The Graffiti Room
“The pork chop was also very well done- well seasoned, super tender, and not fatty.”
“The tonkatsu broth is just the right thickness – i dont like broth that is too heavy since ramen's already a calorie explosion.”
“On top of the easy menu you have a fixin bar to add little some flavorful string beans, carrots and bean sprouts to your soup.”
The Graffiti Room
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Pretty cool atmosphere and not insanely crowded so, you get quicker and more attentive service. Not necessarily the most interactive and sociable folks but hey, that just means you and your friends can have a more intimate hangout, right?
Now let me tell you, the sandwiches are too neglected!
Ramen seemed a bit overpriced compared to other joints with more renown broths, especially since you had to pay for basically each topping. But the sandwiches on the other hand were reasonably priced for its size and scrumptiousness.
Decided to go with a wild card and ordered The New Delhi sandwich [1] rather than getting the customary ramen noodle bowl. And boy was I more than thrilled that I did because this has got to be one of the best sandwiches that I have tasted yet. Highly recommend! Besides what's life if you're not going to experiment some bit and go with something different on the menu.
Also, you got to check out their restroom before leaving. Too cool.
[1] Pulled roasted chicken with curry mayo and sweet raisins topped with Japanese pickles and toasted sesame seeds for $8.50. All sandwiches served on their homemade focaccia bread and topped with arugula medley with tomatoes, cucumbers and silvered lemon peel.
This place has AMAZING ramen. The tonkotsu was SO GOOD and reminded me of the chuko thick broth. It was not as rich, but had a right amount of flavor and thickness to it. If you are looking for amazing tonkotsu and don't want to trek harsh terrain out to deep brooklyn, this is your place to go.
After reading the reviews, I kind of knew what to expect and got the egg and pork topping to the tonkotsu broth. I personally liked the egg not hard boiled..it was delicious
The complimentary veggie side toppings were a nice touch, and I really enjoyed the ramen. Service was also very very good (albeit there were not that many people in the store). They never rushed us for the check.
The only bone I have to pic as mentioned in other reviews, the bowl of ramen is a bit pricey ~19-21 total. Worth it? For a foodie like me, I would say definitely. Cool vibes, good food and I am in.
I found The Graffiti Room on Yelp and decided to check it out with my friend who's also a food blogger like myself.
It's pretty clear that The Graffiti Room is all about art and presentation. It has an industrial and artsy touch/decor to the restaurant. Even the restroom is artsy-focused so even if you don't need to use the restroom, it's worth checking out and/or to snap a few pictures. They also have wooden school-like desks and seats too.
From the moment you sit, you are given a laminated menu with a dry erase marker. Mark off what you want to eat. So basically a build it yourself concept. We specifically came here for ramen. There's two choices for ramen broth – tonkotsu (chicken & pork broth) OR Miso, both are $9.50. And all of the toppings are add on's which range between $2 – $4. If you add nothing your ramen would only consist of: sauteed greens, bean sprouts, scallions, and corn kernels.
I started off with a Passion Tea with Sweet Lemon and is a free refill item. The waitress brought a glass of simple syrup in case my beverage wasn't sweet enough, but I thought the sweetness of it was on point. I like that it was served in a mason jar – absolutely cute and the Passion Tea tastes a lot like the Starbucks Iced Passion Tango Tea.
There's an add-on/separate condiment area/suitcase with pickled vegetables and sauces near the front entrance.
First off, the set up of the bowl, chopsticks, spoon, and bowl was nice and organized. It's presented on a wooden board and whatever you do be careful with the chopsticks as it can potentially poke your eyes out. I do like that it's organized.
I got the Tonkotsu ramen ($9.50) with veggie dumplings (+$3) and with a poached egg (+$2) so altogether it was: $14.50 , which I thought was a little expensive for a mediocre ramen. It was definitely NOT the best ramen I've had. I have to agree with my friend that the dumplings were pan-fried, but we didn't get that crispy-ness you would typically get in pan-fried dumplings. It felt soggy and there was soy sauce on the side, but it didn't serve much of a purpose.
I felt the broth was a little bland and could have used more flavor or juices from the chicken and pork. I have had Tonkotsu at other ramen joints before and it was a lot more flavorful and richer. I was quite disappointed by the lack of taste to the broth because that's really the heart of a bowl of ramen.
My friend got the Miso Ramen ($9.50) with veggie dumplings (+$3) , but she wasn't happy with the dumplings at all as they were started to fall apart. Her noodles were overcooked and even her broth was bland too.
I agree with Rosy V. as there was also nothing in terms of service that I can really talk about because there wasn't too much interactions with the servers. They handed us the menus and we marked off what we wanted and they brought out our food and/or beverages when it was ready. They were nice people in general and just doing their job, but I wished they had interacted with us a little more instead of just standing behind the counter.
This restaurant currently holds an average overall rating of 4 stars on Yelp. I read a few reviews from past customers and it's either a hit or miss here. I really wanted to like The Graffiti Room and I do admire the artwork in their restaurant and it seems they care more about appearance, but what about putting more heart and soul into the food?
New go-to ramen spot for me! The tonkatsu broth is just the right thickness – i dont like broth that is too heavy since ramen's already a calorie explosion. There is no choice of noodles, but the standard ones they have are cooked just the right amount so that it slowly softens as it sits in your broth. I will say, the $2~$4 extra for an egg or meat topping is a tad bit overpriced. The total price comes up to ~$18 easily. So go easy on those extra toppings..
Everything great about the ramen aside, the best thing here is the side dishes – bamboo shoots lathered with some kind of oil is my favorite. The string beans, marinated with some kind of soy-sauce & spice mix is also great. Clearly I don't pay attention to what the ingredients are, I just chow it down.
Overall it's great. The bathroom is super cool too.
Great vibe to the restaurant, but food does = price. I love the concept of the restaurant and I love what type of vibe it brings, but the food doesn't match the price in my opinion.
First off they give you a laminated menu and you check off what you want to eat and what you want to put in your ramen. So basically a build it yourself concept. Basically you get 2 choices for ramen broth, tonkatsu (chicken & pork broth) OR miso, both are $9.50. And all the toppings are add on's which range between $2-$4. If you add nothing your ramen would only consist of broccoli and other misc. veggies. I personally chose the veggie dumplings ($3.50) + porkchop ($4.00) and the tonkatsu broth, making my order = $16.50. I thought the ramen was good, but there was nothing that stood out in taste and if I wanted it spicy there was a separate condiment/side dish area near the front entrance to add on.
I also was a bit disappointed in how small their options were. Not a huge variety of toppings AND the eggs were only "normal poached" and not the ramen eggs that you would see at other ramen restaurants. There were also no choices for appetizers or small dishes and in the back of their menu they have a tiny selection of sandwiches and drinks. But overall not too much to choose from.
There was also nothing in terms of service I could really talk about because there wasn't too much interactions with the servers. They hand us the menu and we mark off what we want and they bring it over when ready. They were nice people in general, but I didn't have enough interactions with them to say any further.
Overall, I have to say I wouldn't come back again not because they weren't good, but because the price was equal in par to Ippudo, which is a higher end ramen restaurant. I would get more ramen for my buck if I went to Ippudo. To be fair, this restaurant could have a fighting chance, but prices must go down or they need to go for a different concept, because New York is chock full of ramen restaurants and besides the atmosphere, it doesn't really stand out in taste.
What a funky little ramen joint! My friends and I were looking for a quick bite in the neighborhood before bar hopping in NOHO. this place was perfect, pick and choose what you want in your ramen including dumplings, pork, chicken, type of broth etc. Throw in some vegetables and hot sauce to boot and you've got a meal made for a king! The broth was the right kind of consistency, thick and a wee bit salty but not so viscous you feel like you're eating melted ice cream. And the noddles … Sweet Mary and and Joseph those noodles were on point.
Another plus … It's BYOB friends! With a nice little bodega across the way, you're looking at a good night. Only one bathroom so the wait can get a little long – which is basically the only draw back I had. The staff were lovely and attentive, and you can rock the plastic. Coming from the outer Burroughs it's nice not to have to rely on . We also went on a Saturday night and even at 9:30 we easily got a seat. Definitely going to try and hit this up again before the heat of the summer descends.
I came here with a friend who told me of this place and my second time. Tonight
I really like the idea of having free toppings because we all know that sh*t adds up so I REALLY appreciate it! I really do like the pickled daikon…drools
You can also customize your ramen by choosing the broth, the protein and the toppings that you don't want. They offer non traditional proteins such as pork chop, pastrami and etc. You can always mix up your choices for your visits. If you ever been to Meatball shop, it's the same idea (you get a marker and mark what you want)
It's a bit pricy for new upcoming ramen shop (each ramen can go around (12-14) which that's what I'm looking to pay at a more well known establishment but hey…I am getting unlimited free toppings
I remembered my first time, I got the tonkatsu broth based with chicken and of course, all the fixings. I remember it being pretty damn good but surprised by the amount of veggies I got in my ramen. Again, your non traditional ramen place, I got broccoli and another type of greens in my ramen and I remembered wondering where this come from. The noodles are thin n this time, my noodles were a bit slimy in a sense. Made it kinda gross.
I remember the chicken was good and the pork chop this time, it wasn't bad but not the option for ramen.
I think I'm good off this place for a bit
This place is great! Believe the reviews.
Tasty ramen, made to order, with an unlimited toppings sidebar full of bamboo shoots, picked radish, cucumbers, sauces, etc.
The menu is simple and makes ordering easy.
The service can't be beat.
Spacious and has free wi-fi!
Graffiti Room has made the corner of Mott and Kenmare famous with its fantastic rotating murals — but be sure to check out its restaurant/café just around the corner!