Best Ramen in Manhattan
The 10 best ramen shops in Manhattan right now — tonkotsu, shoyu, tsukemen, late-night. Picked by locals, graded by NYC's toughest eaters.
- 01
Ichiran Midtown
Midtown · 132 W 31st StA Japanese import famous for its solo-booth dining and single-minded pursuit of classic tonkotsu.
Because there is no other ramen shop in Midtown where you can eat in silence, adjust spice and noodle hardness on a paper form, and get a clean, glossy pork broth that tastes like it was dialed in by an engineer.
Order Classic tonkotsu with kaedama (noodle refill) and soft-boiled egg.
Order the extra noodle add-on with 30 seconds left — the broth is still hot enough to cook the second helping properly.
- 02
Ippudo NY East Village
East Village · 65 4th AveThe East Village outpost of Tokyo's Ippudo, credited with popularizing tonkotsu ramen in the United States when it opened in 2008.
Because the Akamaru Modern bowl — with its scarlet miso-garlic swirl — is still one of the most consistent, comforting bowls in the East Village a full seventeen years later.
Order Akamaru Modern ramen with extra chashu.
Get the pork buns as a starter even though it will feel expensive; they are the best hirata-style buns outside Tokyo.
- 03
Kohoku-Ku Ramen
Hell's Kitchen · 709 9th AveThe Hell's Kitchen tonkotsu specialist ladling Kumamoto-style broth that borders on gravy, finished with black-garlic mayu, in a lantern-strung room the size of a subway car.