45 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Sripraphai’s Tom Kha Gai: I Still Prefer the Other Tom

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  I still like Tom Yum Goong better.

Since many years ago, I had heard a lot about Sripraphai from my Thai friends.  I’d always wanted to try it, but it was rare for anyone to really go out there for some Thai food.  So I was glad to see that this restaurant made the list.  Now I had to go.

It was a tad disappointing to see that the featured soup was Tom Kha Gai ($4.50 small; $8.50 large) since I’m a huge fan of Tom Yum Goong ($5 small; $9 large), but at least it got me to try something new.

The first thing to note is that, while New York Magazine indulged in a large, all you need is a small, unless you’re going to share with a group of friends.  The small alone was extremely filling.  Packed with shrimp, oyster mushrooms and large chunks of chicken, you basically had your dinner entree right there.

Sripraphai's Tom Kha Gai

The coconut milk broth was enhanced by a huge chunk of galangal (ginger), chili peppers, cilantro, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves, giving you a nice balance of creamy, sweet and tangy.  I expected the chili peppers to make it extremely spicy, as Thai people like to eat their food, but it wasn’t spicy at all.

It was definitely a delicious soup, but I remain loyal to my Tom Yum (which was actually really good, too) since, as you know, I prefer clear broths, not milky ones.

Sripraphai
64-13 39th Avenue
Woodside, NY 11377
718.899.9599
http://www.sripraphairestaurant.com/

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

43 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Grand Sichuan’s Sliced Fish Sauce Soup: Really Just a Bowl of Chili Oil

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  *barf*

Someone bring me a puke bag because writing this might actually make me puke.  I would rather not think about Grand Sichuan’s Sliced Fish Sauce Soup ($20; was $19) ever again.

First off, yes, it was $20.  They bring out a family-style bowl of it.

Grand Sichuan's Sliced Fish Sauce Soup

Below the thick, red chili oil and bushel of red chili peppers lay some thin fillets of fish (skin on and bone in), cilantro, celery sticks, napa cabbage, leeks and squares of tofu.

Here are a few things that were said by me, TK, KF and MS:

“I feel like I’m eating oil.”

“(It’s like) pepper juice.”

“I can’t taste anything else but chili oil.”

I’d rather drink a bottle of pepto.

No one really touched the soup after the first sip.  I, on the other hand, decided that the non-fish items were good enough to eat with my rice.  Without any “broth” it was edible.

My friend told me about “twilight anesthesia” this morning – it keeps you conscious but sleepy, and you forget the entire experience afterwards.  This is exactly what we needed that night while trying this nastiness.

When the waitress came by and asked me if we wanted it wrapped, I wanted to say “hellz no, it was nasty!” but I didn’t know how to express that in Mandarin.  The best I could do was say, politely, “No, it was too oily.”  I guess that’s a good thing?

Grand Sichuan
15 Seventh Avenue South (near Leroy St.)
New York, NY 10014
212.645.2222
http://www.thegrandsichuan.com/contact/7ave

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

36 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Shopsin’s Chicken Tortilla Avocado Soup: Big on Size, Not on Taste

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  It should be a sin to charge $15 on a bowl of soup that doesn’t deliver on taste, regardless of its size.

I’m WAY behind in my blogging.  Thirteen entries to write.  I’ve clearly been good about the eating part.  Thirteen soups in two weeks = crazy town.  Let’s not waste anymore time…

I’d been trying to go to Shopsin’s a few times, but it never happened due to their early closing hours (2 or 3pm Wed-Sun).  I’m either at work, which is too far away, or I’m sleeping in on the weekends.

Finally, after realizing I only had a couple weeks left to eat my way through the list, I went during my lunch hour one day.

Shopsin's Chicken Tortilla Avocado Soup

When I first saw “Chicken Tortilla Avocado Soup” ($15) on the list, I couldn’t wait to try it.  I love tortilla soup.  But this one fell short.  Fresh, browned chicken chunks were thrown in with a mish-mosh of sporadic items:  a seemingly whole head of browned cabbage which were cut into huge shreds that made it difficult to eat; onions; avocado chunks; big yellow, barley- and corn-like kernels (aka hominy); black beans; cilantro; celery; and other leafy greens.  The big tortilla chips that layered the bottom were as hidden as the level 3 spiciness that I had requested (on a scale of 1 to 6, with 6 being the spiciest and most popular).  And the entire thing needed a boost of salt.

This photo doesn't accurately show how gigantic the bowl was.

Overall, the taste was almost as bland as the earthy tones of the ingredients, and there was just way too much going on, as if they threw all of their leftovers from the pantry into the pot.  But I didn’t hate it and enjoyed it as my “free” dinner, after upping the sodium levels.

The highlights were the bright blue of the actual bowl, the cute older chef who wore suspenders with a tshirt, glasses and army green train conductor hat, the other spunky chef who was a clear Mets fan, and the yummy free sweet treats from a local bakery that they let you pick out of a box.

Even though they give you enough soup to share between two to three people, the $15 wasn’t worth it.

Shopsin’s
120 Essex Street
New York, NY 10002
http://www.shopsins.com/

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

33 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Estelle’s Chicken Soup at Fred’s at Barneys Leaves You (and Your Wallet) Empty

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  Go to Barney’s to feed your closet, not your stomach.

In my 10.5 years living in NYC, the only time I stepped into Barneys was because I had to use the bathroom.  That was the only thing I could afford to do there.  When I ventured there last week for lunch, I was expecting no less than an expensive meal that would leave me needing a second lunch.

“Grandma’s recipe to cure colds and stay thin.”  That’s how the menu described Estelle’s Chicken Soup ($11) at Fred’s, the department store’s restaurant.  I can’t confirm if it would actually cure a cold, but I can confirm that I’d probably stay thin if I ate this all the time:  I would never feel full just eating one bowl, and I’d never have money left to buy myself some more food.

 

Estelle's Chicken Soup at Fred's at Barneys

The shredded chicken filled most of the shallow bowl, which also contained a sprinkle of diced carrots, celery and fresh parsley, and a light coating of golden broth.  I was less than impressed, especially with its $11 price tag.  It was really nothing special (no offense to Estelle who is/was, I’m sure, a very special woman), and, in fact, it tasted just like the chicken soup I made about a month ago.

I think the lesson here is that I should start selling small bowls of my own soup and charging up the wazoo for it.  Maybe then I could afford a luxury item from Barneys.

Fred’s at Barneys
660 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10065
212.833.2200

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

28 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Grand Bo Ky’s Seafood Flat Noodle Soup is a B Flat

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  If you like to take risks, and you need something that’s just a couple notches above Top Ramen, then go for it.

Have I mentioned my OCD?  Have I mentioned my weak stomach?  So what do I do when I walk up to Grand Bo Ky and encounter a “B” rating on the front window?  Say, “oh boy” to JM and walk in, of course!

Let me shed some light on this new NYC rating system.  A “B” rating means anywhere from 14-27 violations.  I didn’t realize it was this bad until my good friend JH actually frighteningly talked about it just a few days before this outing.  Anything lower than an “A” for him was a huge no-no.  And, in the case of Grand Bo Ky, the New York health inspectors cited 22 whopping violations (so a B-), which have only improved by two since February 2010.  Here are their violations (those in red are “critical”):

1) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
2) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
3) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.

If you didn’t think I was dedicated to this soup journey before, do you believe me now?  Sure, I’ve eaten at plenty of unsavory-looking Chinese restaurants before, even various food carts, but being told up front that you might get food poisoning makes it impossible for me to blame the restaurant later.  ;o)

One thing to know about me right off the bat is that I don’t really gravitate towards seafood, especially if it isn’t accompanied by or cooked in some sauce, isn’t fried or isn’t raw oysters.  Big, plain chunks of seafood in broth?  Not my thing.

Grand Bo Ky's Seafood Flat Noodle Soup

So, as much as I didn’t want to order the Seafood Flat Noodle Soup ($5.25), it turned out better than I expected.  In general, I looooove flat, wide chow fun noodles, and these were cooked just right.  The broth was nice and light.  The white and black pepper gave it a nice kick.  The three measly shrimp were just sad, and their long pooplines didn’t help their look.  The big, curly squid seemed fresh enough and were as chewy and tasteless as chewy and tasteless can be.  The fish balls were, well, most likely fish balls from a frozen package, which I don’t mind.  And the bean sprouts were M.I.A. until I was almost done the bowl.  Lots more cilantro would’ve been nice, and even some green veggies (scallions don’t count).

So did I finish the bowl?  I finished all except for a piece of squid.  I was hungry!!

Did my stomach pay for it later?  Yes, it was playing a sad little tune afterwards.  And I wish it was just my sensitive tummy, but JM’s was playing its own little dramatic tune after his bowl of wonton noodle soup (which was even less tasty than mine).  Could it be some bad, bad roaches made their way into our bowls?

Here’s what I think – seafood lovers may enjoy this, but, if you’re looking for bold flavors, go elsewhere.  And, unless you’re really strapped for money and need something just a few notes above Top Ramen, easily wobbly stomachs like mine should find fulfillment in A-grade restaurants only.

Grand Bo Ky
216 Grand St.  (btwn Mott St & Elizabeth St)
New York, NY 10013
(212) 219-9228

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

27 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Agnanti’s Trahana Soup: Not a Rare Treat

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  Lots of cheese, like a French Onion, but it’s no French Onion.

I trekked all the way from Downtown Brooklyn to the end of the N line in Astoria – working my way through the puzzle of a screwed up weekend subway system – for some Greek soup with MS.  It took an hour to get there, and it was bitter cold, so I was praying for a soup that was worth my effort.

Agnanti's Trahana Soup

MS ordered the special lentil soup, while I ordered the designated Trahana ($5.50, which is a $1 increase from 2009).  Now, if you just look at the photo, you can see that there’s not much to the Trahana.  Sometimes, the simplest can be the tastiest, but not this time.  Clear, vegetable broth with teeny tiny bits of semolina pasta, strings of tomato that might as well not be there, and chewy globs of kasseri cheese that gave an overwhelming flavor made up this simple bowl.

In my notes, I had written “tastes like goat cheese?”  When I looked up what kasseri cheese was, I found out that it’s a sheep’s milk cheese that has “very little, if any, goat’s milk mixed in,” according to Wikipedia.  I definitely tasted the goatiness, which I never love, but I also think that, had it not been there, this soup would’ve just tasted like bland salt water.

New York magazine called this soup a “rarity,” and I’m ok with it staying that way.  MS’s lentil soup was much better – lots of flavor and spices.

Agnanti
19-06 Ditmars Blvd
Astoria, NY 11105-3658
(718) 545-4554
http://www.agnantimeze.com/

New Brooklyn Location
78-02 Fifth Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11202
718-833-7033

—–

Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

25 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – The Spotted Pig’s Smoked Haddock Chowder: A Health Code Violation?

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:   This has to violate some health code.

I usually give second, third, maybe fourth chances.  But I’m done with The Spotted Pig.  I’d been to the restaurant before and knew that there was always a long wait.  So, back in March, I made sure to call to see if they were still serving the Tomato Soup before actually going there.  Luckily I did that because I was told that it was a winter item and to try again then.

Seven months later – my longest wait yet – I decided to try again with TSH.  Sure, it was October 19, which was technically still fall, but it definitely felt like winter.  Instead of calling this time, I had looked at their online menu first, and the Tomato Soup was listed.  Too bad the menu I received upon being seated was completely different.  Smoked Haddock Chowder?  Where’s the Tomato Soup!?!?  The waitress said that they had JUST taken it off the menu.  Sooooo, what you’re telling me is that you told me it’s a winter item, but you most definitely served it during the fall.  And when I decided to go there, you took it off the menu.  Grreeeat…

 

The Spotted Pig's Smoked Haddock Chowder

Since I had lost my patience at this point, and vowed to never waste my time there again, I decided to order the chowder ($15) which would replace the Tomato Soup as the halfway point of this journey.  The only fireworks that I got for this pivotal moment was from the spicy kick in my mouth at the end of each spoonful.  I felt like a doctor should’ve been waiting next to me since

Homemade Crackers

all of the milk, cream, oil and salt became unbearable after a few bites.  Chewing some of the homemade airy crackers on the side of the bowl provided some welcome relief, and they were probably the only thing I wanted to take home and snack on while watching a good movie.

But, if you like creamy and chunky, then you might like this.  Small diced potatoes nearly covered the bowl, while celery, carrots, ham and fresh parsley accompanied them.  Be forewarned – if you’re going to try this, make sure you’re health is in peak condition.

At $15 a bowl, I tried very hard to finish it, but I couldn’t.  My body yelled at me to stop, even though I had half left.  I didn’t get my $7.50 back, but I got halfway through my soup list…

The Spotted Pig
314 W. 11th Street (at Greenwich St.)
New York, NY 10014
(212) 620-0393
http://www.thespottedpig.com/

—–

Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

24 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Trick or Borscht at Veselka?

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  I’ll get my treats elsewhere.

Yep, I’m way behind on souping and writing.  For my handful of dedicated readers, I apologize dearly.  Life has presented me with some obstacles the past couple of months, so I, sadly, have been eating and writing less and stressing more.  Will try to keep the next three posts short in order to catch up, but you can probably tell that being short is a bit hard for me.

What would you choose?

Back on October 13th, MS and I went to Veselka since she had always wanted to go there.  The restaurant tried t

o be playful with a Halloween theme, and “Trick or Borscht” decorated their back wall.  Borscht, please!  I was specifically there to try it, after all.

Veselka's Ukrainian Borscht

The two of us opted for a cup of the Ukrainian Borscht ($3.50; bowl $4.75) since we’ve both never had it before and weren’t sure if we’d like it.  I had googled borscht beforehand to see what it actually was, and I knew that beets were usually the main ingredient.  But, somehow, I still wasn’t prepared for a cup of deep fluorescent pink liquid.  I felt like I was drinking a pink highlighter that was left to boil in some hot water.  “You eat with your eyes first” has never been so true, and I had wee bit of a tough time getting past the color.  (It does make for a nice photo though, huh?)

I also didn’t expect the vinegary sourness.  Clearly I didn’t read enough when I googled.  But once I ignored the pinkness, I could somewhat enjoy the sourness, beets, onions, tender beef, cabbage and big lima beans that made the soup.  It wasn’t horribly bad by any means, but the coloring unfortunately turned me off for some odd reason.  Weird texture and appearance don’t usually affect me.

So, after having tried my first borscht, if I had to do it all over again, I would say, “TRICK, please!”  And that’s too bad because I’ve got more borschts on the list to try.  But as they say, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.  I’m willing to do that for soup.

—–

Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

23 of 50 “Tastiest” Soups in NYC – Soto’s Miso Soup: as Unique as a Miso Soup Packet

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  The soup was as empty as the restaurant.

It was Monday, September 20, 2010.  My birthday.  My boyfriend had set up a nice dinner at Soto, thoughtfully chosen because its miso soup was on my soup list.  My brother and sister-in-law joined us since I wanted my family around me.

We walked into a small, quiet, empty restaurant, except for two lone men sitting at the sushi bar.  After reading about the Miso Soup with Sea Urchin and Lobster ($10), three of us ordered it.  I usually balk at any miso soup that’s more than $2, but “lobster and uni broth with lobster, sliced fresh ginger shoot, chive?”  Seemed like justification for an additional $8.

New York magazine described it as such:  “Presented like a gift in a traditional urushi-lacquered covered bowl, this is one luxury miso:  witness lobster-dashi stock; uni bouillon base made with miso paste and truffle oil; and an a la minute garnish of sliced myoga ginger shoots and chives.  The umami-rich broth should be sipped directly from the cup, out of respect for both the soup and the vessel.”

So the magazine thinks we should worship this little bowl, but I think that the editors must’ve been smoking something when they tasted it.  I had taken a photo on my phone and accidentally deleted it when I was deleting other photos.  That’s how memorable and precious that bowl was to me.

My take on Soto’s miso soup?  Presented in a Japanese bowl much like any other Japanese restaurant – even the questionable ones – this is one no-frills miso with just a tiny sliver of lobster meat that you might not even notice.  Witness soup that tastes as bland as a watered down miso packet from the store and a load of thinly sliced fresh ginger and baby chives floating in an attempt to bring flavor to the flavorless.  The watery broth should remain in the bowl…and in the kitchen…out of respect for your stomach and wallet, respectively, which deserve to be eating and spent on something much better.

But, while the soup was a huge disappointment and the rest of the meal was nothing to rave about, the company was just what I wanted.  I was surrounded by love.  You can’t get that in a packet.

Soto
357 Sixth Avenue (near Washington Place)
New York, NY 10079
(212) 414-3088

—–

Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!

Off the Beaten Path: East/West Ramen Fest – 5 More You May or May Not Want to Try

Ramen.  I clearly eat a lot of it.  Here are reviews of five more bowls – one in LA and four others from two new sister restaurants in NYC headed up by the well-known, Chef Hideto Kawahara.  If I die while eating ramen, I’ll be dying a happy woman.

*     *     *     *     *

DAIKOKUYA LITTLE TOKYO (Los Angeles)

Daikokuya's Daikoku Ramen (photo courtesy of website since mine's stuck on home laptop)

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  I didn’t dislike it, but I can do without it.

My last four visits to LA, I asked JM to take me to Daikokuya since I had heard so much about it.  The first three times we tried going, we either didn’t want to wait (consider an hour wait at least) or couldn’t get in since they weren’t taking anymore names before closing.  The ever-present lines at this restaurant remind me of Ippudo in Manhattan.  The fourth time, we decided to be patient and stick it out.  Luckily for us, a lot of people played our previous roles and skipped out, seeking another time that wouldn’t test their patience (good luck with that, folks!).  So, instead of waiting maybe two hours, we stood restlessly outside for an hour and ate dinner around 10:00 pm.

I went a little nuts and ordered the Combo Meal ($11.50) with Daikoku Ramen and a bowl of fried rice.  If you order a la carte, it’ll cost you $8.50 and $7.50 respectively.  Here’s when I wish I had a much bigger body because the portion sizes were more than I could handle.  I wonder if I could’ve requested the half portion of ramen with the combo meal…

Chopped fresh scallions, raw bean sprouts, menma, sesame seeds, curly noodles, three kurobuta (“Black Hog” which is as prized as Kobe beef) pork belly chashu slices, and a perfectly cooked melt-in-your-mouth whole marinated boiled egg floated (seriously THE BEST EGG ever) within and on top of a milky cloud of tonkotsu and soy sauce broth.  I had also requested the richer, kotteri flavor broth which used additional soup extracted from the back fat (according to their menu).  I can’t say if it made a difference since I’ve never had the original version.

All in all, I really didn’t have anything bad to say about it.  I just didn’t experience anything that made me want to go back and wait in line again.  I’d rather quickly grab a seat at another Japanese restaurant across the street and gobble down their super soothing udon noodles in a hot pot.

Daikokuya Little Tokyo
327 E. 1st Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 626-1680
http://www.daikoku-ten.com/LTmnu09a.html

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HIDECHAN (New York City)

Hidechan Spicy Miso Ramen

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  How can a chef be so inconsistent?  The ramen here is one of the worst I’ve had in the city and in no way compares to the deliciousness at its sister ramen joint, Totto Ramen (below).

My brother and sister-in-law took me to the new Hidechan in midtown east since they had been wanting to try it (and they know about my souper journey).  The whole experience turned into one big nightmare because 1) the ramen was a big disappointment and 2) immediately after we sat down, my brother (he’s older) decided he would ask me if JM was going to propose to me anytime soon.  Imagine the look of horror on my face.  I was nearly speechless.  I expected those words to come out of my dad’s mouth, but surely not his.  I’m not getting THAT old, am I?  Ok, maybe I’d been wondering the same thing from time to time, but, sheesh, no need for the added pressure from my own bro.  He’s supposed to be the chill one to tell me it’s all good, and there’s no rush…right?

After this awkward moment, I was hoping that Hidechan noodles would soothe my pounding heart.  They didn’t.  The Hakata Spicy Miso Ramen ($10.50) came with straight, thin noodles that were way too soft for my taste.  It wasn’t until after we ordered that we noticed a tiny little piece of paper taped to the table’s chopsticks container that said we could specify how we wanted the noodles cooked and how rich we wanted the broth.  Sucks that we saw that too late, and the waiter never asked us.  If he did, I would’ve ordered my noodles al dente, not soft and mushy, and my tonkotsu broth rich, not super light and underwhelming like they made it.  I was also unsure about the spicy miso paste.  The medium-sized scoop sitting on top of the bowl was mushed together with a bunch of ground beef (or pork?).  It almost seemed too beefy and was definitely not spicy.  I’ve never had spicy miso served this way.  Is this typical?  Anyway, last little note, if you order a boiled egg to accompany the bowl’s standard kikurage, scallions and bean sprouts (with the crazily, tooth-hurtin’ yellow heads), add $1.  But I would really think twice about spending even a dollar here.

Hidechan
248 E. 52nd Street (near 2nd Avenue)
New York, NY 10022
212-813-1800

*     *     *     *     *

TOTTO RAMEN (New York City)

MY OVERALL TASTEFUL OPINION:  NO MSG automatically gives this restaurant a leg up on any in the city, but each ramen “flavor” has varying degrees of yumminess.

This past month my work lunches have been TOTTO-lly filled with ramen (yes, yes, very corny.  The man is rubbing off on me, to my dismay).  After my very first time, I went back for more two days later…and two more times after that…and I’ll be back again next week.  So, yes, I think it’s safe to safe that this has miraculously taken over Ippudo’s #1 spot on my list of NYC ramen houses.  Aside from the thankful NO MSG policy, you never have to wait too long, even when it seems like the sidewalk is packed with newbies and fans.  I’ve tried three out of the six noodle soup varieties already, and here are my thoughts starting from my least favorite.

—–

Vegetarian Ramen ($11)

MY TASTEFUL OPINION: I’ll stick with the good ol’ meaty versions.

Totto Vegetarian Ramen (observe the wooden pedestal in right photo)

Even though this is vegetarian, this is the second most expensive one on the list.  Most likely, it’s because they use organic noodles and other expensive items.  But I did in fact wonder if the extra costs also came from the fancy presentation – your cute round white bowl is, oddly, placed atop a wooden pedestal.  Sometimes vegetarian food does need some sprucing up to make up for a lack of meaty goodness, and meaty goodness is what I missed.

I’m no crazy carnivore.  I love my veggies.  I need my veggies.  But, for some reason, I was depressed while eating this.  I couldn’t get used to the seaweed and shiitake mushroom broth (which also had “peppery Yuzu paste,” sesame oil and a squeeze of fresh lime), even though those ingredients are some of my favorites.  Yuzu always piques my interest when I see it on the menu, but maybe I only like it in my cocktails or on cold raw fish.  The thin, soba-like noodles were a tad too soft, and I wish the raw chopped onions were softer and more cooked (only ’cause my stomach can’t handle raw onions).  The sprinkle of dry seaweed on top expanded nicely in the hot broth and intermingled with the random mix of cooked vegetables – cauliflower, zucchini, slice of red pepper, and corn.  While they were cooked to perfection, they were lacking some kind of sauce.  Think raw vegetables with no dip.  The only thing that made me happy were the slices of seasoned avocado.  I’ve never tasted avocado like this.  It tasted just like my favorite Chinese jar of fermented tofu.  I’m sure none of you know what that is (and it sounds disgusting), but it makes this lil chicky very happy.

Even though I didn’t care for this, vegetarians might.  I heard that a vegetarian friend of mine liked it.  I guess you can’t really find non-meat options on ramen menus, so Totto is smart for including this on theirs.  I do find intelligence sexy…

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Miso Ramen ($10.25)

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  Much better than its sister’s Spicy Miso version.

Totto Miso Ramen with Side of Spicy Menma

The highlight of this dish was the curly, thicker al dente noodles.  No other ramen spot that I know of serves this kind.  And, just like men appreciate women with meat on their bones, I sometimes like more meat on my noodles.  Mmm.  The two slices of pork came a tad thin and tough.  I’m not sure if they torched the meat too long that day (yes, you can watch them torching the pans of sliced pork), or if they just use a different style for this bowl.  Whatever it was, I didn’t prefer the toughness.  Like its counterpart, Hidechan, you had to mix in a scoop of miso paste and ground pork with the chicken paitan broth, but somehow this tasted a lot better.  It must have to do with the more flavorful broth.  So what about the accoutrements?  You get the typical half egg, scallions and bean sprouts, of course, with the apparently typical Totto addition of raw chopped onions.  I ordered a side of spicy menma (add $1), and will never order it again.  It was unusually salty and just not good.  I overheard two women’s reactions to the non-spicy menma, too, and they also complained about the saltiness.  Sans additional menma, I think I could order this again, especially if they let me get extra miso on the side.

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Chicken Paitan Ramen ($9.25) + Whole Broiled Egg ($1)

MY TASTEFUL OPINION:  I might be eating this once a week…at least.

Totto's Chicken Paitan Ramen

The menu’s description: “These straight homemade noodles are cooked al dente style in a whole chicken and premium soy sauce based soup topped with scallion, onion, char siu pork, and a nori.”  You can see the ginormous pot of soup boiling with whole chickens (poor chickens), and you sorta want to dive in and bathe in it (or is that just me?).  But if I can’t bathe in it, then I’ll ingest it.  I’d be even happier if they canned all this richness so that I could slurp it at home, especially when I’m sick.  The torched pork slices were super tender, and they were joined by morsels of seasoned pork chunks that took me to another world.  Sure, this is a pretty plain bowl of ramen: a minimal variety of garnishes that are mostly a mute beige color leave the eye somewhat forlorn.  A friend who recently tried it said it was like a really great chicken noodle soup and was not impressed.  But, leaving out the vegetarians, who doesn’t like chicken noodle soup?  And who wouldn’t want one that’s pretty mind-blowing?  Personally, I think that if you can take the simple and minimalist approach, without the help of flavor enhancers, and still make foodies obsessed, then you’ve got a winner.

Totto Ramen
366 W. 52nd St. (btwn 8th and 9th Aves)
New York, NY 10019
212.582.0052
http://tottoramen.com/

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Over $10 – These soups should have a gold leaf in them.

$6 to $10 – You’re not shellin’ out the gold, but also not gettin’ super lucky.

Under $6 – It’s your lucky day!