Ivan Ramen - Ramen restaurant in New York - 25 Clinton St, USA

The ramen at this place is truly exceptional! My boyfriend and I are avid ramen enthusiasts, and the chilly winter days in NYC often call for a comforting bowl. Our top recommendation is the Chicken Paitan – don't be alarmed by the raw egg on top; it adds a delicious touch without an overly eggy flavor. For an extra kick, try adding roasted tomatoes; it's a worthwhile investment that elevates the ramen's taste. Having visited a couple of times, we consistently opt for the same dishes. We also suggest starting with the Japanese fried chicken, the Wagyu pastrami buns (great twist if you're not big on pork) and pairing it with the refreshing lemonade. Surprisingly, we managed to secure a table without a reservation and experienced prompt service. While we happily give it 5 stars for the food and service, we'd rate the atmosphere 4 stars due to its slightly crowded feel – still a fantastic spot to enjoy with friends. Just reminiscing about it makes me crave another visit! Perhaps this time, we'll explore a different ramen option.

Amazing food, atmosphere and service. Diana served us and it was amazing, super friendly and really knows the menu. Explained us with a lot of details about every single dish, and made sure we had a perfect experience. My girlfriend and I ate here two days in a row, and would definitely recommend here. It is as good as the Netflix episode says. Great food.

I went to Ivan Ramen for lunch on a weekend afternoon and it wasn't too busy so I was able to get a seat at the counter. I had the spicy kyuri pickles and vegan shoyu. The kyuri pickles were proper spicy so naturally I loved them. They left a tingle in my mouth and were the perfect accompaniment to the vegan shoyu. The ramen was flavourful and filling. Would definitely go back to try more items, especially the dessert.

The food was more a 3.5 for me (loved the heirloom carrots, was not entirely satisfied with the vegan ramen), but I know the friend I dined with (non-vegetarian) loved his ramen (said the glazed chashu was the best he’d tasted) and the yuzu cheesecake. I’ve read Ivan’s book and am a lover of most things Japanese, so I’d still visit again, but maybe skip or tweak the vegan ramen I had (I’d retain the delicious koji tofu and maybe dial down the umami a bit). (Aside: Their digital menu is fantastic, in terms of design and appeal! It’s peppered with video stories elaborating on the dishes and sometimes highlighting what goes on behind the scenes to finally present us with the dishes we eat - a true delight! And I understand they’re continually working to improve it.)

I was here in 2019 for the first time then again this month. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen- this is the first time trying this choice. I’ve previously tried the Tsukemen, Shio and Chicken ramen. I’m not as impressed the second time as I was the first. The Tonkotsu ramen had a particular “charcoal” like taste in it that was overwhelming , and it took away from the taste of all other ingredients. It was a bit disappointing. However, in my previous experience with the three other choices I was very impressed and the Shio Ramen and Chicken ramen are very delicious. Very different in each - one is a heavier broth and the other is more delicate. This is a great ramen shop overall but I would stick to the best sellers here.

For appetizers we ordered the pickled cucumbers which tasted good, nothing new or special. We also got the bao buns, probably have to be my favorite bao buns out of the other restaurants I’ve tried, however there was too much pickles on top which made it a bit sour. I order the Tsukemen and I’m not sure if I like it; the broth was nice and it did have a umami flavor. The noodles were al dente but the thing that threw me off was the pickled mustard because that’s a Chinese pickled vegetable. The pork tonkotsu ramen also tasted fine, I’ve had better; again it also had pickled mustard which threw me off. Coming here I could tell that this ramen place was catered to westerner palates.

Made a reservation for two at 1:30pm on a Sunday and it was packed. Service was friendly and quick. I got the Shoyu Ramen and we had the Picked Cucumbers to share. While it doesn't look like a lot, the bowl ended up being super filling and tasty. I'm glad I tried out Ivan Ramen while visiting the city, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to come back.

I went for the chicken ramen as a first timer. I liked the crispy chicken skin, the broth was creamy & flavorful. Would love to try the triple garlic. The bao buns where 7/10. I would come back. Service was great.