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Nakamura Now Serving Up Some Of The Best Ramen On The LES
By
Scott Lynch
Published Jan 26, 2016
Modified Jan 29, 2016
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Photo by Scott Lynch/Gothamist
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By
Scott Lynch
Published Jan 26, 2016
Modified Jan 29, 2016
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THE VIBE
It was only about a year ago that Shigetoshi "Jack" Nakamura, one of Japan's great ramen masters, put on his trademark fedora, slipped on his single black glove, and settled in behind the counter at Ramen Lab, a tiny shop on Kenmore Street.
It didn't last long.
Within a few months Nakamura's partner in the venture, the bespoke ramen-maker Sun Noodle, decided to switch conceptual gears and transformed the Lab into a series of pop-ups, flying ramen chefs in from around the world to strut their stuff for a few weeks and then make way for the next crew. It's a fantastic idea, and Ramen Lab, both the original and as a never-ending pop-up, was one of Gothamist's favorite new restaurants of 2015.
But what happened to chef Nakamura? Ah, well, now we can have our steaming bowl of shoyu and eat it too, as the ramen legend just opened his own eponymous restaurant on the eastern end of Delancey Street. And unlike his digs at Ramen Lab, Nakamura, the ramen-ya, has actual tables so you can stretch out and even linger a bit after slurping. As of now, there's only a minimal wait, if any.
Not that Nakamura is spacious by any means. Seating capacity is about twenty, and that includes four stools at a slender counter that runs along one wall. The decor includes a huge Edison-bulb NAKAMURA sign hanging over the pass, a bunch of nifty personal mementos—check out the signed Miyazaki drawing of Totoro!—and random old books (the OED is on hand, in case your phone dies and you need to look up some definitions).
One downside to the new space: because of the separation between kitchen and dining area, you can't watch Nakamura do his signature "shake" as he prepares your noodles, though he and his associate-in-ramen David Forster emerge to serve your food, both still rocking the hat-and-one-glove uniform.
XO Miso Vegan ($16) (Photo by Scott Lynch/Gothamist)
THE BITES
The Nakamura menu is short and delicious, with all four ramen choices (and the lone appetizer) well worth traveling for. If forced to rank them, my list would look thusly:
1. Torigara, featuring a brightly flavored, nearly clear chicken and fish broth; straight, firm-and-chewy noodles (the noodles were perfect in all four bowls, so I'm not going to repeat how good they were); a shoyu tare base; a couple of fatty and tender slices of chashu (no lifeless, dried-out pork here at Nakamura); nutty bamboo shoots, a sprinkling of chopped scallions, a stack of crunchy, bitter greens. This is very simiiar to what Nakamura was serving at Ramen Lab, and is about as good a bowl of chicken-broth ramen as you'll find anywhere in the city.
2. Curry Spiced, with the same basic chicken and gyokai soup as above, but jacked up with a lively curry (it's not chili-oil fiery, but it'll get your nose running); thicker noodles for added heartiness; a mound of well-seasoned, finely chopped beef; a tangle of bean sprouts lurking underneath. Great stuff.
3. XO Miso Vegetarian, which may sound less enticing for meat-eaters, but really, this is an intense bowl of noodles, thanks in no small part to the blob of Momofuku XO, a spicy vegan version of the mysterious sauce made from things like fermented rye grains, chilis, "smoke," soy beans, garlic, and ginger. Also included: medium-thick yellow noodles, Chinese chives, and more crisp bean sprouts.
4. Yuzu Dashi, which was the only slight disappointment in my two nights at Nakamura, mostly because I usually love when that citrusy fruit is added to literally anything, and this time I only just liked it. The rest of this bowl is pretty much the same as the Torigara.
You can add ajitama to any order—the two egg halves come on the side, sticky with some sort of sauce—and I suggest you do. But plop it into your soup for a quick heating-up before eating.
The only other item on the menu is Teppan Gyoza, a row of pork and chive dumplings grilled to a char that are particularly satisfying if you ask for a side of hot chili or numbing peppercorn sauce in which to dip them. You can then dump the remaining sauce in your ramen, making those last gulps from the bottom of your bowl (yes, you can pick it up to drink deep of the broth) even more memorable.
THE VERDICT
Nakamura is still in soft open mode, but Chef Jack has been at this for so long it doesn't really show in the food. Ramen pilgrims and completists will definitely want to make the trip, and local noodle heads should add it to their regular rotation.
Nakamura is located at 172 Delancey Street, between Clinton and Attorney, and is open Monday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight. Note: Nakamura joins the growing number of restaurants at which the tip is included in the listed menu price. (212-614-1810; nakamuranyc.com)
Tagged
nakamura
quick bites
ramen
original
Scott Lynch
Photojournalist, food writer, preschool receptionist. Love NYC.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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