Midtown Lunch

Yushi (on 47th btw. Park+Lex) has become known for their near manic proclivity at adding new items to their menu. Last week they introduced their new Sake Ramen and as the official ML Happy Hour Correspondent I thought it was fitting that I try this boozy broth. After all, I’ve had a fair amount of sake in my day and if you count all the ramen I ate in college then the same can be said for the latter. However, I don’t think I’ve ever added sake to my ramen, at least not on purpose. I wasn’t sure how this combination would sit with me. I figured it might be great or it could be bad. A kin to pouring beer on your chicken noodle, but enough talk, time for soup!

Yushi’s soup station operates from opening till 2pm, after that sake ramen can still be ordered but only from the back kitchen. You only get two choices… Sake Ramen for $7.95 or Super! Sake Ramen for $9.95. Considering that he super! sake also comes with a double dose of booze the answer was clear: Super Sake Me!

The soup consists of teriyaki chicken, broccolini, scallion, fresh ginger, and half a soft boiled egg, all topped with some high octane sake. The dark chicken was flavorful and the broccolini and egg was a nice touch. I didn’t notice any ginger, but that might have been due to the super sake powers of the soup.

The sake was hard to ignore but hot noodles and broth mellowed the alcoholic sting nicely. Yushi prides itself on healthy lunch options, but this is Midtown Lunch not Healthy Choice so after a few spoonfuls I headed over to the sushi station and grabbed the sesame chili oil, wasabi and soy sauce (That’s right I added salt, screw you Bloomberg!) That did the trick nicely.

All things considered, it’s not the most flavorful soup, and better ramen can be found at the same price point at places like Menchanko Tei or Men Kui Tei, but in the end who cares? It’s booze and soup! If you like booze… and you like soup… you’ll probably like this.

THE + (What people who like this place will say)

• Yushi offers healthy and fresh meals and I believe sake is an integral part of a balanced diet
• Dark meat chicken is used in the teriyaki, and that means more flavor
• Booze and broth: two great tastes that taste great together

THE – (What people who dislike this place will say)

• I don’t really like sake and would rather just have a great bowl of soup elsewhere
• It could use more salt and a bit more of a flavor boost
• The noodles were slightly over cooked
• I love ramen, and no amount of booze is going to trick me into thinking this is ramen!  (Teriyaki chicken? WTF!)

Yushi, 245 Park Ave. (on 47th btw. Park+Lex), 212-687-1900