Our group of four was invited to Kanoyama to try some ideas for the ramen omakase Chef Nobu is developing, along with ramen currently being served at the restaurant. Before the pandemic, Kanoyama also had a popular late-night pop-up called Kanoyama Ramen by Sanshiro, so it was exciting to see ramen becoming part of the conversation here again. One thing that immediately stood out was how knowledgeable Chef Nobu is about his craft. He seems to have countless recipes in his head and several ways of approaching the same type of ramen. It was fun meeting him, eating together as a group, and being able to ask questions as each dish came out. You can tell he thinks carefully about how ingredients interact and how the flavor of a bowl changes as you eat. The matcha ramen came with smoked bacon, sweet corn, truffle oil, and garlic chips. It seemed to be the favorite at our table. When we asked Chef Nobu about it, he explained that he has several different versions and ingredient combinations he can use to make matcha ramen, which says a lot about his creativity and range. The seafood shio was another standout. It had a light broth made with snapper head and shellfish, with ume that gradually changed the flavor throughout the bowl. Chef Nobu served the chashu separately so we could appreciate it on its own before adding it to the ramen. The crispy ramen was also a lot of fun. It arrived on a hot plate, and the broth was poured over the noodles right in front of us. They crackled at first, then slowly softened and changed as they absorbed the broth. It was probably the most memorable presentation of the night. What I valued most was getting to try so many high-quality ramen dishes in one sitting. Every bowl was completely different, and seeing Chef Nobu’s range made the evening feel like a real preview of what his ramen omakase could become. Beyond the food, the service was exceptionally warm and attentive. The ramen omakase is still being developed, but I’m excited to see where Chef Nobu takes it. Kanoyama has a lot of potential to become a destination for NYC ramen lovers.