I work on West 37th near 7th, which is pretty much what ML considers “out of bounds” (to which I take umbrage, given the delicious gems near me, but that’s another story) but the reality is that we do indeed lack several delicious fixtures. (Editor’s Note: 37th and 7th is totally in bounds! Our boundaries are usually 8th Ave. to the West and 32nd to the South.) Ramen being one of them – Totto and Hidechan are out of range for my closely monitored 1-hour lunch break.

As such, getting word of Ronin the other day (on 37th btw. Mad+5th) was like sunshine breaking through rain clouds. Don’t get me wrong, I’m surrounded by wonderful Chinese noodle soup opportunities, but it’s not ramen. I used to work downtown near Men Kui Tei, which is as good as it gets outside of Mitsuwa over in Edgewater, so I’ve been craving it ever since I started working in midtown.

I made my way to Ronin and ordered the tonkatsu ramen – it has it good points and its bad points.

I loved the noodles themselves. They were just on the chewy side of al dente, and to me that’s the way they should always be. I’ve only seen notes on asking your server for preferred firmness at Men Kui Tei and Ippudo, but I didn’t bother trying here.

They were on the whiter side of noodles, so they may not be using egg noodles for the ramen at all. To me this is fine and dandy, but many purists would probably say that ramen HAS to be curly. I’ve avoided talking about everything but the noodles for good reason… they’re not fully all there yet. The broth was flavorful, but it didn’t have the richness of tonkatsu ramen I’ve had elsewhere – usually the good broths are very cloudy and dense. This was dark and had a strong soy sauce flavor, almost like they just put some pork into shoyu ramen broth.

I am not a fan of runny eggs, especially not in my ramen. Personally, I was crestfallen when I saw the egg, expecting (to me) a disgusting runny yolky mess that I’d just take out as cautiously as possible – happily, it was mostly cooked through and actually delicious. The yolk was actually moderately fluffy. I’d eat more eggs if they were like that.

The bamboo shoots were out of a can, like most bamboo shoots in ramen, but these were sweet. SWEET. Like biting into it, there was a distinct sugary taste. Also, they put on shredded pickled ginger. Well… I wanted to like it, but whenever I had some of the ginger, it quickly overpowered the broth. The bean sprouts and scallions were thrown into the soup too soon. Those should go in just seconds before it goes out – both were partially cooked and had lost their crispness and flavor.

The pork was forgettable. It was way too lean, definitely not up to par with the ramen at Mitsuwa and VERY definitely not up to the standards of Menkui-tei. I’d go back again if I needed ramen, but only if I honestly ask myself “is this craving something that could be answered by Chinese noodle soup?” Especially when those are closer to my office and cheaper – the bill came to $11.50 before tip. I’m not sure if I’d go back unless someone told me the pork was fattier, broth was richer, and the ingredients of slightly better quality.

The +

• Actual ramen in the 30s that isn’t from a generic deli
• Perfectly done noodles

The –

• Broth could really be better
• Pork is leaner than it ought to be
• Expensive for basic ramen
• Pickled ginger?

I hope this helps… I’m going to give these guys a try again in a few months for my ramen fix, but in the meantime, I’d love it if someone opened a ramen joint in the 30s to compete with them.

Washoku Cafe, 9 E. 37th St (btw. Mad+5th), 212-686-2233

I was pretty bummed back in March when Luncher “Matt” told us that Negi-ya (37th btwn Mad and 5th), the Japanese spot formerly known as Washoku Cafe closed its doors. They were the closest place to my office that served a proper bowl of tonkotsu, not to mention all the off the menu snacks in the display case.

Well, Matt wrote back with some good news. Apparently they’ve reopened as “Ronin” – complete with pictures of Robert DeNiro and Jean Reno in the window.

From Matt:

Update on Negi-Ya. They’ve reopened under the name “Ronin.” Same cute, pleasant Japanese lady (who I presume is the manager). Same sushi chef. Takeout is now ordered in front. Waiter service with a red-bearded white guy who also may or may be the owner.
 
Friend and I ordered “Rice Burgers” – Japanese lady said they’re the only ones in the city to have it. $8. The “buns” are made of grilled rice and hold a filling of your choice. I got sliced pork and ginger and friend got chicken sukiyaki. Served with very good steak fries. Burger itself holds together surprisingly well, filling is well-flavored but a little salty.
 
They still have ricebowls, noodles, etc. More expensive (chicken teriyaki don is now $8 but organic). Also now a full tap beer selection in the back. Half-price happy hour 5-7.

I stopped by to get a photo and noticed that they’ll be hosting a grand re-opening party on the evening of May 25th (next Wednesday). Check out the flyer after the jump (it’s mostly in Japanese, so if anyone can translate, let us know what it says in the comments.

Yesterday, Luncher “Matt” emailed in with this report:

Washoku Cafe (aka Negi-Ya) may have closed! A coworker tells me the gate’s down, there’s no sign, and they stopped taking credit cards yesterday. It is the first of the month …

Calls to the Japanese cafe and noodle shop just get voicemail. Personally, I’m going to be very disappointed if the only source of decent tonkotsu this side of 40th Street has gone under. The weather might be warm today, but I know I’m going to need more soup before the summer comes.

Related:
Soup’s on at Negi-Ya (aka Washoku Cafe)

The random swings in temperature over the last few weeks probably have a lot to do with the coughing and hacking I’ve been hearing up and down the rows of cubicles at work. It’s getting to be about that time when the office cold starts spreading. Hoping to preempt the first cold of the season, I headed to Negi-Ya (on 37th btw. Mad+5th), formerly Washoku Cafe, to fortify myself with noodles and rich, warm broth.

According to luncher ‘hungryk9′ in the comments last week, Negi-Ya does table service in the evenings. I’ve only been here for lunch, so I’ve never seen it, but I imagine the experience is a little more sensible that way. During lunch, customers line up at the back counter and order either with the cashier or the person behind the display counter. It can get a little confusing as there are a couple different menus scattered behind the counter and the items in the display case aren’t listed. I know I’ve missed items in the past by ordering from one menu before discovering an entire other list of options available. So, fair warning… look around behind the counter for two menus in order to see all the offerings.

Once you order and pay, it takes between five and ten minutes for them to make your food. The staff may not inform you of it, but your number is on the ticket with your order (not the receipt), so you’ll need to listen out.

On my first visit, I went for the tonkotsu. They offer two options, a lighter version at $9.50 and a richer one for $10.50. I don’t really do ‘light’ anything, but I stuck with the ML price range and got the light version hoping it wasn’t just a watered down version of the porky deliciousness I love in tonkotsu. I needn’t have worried. If it hadn’t said ‘light’ on the menu, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it. The broth was creamy and intense and makes me wonder how much better that rich broth could be.

My main complaint is that the serving was fairly light on the pork and the noodles. For $3 more you can add more of each, but that’s a just too pricey for me (even though it needed both.)

I’ve been a big fan of curry udon ever since my first introduction to real Japanese soups at a ramen shop in Hawaii. When I ordered Negi-Ya’s curry udon ($7.50), I had a particular idea of what I thought it would be: a thick, spicy, warming broth almost dense enough to be a sauce. That’s not exactly what this was.

Instead, the soup had a regular broth with curry sauce poured into the middle. It definitely warmed me up on a chilly fall day, but it wasn’t quite as satisfying as what I had been hoping for. They also don’t offer it with meat, like the fried chicken at Udon West, so the udon is the meatiest part of the meal.

Even so, the soup was very good. Carrots, onions and potatoes added a depth of flavor and even though the curry wasn’t as thick as I’d prefer, it still gave an underlying heat that I liked a lot. The real problem was that they only gave me a tiny plastic spoon to eat it with. That was less an issue with the tonkotsu, which I could mostly eat with chopsticks, but the bits and pieces in the curry udon required a little more equipment.

With all the other options at Negi-Ya- including many non-soup ones – I’ll be stopping back in to follow up soon. I may even come in after work one day to see how much table service makes a difference and to partake in the $2.99 Saporro Drafts (available all day).

The + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Even the light tonkatsu is hearty and rich.
• The curry udon is exactly what a rainy day needs.

The – (What somebody who doesn’t like this place would say)

• For $9.50, you could give me more pork and noodles.
• I need a real spoon.
• Ordering is confusing and the staff doesn’t always make things clear.

Washoku Cafe, 9 E. 37th St (btw. Mad+5th), 212-686-2233

Japanese bento haven Washoku Cafe has apparently undergone a change in name and management – and it looks like it happened a while ago. You wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but it’s is now called Negi-ya.  Although everything looks more or less the same, including the awning- which still says Washoku.

According to the Negi-Ya website, they have been in the space since April, which is about the time that we noticed the addition of ramen to the menu. The menu still includes the sushi and bentos that Washoku was known for, but it looks like Negi-Ya’s focus is on tonkotsu ramen. It’s about soup season, so I expect to be stopping in to try it out in short order.  Early adopters, let us know how it is in the comments.

Negi-Ya, 9 E. 37th St. (btw. Mad+5th), 917-515-0238

It’s been awhile since we’ve mentioned Washoku Cafe, the Japanese quick lunch spot on 37th btw Mad+5th. They’ve actually made some adjustments to their menu recently. In addition to the selection of bento boxes, sushi and rice bowls, they are now serving ramen as well. I’ll definitely be stopping by soon to give it a try. With the weather bouncing from warm and sunny to damp and dreary, it’s just a matter of time before a nice bowl of soup is in order.

If any early adopters have checked out the ramen at Washoku, let us know how it is in the comments.

I love the blog but i’m currently in a serious midtown lunch depression as three of my favorites have packed up and left all at the same time. The Jamaican Dutchy has disappeared and my two bento delivery places (Yozu and Washoku cafe) have stopped delivering. Do you know anyone else offering bento delivery in the Rock Center area? We have a lot of Japanese people in our building and bento used to be delivered outside but now it has all disappeared. As lunch is all we have to look forward to this is seriously depressing! I can’t stand our cafeteria and won’t be able to eat indian food everyday. Please help!!

Well the Jamaican Dutchy is on vacation, and will most likely be back soon. But I’m sad to hear the sidewalk bento guys on 50th street are gone. I know Cafe Zaiya recently launched a huge online ordering system. You can try that. Anybody else have any good suggestions for Lunch’er David? Put it in the comments…

Even though they have been opened for a month now, Washoku Cafe (the new Japanese bento place on 37th btw. Mad+5th) is celebrating their official Grand Opening today.  The inside looked pretty much the same as it has looked for awhile now, but they are selling rice balls for 75 cents now through Friday.  They also coupons at the very front of the store, one for a free miso soup (which a few commenters have mentioned as being really really good) and another for a $5 lunch combo (normally priced at $8.50).  Enjoy!

As Eater reported last week, Washoku Cafe (on 37th btw. Mad+5th) has opened for business.  They’re running at about 60% right now, with bento boxes, sushi, and drinks packaged and ready for sale.  There is a coffee section in the front, but the hot food section in the back isn’t quite ready yet.

A look at some of the food is after the jump…

The Salmon Lunch Box ($8.00) looked pretty standard.

The Chicken Teriyaki Combo ($7.50), however, looked pretty meh.

Sushi and rice balls.

Potato salad and ?????

According to a commenter on Friday, the $2.25 hearty Miso Soup is the early star. I’m going to reserve full judgement until after the the hot food is introduced, but my gut tells me that this place is not going to be replacing Cafe Zaiya anytime soon. Early adopters, feel free to comment below.

Washoku Cafe, 9 E. 37th St. (btw. Mad+5th), 917-515-0238