Ichiran Ramen: Brooklyn, NY, USA
I came here for lunch on a Saturday, fully expecting this to have a line out the door. Thankfully there was no line! I didn’t get to sit in a booth by myself as I was on a date but he REALLY wanted to try this place, and I had heard good things so it worked out really well (eating wise only). So with all the hype about customizing the ramen, I really wanted to see what this place was all about. Man, you can really make the perfect bowl of ramen given their ordering menu. You can add as many toppings as you want and even order kaedama (or extra noodles). I also ordered the matcha latte as it was one of my favorite drinks in Japan.
I have to admit though, for all the work, I can’t say that I was super impressed by my bowl of ramen. For one, the onsen egg was SUPER salty. Also, the yolk was completely cooked and the egg was already sliced in half. I tend to like my egg whole so that when I cut into it, the yolk still flows out. The matcha latte literally comes out just as matcha and you add the cream and sweetener yourself (Hmmm). Toppings come out separately from the ramen. My total bill came out to be about $40 including the drink.
Was it worth it? I honestly don’t think so. I definitely would not walk all the way here after taking the train into Brooklyn from Manhattan. It’s not exactly the easiest place to get to as well. Their ramen didn’t taste or have a texture that was exceedingly memorable either. I have to admit, the broth wasn’t too bad, but it was consistently salty like all the other ramen places who try to hold true to Japanese form. It wasn’t ridiculously thick either compared to the other famous places in Manhattan as I’ve definitely had THICKER broth, enough to clog your arteries upon first spoonful – just look at the picture and you can kind of see how thinned it out it seems. I DO think it’s worth trying once if you have the budget for it, but honestly, I don’t think it’s worth the trek a second time. You can find them here:
374 Johnson AveBrooklyn, NY 11206
b/t Morgan Ave & Bogart St
Like I always say, every place is worth at least one try. Whether or not you go back a second time really depends on the first visit right?
R/g