Our latest Quick Bites brings us to the LES for some BYOB and a hot bowl of ramen.
THE VIBE
Great news for Lower East Side noodle lovers: last Thursday night, amid zero hype and almost no advance publicity, Mr. Taka Ramen opened its doors in the former Tiengarden space on Allen Street.
There are not many outward signs that Mr. Taka is worth getting excited about, beyond the basic fact of "hot noodles sold inside." The decor and ambiance here is all pretty generic, albeit in a reassuringly familiar, ramen-ya sort of way: bright lights, open kitchen with enormous steaming pots, light wood everywhere, amusingly enthusiastic shouts of greeting from all hands when you walk in the door. The music is hip-hop classics, plus a few rock anthems thrown in for kicks.
There's a row of tables below a long mirror along one wall, and a wide wrap-around counter on the other side, at which you can pull up a stool and watch the kitchen crew hustle. And man do these guys have some sweet moves! Led by Chef Takatoshi Nagara, whose previous job was at a place called Bigya in Tokyo, which Michelin placed in their Top 20 Ramen list for that city, Mr. Taka really opened big here on the LES, already serving exceptional food all up and down its impressively extensive menu.
(Scott Lynch/Gothamist)
THE BITES
On three consecutive nights over the weekend I was able to eat a good portion of what Team Taka has to offer, and pretty much everything was terrific. Really: this is top-tier ramen, even in a part of town with no shortage of excellent noodles.
Like most ambitious ramen-ya these days, Mr. Taka procures its noodles from Sun, and they do not screw them up. My bowl of Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen, for example, was dense with thin, pale noodles cooked firm and chewy, holding their own within the deep flavors of the pork-bone broth. The long, thick slice of pork belly, charred by blowtorch immediately prior to serving, was soft and full of sweet, fatty flavor, and everything else—the crunchy kikuarage mushrooms, the slippery egg—all played their parts to perfection.
Feel like something a bit lighter, even refreshing? The Yuzu Shoyu is exactly what you're seeking, the bright chicken broth infused with white soy sauce and a citrus hit from the eponymous fruit, swimming with noodles, crisp bamboo shoots and radish sprouts, and the most tender piece of chicken breast I've ever had in a bowl of soup. And for no-joke heat, the Spicy Miso will wake you right up, its chicken broth base thickened by jacked-up soybean paste, a mound of ground pork, a tangle of wavy noodles and enough tiny chili peppers to really get your nose running.
The Spicy Miso ramen. (Scott Lynch/Gothamist)
Each of the three ramen varieties I tried were big winners. Order with confidence to suit your mood.
And the appetizers here aren't just bill-padding belly-fillers either. The Sweet Potato Tempura is a fun, addictive dish, the plum-purple strips of the Japanese tuber served with a trio of dipping sauces. The Jikasei (or, "homemade") Gyoza hits all the correct plump, porky dumpling notes, and the Tebasaku Kerrage (fried chicken wings) are insanely juicy, with a nice soy-sesame-glazed skin. Think they could use a little oomph? Just sprinkle on a bit of the chili from the shaker in front of you.
Finally, if for some crazy reason you'd rather eat rice than ramen, there are three bowls on offer. I tried the Unagi version, and it was a decent substitute (or complement?), the eel incredibly soft and rich, the whole thing sticky with sweet sauce. But get the ramen.
THE VERDICT
Mr. Taku is serving destination-worthy ramen for noodle fiends, and makes for an excellent neighborhood choice for everyone else. Go soon, though, while there's still no wait for a seat.
Mr. Taka Ramen is located at 170 Allen Street, just south of Stanton, and is open daily at 12:00 noon until 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 12:00 midnight Friday and Saturday. BYOB for now, and CASH ONLY. (212-254-1508; mrtakaramen.com)
