Mu Ramen

There are few places I would wait one and a half hours in line for.  I'm not talking about the kind of wait where you can put your name on a list and wander around until the restaurant calls you.  I'm talking about the kind of wait where the moment you step out of line, you're out.  There's something pretentious about a restaurant that makes its customers wait like that and I usually don't respect restaurants that don't respect their customers back.  Hence, when I finally sat down inside Mu Ramen I was ready to be disappointed, ready to deem the 22-seated joint overrated, ready to wish I never wasted my time standing outside.  Only, that never happened.

Mu Ramen is currently rated the number one ramen shop in New York City by yelpers, quite an impressive accomplishment considering the long-standing reign of ramen powerhouses such as Totto Ramen and Ippudo NY.  Although I'm usually not a fan of ramen (I find the broth too thick and prefer its lighter cousins, soba and udon), I was curious of how this non-Japanese chef was taking his personal spin on the traditional Japanese comfort food. 

The menu at Mu Ramen is simple: one snack, a few treats, four types of ramen, and a variety of extra toppings.  I decided not to go with the edamame because I heard that it was overly salty and instead opted for the "Okonomiyaki", a scallion cornmeal pancake topped with smoked trout, tobiko, shaved bonito, and syrup.  The moment I tasted it, I knew it was the right choice.  The pancake was like a fluffier, pillowy version of American cornbread, with a tinge of savoriness from the scallions.  The meaty, smoked trout and crisp tobiko enhanced the sweetness by providing a salty contrast, while flower petals and a few sprigs of tender leaves gave the dish a delicate touch.  Although we hadn't even tried the ramen yet, we were impressed. 

The ramen I ended up ordering was the Shoyu, which consisted of clear chicken based soup, pork belly, menma, spinach, sesame nori, and scallions.  Since pork based soups are often too heavy for my liking, the Shoyu sounded like a good alternative.  For an extra two dollars, I added onset tamago (sous vide egg), a barely boiled egg that's cracked into the bowl immediately before you begin eating.     I was hesitant to pay extra for egg since the ramen itself was already $15, but after tasting the gooey yolk mixed with the springy noodles, I changed my mind.  The egg added an extra richness to the dish and complimented the crunchy menma (fermented shoots).  Lighter, but still rich with flavor and character, the Shoyu broth was full of umami, while the pork belly was leaner than expected.  The only ingredient that didn't add much to the bowl was actually the seaweed, although it didn't take away from the overall effect either. 

We also got the Tonkotsu 2.0, Mu's signature ramen, with nitamago, soft boiled egg that still has a runny yolk.  Tonkotsu means it's a a pork bone based broth, and even though it can often be too salty, I was pleasantly surprised to find it savory and creamy without being overly greasy, though still saltier than the Shoyu.  Ton torro, or pork jowl meat, was the protein of choice.  It was delectably tender with just the right amount of fat.  They also decided to use a straight, light-colored noodle, crunchy kikurage mushroom, menma, sesame, and scallions. 

One common complaint on yelp is that the bowls are comparably, but the ramen proved to be heartier than its size and by the end of the meal, the two of us were stuffed and satisfied.  The price on the other hand, was definitely a bit much considering it was only two bowls of ramen and a starter.  Places like Totto Ramen charge around $12 a bowl and $1 for extra egg, although they don't have the sous vide option.   The final verdict?  Mu is definitely worth a try and if you're a ramen fan, probably worth going back to.