Road to ramen: Japanese food in lower Manhattan

Now that I watch Naruto, all I want to do is eat ramen. 

But since there have still  been some loose COVID measures in place, ramen shops are not the most convenient to frequent at this moment and I usually end up choosing to some other form of Japanese food to fulfill the craving. Pros: I've been eating lots of delicious Japanese food around NYC. Con: Why is this not ramen? 

My road to ramen begins at Ichibantei, after I got rejected by Tatsu ramen (this happens again later). Most izakayas are not opened until later in the day, but Ichibantei has lots of lunch specials and is in the neighborhood. I got a tomago donburi, one my favorite comfort meals. Simmered egg with onions over rice... I'm lifted just thinking about it. Everything was typical and solid. 

Ichibantei
401 E 13th Street

New York, NY 

______________________________________________________________________________

I was influenced to try Davelle. It's a cute Japanese cafe tucked in the LES that attracts all the trendy Asians. There's barely space for a few tables indoors, but they make due and offer very pretty toasts, hearty meals, and fresh coffee. I'm all about the savory things, so I had to try the mentai mayo with spicy cod roe toast, followed by the berry and cream cheese toast for dessert. Perfectly thick cut and on point with the topping to toast ratio. I always order the uni spaghetti if a restaurant offers it, but I really need to go back and try the spaghetti in special tomato ketchup sauce. I also had a matcha latte with coffee jelly. Obsessed with coffee jelly, but I really have to chill with the matcha lattes because I'm always disappointed. Plain matcha is always better. Cute cafe for a coffee and curry plate! 

Davelle

102 Suffolk Street

New York, NY

______________________________________________________________________________

This one was a surprising delight. My good friend Senai visited from NOLA, and he was staying in Harlem. The only place downtown he's every visited was Soho, so I had to show him around. Because he's never had Japanese food besides sushi, I had to look up a spot real quick. He said it was cold in NY, so we ordered warming dishes and a lot of sake. The steamed tofu and mushroom was flavorful and fun. I'm really starting to love soba (or any noodle soup for that matter), and the shrimp + asparagus tempura it came with was some of the best tempura I've ever had. Just the right amount of batter and the perfect amount of crisp. I wish this spot was in my neighborhood!   

Ise

63 Cooper Square

New York, NY

______________________________________________________________________________

Bentos came out of nowhere. One day a family friend is opening a Japanese restaurant, and next thing I know I'm having intricate omakase dinners on the regular. Chef Yamada is a master artist. His combination of flavors and creative use of ingredients is absolutely inspiring. I love ordering their sushi for takeout and trying all their seasonal specials!  

Bentos 

315 5th Ave

New York, NY 

____________________________________________________________________

This place is a gem. I don't know why it's not popping yet, maybe it's because I go too early. But everything single item on their menu is delicious. The Caesar salad, the overpriced egg (caviar) on egg (uni) on egg (scrambled), the charred broccolini, the black cod, the uni pasta... it's all good. You can't go wrong. Just go.  

SakaMai

157 Ludlow St

New York, NY

______________________________________________________________________________

I really enjoy onigiri. Rice and seaweed is simply one of the best combinations out there. If I need a quick snack on the go, an onigiri is one of my favorite solutions. Yaya tea offers lots of stuffing options, but I usually go for the spring roll or egg/crab/seaweed. They have 3 locations in Manhattan! 

Yaya Tea

206 Grand St.

New York, NY

______________________________________________________________________________

My lovely brother got me ramen to-go so that we can watch Naruto while we eat ramen. Life is good. 

Ramen Goku

435 Park Ave S

New York, NY