Takashi Ramen

I have always been a huge fan of Takashi but have never gotten their ramen! They only serve it at Friday and Saturdays at midnight and 1 am so you definitely do need to make an effort to taste this bowl of yumminess! Similar to the beefastic yakiniki offerings of the regular menu, the ramen is also beef centered with a beef broth and roasted beef belly. The broth is incredibly rich and the noodles were cooked perfectly. I was super full from dinner earlier so I shared a bowl with A but halfway I was actually wishing I had a full bowl!

I definitely recommend trying this bowl of ramen out! I wish it was served during more hours of the day but perhaps it makes it even more alluring :p

Takashi 

456 Hudson Street

New York

NY 10011

Ivan Ramen

Ivan Orkin was originally from Long Island and discovered his passion for Japanese culture and more specifically ramen at a young age. He moved to Tokyo and opened a ramen shop there where it became a success. This was unheard of for a foreigner and in 2013 he opened his first shop back in the US. We went to the shop on Clinton Street  I've had a dish by him during a food fair in Brooklyn but never actually tried his ramen. T said she enjoyed it so we decided to go for dinner one night. I really loved the casual and hip atmosphere and there was a cute bar that we went to right next door while we waited. There were so many things on the menu that sounded delicious and I will definitely be back to try them out!

Chinese Greens & Garlic - Sweet Soy Pickled Love Sauce 
I loved the crispy veggies doused in the perfect amount of tangy sauce. This was a great way to wake up your palate and I also enjoyed the cheeky name of "love sauce". 

Kewpie Ebi - Fried Whole Prawns, Smoked Chili, Watercress, Lemon
Kewpie mayo is magic in a bottle and makes everything taste better. The shrimp was juicy and fried to crispy perfection but I feel that this is a dish you can get at other places but definitely recommended if you are in the mood for it! 

Tofu Coney Island - Miso Mushroom Chili, Yellow Mustard, Scallion
This is one of their most famous dishes and I LOVED it. The tofu had a super thin layer of batter and the miso mushroom chili was just exploding with umami. I could eat this entire plate myself. 

Triple Pork Triple Garlic Mazemen - Tonkotsu Broth, Pork Chashu, Whole Wheat Noodle
The noodles were super chewy and spingy and I loved how the entire bowl is smothered with scallions since I am a scallion fiend. The noodles had a very robust flavor and I've never had mazemen before but I quite liked the thick or "dry" aspect of it.

Ivan's Dan Dan Noodle "Dry Style" - Aromatic Sesame Oil, Spiced Pork Saute, Thick Whole Wheat Noodles, Egg Yolk
This was my friends and I took a bite and also loved it. I love dan dan noodles in general and this version was very interesting and delicious. The flavors were on point and once again I loved the texture of the noodles. 

I really enjoyed my time at Ivan Ramen and I think it's a great spot to go with good friends for a delicious casual meal. I definitely want to come back again soon! 

Ivan Ramen

25 Clinton Street

New York

NY 10002

Ninja

Ninja is located on the bustling and tourist hotspot BKK1 which is also a short walk from my office. I went the first time with my colleague C and he ordered a spicy miso ramen which looked amazing! I had a spoonful of the broth and I must say that was some solid broth. It looked absolutely huge though and my colleague who is a 200+ male could not even finish half of it so I knew I had to get it on a hungry day. Shockingly (or maybe not) I actually ate the entire thing when I came for a loner lunch one day and felt so very satisfied after. I will definitely be returning again to sample it's other lunch sets.

Spicy Miso Ramen
The noodles were chewy and delicious, the soup was incredibly rich and flavorful, the cha siu was also tender and fatty, and the addition of sprouts, spring onions, and onions added the right amount of crunch. A delicious bowl of ramen! The only complaint is the overcooked egg. 

Ninja

#14B

St 278

BKK1

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Daruma Ramen House 達磨日式拉麵

Sick with the monotonous activities of Hong Kong, H, T, L, and I decided to have a healthy Sunday where we are not buried under the covers hungover and on the verge of death. We decided to hike the "Dragon's Back" trail and planned to get to the trail by 2 pm. Naturally we met up around 3 and did not arrive to the trail until 4 pm. We also ensured we pigged out before engaging in our hike...

I've been to Daruma Ramen House before but did not take any photos therefore did not blog about it. The ramen is quite good, but still does not beat out Butao as number 1!

Daruma Ramen R8 - Tonkatsu Broth Ramen with Mentaiko Paste, Pork Belly, and Chashu
This is one of Daruma's most popular choices and I believe was the same choice that I had the first time I came here. The tonkatsu broth is rich but definitely not as flavorful as Butao's. The mentaiko paste is yummy and is a unique aspect of Daruma's ramen. The chashu was a bit too fatty for my liking but surprisingly the pork belly was tender and had just the right amount of meat and fat. I recommend getting an extra plate of scallions. Overall this is a solid bowl of ramen but H did think that the broth was a bit sweet for his tastes. 

Purple Yam Croquettes
L spotted this on the menu and I am so glad she did! These croquettes were really scrumptious, the yam filling was moist and sweet while the outside panko crust was crispy and not overly greasy. Will definitely get this again next time!

Deep Fried Gyozas
I thought these were ok, they were just normal deep fried gyozas... nothing special. But then again I guess its hard to make some mind blowing gyozas that will change me forever. The dumplings were a bit TOO deep fried for my liking, I would have preferred it if only the undersides were crispy. T really liked these those and gobbled them up.

Cheese Mochi
Yay! My favorite. The best cheese mochi are the ones from Sumi Yakitori, but these are also quite yummy. Daruma also serves these already indulgent treats with a plate of condensed milk... which is a added bonus. 

Mentaiko Stuffed Chicken Wings
The flesh of the chicken was quite moist and the mentaiko filling was flavorful. I would have wanted the chicken wings to have a bit more meat but these were quite yummy nonetheless. 

Although Daruma is not as good as Butao, they offer very solid food and is a good choice for a satisfying bowl of ramen. They also serve other foods such as the mochi and chicken wings unlike Butao who only serves ramen. The lines here are also not as long (although both times I've been here was not during peak hours). Definitely keep Daruma in mind if you are craving ramen!

Daruma Ramen House 達磨日式拉麵

92E

Tung Lo Wang Road

Tai Hang

Hong Kong

Ramen Kureha 拉麵來

Ramen shops have been on fire recently in Hong Kong and there are a couple of big name players such as Butao, David Ramen, Daruma, and Tamashii. Kureha is also starting to get a bit of buzz and I've also heard that they have a truffle ramen... and as you all know I am a total sucker for truffle so clearly I had to go and see what this is all about. I tried Daruma a few days ago and unfortunately did not have my camera so was unable to document the experience :( the ramen at Daruma was quite good but still was unable to knock off Butao's #1 spot in my heart. The cheese mochi was absolutely scrumptious though and I wouldn't mind going back just for those! Daruma also has this sinfully yummy mentaiko pasta that they put on top of the ramen.

The decor of Kureha was quite charming, it had a lot of old japanese toys and decorations inside which made the place have a retro feel to it. T and I went around 2 pm on a Sunday and had to wait around 5 minutes for a seat. 

Slurp slurp everyone busy with their ramen  

Chicken Broth Ramen with Extra Collagen 
This was T's bowl of ramen and I only tried a spoonful of the broth. I did not like it very much and he didn't seem to either as he commented that he might just stick with the standard tonkotsu broth next time. It wasn't bad, I just do not prefer it as I like my broth so be very rich and strong. 

Collagen 
This was the glob of collagen provided with the chicken broth ramen. Personally I thought this was kind of gross but it melted into the broth and we all know collagen makes your skin bouncy and supple :) 

Tonkotsu White Truffle Ramen
Mmmmm this bowl of ramen was quite delicious. You might think that the truffle flavor with ramen is a bit strange but I actually thought the combination worked quite well. The mixture of mushrooms also worked really well with the truffle broth and provided a nice array of textures. The cha siu was well balanced between fat and meat but could be a bit more flavorful. The noodles were firm and I saw that they were made in-house! At first I felt that the amount of truffle was too little and I asked the waiter if it was possible to add a bit more. They were very accommodating and said they would be willing to add more this time - brownie points! The ramen was definitely much better after the addition of extra truffle! I feel that they could perhaps use truffle oil as well to make it more aromatic and cost efficient as truffle oil is not too expensive. Although Butao is still my favorite I would definitely come here for this truffle ramen because it is a very unique choice and I really enjoyed it. 

With all the sides :) Not all mine... 

Onsen Egg
T told me that the egg here is the bed, and he was right. I've tried the half cooked eggs at all the other ramen shops I've been to but this is definitely the silkiest and delectable onsen egg out there. My only complaint is that it was a bit cold. I tried to heat it up a little but burying the egg under my noodles but my efforts were in vain. Regardless the egg was still creamy, silky, and oh so good. 

Kureha has definitely made it to my list of to-go to places for ramen! My next ramen stop is to be Tamashii but I think I may need to take a break from ramen for a little. 

Ramen Kureha 拉麵來

20-22 Wun Sha Street

Tai Hang 

Hong Kong

David Ramen 舞心拉麵

Ramen fever as officially reached Hong Kong! I remember C and I would always complain about how Hong Kong lacked amazing ramen places but now there are ramen shops popping up left and right. David Ramen has been getting some buzz lately so I decided to head over and see how it is. It was lunchtime on a weekday and we had to wait for around 10-15 minutes before getting a table. The weather was super hot so waiting was not enjoyable but luckily it was not for long. They served iced genmaicha which I loved.

"Red" ramen - spicy miso tonkatsu broth 
The broth was quite tasty and flavorful but it was definitely too spicy. I love spicy food and can take a lot of spice but I didn't think the level of spiciness was right for ramen. When I first took a sip I almost choked and C was sniffling next to me as she ate her bowl. The bamboo shoots were crunchy and very tasty. The egg was actually better here than the one I had at Butao. The cha siu was tender and fatty. The noodles were firm and was of the thin variety. Overall the ramen was good, but I am not dying to return. Butao is still number 1! 

Too much noodles... no more pork or egg :( 

David Ramen 

39 Tang Lung Street

Causeway Bay 

Hong Kong 

Butao

Butao serves some of Hong Kong's best ramen, the owner of the shop claims to have traveled across Japan tasting thousands of bowls of ramen before creating the ultimate bowl of perfection. The store created an insane amount of buzz when it first opened and people still line up for hours on end now to savor the tasty bowl of ramen. The shop gauged the Hong Kong market really well, it knew that people in Hong Kong were obsessed about hype and exclusivity. Therefore, the store only serves 200 bowls of ramen a day. This clever gimmick along with the high quality of the food ensures that there is always a huge demand for Butao. I came at 11:30 am to line up and waited for 2 hours before finally sitting down in the tiny space to enjoy the legendary bowl of ramen. The waiters are very nice though and offer umbrellas and water for people in line which I thought was thoughtful and considerate.

The never ending line 

Menu
From left to right: original tonkatsu, squid ink, spicy, and pesto 

Personalization of your bowl of ramen
You can choose the richness of the broth, amount of garlic and scallions, hardness of noodles, and level of spice, etc

Masters at work

Busy packed space full of hungry diners slurping away

Red King Ramen
This came with bamboo sprouts, cha siu (barbecue pork), scallions, and a large scoop of a special meat sauce. This ramen was incredible. The texture of the noodles were perfect - chewy and firm. The soup was incredibly rich and flavorsome. You can tell that the broth has been brewing for hours on end to became the essence of all that is good. The spice factor of this also took the ramen up a notch. The bamboo sprouts were crunchy and fresh, and the cha siu was fatty and tender. 2 hours is a long wait, but this bowl of heaven makes up for it.

Black King Ramen
Mmm almost as good as the Red King, the broth was just as flavorful and rich and the rest of the ingredients are the same, but the squid ink didn't really provide a different taste as the spicy Red King did. I am a sucker for spicy things so I prefer the Red King to this one. 

Perfect noodles

Delicious

Butao 

8-13 On Lane Street

Lan Kwai Fong

Central

Hong Kong

Pop up ramen stalls!

There were a event in Ito Yokado where numerous famous japanese ramen stalls from Japan set up little pop up shops in a special area for a limited time (ended last year in December). Customers had to buy a prepaid card in order to purchase these steaming bowls of goodies which is a slight hassle but they refund you the amount that you don't use.

Decisions, decisions...

Busy at work 

Ramen with cha siu and egg
Unfortunately we did not do our homework and didn't come prepared with the knowledge of which stall was the best. Therefore we just ran into a random stall that looked decent. The ramen was not bad, but definitely not amazing either. 

大黒家 Daikokuya Ramen

Daikokuya has the reputation as having the best ramen in LA and I have been dying to try it but there was always such an obscene wait that I never got to until this summer. Orochon ramen is also thought of by some as having the best ramen but I have been to both and I definitely prefer Daikokuya over Orochon. The depth of flavor and quality in Daikokuya's ramen is just far superior to that of Orochon. This time I was determined to eat at Daikokuya and my friend and I stayed strong and finally got a seat. It was definitely worth the wait and I was so glad I finally got to slurp on that glorious bowl of goodness.

Homemade Pork and Vegetable Gyoza 
The gyoza was super crispy and I loved how there were scallions scattered all over the top. Simple, well made, and delicious 

Salmon Roe Bowl The menu had a clever combination option where you could pair the famous Daikokuya ramen with a small rice bowl with choices such as pork cutlet, chicken teri, and tuna sashimi mini rice bowl. I chose the salmon roe rice bowl and it was very fresh and delicious. The rice was flavored with just the right amount of vinegar and cooked to the right texture. The salmon roe was savory and fresh. 

Daikokuya Ramen 
Finally!!! The infamous ramen is before me, ready to be consumed. The original soup already sounded incredibly rich and flavorful but my friend and I decided to be disgusting and go for the extra fatty "kotteri" flavor in which extra soup extracted from the pork back fat is used. Oh yes. The aroma was amazing and the noodles were chewy and had great texture. The soup was a dream come true and was everything I had wanted and more. The extra "kotteri" flavor definitely lived up to its promise and it was liquified pork glory. It was so rich that we could see globules of fat immersed in the soup. A tad disgusting but delicious none the less... just not a daily thing unless you want to become an actual pig. All the condiments in the ramen were also delicious. The bamboo shoots were crunchy and fresh, the cha siu melted in our mouths, and the egg was... also yummy. Overall it was a ramen dream in a bowl. 

Daikokuya Ramen

327 E 2st Street 

Little Tokyo

Los Angeles 

CA 90012