Best Ramen in Manhattan (2026)

Got invited for a complimentary meal for their newly released ramen menu! Tried their Uni Cream Pasta/Matcha Ramen/Crispy Ramen/Chashu + Shio Ramen. Personally, the Uni Cream Pasta was fine, paired nicely with the prosciutto but there wasn't enough of it imo. Sweet and creamy uni, better than your standard uni. The matcha ramen was the one that caught me off guard, usually something like this is just a gimmick and is just hopping onto the matcha hype but it was genuinely balanced and not overly matcha-y. A bit of sweet corn and truffle oil gave it depth and the garlic chips on top gave it a nice roastiness! Crispy Ramen reminded me of a Chinese dish; home-y savory flavor with the "broth" being more of a thick sauce, served in a hot plate. The Shio Ramen was probably my favorite of the bunch, it was light and clean but did not lack flavor at all. Built with snapper, scallop, and grilled shrimp, you can really taste the umami. It's also topped with some ume, giving it an acidic kick which contrasted with the flavor of the broth, allowing you to enjoy it as if it was your first sip! Definitely recommend. Chashu for me personally, was a tad bit sweet. Overall, a great experience and much thanks to Chef Nobu for the invitation!

Cospa Ramen is a relatively new spot in NoMad serving up Nagahama Style Tonkotsu Ramen. “Cospa” or コスパ is a Japanese abbreviation of “cost performance” and generally means offering up value for money. Cospa ramen serve only one ramen and only two sides, but have regular and spicy versions, and charge only $9.99 for the basic bowl. The bowl is a little on the smaller side, but still very filling. Went with the flagship Original, with an egg and extra chashu and scallions. The soup is true to the Nagahama style, a light tonkotsu that is very different than the usual heavy creamy tonkotsu in the US. It is a very pure and clean taste of pork without much in way of fat or collagen in the bowl, and also without the usual added garlic. I enjoyed the first few sips of it, which were nostalgic of the Tonkotsu ramen from the Toshiba Hamamatsucho HQ cafeteria ramen, which I always believed served a purposely lighter variety so workers would not be tempted to fall asleep at their desks after lunch. The noodles are super thin, usually prepared in a very short time, and while delicious were cooked too long and had lost the al dente texture. The chashu was very thin yet meaty pork shoulder - cutting it so thin not only improves the “cospa” but also is a clever trick to ensure chewy pork shoulder is a little more tender. The egg was jammy and super well seasoned. Adding the pickles at the table transformed the bowl, lending some nice acidity and spice to the bowl. Also ordered the karaage fried chicken, which comes dusted with nice chili powder and were meaty with a nice batter. The place was jam-packed, and I was easily the oldest person in there by a few decades, which is hopefully a good sign for the ramen scene here. It also should hopefully show ramen shop owners to stop trying to offer a long menu of mediocre items and instead pick a few things you make really well and concentrate on those. That has always been the formula for success in Japan, and as the US ramen scene gets more knowledgeable and sophisticated, it is sure to be way to succeed here.

amazing broth and noodle textures

Staple shop for me to recommend to friends visiting. Despite being known for it and being the namesake of the restaurant, I don't recommend the tsukemen. Highly recommend the TonTori ramen and nori fries instead. Very good Tonkotsu where they use a mix of chicken and pork, hence TonTori. Very good broth and solid noodles. Chashu, however, has gotten worse and worse over the years. Regardless still a top bowl.

Solid albeit pricey. Flavor on the tsukemen broth very reminiscent of Chinese black beans. Tonkotsu wasn't anything too special imo. Miso was their most advertised, with the char being a highlight, thought it was solid as well.

Gogyo Ramen, which is part of the Ippudo ramen group, brings fine dining to the NYC ramen scene. Spacious seating at big wooden tables, oshibori wet napkins before the meal, and attentive service that refills your water glass basically after every sip. I tried the Prix Fixe featuring their signature Kogashi Miso ramen, in which five miso blends are charred at 572 degrees F. The soup comes out scalding hot thanks to a generous helping of pork fat, which momentarily masks the miso. As it cools, the complex umami flavors from the miso begin to shine. The first note was smoky, but quickly turned to what I can best describe as a salty toast-like flavor. And toward the bottom of the bowl as the heat subsided it became more sweet and caramel-like. The noodles were thin and flat with some wheaty substance to them. They grabbed the pork fat and soup well and are just hearty enough to match the rich soup. The chashu is the size of a pork steak in both diameter and thickness, offering both tender and chewy bites as one works their way through the savory tasty topping. Hiding underneath was some bean sprouts and minced pork that had a nice little kick to it. The prix fix also comes with sides of edamame and spicy bean sprouts, which were crisp and tasty. It also comes with gelato which on this occasion I did not try. I will definitely return to try the other bowls and the interesting looking cocktails.

Ramen Danbo’s name roughly translates to “warm night”, and the ramen will certainly warm up your night. This chain specializes in Kyushu Hakata style ramen and has other locations in Brooklyn, Seattle and Vancouver. I went with the Classic Tonkotsu and it really hit the spot. The soup is nostalgic creamy pork bone that many places in the US try to emulate but few do it as well as Danbo. A couple of dollops of pureed fresh garlic transform the soup into an absolute elixir. The noodles are the traditional thin and firm, and they had good wheaty taste and bite. And so many of them! The chashu was thin and melted away with a few flavorful chews. Hakata is not my favorite style but when the mood strikes this place is very good.

Menkoi Sato closed its doors a little while back and recently re-opened as Menkoi SAO, after its new owner, Saori-san. Everything appears to be the same with two exceptions. First, there is no alcohol on the menu yet as they are still working through obtaining their liquor license. And there is a new menu item, Fiber ramen, which I decided to give a try. The ramen still comes out piping hot as it always did before. The soup is a vegetable broth with shio koji, miso and a “hint” of spice. It packs a punch. Addictively delicious, the shio koji, which is fermented rice use to tenderize meats and develop depth of flavor, combines with the miso to deliver a rich, deep taste one would not associated with vegetable broths. The noodles are still imported from Nishiyama in Hokkaido and are the star of the bowl. The toppings, which give it the fiber moniker, are cabbage, moyashi bean sprouts, chives, mushrooms, garlic, ginger and minced pork. Delicious and healthy?! This was crazy good, and so unique for the area ramen scene. Phew! Very relieved Menkoi is still a great spot for a great bowl.

While the rest of the Big Apple was crowded into Irish bars, I finally scored a very difficult to get reservation for Tonchin New York on 36th street in Manhattan, just down the street from my favorite steakhouse, Keen’s. While Keen’s is as old school as you can get, Tonchin is on the other end of the spectrum - a modern, culinary school approach to ramen. I went with their signature Tonchin Classic Tokyo Tonkotsu. The soup is rich yet “clean”, with no pork funk and perfectly balanced with a umami-rich shoyu tare. The noodles were medium thick Tokyo wavy made in-house. The chashu was the sous vide roast beef style, but was well seasoned and perfectly sliced. And yes, the egg was a perfect pudding consistency. This is flawless-execution-of-everything-ramen, and while I usually lean toward the more OG style, I very much appreciate a bowl like this. Also tried the fried fish buns, covered in sauces that exploded with flavor, which paired so nicely with crunchy fried fish. And a Tokyo martini that tiptoed down the middle of olive brine and sake sweetness. Worth the hype. And definitely worth a trip back to try the rest of the menu.

My first visit to Ramen Ishida’s Chelsea location, and unbelievably my first time trying the flagship New Tokyo Style Shoyu Ramen. At the LES location, I usually order the 80s Shoyu off the secret menu and had just not got around to trying what is arguably Ishida’s signature menu item. The soup is a chicken chintan with hints of porcini. It is clear and clean, balancing the chicken fat and mushroom umami. Mixing in the accompanying truffle paste transforms the soup into a richer, punchier flavor without being overbearing the way most things “truffle” tend to be these days. The noodles are thin and snappy, pairing well with the soup to achieve a very refined bowl. Three offerings of protein: a jammy egg, a tender piece of sous vide chicken and the signature smoky grilled pork chashu. In addition to some menma bamboo shoots, a piece of shiso offered a nice refreshing bit of texture and zest. A small glass of draft Premium Malt’s was a rare treat here in the US, which washed down some old school potato starch-heavy chicken karaage. Unlike the cramped LES spot, Chelsea location is spacious and takes reservations, fitting the vibe one might expect of such a refined bowl of ramen.

Rockmeisha Ramen was great! The menu focuses on one main dish, but they do it really well. The broth was delicious, and I especially loved the pickled ginger. They also have a fun cocktail selection. The yuzu ginger bourbon cocktail was light and refreshing. I'm happy this place reopened after covid, Definitely worth checking out!

I think one thing I will always appreciate Kin Ramen for and what makes them stand out is the broth. no matter the dish, it's very flavorful and carefully balanced. The ramen can get a little pricey, especially once you start adding an egg or other toppings. One personal preference for me is the chashu. I prefer a little more consistency in texture. Some pieces had more fat, while others were noticeably tougher to chew. I know some people actually prefer that variation, though, so I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a negative. Overall, Kin Ramen is a solid bowl with a broth that really stands out. lines are impossibly long at dinner time, it could be rough especially in the winter because the lines are outside, best to go around lunch time.

The curry ramen is underrated.

dont get me wrong, this place has good food, but specifically for ramen it's pretty ordinary. The bao's were great and the sushioples awesome, and their menu has a lot of variety. My rating here is only to say that the ramen is not bad, but just average. There's a lot of good ramen in this area so you have to really stand out

Ippudo is famous for their Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen, but I have been enjoying working my way through the rest of their menu. Order of the day was their Mandala Miso ramen. Mandala is a Sanskrit word for “The Path to Enlightenment”, and in terms of Ippudo, that may be an apt moniker as this bowl brings the best of their offerings all together. The soup is their standard pork base, but amped up by an excellent blend of misos. There is also a hint of ginger that rounds things out nicely. The noodles are their thicker Tokyo wavy, which I prefer to their standard Hakata thin style. There were two types of chasu, a thin strip of pork loin and tiny slab or pork belly. Lots of menma bamboo shoots, corn and scallions round out this excellent bowl.

my favorite here is the shoyu. chiken broth is surprisingly rich. Tare makes me confused tho but I think thats what makes me keep drinking the soup. yuzu and greenonions good combo

no complaints at all, this place is solid! a strong recommend for people who love spiciness, they can add it to any dish with levels from 1-5. They had 3 different tsukemen on their menu, some cold noodles and some hot, this is mostly a special for the summer. The Ginger Shoyu and the Taka Shoyu was great too, you have the option to pick your chashu between pork and chicken. I've come to karakatta many years ago, but today this place is much much better. I strongly recommend people to revisit if they haven't been in a while @chewyaki

Decided to give the monthly special a try at the always reliable Nishida-shoten on 49th, which this month is the Kimchi Ramen. It is a chicken based broth, but I couldn’t discern that over the ample spices from the Kimchi. This was not usual tame version of kimchi one finds in Japanese places - this was much more sour and funky. The noodles were the thicker of the two varieties that are served at Nishida. The kimchi itself was at first difficult to find - it was only after I had polished off some of the noodles that I began to find some cabbage. I imagine when plating they are probably putting the kimchi right at the bottom of the bowl with the tare so that when the soup is added they are getting a good mix of those spices to turn the soup red. Three healthy slices of Kakuni pork and some delicious mushrooms were good toppings. I generally love age-dofu (fried tofu) but not so much in this bowl. As it soaked up the soup it just became soggy and difficult to pick up. And I didn’t love that this was an egg drop soup. Creative idea, but for me I would have just appreciated more kimchi. Still, overall a very good bowl, and I like that they have monthly specials to mix things up for the regulars.

Visited Nishida-shoten in the evening, which finally allowed me to sample some of their alcohol selections. But even more interesting was the special they were running: a bowl of “Mega Jiro”. Of course, I could not resist giving it a try. It is indeed “mega”. Tons of moyashi bean sprouts, cabbage, raw garlic and hunks of chashu pork. The soup had the familiar Jiro porky tang, leaning much more tang than pork. Surprisingly the ample servings of raw garlic were tamed by the karame tang from the shoyu tare, which pleasantly made the garlic a complementary jab rather than a knockout punch. The noodles were the thicker of the two varieties usually served at Nishida shoten but not the even thicker multigrain variety usually found in a Jiro bowl. Still, loved that they didn’t skimp on the cabbage as many Jiro offerings around town (and in Japan) have recently been wont to do.

I’ve never had anything like this before. The level of craftsmanship was completely out of this world and honestly changed the way I think about miso ramen. I usually gravitate toward shoyu, but this bowl made me a huge fan of miso. The flavor was unbelievably deep, rich, and layered without ever feeling too heavy. Every topping brought a different flavor and texture, and together the bowl kept evolving as I ate it. The entire appetizer plate was also specially made off-menu for the launch event, and every item incorporated miso in a different way. From the miso-cured egg to the potatoes and special chashu preparation, everything felt intentional and thoughtfully connected to the ramen itself. The beer and sparkling tea pairings were also chosen perfectly to complement the meal without overpowering it. On top of all that, the atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and full of people genuinely excited about ramen. One of the most memorable ramen experiences I’ve had in NYC @zappa

did you guys try this mackeral ramen. secret hidden jem

Kohoko-ku Ramen is named after one of the wards of Yokohama, and having lived in a neighboring ward of Yokohama for three years, I was expecting to find some Yokohama specific things here(like some Iekei ramen?), but instead it is more a celebration of general Japanese ramen culture, with lots of old signage and even some beer crate stools. Their signature is pork broth tonkotsu, so I went with that in their offering of Kumamoto Ramen, which differed from the regular Tonkotsu with the addition of black garlic oil. Their signature broth did not say Kumamoto to me - actually more like a balanced tonkotsu shoyu that felt closer to Iekei than Kumamoto to me. But why get hung up on names, the soup was good though a little on the tepid side. The oodles were standard firm thin straight that were indeed in the style of Kumamoto. The toppings included two pieces of thicker cut chashu, a nice jammy egg, one piece of baby bok choy and an oddly shaped shishito pepper. Suddenly all of the “shishito” peppers in town are wide like mini bell peppers. What the heck is going on? Washed it down with a Kirin, as they had a huge factory a train stop away when I lived in Yokohama so it was the beer of choice locally. Fun tiny spot - not exactly destination ramen but pretty darn good.

The best I have had of the Jiro style ramens in the US. The soup was funky porky garlicky goodness. The pork back fat and tang of the shoyu taste were in perfect balance. The noodles were thick and full of wheat flavor. The chashu was thin sliced pork belly, a slight departure from usual thick hunks of pork shoulder, but was so succulent and flavorful. An outstanding bowl!

Heavy broth unqiue base mixed with tonkotsu and shio. karage was excellent

I went to one of their pop-up events to try the to-go ramen cups. The line was about an hour, but they were handing out water while we waited, which I appreciated. I’m assuming the wait was mostly because of the Ramen day event, this is the first time she served To-Go cups. The ramen itself was solid. The broth had good flavor, and you can tell there’s real care behind it, this isn’t something thrown together. They had bacon in the ramen, which threw me off at first, but it actually worked. It stayed crispy where it needed to and didn’t get soggy like I expected. For a to-go format especially, it holds up surprisingly well. Honestly, I’d give it a 5 just for the concept alone. I haven’t seen anyone else in NYC doing ramen like this to-go, and the execution shows they’re taking it seriously. @chewyaki @dannywu

Tenjou is located in the high rent district a few doors down from the Flat Iron Eataly. If one were to think of all of the Instagram-worthy Japanese/Asian foods in your feed, you can probably find them on this menu. Unfortunately, at least from what we sampled, none of them are worth returning for. I went with the curry ramen, and Mrs Enthusiast tried the miso ramen, and the best way to describe them both is mechanical. You can see from the pictures, asides from different proteins, the toppings were exactly the same - even in the same place, despite the very different ramen bowls. The curry broth lacked punch, the miso broth lacked umami. It was all just “meh”. We also tried the spicy tuna gyoza, as I have never seen this on a menu before. It was a complete mess - spicy tuna in a fried gyoza wrapper with two random pieces of raw kale, guacamole, fish eggs and Thai sweet chili sauce. Lots of colors for a photo, but the flavors did not work at all. Unless you are feeding the camera instead of yourself I would skip this place.

Yasubee ramen (pronounced “Yah-sue-bay”) is a famous Tsukemen chain in Japan. They are very highly rated in the Japanese ramen blogs, so when they opened their first shop in Manhattan, I had to give it a try. Despite being known for their dipping ramen, I went with their Shoyu ramen, and it was one of the best bowls of Shoyu I have had in the US. The soup has a great balance between rich pork and umami. It was quite addictive. The noodles were thick and rough cut and scrumptious, soaking up the soup but keeping their bite. The chashu was thin and decently seasoned, but a tad chewy and maybe my least favorite thing about the bowl. The shoyu eggs were served hot (!) and were perfectly seasoned and had the right pudding consistency. Even the menma (bamboo shoots) were surprisingly crisp yet tender and delicious. This was a great bowl. We also sampled the curry wings, which are seasoned with a dry curry powder and a bit of Sichuan pepper. The chicken itself had been well marinated, and the rub had a nice spice kick and bit of tingly numbness. They even had Lemon High Balls made with Ichiiko Shochu. This reminds me of when I visited Ramen Ishida soon after it first opened. Get there soon, because as word gets out there will be long lines to get in.

Here you go—copy/paste ready: ⸻ Wow. This just rocked my universe. I got the lobster and pork ramen (made it spicy) and my friend got the spider buns and tofu. My goodness. All of the food was perfection. Not only that but the service was amazing and the decor was so trendy and cute. Best ramen I’ve had in years, it was so savory and hearty. I’m bringing everyone here. It’s my new favorite spot.

This is my neighborhood ramen spot and it’s my fave. I can tell they take their time preparing each dish and you can taste the energy. The service is immaculate, one of the workers even remembered me from the last time I was there lol. They do awesome fusion “New York style” options which was a lot of fun to try. Overall I’d highly recommend checking them out.

My usual at Ichiran! So far, the one of many ramen shops in Manhattan that don’t make me feel too bloated afterwards.

Taishoken was a really solid experience. The first thing I noticed was the broth temperature. It came out lukewarm, which caught me off guard at first. After a few bites, it was clear that it is intentional. Everyone at the table had the same experience. The lower temperature actually lets you taste the broth more clearly. It feels more concentrated and layered instead of just hot and salty. The chashu was high quality. Thick slices, tender texture, and a great fat to meat balance. It tasted clean and well prepared. As a group, we all loved the appetizers. The calamari with the ginger chili sauce was the table favorite. That sauce is addictive. Bright ginger, a little heat, and just enough sweetness. We kept dipping everything in it. The karaage was excellent too. Crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and well seasoned. They gave us a large booth that comfortably fit six to eight people, which made it great for a group dinner. The waitresses and the store manager were really kind and attentive throughout the night. Overall, very flavorful and clearly intentional in execution. I would definitely go back. @norryshio @dannywu @chewyaki @kevin

Still one of my favorite places, but the taste of the food has changed a bit. I went to their grand reopening last night and felt so welcomed in the space. The staff is awesome and the atmosphere was great. That said, I have to admit the flavors of the ramen were a little different than I remember. I still enjoyed the meal, but it felt slightly underwhelming compared to past visits.

They’ve updated their menu from what I’ve remembered (with some Chines inspiration), nonetheless the high quality remains the same. The XO miso ramen had ingredients like sichuan pepper, yuzu, and barley tea that brought a refreshing twist to the typical miso ramen, and the dishes we tried had similar delightful tweaks that gave us a welcoming “update” of the menu and experience. The meal was a reminder that Nakamura is a place not to sleep on.

this place has changed a lot! and for the good, the menu has so many varieties of ramen, they truly captured the spirit of what it takes to survive NYC as a ramen restaurant. they have clearly labeled pork, vegan, and fish options. I had the Torigara while my friends got the Tsukemen and the XO Miso. They also did a great job with the presentation. The specials were great as well. I give it a 5 for food not necessarily because of taste (though it's above average) but for variety. I'll definitely need to come back.