You’ve heard of ramen at this point. And you probably have even heard about the real ramen (not the stuff you subsisted on during college). But what about tsukemen? That has yet to become a household name.
Tsukemen is the cousin of ramen and if Okiboru has anything to say about it, you’ll be hearing about it soon. And not just in this blog post.
Okiboru House of Tsukemen started in Los Angeles before expanding to the unlikely state of Georgia. And now there is a location in the heart of the Lower East Side in NYC.
So what is tsukemen? Well, it consists of ramen noodles with soup on the side. You’re supposed to dip the cold noodles into the hot broth to create an interesting temperature and texture. And a whole lot of flavor.
Okiboru can get quite crowded (especially considering how small it is), but if you come at the right time, you should be able to quickly find a seat. I was annoyed by their futuristic way of ordering and paying all via an app. There are servers, but you are encouraged to ignore them and use this app for everything, including payment. One more way for us not to have to speak to each other.
Maybe that’s the point since the tsukemen is so good.
The firm thick noodles are served with a few slices of chashu (chicken or pork), a soft boiled egg, fish cake, scallions, and a lime. A squeeze of the lime adds a ton of brightness that helped break up and support the rich umami from the soup.
The dipping soup is almost more of a stew – a thick chicken and fish broth that is not for slurping on its own.
I couldn’t resist the spicy paste and threw the entire thing into the liquid. Dipping the cold noodles (and chicken), soaked up the savory briny flavors of the sauce creating a very cool experience.
After I downed every solid ingredient in my bowl, the waitress (who did exist) offered to thin down my gravy with some sort of light broth for drinking. It reminded me of the soba experience – it was clean, mellow, and allowed me to fully ingest every bit of flavor.
This ramen experience is very different from both those college meals and the popular Japanese hotspots of the last few years. Tsukemen – learn its name and embrace it. You’ll thank me years from now. Price: $19.90
| OKIBORU HOUSE OF TSUKEMEN |
| 117 Orchard Street (between Rivington and Delancey Street), Lower East Side |
| okiboru.com |
