The New Yorker's A to Z of NY Food: R is for Ramen

Next up on my A to Z of New York Food: R IS FOR RAMEN! Once upon a time the only ramen I knew was of the dried, just add water variety. Some days I was too lazy to add water and would just sprinkle on the salty chicken MSG powder pack and crunch away. It wasn’t until a trip to Japan years later that I first tasted artisanal ramen soup. Handmade noodles, rich pork bone broth and a variety of tasty toppings including egg, bamboo and slices of roast pork. Thankfully there is now world-class ramen in New York. These two pictured are from Ivan Ramen Slurp Shop. Originally from Long Island, Ivan Orkin headed to Japan and shocked the noodle-loving nation when he opened what would become one of Tokyo’s best ramen shops. Last year, Ivan returned to open his first US branch in Manhattan's Gotham West Market and has since added another on the Lower East Side (Ivan is just like Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid, Part Two but with noodles). Take advantage of the incoming cold weather and go see @ramenjunkie for a bowl that’s good enough to drag my lazy ass out of bed. #newyork #ramen #food. Tag your R Food/Drink photos with #TNYeats so everyone can see them! Photo:@jamespomerantz