Buddhabong's Top 5: The Best Ramen In and Around NYC

Oodles of noodles.

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Patrick Judabong - photographer, DJ, and founder of the Fat Bastard Crew, known to the world as Buddhabong. He has traveled the world in search of stunning images, great beats, and the best eats. Currently, you can catch him getting fat in and around New York City.


It's about that time when the leaves start to change color, the jackets come out of storage, and the weather gets colder. 'Tis the season when I always want something warm in my belly. Enter ramen, with its warm broth, succulent meat, and juicy noodles, always ready to fill that void. The best ramen spots in the New York area have their unique techniques down so tight that people don't seem to mind to wait over an hour for the experience.

Ramen can be prepared in a variety of ways, from shio to miso to shoyu. Noodle, broth, and meat are the categories I use to differentiate why the ramen locations chosen are Fat Bastard worthy.

Noodle: type, thickness, texture/chewyness

Broth: saltiness, flavor base (miso, pork, seafood, etc)

Meat: tenderness, fat content

There are speculations on which ramen establishment is the best in and around New York, but here are my top 5 bangers (in no particular order). Read on and let the slurping begin!

(Twitter: @buddhabong)

RELATED: NYC's Best Ramen in GIFs

5. Minca Ramen

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4. Hide-Chan Ramen

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3. Santouka Ramen

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Totto Rame

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Where: 366 West 52nd St.
Website: tottoramen.com

Authentic with its food, décor, and wait time, Totto gives other noodle houses a run for their money.

I ordered the Miso Ramen, which incorporates Koji Miso and ground pork in a scoop with noodles in a Paitan soup. It's topped with a hardboiled egg, scallion, bean sprouts, onion, and chashu pork.

Noodle:

- Type: Wavy egg noodle; Medium hardness
- Thickness: Thick
- Texture: Chewy

Broth:

- Saltiness: Medium to High
- Flavor Base:  Miso
- Texture: Thick and Rich

Meat:

- Tenderness: Slightly chewy
- Fat Content: Medium

As a top New York ramen contender, Totto must be tried. Trust.

Also try: The Spicy Ramen

1. Ippudo Ramen

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Where: 65 4th Ave.
Website: ippudony.com

Ippudo is regarded as one of the top ramen houses in New York City, serving up the boom-bap- top shelf savory ramen.

I ordered the Shiromaru Hakata Classic, which is a Tonkotsu (pork bone) noodle soup topped with pork chashu, kikurage (mushroom), menma (bamboo shoot), red pickled ginger, sesame, and scallions, with a side of Kakuni (braised pork belly).

Noodle (You can choose how hard you want your noodle):

- Type: Straight; Medium hardness
- Thickness: Thin
- Texture: Chewy

Broth:

- Saltiness: Medium
- Flavor Base: Pork
- Texture: Thick and Rich

Meat:

- Tenderness: Not as tender as I prefer; however, when paired with the Kakuni pork belly, magical
- Fat Content: Medium

If you can bare the wait, the "too-trendy" crowd and the slightly higher price point, Ippudo is the place for you.

Also try: The Akamaru Modern

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