Tag Archives: best ramen in nyc

Back at Momofuku Noodle Bar

Hello, lovely readers. I hope you are all well!

I had a fantastic weekend because my special someone came to visit again. We spent the time indulging in food (including sirniki w/ a quick strawberry sauce for breakfast, which he seemed to enjoy quite a bit), drinks, this lovely city, and, of course, each other. On Thursday I took him to an early dinner to one of my favorite places, Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village (written about once before here). Since we showed up as soon as dinner service started, we did not have to wait to be seated.

We started with some ‘Momofuku Nama Honjozo’ sake. The delicious rice-based drink was served at room temperature. This surprised me because the sushi places here in Brooklyn usually serve it steaming hot but I enjoyed the unexpected change.

Next we split an order of pork buns (photographed in my first MNB post). This was a test – a man that can’t appreciate the divinity of a Momofuku pork bun is simply not welcome in my life. Luckily, his response was exactly what I’d hoped it would be. Phew. We both practically inhaled our respective buns and licked our fingers afterwards.

Lastly, we split a bowl of goat ramen. Yes, goat. It was a special that evening. The noodles and broth were topped with shredded goat meat, kimchi, scallions, a sheet of nori and a poached egg. Neither of us had eaten goat before and we found it to be pretty chewy and gamey – kinda like lamb. The kimchi was spicy and delicious and I wish there had been more of it. I must say though, I definitely enjoyed their signature ramen from my last visit there more.

Overall, I was happy with this dinner.

And of course, the boy did get extra points for sharing my affinity for pork belly and being brave enough to eat goat. Is that a keeper, or is that a keeper? ;)

Annual Foliage Appreciation Day + Ippudo

Pardon me – this post is a tad overdue.

Each fall, my friend Michelle and I take a day to go out and appreciate nature. To these ends, we like the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, Central Park, or like this year, Prospect Park (Brooklyn). It’s a huge, gorgeous place, with lots of trees, a water reserve, and people walking their dogs.

Me actin’ a fool in the foliage

After the park, we headed to the city for dinner at Ippudo – a Japanese restaurant chain that’s famous for their ramen. Thankfully, we were seated at the counter across from the open kitchen. The whole time we were there, Michelle and I watched how the cooks meticulously worked on the food, with our mouths agape. Their precision was truly incredible.

We split shrimp buns as an appetizer, which were amazing. The jumbo shrimp were cooked to perfection and coated in a sweet-and-sour, spicy sauce.

The ramen was indeed awesome. The noodles were silky and chewy, and the broth was perfect.

Between the food, the friendly atmosphere and the swift service, this was one of the best food experiences I’ve had in a while. Dearest Momofuku, you have competition after all.

Courtesy of Appetude