DISH OF THE WEEK: Point Blank Ramen at KARAZISHI BOTAN

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

Ramen season is one of my favorites in New York. Forget fall or summer. For me, it’s all about the Japanese soups. And if you look back through this blog, you’ll see a fair share of ramen write-ups. I would somehow always find myself at the latest new ramen spot and was almost always delighted.

So when Karazishi Botan opened in early 2020, it was immediately on my radar. But this little thing called the pandemic put me very late to the game.

I finally got my ramen fix and was very excited to try out this beautiful restaurant (their outdoor garden set up is especially charming) from a famous chef from the legendary Ippudo.

As is my preference, the ramen here goes way deeper than your usual tonkotsu or shoyu. Just about everything on the menu (including the non-ramen dishes) sounds incredibly inventive and delicious.

I did start with a plate of tofu pockets stuffed with savory mochi and showered with matcha green tea powder. Very interesting.

But the star of my meal was the ramen. And it was possibly the most unique and surprising ramen I’ve ever tried.

I was tempted by all the choices (especially the porcini mushroom broth and the matcha miso broth), but I couldn’t resist the Point Blank which listed a chicken broth soup loaded with horseradish and pork. I’m a big fan of horseradish and don’t usually expect to find it my bowl of ramen.

And this was not just a little horseradish or dollop of wasabi. This was the main flavor component of the bowl. In fact, the waitress warned me not to drink the soup too fast. I could immediately sense the root it when it was brought to the table.

I absolutely love horseradish so I completely relished the entire experience. You have to prepare yourself for the journey, but it’s a super fun and flavorful one. In addition to a horseradish infused broth, you’ll also note wasabi oil and wasabi tobiko on top. The bracing notes tingle and warm while the perfectly wavy noodles have a beautiful texture that along with the fatty pork chashu give the spicy notes depth and balance.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get more unique and intense, you’re instructed to add some accompanying yuzu juice to the bowl about halfway through. The peppery citrus juice brings a whole new spin to the dish. It tames the heat a bit but also enhances it in a way. It’s really brilliant.

From now on, I might skip all the new ramen shops. Not because of the pandemic, but because I found Karazishi Botan and I can’t imagine it gets better than this. Price: $18