The 8 Best Under-the-Radar Ramen Spots in NYC

Ramen: it's great. Waiting in line for ramen: not so great. For all the times you want the former, but not the latter, consult this: NYC's eight best under-the-radar ramen options, which don't appear on every single "Best Ramen in NYC" list ever made (so not Ippudo, or Momofuku Noodle Bar, or Ivan Ramen...), but do still deserve your noodle-ttention.

Benkei Ramen
Andrew Zimmer

Lower East Side
This late-night ramen spot is located in Hill & Dale, which converts itself into a ramen ya pop-up at the stroke of midnight every Monday through Thursday, pumping out noodles until 4am (Sundays you can eat there from 5pm-2am). Chef Ito's charshu is legendary (order up a side dish as an appetizer), and his Tonkotsu is rich and creamy, but the move for people in the know is actually the Kaisen (seafood!) ramen. The bowl comes with a fresh clam, a huge scallop, shrimp, menma, and egg, and a broth that really shows off Ito's talent. At times, ramen service can be a little slow, but you can (over)compensate by sipping one of Hill & Dale's fancy-pants artisanal drinks. (Get the spicy, tequila-filled Smokey Joe.)

mokbar
Mokbar

Chelsea
Deep inside Chelsea Market you'll discover this gem of a ramen ya run by Chef Esther, who infuses her Korean roots into amazing (and decidedly unique) bowls of ramen, including her kimchi ramen, which's based off of a popular Korean stew called jjigae. Armed with an intoxicating aroma, the bowl of piping hot broth is filled with kimchi and bacon, and then topped with braised pork and stewed kimchi. Other toppings include a poached egg and rice cakes. If that's not enough to get you excited, you’re weird, but also there’s the perfectly cooked Sun Noodles. The whole thing is addictive -- consider yourself warned.

Kambi Ramen House
Flickr/Michael Vito

East Village
If you're a fan of perpetually packed Minca Ramen Factory (and you should be), then you'll be a fan of its not-nearly-as-perpetually-packed sister spot Kambi Ramen House, too. The only real difference between the two? The decor and wait -- Kambi is twice the size of Minca. Make sure to start things off with the pork gyoza and a Sapporo and follow that up with Kambi's tsukemen (dipping noodles). Another solid option: the basic spicy shio ramen, paired with a thick wavy noodle. Pro tip: pay close attention to the ever-changing ramen specials and take a chance on one of the unique creations, it usually pays off.

Ramen Misoya
Ramen Misoya

East Village
Misoya has one of the biggest bowls of ramen in the city and offers a deep variety of toppings. It specializes in three types of miso -- kome, mame, and shiro -- and its the only ramen ya in NYC that does this. Miso ramens are traditionally served hotter than other ramens and butter is a standard topping to sweeten up the lightly bitter miso flavor. The order here is the shiro miso Kyoto-style with butter, fried shrimp, potato, and egg. At times, Misoya offers a special miso curry chicken chashu ramen. Get that and add potato, egg, and corn. You're welcome.

Ramen Setagaya
Flickr/Dennis Miyashiro

East Village
Just a short walk from Misoya, this spot was around waaaayyyy before the Ramen renaissance we’re currently experiencing was born. Get the Gekikara Tsukemen with BBQ pork, egg, bamboo shoot, scallion, onion, cabbage, bean sprouts. Warning: the fiery red-looking broth is the real deal, so proceed with caution.

Ramen Ya NYC
Ramen-Ya

West Village
Hidden inside what looks like a white West Village townhouse, you'll find a delicious little cash-only ramen ya named... wait for it... Ramen-Ya (don't worry, the ramen is more creative than the name). New to the NYC ramen game, this 20-seat joint has wonderful service, offering a small but well rounded selection. Before you slurp, order the spicy pork gyoza, then when you do slurp, make sure it's from a bowl of the kojiro shio black, which'll give you flashbacks to your Bubbie's chicken soup. The black garlic oil is extremely aromatic and sticks to your lips like candy, and if you get the right noodle (wavy, get the wavy) it works perfectly with the thin broth. Bonus: it's open ’til 3am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Tabata Noodle
Tabata Noodle Restaurant

Hell’s Kitchen
There are two Tabata Noodle ramen yas in the city, but only one you most definitely want to hit up. We're talking about the Tabata behind the Port Authority Bus Terminal. The chef and owner, Maung Htein Linn, is from Burma, and moved to Tokyo after college, where he worked in a ramen ya for years learning the art of broths and noodles. His signature dish, Tabata Ramen, showcases his Burmese heritage with a broth consisting of coconut milk topped with mild spiced chicken stew, cilantro, and red onions. The broth is super creamy and fresh tasting and it won't break your budget, priced at just $10. There's really no other bowl of ramen like this in the city, making it a unique experience for ramen hunters.

Mei-Jin
Mei Jin Ramen

Yorkville
Don’t expect this spot to stay under the radar much longer thanks to its must-order: the spicy chili ramen. If you were to cross ramen with a hearty bowl of slow-cooked chili, 1) you’d be a genius, and 2) you'd have an idea of what this bowl at Mei-Jin tastes like. You'll also find a few uncommon, nontraditional toppings (think arugula and watercress) that somehow work well with the smoky ground beef.

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Jordy Trachtenberg freelances for Thrillist, chiefly to support his ramen addiction. He's the heavily tattooed head noodle behind the blog Ramentology. You can slurp along and follow his one-man ramen riot on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.