Go East and the Wait for Totto Ramen is Much Shorter

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One of the reasons I rarely find myself at Totto Ramen is because the lines are massively intimidating. The ramen is good, but who’s got time to wait in those lines? Don’t New Yorkers work?

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Well, a few weeks ago, Totto Ramen quietly opened up a third location just on the other side of town on the same street as its first 52nd Street location. This one is literally in the same building as another Midtown-ramen classic, Hide-Chan. Both businesses are owned by the same person and they focus on different broths (chicken vs. pork bone), so there are plenty of ramen options on 52nd Street.

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When I arrived around 12:30pm, I saw a healthy line out the door and my hopes of a shorter line were dashed. However, I noticed it moved rather quickly and in a matter of minutes, I was sitting at the bar. It looked like parties of 1 or 2 sat pretty quickly with the only people waiting outside being the ones waiting for more guests.

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The menu looked pretty identical to the two locations on the west side. I tried to keep the price low by sticking with their classic Paitan Ramen and a pork bun.

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I had never had one of their pork buns so figured that was a must order. The pork was phenomenal, plump and fatty with lots of flavor, but I wasn’t crazy about the addition of tartar sauce and an abundance of iceberg lettuce. It hinted at cheap American fast food – for better or worse.

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The ramen, however, was still spectacular. The rich, complex chicken broth brings a unique flavor to the soup and the pork here is unbeatable.

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They continue the tradition of charring the pork with a blowtorch in front of you and it gives the meat a smoky, caramelized flavor that is unparalleled. And that amazing chicken broth makes a nice warming home for the onions and springy noodles.

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I managed to wait in line, order, and eat in about 45 minutes. This is a huge win for ramen lovers without much time on their hands. Although as the weather gets colder (and now that we’ve posted this article), I can’t make any promises it will stay this way.

Totto Ramen, 248 East 52nd Street (btw. 2nd+3rd Ave), 212-421-0052


6 Comments

  • Totto ramen is so overrated.

  • I’ve been to this one because I live a couple blocks away. I can say that their noodles are really really good, but I wasn’t as happy as I was at Lucky Cat in regards to the broth.

    When I went it was nearly 5:30, when they open, (on a Saturday no less) and there was 15-20 people already waiting. I barely got a seat at the bar, and by the time I was done the place was packed.

    Also, people seem to either not know or not respect the “We will not seat you till your entire table is here” rule. 3 groups tried that in the 25 minutes I was sitting.

    InB4 Fred being a douche-nozzle. FRED HAS NOTHING BETTER TO DO THIS WEEK.

  • I went about 2 weeks ago for lunch…no line at all. I was disappointed with their broth. too porky and not enough dept of flavor…ramen is generally overrated imo.

  • FREAK OF THE WEEK

    The “tip o’ the hat to Mssr FromaaaaaaAAAge” edition

  • “I tried to keep the price low by sticking with their classic Paitan Ramen and a pork bun.” = $13. And the Paitan ramen is the only main dish on the menu that’s under $10 (by 25 cents). For noodles in broth…. Just sayin’

  • It might be preferential, but I’m just not into the chicken broth. I’ll stick with Hide Chan, upstairs or my other go-to, the “Lucky Cat” house special.

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