Terakawa Ramen

I want to share with you guys one of my absolute favorite ramen spots in the city. It is called Terakawa Ramen and is located only two block south of Fordham's Lincoln Center campus. Here are some things you show know about this restaurant.

It is meant to be fast-paced. If you know anything about Japanese cuisine, eating ramen is like eating pizza in America. If you don't know anything about Japanese cuisine, check out my previous blog post: The Right Way to Eat Ramen.

It is a quick eat kind of place since it only sits 10 people at one time, and therefore it is not the right spot to go if you are expecting to talk to your friends and sip a beer. However the ramen is delicious! My favorite is the Spicy Tan Tan, which is spicy so beware.

Terakawa Ramen is relatively cheap running between $9-$14 for a large bowl. Also, it is cash only-so come prepared.

My Rating: $ *****

The Right Way to Eat Ramen

Hey guys. So my last post was a recommendation for a ramen spot, and I was asked a very good question, "What is the correct way to eat ramen?"

I was in Japan just a short two weeks ago, and I must of eaten at least 4 bowls of ramen in my short 5 day trip. Here are a few things to pay attention to:

• The bowl of ramen comes topped with different ingredients, but usually always includes bamboo, bean sprouts, and an egg.  Before eating your ramen, use your chopsticks to mix around all the ingredients, so no one ingredient is in one corner of your bowl.

• Ramen is eaten using chopsticks and a spoon (called a Chinese Spoon). You lift the noodles with the chopsticks high enough that they separate from the bowl and the rest of the noodles. Then, you dip them back in the bowl to re-wet them with the broth before eating them.

• Most importantly: SLURP! In Japanese culture it is a sign that the food is delicious and shows a sign of respect towards the cook. So do not be afraid to make as much noise as you want while slurping up those noodles. And when you finish, it is proper to raise the bowl with two hands to finish any remaining broth which is is also a symbol that you enjoyed the food down to the very last bite.

Remember that ramen is meant to be enjoyed and eaten quickly, like pizza in the United States. When in Japan, I witnessed a group of four teenage boys slurp up their ramen loudly and quickly and they all finished their bowls of ramen in under 5 minutes. It was incredible.

If you want to know more about ramen, look here: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/09/the-serious-eats-guide-to-ramen-styles.html  for some super helpful tips.

Meijin Ramen

The first restaurant I want to suggest is one off the Michelin Guide. It is called Meijin Ramen and the food is delicious. It was a small place that was super busy by 7pm on a Saturday night. I ordered the Nagoya Spicy Pepper Chicken Wings ($8), Crispy & Spicy Sesame Chicken Don ($13), and Curry Soy ($14). I also ordered a Lychee Martini ($8 during Happy Hour). The chicken wings were super good, and I highly recommend them; pro tip: Japanese cuisine revolves around the creation of 'umami', which is the perfect combination of flavor that gently satisfies each of the 4 tastes: sweet, sour, salt, and bitter. Translation: The wings are not spicy. The chicken don was tasty, however the chicken pieces were too big and should have been cut into bite size pieces. The curry soy was definitely the best thing we ordered. The broth was addicting, and the noodles were perfectly cooked. This is a must try if you go here. 

The mojito was decently strong and reasonably priced during Happy Hour. Worth a try, but not a must have.

My Rating: $$ ****    (see sidebar for further explanation) 

Find the menu here:  http://www.meijinramen.net