Totto Ramen

• Cuisine(s): Japanese, Sushi
  Price: $$
  Payment Types: cash
• Serving: Dinner, Lunch
  Alcohol: Beer
  Reservations: Not Accepted
• Parking: No Parking

Description

Sit at the counter and you're practically in the three chefs' laps. One wields a kitchen torch to brown pork belly, one tends to the boiling ramen, and one deals with the toppings. A giant glass vat of brick-red oil sits on the counter, garlic, onion, and dried shrimp and scallops floating in its murky depths. Order the spicy ramen and a good ladle-full of that oil goes in on top of the cloudy, mild chicken broth. The noodles themselves are pale and wheaten, very firm. Toppings are minimal, just two slices of very fatty pork, a pinch of dried scallops, and a tangle of scallions. As New York City ramen goes, Totto Ramen makes a restrained bowl of soup with an excellent broth.