Ivan Ramen

Went here with a bigger group of friends back in January!! I was truly impressed with the service, for such a big group they really stayed on top of our orders and timing! They have nice selection of drinks! I got Yuzu Barley tea something that was so good that I got it twice. My friends kept getting peach soju-kinda drink and they were repeating that one too!! I got Paitan that had a great flavor. It was on a thicker/heavier side but I enjoyed it a lot! My friend got the spicy ramen, it was so flavorful and I saw why that was their signature thing!! I wished I could eat spicy food more.

Ivan Ramen is a true gem, and you can taste the passion and innovation in every bowl. Ivan's journey from Japan to New York shines through, blending authentic ramen techniques with a unique New York-Jewish twist. The use of dehydrated tomato in the broth is genius--it adds a depth of flavor you won't find anywhere else. The ramen is hands-down the best I've had, with perfectly balanced flavors and textures. To top it off, it's surprisingly affordable for the quality.For a deeper appreciation of Ivan's story, his episode on Netflix's Chef's Table is absolutely worth a watch. A must-visit for ramen lovers and foodies alike!

Loved this unique ramen spot! Highly recommend making a reservation - it was packed on a cold Friday night in Jan. Loved the squash appetizer, lamb gyoza, and both the tonkatsu and shoyu ramens. The basque cheesecake and Japanese shaved ice was a perfect way to end the meal!

I was so excited to try the different dishes here and they did not disappoint! The restaurant serves Japanese food and it seems to also have some Jewish influence as well which brings forth new and unique flavors in my opinion. I came with my partner and while we definitely ate with our eyes more than our stomachs could handle, we enjoyed our meal thoroughly. 1. SEASONAL SQUASH WITH STRACCIATELLAThis wasn't my favorite but I did enjoy the sauce with the squash. It seemed to have some sort of wasabi flavor in it. 2. CRISPY EGGPLANTThis was so fun and tasty! I loved the crispiness of the eggplants paired with the sauce. The sauce was pretty addicting too in my opinion. The eggplants were nicely seasoned as well and I almost wish I got some to go. 3. MAGURO BUTSUThis reminded me of ceviches and was enjoyable. I don't think I needed to get it but I was happy to try it. It was nice with the seaweed crisp however the crisps are rather large and so it's hard to eat them together in a clean manner. 4. SCHMALTZ-FRIED GYOZAI was interested in these as I've never heard of such gyozas and I thought they were soupy which was a nice surprise! They felt like tasty small surprises and I loved how much flavor it packed. 5. WAGYU PASTRAMI BUNSIts flavor reminded me of McDonalds but in a good way! It was quite tasty. I thought this was a smart idea to use buns for. 6. TONKOTSU TSUKEMENI do love a good Tsukemen and I thought this was quite good. It was quite salty which is expected and it came with an anchovy sauce that you could add in if you wanted. I didn't think it was really necessary but try a drop or two before adding in more. The pork katsu was nicely cooked and so tender. Since it's a salty dish, I think it would've been nice to have also ordered a drink! 7. "JIRO"-STYLE TONKOTSULike the description mentions, this ramen was very garlic forward and had a lot of small bits in the bowl. I think having all those bits makes it a bit cumbersome to have to chew through although it was good. With noodles I like to be able to slurp them and taste the broth on its own, but it was so packed with bits and pieces of many ingredients that it sort of got in the way. 8. YUZU CHEESECAKEThis was my favorite dessert here! What a great way to end a delicious meal! The yuzu was punchy but so addicting. 9. YUZU KAKIGORIIf you think you are going to finish this on your own, you may want to reconsider. You will be presented with this large talk bowl of shaved ice and in the center and in the bowl, is all of the yuzu extract. It's like hidden treasure! I loved the cream they had on the top and wish they actually used more of it! Unfortunately I was not able to finish this but if I could , I would've! Overall, I had so much fun tasting different flavors and textures and would love to come back again!

We walked in on a Saturday evening around 7pm. I suggest making a reservation ahead of time and the wait time can range from 30 minutes to 2 hours during this time. The servers were kind and seated us after my party was complete. We enjoyed the Tokyo shio and the chicken paitan that was recommended by the waiter. Both were delicious. I enjoyed how the Tokyo Shio broth was rich yet not overwhelmingly oily. The roasted tomato was a nice touch to the ramen. The noodles were chewy and cooked al dente. The cozy atmosphere is great for a meal with family and friends. I would recommend for those who enjoy Japanese fusion ramen as it does not seem to be traditional style.

Tbh I was hesitant to come because the name doesn't scream authenticity and we're very picky with ramen. When we arrived, my friend whispered "it's all non-Asian people here, this can't be good" but we'd come so let's just try it! We ordered three noodle dishes to share between us. The jiro stood out - it's got a unique flavour and unusual topping. However we thought half way through it's a little too salty.The tsukemen with katsu was nice, but again the broth (this one is a dipping broth) was very heavy and salty. I guess that's why they also give you vinegar on the side. The noodles were bouncy and good. The katsu's very different from regular Japanese katsu, it's kind of like sous vide then deep fried. The texture's interesting.We also ordered shoryu ramen and it was just okay.Service was excellent and attentive, there's only one bathroom but it's pretty clean when we visited.

I already want to go back! Making a reservation online is easy. We ended up running a little late for ours, but called the restaurant and were informed they would hold our spot for 15 minutes! There were several people waiting at the door, so a reservation is definitely recommended. Inside it was packed! A little loud, but not too distracting. I loved the comic-esque art over the bar where we were seated.We had a fantastic bartender/server! He was extremely friendly and conversational, but it didn't detract from anyone's service at all. He recommended the crispy eggplant instead of the pickles and I'm so glad he did. The eggplant was phenomenal - I would put that miso tahini on anything. I ordered the Chicken Paitan for my entree. I would recommend it to anyone! It was as rich as a tonkotsu (which is my usual ramen go-to), but it definitely wasn't as heavy. And the crispy chicken skin added a nice crunch.

I came here with the Ramen Meetup group and it was fantastic! I had the Jiro and it was awesome with a mountain of vegetables, but still flavorful with pork and mustard greens. They were kind enough to honor my request of noodles Al dente on the side. Great noodles!

Ambiance (5/5): It is tight and bustling on the inside with some high top seating facing the open kitchen. There are some also floor seating as well as covered backyard outdoor seating with heated lamps. We dined outside and the heat lamps were sufficient in keeping us toasty.Service (5/5): The servicing staff were stellar with cool/approachable attitude and swift help to our needs. The waiter was able to remember almost 10+ orders without taking down a single note!? The food came out fairly quickly!Crispy Eggplant (5/5): It was a unique spin to eggplant! The inside was soft but the exterior had a light breading that soaked up the mayo-based sauce that gave it richness to each bite!Karaage (4/5): The breading was tasty but a little too breaded for me. The inside chicken pieces were juicy. With the dipping sauce, the chicken was perfect.Tonkotsu Ramen (3.5/5): Although the ramen portions felt generous, I thought that the broth was wayyy too salty (as did other patrons of their ramen). The noodles had a great bounce. Their sliced pork is a bit different and sliced more thin, tender, but still good. Ramen had a whole soft boiled egg.Sadly how salty the broth was and something missing in the broth overall let me down.

For years, I've been wanting to go to this ramen shop ever since I watched the chefs table episode for Ivan, AND I FINALLY GOT TO TRY IT. First off, thank you to the staff for being able to squeeze us in without a reservation. They were fully booked, but they told us if we could finish our food within 45 mins, we could go. Ivan has always said, ramen should be eaten fast, and boy, did I LMAO. I ate it fast not because I had to, but because I wanted to. Beat shio ramen I've had. The infamous roasted tomato was one of the best bites in the bowl. Will go back next time I'm in NY