Mr. Taka Ramen
“While I really enjoyed the unique veggie broth, I wish they had another vegetarian broth without soy milk.”
“For something different, you can try the Yuzu Shoyu ramen but it wasn't my cup of noodles.”
“There was spicy paste, spicy oil, sliced red peppers, and chili strands.”
Mr. Taka Ramen
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Has New York City hit the saturation point for ramen yet?
If new ramen-yas like Mr. Taka are any indication, then the answer is a definite: no. With Chef Takatoshi Nagara, one of Japan's chefs who can proudly claim a spot on Michelin's "Top 20 Ramen Shops in Tokyo", behind the kitchen, there was no small amount of expectation leading up to the opening of his NYC shop. The venue is appropriately situated in the Lower East Side, comprised of a number of counter seats and (closely placed) two-tops; concurrent with ramen culture, it's a place meant for dining in small groups or solo, and seats are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
On the evening that we visited, we were quoted a short wait, and were seated by the counter against the window. The menu includes your typical array of starters, while the ramen options are a little more robust than your average spot. There's the standard shoyu, shio, miso, and tonkotsu broths, as well as the more creative curry, yuzu shoyu, and chilled lemon versions – order at your own risk. As it was our first visit, we opted to try the more standard dishes, especially since they would serve as better benchmarks for the restaurant as a whole.
First: Don't get the gyoza. The dumplings served here are deep-fried, resulting in a too-thick and crisp skin that's far from the pan-fried ones we were expecting. The filling of pork, chives, and cabbage was too dry and rather sparse, and couldn't be saved by the dipping sauce provided.
The saving grace here was, of course, the ramen. I opted for the Spicy Tonkotsu bowl, and it was temptingly presented; a spicy pork broth complemented by thin ramen noodles (sourced from Sun Noodles), chashu, kikurage mushrooms, bean sprouts, and a soft boiled egg. There's a healthy spoonful of rayu and a chili paste to add the promised punch of spice – and both delivered heat and flavor without overwhelming the broth. The broth, by the way, is one of the better tonkotsu bases I've yet to try; it's creamy and unctuous without being overly salty and heavy, and paired well with the slight bite of the noodles. A varied number of toppings and textures round out each spoonful, and by the end of the meal, we both tried to finish the very last few drops of broth we could get.
At the end of the day, I judge a place based on how willing I would be to go back, and at least in the case of Mr. Taka, I'd willingly return to try any other of the ramen options they have (or just to get the same one). It's well worth a visit, and yet another place to cross off the seemingly never-ending list.
Hands down the most beautiful bowl of ramen I have ever had.
The Spicy Miso Ramen was an absolute creamy dream with just a kick of spice and tons of flavor. I use the Spicy Miso as my standard that I get at every ramen shop — and this place must be in my lifetime top two.
The soft eggs were cooked to perfection.
Cash only 🙂
This place knocked it out of the park food wise. If you want a QUALITY ramen check this place out. Prices are fair. I got the spicy miso ramen which had pork belly and soft boiled egg and ground pork. The flavors were very rich and developed and the broth was nice and fatty. The egg was cooked literally perfectly. Great food when it's cold outside.
Came here on a weekday lunch when our original lunch plans didn't work out. The good thing about this place was that they had vegetarian ramen which tends to be rare. The ramen itself was tasty, but I was confused by its flavours. It definitely didn't seem like a classic bowl of ramen, the broth was thick and a bit curry-like – honestly, a bit off-putting. However, looking at some of the other bowls, it didn't seem like it was that way so maybe it's just a Spicy Vegetarian Ramen kind of thing.
I've been to a few ramen places in the lifetime, and I'd have to say Mr. Taka was tasty in comparison to other ramen restaurants. The broth wasn't too salty and had the exact flavors I was looking for in a spicy miso ramen bowl. The noodles were cooked just the way I like – still a little firm and thicker noodles. This has nothing to do with the food, but I love the big wooden spoon they give you to slurp that broth down with. The ramen is a little on the pricey side ($16 for spicy miso) but you will leave the restaurant full and satisfied.
I'm going to have to say, "no" to this one. I liked that they roasted all the veggies first before putting them in the ramen. It gave the veggies a nice flavor, but that's all I liked. The broth for the veggie ramen was made with soy milk and it was really gross. I can't really describe the flavor, but trust me when I tell you that it wasn't pleasant.
Sad that they only serve tonkotsu soup on Tuesday and Wednesday's only (I was there on a Sunday afternoon around 1ish ). No wait! So, I got the miso ramen ($14). It was good a little richer than I like it. Blasphemy it doesn't come with an egg!!! ($2 add on for a whole one) the soup was good but not amazing. Noodles were more al dente and thicker than any other ramen I've seen. I would have liked it if only it was cooked a little more! The pork belly that comes with it was good! Flavorful fatty and tender! This soup was supposed to have cilantro which is different, but I LOVE cilantro so that's why I picked it! Sadly, there was no cilantro flavor in my soup 🙁
I saw people write cash only but not anymore! They accept credit and will split the check for you if you want to pay per person.
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!