Description
Located on that hectic strip of St. Marks Place in the East Village, Ramen Setagaya stands out on a block awash with questionable cheap eats and riff raff by serving quality noodles in a cool but unassuming setting. This tiny ramen counter is actually part of a small chain that originated in Tokyo, and Setagaya’s offerings are simple but well-made, spiced with high quality, natural salts. Besides the vegetable ramen, all of the bowls come with tender slivers of broiled BBQ pork, and the broth is thick and flavorful without overbearing on the taste buds. The shio ramen is king, its simple, salty liquid bolstered by tasty scallop powder. While the cold noodles are refreshing, the hot, spicy miso ramen’s potent red broth is great for those who can handle an extra kick. Setagaya serves a variety of typically Japanese, crispy small plates, but the tri-color pickled vegetable plate or the wasabi-marinated octopus are excellent options to jump-start one’s palate. Setagaya is inexpensive, but come during lunch to snag an even cheaper special. --Alex Spoto
