First Visit to Naruto Ramen

Welcome to the first post here at Slurp New York.  Last night I had the opportunity to have a bowl of ramen over at Naruto Ramen, at 276 5th Ave in Park Slope, Brooklyn.  At first glance of the restaurant I was pleased to see the seating focus was on the long counter adjacent to the kitchen that runs most of the length of the restaurant.  If you like to see your food being made, and like sitting down at an open seat instead of dealing with a host just to get a humble bowl of noodles, this will hit the spot.  For those looking for an actual table, it did appear there were some in the back for overflow.  


On to the food.  The eat-in menu includes several dishes not seen on the takeout menu.  Most bowls come with some combination of the usual suspects of egg, bamboo, scallion, and seaweed, beansprouts, fish cake, and roast pork.  This includes the signature Naruto Ramen, but I was in the mood for something with a little more kick.  In comes the Tantan Ramen, which included the addition of lots of sesame oil and ground pork instead of roast pork.  This added a flavorfull but not overpowering spicyness with bits of porky goodness in every spoonfull.  The noodles themselves were strong, if not mindblowing.  They had a very nice bounce to them, remaining chewy all the way through the bowl.  Their flavor was subtle, and they soaked up some of the soup nicely.  The gyoza we started with were sufficiently ginger-y and scallion-y, and not weighed down by too much fat in the mixture.  They were a very good way to kick off the meal.

The Wrapup:

• Most bowls cost about $9, and are well worth the price
• Spicy options in addition to more traditional ones
• Bar-style seating

I'm sure Cassy Downer will be along soon to trash this place, but I find it a perfectly enjoyable bowl in the ramen-starved Park Slope area.