Mr. Taka Ramen

Very speedy! Got there around 8 so didn’t have to wait in line but got crowded and busy soon after we started eating. Good for parties of 2. On the saltier side but very good. Make sure to check in for your free appetizer!

Came here on a Friday evening with a friend during happy hour. Two empty seats were available at the counter so we sat there. Since it was happy hour, we selected the spare rib app and the chicken leg app to share. The spare rib app, you get two small pieces of fried baby back spare ribs covered with scallions. The spare rib app was ok, but I won’t pay full price for the dish at $ 11.50. As for the chicken leg app, it was tasty, you get two fried chicken legs. Tasted like Korean style fried chicken. Crispy skins on the outside but the meat was a bit dry. Again, ok for happy hour price but I won’t pay full price at $ 10 for two regular size (not large) fried chicken legs. Are they organic free-​ranged chicken?
Now to the ramen. Be advised, they only serve the Tonkotsu ramen on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I tried the chef curry chicken ramen at $ 17 and my friend had the miso ramen at $ 14. I thought the ramen was a bit too salty and not enough curry broth. I didn’t tasted any fresh cilantro. The curry ramen broth was disappointing since it was a recommended dish on the menu. However, the ramen noodle was chewy and tasted good. Since I had the fried chicken leg as an app, I didn’t care for the two small pieces of karaage chicken that came along with the ramen either. I had a taste of the miso ramen broth from my friend and it tasted better than the curry broth. The miso ramen came with two thin slices of pork belly.
The service at Mr. Taka was attentive and the place looks welcoming. This is not a big ramen shop so it is probably not a good idea to come as a group bigger than 4. Expect to pay between $ 20-​$ 25 a head without drinks or apps. I would return but not any time soon.

For years my wife, our friends, my extended family, the UPS guy who delivers our amazon packages all talk about pork buns. How delicious they are, how they are the perfect savory treat. Alas I don’t eat pork, but today Mr. Taka Ramen helped me with their tofu version of the pork bun. A soft steamed bun at the base, a perfectly crispy piece of tofu in a sweet savory sauce served along with slices of velvety, silky smooth avocado.
I don’t want to take away from the miso based ramen I had here which was also excellent, but if you want a real treat try the tofu bun!

I had the miso ramen and my two friends had the spicy miso ramen. I personally really liked my dish, but found the addition of cilantro to be a little weird. I haven’t had the other ramens on the menu but based on this alone, if you’re looking for really traditional ramen this might not be the place for you.
Nonetheless I really enjoyed my meal! The noodles were a really nice gauge– thick, aldente, chewy in a good way. This kind of noodle paired perfectly with the thick miso soup/​sauce.
Would definitely come back!

The spicy vegetarian ramen is incredibly delicious. And vegan! Beautiful presentation too.
I guess they used to only take cash, but they definitely take credit cards now.

The service here is amazing and I love the vibe that it gives, very relaxed and welcoming.
I got the pork belly in miso soup ($ 14) and it was good, even though it’s not the best out there. I felt like the soup was a tad bit salty, they even came up to us and asked us how we liked the soup. The service here is honestly one of the best I’ve ever had.
If you’re craving ramen, you should check this place out because it was pretty filling!

One of the more expensive but better bowls of ramen I’ve had so far in my noodle quest. Which has been pretty in depth and extensive so far but will probably end up being a life-​long endeavor.
The spicy varieties here come with a soft boiled egg included in the prices. From what I saw the other bowls required it as an addition for $ 2 which is pretty common. I firmly believe any bowl over $ 12 – 14 should come with a damn egg… I can get a whole dozen for $ 3 so paying $ 2 for 1 that’s poached or soft-​boiled just feels wrong.
Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen ($ 16): rich, fatty, and almost earthy towards the bottom. You start to really taste everything come together in the center of the bowl at the end. The noodles in this one are the straight & thin kind with a white color. I prefer the wavy & thicker kind with a yellow color to them (yeah alkaline!). The broth is unreal and super rich and full of flavor. No blandness or over saltiness. The ground pork and slab of pork belly combination is awesome, so you’re getting some extra bang for your buck.
Spicy Miso Ramen ($ 16): This one was a bit lighter but probably a bit spicier than the Spicy Tonkotsu. Not as fatty and heavy but still a solid bowl full of flavor, just a different kind. Everything in the bowl is pretty much the same. Another equally solid broth here though.
In the end after tax and tip, this is pretty much a $ 20 bowl of ramen. I’m pretty price-​conscious and even I felt both bowls we tried were worth it. Unfortunately, I shaved one star off because of the egg not being included in the other bowls prices. I’m a stickler about the egg, it’s an integral part of ramen and should come with the price, especially if it’s already more expensive than competitors. That’s just how I feel, otherwise this would’ve been a perfect score for me. Overall, it’s totally worth a trip. Oh and cash only!

Ramen shops are popping up all over NYC, like daisies! As a ramen lover, I am grateful for that because that means more variety in ramen! They don’t have a lot of ramen options here, but they do have unique options to bring me back. It’s a small and cozy space so there might be a wait, but it’s not too bad. Service is quick and friendly. I originally sat at the bar; since it’s open kitchen (no glass), I wasn’t feeling the ramen steam facial. We ended up sitting at the window instead, win!
We ordered the yuzu shoyu ramen and the tonkotsu ramen. Both were good in their own way. The noodles were cooked just right and the broths were flavorful. I felt that the yuzu flavor was very light, so it wasn’t overpowering in any way. The pork belly was really good too. Sometimes we just need a nice hot bowl of ramen that’s filling and delicious, this place gets the job done. I would love to come back and try their other ramen!

A relatively new ramen joint in NYC. My party of 3 arrived around 8 pm on a friday night. You go into the restaurant and get your name placed on a clipboard paper. The suggested a wait time was 30 minutes but after waiting about 3 minutes, we were offered seats along side the window. WIN!
I ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen and my 2 other friends got the regular tonkotsu ramen. It comes with a giant piece of pork belly, mushrooms, scallions and even an egg! The egg wasn’t listed on in the description of the ramen so that was a nice bonus.
The ramen was chewy which i loveeee. The spicy tonkotsu broth was definitely a lot tastier than the regular broth. I tried my friends and it honestly barely had any flavor in it. The spicy tonkotsu however was good! It was full of flavor and not overbearingly spicy.
The ramen overall was good but I dislike how cramped the place is. When I was taking my jacket off, i literally hit the girl behind me with my jacket cause she was so close! I understand they’re trying to maximize profit but cramming everyone close together is suchhhh a turn off.

A new ramen spot is always a must-​try for me!
We got seated in a rather quick time considering that they first told us that the wait could be up to 30 minutes so big ups for that. There is a clipboard inside that you should ask a waiter about to write down your name instead of waiting outside.
The service was very quick with the menu, drinks and serving of the food. I ordered the tonkotsu initially because i was unsure of how hot the «spicy tonkotsu» would be. I tried my friend’s spicy tonkotsu which made me immediately regret not getting it. The spice added a bit more flavor which complemented the broth, meat and noodles very well. To me, the regular tonkotsu ramen was a bit bland but that was a mistake on myself and i believe anyone who is not a fan of spicy should try it.
The pork in the ramen was a huge chunk! The fatty goodness melts in your mouth and makes you just want more. Definitely a place to try.

The interior is gorgeous. It’s bright and inviting– made like a traditional Japanese ramen house with a wood bar. The staff was very friendly. I also love open kitchens. I love seeing the process of how my food is being made.
We ordered the chicken wings and gyoza to start. Both were great! The wings had so much flavor and the gyoza was perfectly crunchy– just how I like my dumplings! I ordered the Donkatsu Ramen. I like how depending on the type of ramen you order, it comes in a different color/​size bowl. Cute idea! The ramen was OK. The noodles were great but the broth was very thick and creamy. It was overwhelming. On top of that, the pork belly made it even heavier. I tried the spicy version, and although a little tastier, still the same thickness.
I think I’ll come back to try to Miso Ramen!

I’m fairly certain this was the first time I’ve ever had proper ramen outside of Cup Noodles. Our group was indecisive on dinner plans and eventually chose this spot due to its close proximity.
I wasn’t sure what to get, so I ended up selecting the Shoyu Ramen with chicken. This came in a soy-​flavored broth with seaweed, bamboo shoots and plenty of scallions. While definitely not something I’d eat regularly, the noodles and especially the broth ended up making for a nice meal. Especially since I was dealing with the remnants of a head cold.
I also tried a cup of their green tea and was not at all a fan. Usually I love green tea, but this tasted like green beans to me. Maybe it was just my cold speaking, though, since others at the table said it tasted normal to them.
Overall — a nice meal at a decent price-​point. Now I need to try other ramen spots!

This new ramen joint in LES was pretty good and might even rival Mu. I went on a Saturday night around 8pm and luckily didn’t have to wait. There’s a clipboard inside where you can put your name on with but you wait outside for your name to be called. Got seated at the bar with my boyfriend and was asked right away if I was ready to order. Didn’t get a chance to really peruse the menu but within two minutes later, a gentleman came by to ask if I was ready. I ordered the Tonkotsu and the BF had the yuzu shoyu ramen with pork.
The food was served pretty fast. I really liked the noodles in mine, not so much in the yuzu. The broth of the Tonkotsu was delicious and had a lot of flavor. The pork was a huge piece, most of it fatty but nonetheless soft and melts in your mouth. The broth of the shoyu ramen was light and a bit fruity.
Pretty good ramen overall, just didn’t like being rushed from start to finish. Cash only.

This was my first ramen experience in New York and it was decent. We came here after we called the Spaghetti Incident and they gave us a very non-​committal answer about whether or not they had any tables left. Mr. Taka Ramen had open tables so we decided on here. I ordered the edamame, which I guess I didn’t read closely enough because it came covered in super spicy seasoning, which actually made my lips burn and then turn numb. Next time I will try to avoid that.
For someone who is a vegetarian such as myself, there are 2 options: spicy vegetarian or regular vegetarian. I went with the regular. It was honestly better tasting than I thought it was going to be. However, I don’t know how filling it was. It came with egg noodles and there might have been 2 pieces of tofu in it. The rest was vegetables including one giant tomato slice, two avocado pieces, mushrooms… and some other vegetables.
Service was good and pretty much all of the ramen bowls are reasonably priced around $ 15 – 18.

Let me start off by saying I love ramen and am one of those people who waited 2 hours at ippudo because I wanted some noodles.
I really enjoyed the ramen here. My friend got here a lot earlier than I did and they let her it at a table which I thought was really nice. This ramen shop is led by a Michelin starred ramen shop in Tokyo.
–Jikasei Gyoza — This was okay. The dumplings were very fried and seemed a little soggy to me.
— Aburi Chasu Pork — Ok, this dish is topped with A LOT OF SCALLIONS so if you hate scallions, you will have to push all the green stuff off. Luckily for me, I love scallions so I enjoyed this dish. There are three big pieces of juicy pork.
— Spicy Miso Ramen — I was a little scared after reading all the reviews so I asked for the spicy sauce on the side and added it to my liking. The sauce is pretty spicy but nothing where it burns your whole mouth. Initially I thought the ramen came in small portions, but I was very full. There is half an egg, one piece of cha siew and miso. I guess it is a little pricey for the amount that you get.
— Yuzu Shoyu Ramen — This was very unique and very good! I tried a little bit of my friend’s soup and you can taste the yuzu in it. She seemed to really enjoy it and drank most of the soup.
Tip: Cash only. Get the spicy sauce on the side!

Based on pictures and prices on some fellow Elite’s pictures and reviews, it seems like the prices of the ramen bowls at Mr. Taka goes up every single week — how strange. Somewhat understandable, since they are fairly new and still figuring out where they stand in the ever-​growing world of Ramen.
I was fairly surprised there was no wait at all for dinner. Plenty of seats at the counter and at tables. Service was friendly and fast. The ramen came out so fast… wished the broth was at a warmer temperature, though. The décor of the restaurant is modern and it is actually quite spacious.
I ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen — my favorite flavor of ramen (!) and was delighted that it came with my favorite thin ramen noodles. The spice level of this dish is excellent — it had some sort of chili oil that reminded me of Xian’s chili oil («rayu» as Mr. Taka’s calls it), strangely enough, along with a dollop of what I’m guessing is their secret spice. Either way, good job on the spices. The broth itself was not quite complex — perhaps it was masked by the spiciness. I looked over at my friend’s regular tonkotsu and it looked watered down, but maybe it didn’t taste that way. He was happy with his food.
What blew my mind was that an extra HALF of an egg cost a whopping $ 2. WTF??? Rip off.
In totality, I liked my spicy tonkotsu, though it is probably not my favorite out of the shops. Totto’s still wins in my book, unfortunately. And $ 16 for a spicy tonkotsu + an extra $ 2 for half of a freakin’ egg = $ 18 for a bowl of ramen… I could get almost 2 (wihtout egg) at Totto. It is expensive and quite overpriced, in my opinion, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a satisfying bowl of spicy tonkotsu.
Probably would not return due to the fact that there are so many equally delicious and cheaper options.

Mr. Taka, thank you for feeding my husband and I your delicious hot bowls of ramen on this cold breezy Friday night — although some part of it is attributed to waiting outside the restaurant for 45 minutes for a table.
Word has got out about this new ramen joint and many have come to see what the buzz is about. Sadly, this place is no longer BYOB and offers sake and beer.
We ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen and the ginger ramen. The spicy tonkotsu ramen did not have the typical ramen noodles but were cooked perfectly (chewy) and great for slurping. The dish was surprisingly flavorful while highlighting the spiciness in the dish. The ginger ramen had the typical ramen noodles we all know and love. Great dish but I was not a fan of how strong the ginger flavor was in the dish.
We also order gyoza which had a crispy light skin and jam packed with flavorful. However, it came after our ramen dishes even though we had ordered it as an appetizer. The same happened with another couple who were sitting next to us. They were already halfway through their ramen bowls when their appetizers arrived.
There can be some improvements to the service but hoping that would come as the restaurant settles in:
— Call out people’s names louder;
— Not forget their drink order (had to remind them that we ordered a beer); and
— Appetizers should be brought out before the ramen.
CASH ONLY.

Having seen photos from Mike C, I knew I had to pay a visit to the newest ramen shop in town. (Even though I rarely travel below 14^th Street for food. I know, I am seriously missing out.)
I came here on a recent Saturday afternoon around 3 PM and found plenty of open seats. The décor is simple with a mirror on the wall. It has 3 or 4 tables and your typical bar seating, with another table facing the street. The menu is straightforward but offers plenty of choices (vegetarian, spicy and chicken/​pork broth). Cash only.
I opted for its pork belly appetizer ($ 7.5) and ordered the tonkotsu ramen ($ 13) with soft boiled egg (extra $ 2). My friend ordered the shiro shoyu ramen ($ 13).
The pork belly was arguably the best pork belly (with scallions and citrus sauce) I have ever tasted in my life. It was crispy with just the right amount of tenderness and juiciness. The chili sauce added just the right amount of flavor to it. I suppose the difference comes that this is broiled pork belly.
I really enjoyed my tonkotsu ramen. The broth was good, just a tad more salty to my liking. The ramen came with thin straight noodles. I wish I had the choice to change it to medium/​thick wavy noodles since that is my go-​to noodle preference. My friend’s ramen came with wavy noodles and I was indeed jealous. My ramen bowl also came with a few additional pieces of the pork belly. I was so happy. Ah, the simple joy in life. A ramen meal to remember for sure.

Hip new ramen place in the LES. The décor reminds me of a mini Momofuku Noodle Bar, very modern and clean. Minus the hoards of people hovering around you.
Note they’ve raised their prices since their initial opening (the prices that Mike C aka foodbabyny posted)
I tried:
Karaage ($ 8.50÷5 pieces) — Soy sesame fried chicken. The pieces were huge and the sauce is pretty good. But the chicken we got was too fatty and slightly undercooked. Not recommended until they get more practice cooking these.
Spicy Tonkotsu ($ 15.50) — Broth was rich and creamy but not very spicy (my spice tolerance is high though). Noodles are thin and straight (note: they don’t make them in-​house). The portion size was satisfying. We only got one half of an egg, but some pictures have two. Not sure which is supposed to be the standard.
Yuzu Shoyu ($ 14) — Super light shoyu broth with a refreshing hit of citrusy yuzu. Interesting flavor contrast that isn’t for everyone. My favorite part of this bowl was the chasu, which was tender and nicely charred and a close replica of the chasu at my favorite ramen place, Menya Sandaime. It doesn’t come with an egg and the portion size was rather small so I think $ 14 is too pricey for this bowl, although it is good.
Service was slower than the average ramen place — we waited about 15 min for our bowls. The servers were very nice though. Overall the food was solid but since they’re new and there’s room for improvement I’d give it time before I want to come back.
CASH ONLY

3.5 stars. Brand new ramen joint in the LES. Ambience is super chic and the lively music makes this a fun, hip place to grab a meal.
Was a bit disappointed with the ramen itself though. I ordered the spicy miso. The soup base was very intense: quite spicy, salty, and rich all at once. Thought it was a little over the top. The noodles were also a bit too thick. Finally, there was only one piece of pork belly, which wasn’t too great. On top of it all the bowl was $ 16, which is definitely on the pricier end for ramen. I’ve definitely had higher quality/​tastier stuff for cheaper.
Maybe their other types of ramen are better, but I was overall not super impressed. Would much rather go to Totto or the nearby Ramen Lab. If you’re going to try this place try it now! No lines.yet.