Totto Ramen

Many people see ramen as something that is a fast food and a classic college meal when one is too lazy to cook anything more substantial. This is completely false and it saddens me when people think that something so amazing is generalized in such a way. Good ramen actually takes a lot of effort to make and the end result is absolutely phenomenal. My absolute favorite place to eat ramen is Ichiran in Tokyo and I still fantasize from time to time about that steaming bowl of goodness. There have been many ramen shops popping up all over New York and the latest hype has been about Totto Ramen. The shop is tiny and reminds one of a rustic casual ramen shop in Japan. The wait was very long but I would wait longer just to have that delicious bowl of noodles.

We sat at the bar facing the kitchen where chefs sweated and toiled over gigantic pots of rich creamy broth and noodle stations. It was nice to be able to watch the chefs perform their magic but it was also a little bit too hot 

Totto Spicy Ramen
Totto is known for using a chicken based broth instead of the more common tonkatsu (pork) broth. I initially thought that the broth would not be as tasty but I was completely wrong. The soup was extremely flavorful and creamy, one could tell that it is the result of hours upon hours of condensing quality ingredients over low heat. The noodles were chewy and of perfect texture. I love spicy food so the spicy sesame oil totally hit the spot. The cha siu pork was fatty and melted in my mouth. I also got the seasoned avocado which was passionately recommended by a dear friend and that was absolutely phenomenal. Everything in this bowl blended together to create a bowl of heaven. I am hungry just thinking about it. 

Totto Ramen

366 W 52nd Street 

New York

NY 10019

Butterlane Cupcakes

Ever since the explosion of cupcake stores everywhere, many cupcake shops have gotten a lot of hype and I have tried many of them such as Magnolia Bakery, Baked by Melissa, Crumbs, and Sprinkles. I personally think Crumbs is disgusting and too excessive, a cupcake to me is suppose to be a small delicate bite of sweetness, not a huge cake smothered with globs and globs of frosting to the point of drowning (Crumbs). Butterlane Cupcakes got very good reviews from my friends so I went after my lovely dinner at Scarpetta. The store was very small and decorated in a charming childish manner. There is a blackboard on one side of the wall with all the different cake and frosting combinations.

Banana cupcake with strawberry frosting
The cupcake was moist and sweet. The frosting had actual strawberry bits in it that have been smashed up. I really liked how the frosting actually had the fruit in it, much better than artificial strawberry flavorings. The cupcake was decorated rather rustically but I found this to be very down to earth and echoed the way the cupcake tasted, simple and deliciously made with fresh quality ingredients.

Perfect with a cup of hot green tea 

Butterlane Cupcakes 

123 East 7th Street

New York, NY 10009