Ivan Ramen
Ivan Orkin makes the noodles here in the kitchen, from rye and whole-wheat flour. Pete Wells gave the room two stars in the New York Times in August 2014, and the noodles were his reason.
Why go
Orkin grew up on Long Island, moved to Tokyo in 2003 and opened a ten-seat ramen shop there in 2007. He brought the flagship to Clinton Street in May 2014. Wells rated the noodles exceptional. His one complaint was the soup ramens, which kept reaching him under temperature.1 The menu has moved on since the Chef's Table episode. The Coney Island tofu and the thousand-year-old deviled egg are gone, and crispy eggplant with tahini and charred garlic took their place.2 There is a back patio. Take it for a solo dinner.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the triple pork triple garlic mazemen. Then the tsukemen, thick fresh noodles dipped into pork broth and finished at the table with
niboshi powder and sardine vinegar.
4 Start with the pastrami buns, which put cured beef in a bao and are funnier than they sound. - Avoid: the fried chicken sandwich. Carlo Mantuano's advice for The Infatuation is to
focus on ramen while you're here.
2
What locals & experts say
- Pete Wells, New York Times, 6 August 2014, two stars: the mazemen is
a form Mr. Orkin has mastered more fully than anyone in the city.
1 - Carlo Mantuano, The Infatuation, 14 January 2022, 7.5: his own favorite is the spicy red chili ramen, and the vegetarian bowl gets a roasted tomato dropped in for savoriness.2
Good to know
- Booking: worth doing. The counter fills first.
- Doors: Orkin also runs a counter at the Via Via food hall in Las Vegas. His Hell's Kitchen Slurp Shop closed in November 2020.
Verdict
should-visit — Order dry and sit at the counter. Hold the line on the add-ons: the floor sells garnishes at two or three dollars each. Pete Wells's view was that if a bowl is better with an egg it should arrive with one.