Tonchin

🍜5 / 5ramen rating

Service: 4

Atmosphere: 4

Spend: $30–50

“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.”

🍜4 / 5ramen rating

Service: 10

Atmosphere: 5

Vegetarian: Some vegetarian options

Spend: $20–30

“Tried Tonchin’s Tonkotsu and Smoked Dashi ramen plus the Yuzu Matcha. The Tonkotsu is creamy with a seafood twist, balanced and not too heavy. The Smoked Dashi is bolder, smoky with clams and tobiko — great if you want something unique. The Yuzu Matcha was refreshing and cut through the richness perfectly. Overall, high quality ramen worth trying."”