped with scallion, bean sprouts, onion and cabbage. The broth was rich but lighter than pork bone based broths from other ramen joints. Not overly spicy but just right.

Mrs Nom had the signature paitan ramen, chicken and soy based soup topped with scallion, onion and nori. The ramen was served softer upon request.

Overall the ramen was different and lighter than tonkotsu based ramen we usually find in London but very enjoyable.

Ippudo (Westside), New York

We were looking for an early dinner and originally planned on visiting Totto Ramen on 52nd St to find we had half an hour to kill before they opened at 5.30pm. Walking around the block we stumbled upon Ippudo which opened a touch earlier and unanimously declared that Totto can wait for another day! We have visited a branch of Ippudo in Hong Kong and were suitably impressed.

The Westside branch in New York is dominated by a ramen bar with space down the middle for staff and a separate room for larger parties. Not long after we were seated at the ramen bar a queue began to form. 

We ordered an appetiser from the specials menu, Kamo tataki, miso marinated duck breast with grilled negi, yellow bell pepper and a citrus miso glaze. The duck was well marinated with the miso flavour penetrating through the meat.

For the ramen I choose the Shiromaru Hakata classic, with a tonkotsu pork broth, thin noodles topped with pork loin chashi, sesame kikurage mushrooms, menma, red pickled ginger and scallions. The pork broth was packed full of flavour without being too rich, the ramen was cooked just as I like it with a lot of bite. 

Mrs Nom chose the Akamaru Modern, a variation of the classic pork broth, thin noodles topped with umami dama miso paste, pork chashu, cabbage, sesame kikurage mushrooms, scallions, and fragrant garlic oil.

Additional servings of noodles were available for $2 but we just the one serving was enough for us and we finished with a selection of light sorbets and ice cream. The best of the bunch being a sublime Earl Grey tea ice cream and a blueberry sorbet. Mrs Nom loved them so much that the couple opposite us must of noticed and ordered the same!

The Ippudo brand has recently opened its first restaurant in London and if the quality is to go by from its international branches it is sure to be amongst the favourites for ramen fanatics.

Sasuke Ramen, London

It’s always good to walk into a ramen joint to find the majority of the customers are Japanese, the birthplace of ramen. Tucked down Great Windmill Street in Soho, I spotted a lunchtime deal of any ramen and a side for an additional £1.50 so I dragged a colleague along. Sasuke is a small ramen joint with benches and a couple of small tables, ideal for a quick fix.

Quickly scanning through the menu I settled on a miso broth ramen and a side of chicken karage which arrived first. The batter was perfectly crispy and devoid of any trace of oil with the chicken meat still moist, with four large pieces on a skewer it was my chicken karage of the year so far. My colleague had gyoza which was average with too little stuffing for my liking.

The miso ramen was topped with big pieces of chashu pork with enticing pork rind surrounding it. The ramen reminded me of egg noodles in colour and was thicker than any other ramen I have tried before. It was cooked gently and remained firm and bouncy. The miso broth was a little too salty as and next time I would probably stick to a tonkotsu based broth.  If only I could get lunch like this in Liverpool but then again eating too much ramen and chicken karage surely would not be a good thing!

Tonkotsu East, London

Tonkotsu East is a spin off of Tonkotsu, the popular ramen joint on Dean Street in Soho, London. Situated on an alley of lock ups by Haggerston it is not the easiest to locate in the dark but it offers a bigger vibrant space over the Soho branch.

There are a handful of ramen choices but I was only interested in the signature Tonkotsu on a chilly night.  Served in a rich sea salt based pork stock the ramen noodles were bouncy and firm, just how I like them.  The stock was rich and deep in flavour which made slurping the ramen even better. The accompaniments of pork belly, soft boiled egg, menma, beansprouts and spring onions added some additional interest but it was all about the ramen and stock.  

I also ordered salt and sansho pepper squid.  Sansho pepper is a Japanese spice which is earthy and tangy with a hint of lemon.  However the squid was a little oily which was maybe down to the oil not being hot enough, they were rather average.

Its probably easier to get a table without waiting at Tonkotsu East than the Soho branch at peak dinner times.  I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pork stock.  However for me it is just behind Bone Daddies but ahead of Shoryu for ramen in the capital.

Wagamama, Liverpool

It’s been a good few years since I last ventured into a branch of Wagamama.  That would change following a recent email from their PR handlers inviting us to a tasting of the new Autumn/Winter menu at the Liverpool One branch.  This is the first meal that was fully comped by the restaurant in the short history of this blog, but that won’t influence our opinions.  Feeling slightly awkward with not having to pay at least the choice of what we were served was made for us with predetermined dishes being delivered from the kitchen.

Billed as a bloggers and press event we were all sat together along two of the benches, around 20 in total.  First up was pork gyoza with Chinese BBQ pulled pork, cinnamon, star anise.  The accompanying sauce we felt was too sweet especially against the sweetness of the pork.  Everyone else seemed to love it, but maybe we are used to more savoury gyozas with sharp vinegar dips.

An opinion dividing juice was next of beetroot, carrot and orange.  Although refreshing and different, personally I prefer my juice to have more fruit than vegetables.  One I probably wouldn't order again.  You could tell who enjoyed this on the table by seeing who left the most.

The first of the mains was introduced by the chef next, a Mahi Mahi fish curry.  The white fish had a texture similar to mackerel; the curry was sweet with a little kick.  However I found it a bit boring and just lacked something for a main dish. Next up was vacuum packed duck slow cooked to remove all of the fat in a citrus ponzu broth, chilli, ramen, coriander and spring onion.  The broth was fragrant, spicy and light but the depth was missing.  The duck was tender and shredded like a dream.

Another ramen dish was next, a vegetarian option with 5 different types of mushroom, king oyster, enoki, close cup, shiitake and chestnut.  The broth was peppery with sesame, garlic, soy and chilli.  The mushrooms were woody and well cooked with some bite.  If the duck from the dish before was served on top of the mushroom ramen then I would be very happy.  The ramen from both dishes was quite soft and I would have liked the option to have them a little firmer.

A prawn curry noodle dish was next, apparently a return of an old dish to the menu.  The curry was bright and inviting with lemongrass and coconut adding to the fragrant and beansprouts and cucumber to add some coolness.   Mrs Nom found the dishes too hot so far but I thought the opposite, this one was just right.  I was apprehensive as to the noodle combination and thought maybe rice would be a better accompaniment.  However the noodles soaked up the rich curry with a deep intense prawn flavour throughout.  We heard someone ask if they had just eaten calamari or prawns which we amused by.

Oddly the next dish was exactly the same as the prawn curry but with chicken instead.  By now we were getting bored of ramen and noodles and the chicken slices were a tad dry and boring.  The dessert for the night was red date and fennel pancakes with star anise and cinnamon ice cream.  This was different and delightful, it went down well with everyone it seemed, although to be hyper critical they were slightly too thick for my liking.

The restaurant was very hospitable laying out wine and also providing a tasting of a green tea and yuzu pale beer.  As far as chains go Wagamama at least try and freshen things up rather than sticking to tried and tested formulas, a mixed bag overall but if presented with a choice of chains for a meal it would certainly be near the top of the mix.

Bone Daddies, London

In the mood for ramen I attempted to catch a quick bowl after work one night at Bone Daddies, a black fronted ramen shop on Peter Street in Soho and quickly done a u turn when I saw about 30 people queuing outside.  I don’t know why but if I can’t have something then it makes me want it more and I duly returned the next day just after the lunch crowd to a half empty restaurant.

I had already decided on the tonkotsu ramen and give the menu a cursory glance.   The tonkotsu soup base was a 20 hour pork bone broth which was very rich, almost creamy and deep in meaty flavour.  It was much better than the version from Shoryu a few months prior, which was thin and bitter.  The ramen was topped with spring onion, chashu pork, a Clarence court egg, bamboo and bean sprouts.  If I had one criticism it would be that the portion of ramen was rather stingy for the £11 price.  Also the ramen was cooked just a little too soft for my personal tastes.   However the broth was intense and worth the trip.

The next time I visit to fulfil my ramen fix will have to be with Mrs Nom as there are some sides and specials that I couldn’t finish alone. Particularly the soft shell crab as I am a big fan and was disappointed by the oily version served up by Shoryu.  Next ramen stop will be to try Tonkotsu on Dean Street.

Shoryu, London

A couple months back we come across a 50% of deal to celebrate the launch of the Denman Street pop up branch of Shoryu in London.  The branch will reopen permanently around mid July.  Having heeded the warnings of massive queues at the Regent Street branch we arrived ahead of the evening rush and the restaurant was half filled around 6pm.

Being massive fans of Japanese ramen, having grown up on the instant Nissin versions we were high with anticipation.  After visiting one of the Hong Kong branches of Ippudo we were expecting hoping for tonkotsu, or pork bone broth of the similar standard If not higher.  We both ordered the signature Shoryo Ganso Tonkotsu along with sides of belly pork hirata buns and soft shell crab tempura.

The ramen arrived in a massive serving and certainly looked the part with masses of pork and condiments.  However the proof is in the tasting and the soup base seem to lack the depth of a fully simmered down broth and had a slight bitter twinge to it which left a sour aftertaste.  The ramen was on the firm side for Mrs Nom and we were not asked whether we wanted it softer or firm.  Whilst let down by the broth the ramen, pork, egg and spinach went down well, were suckers for ramen and as usual with larger portions I ended up finishing both of the ramen.

The belly pork hirata buns were well steamed with succulent pork and offered some interest inbetween the massive ramen serving.  The soft shell crab however was hugely disappointing being extremely greasy; I’d take Wasabi’s version in Manchester all day long at half the price.

We finished with a couple of desserts, cheese soufflé cake and matcha azuki rolled cake.  The cheese soufflé cake was delightfully light and airy and we fought the last pieces.  The matcha cake was average, turned out to be just a rolled up sponge cake with cream.  The drinks menu was interesting of sakes and Asian drinks, we settled for aloe juice and strawberry calpico which were refreshing.

By the time we finished the place was packed to the rafters with large queues formed outside and it proved difficult to attract someone to settle our bill. A bit hit and miss, however as it was only open for a few weeks the tweaks may have been ironed out for the permanent opening.  Not sure if this would be my go to place for ramen whilst in London, Bone Daddies and Tonkotsu seem to get good reviews so we’d have to try them before we can pass judgement.