Afuri ramen + dumpling — Restaurant in New York

A relatively new and upcoming hotspot for your dumpling and ramen fix! Relatively well-known in Japan and I'm glad we got to try it here! Since they opened not too long ago, I'm sure there are some kinks to be worked through and our dining experience definitely highlighted some of those kinks.

Let's start with aesthetics. The area we sat at was in front of the bright blue neon sign, which although was pretty made all our pictures so blue, as evident in the pictures lol however, once you walk further in the dining experience transforms into one that's more elegant and classy, with minimalistic designs that provides a warm undertone. Asides from the lights, the air conditioning at our area was not that strong, which was due to their air conditioning unit being placed higher than the others. Just two minor detractions here.

Now service was amazing, one of the staff was friendly and warm; he even remedied a mistake the kitchen made seamlessly! The only issue I noticed is that the waiters bringing the food didn't know what belonged to who, so for most of our 20ish orders/appetizers, they had to ask every time what went where. A easy fix is to mark the orders better in a seat format!

Appetizer: Hotate carpaccio was flavorful but quite thin, making the bites not meaty enough to enjoy its refreshing flavor profile (2/5). Takoyaki was relatively simple and the yuzu egg salad it was placed on didn't really add to it since it was so minced, so perhaps adding more egg salad would make it more enjoyable (2.5/5). Tori kaarage was crunchy and moist, but can use more yuzu egg salad (3/5). Buta gyoza was thinly crisped on top but incredibly soft on the bottom that it torn easily and the sauce stuck to the soft side and made it extra salty. My family had the spicy one and that was crisped all throughout which made it more enjoyable (1.5/5). Aburi koro chasu don came with mushy rice which aligned with other diners. There weren't a lot of pork and some of the pieces were overly charred, making it less enjoyable and overpowered by the amount and texture of the rice (2/5).

For main entree, I just wanna say PLEASE GET THE YUZU-TSUYU TSUKEMEN! It's so fresh and combined so perfectly creamy that it was by far one of the best tsukemen I ever had! Most tsukemen is overly rich and salty because it's a dipping ramen, but this one was a perfectly balanced flavor between its salty, creamy, and refreshing yuzu flavor profile! My main concern was that for 4 dollars you get one thin slice of chasu. Most place aren't that stingy, so if anything please make it 5 dollars and give people two slices, that way people won't feel like they're getting ripped off or feel that Afuri is overpriced. The cocktail was also so small that it didn't feel impactful for the price, which you can see its comparison with the size of a fork in the pictures. Overall, the yuzu tsuyu tsukemen was the most memorable and would definitely come back again for it! I hope the other issues can be addressed, for it's relatively simple to fix them to enhance the dining experience even more! Rating this time is 3.5 stars, but I can't wait to come back to hopefully change it to 5 stars next time!

Thank you for reading and...

TLDR: AFURI from Japan has arrived in NYC. Stick with the Spicy Tori Karaage and the Buta Gyoza for apps. Yuzu Rattan for the ramen! Don't skip that Basque cheesecake on the way out.

Opening night. When I heard AFURI was opening up in BK, I was stoked. AFURI in Tokyo we visited again when we were last in Japan.

The spot is huge, really high ceilings. Design-wise, kind of reminds me of Tsujita in Fort Lee but a more urban chic and darker.

Food-wise. We got both the Buta Gyoza and Crispy Buta Gyoza. The Buta Gyoza is your more traditional pan-fried style with the hat on top. The Crispy Buta Gyoza will remind you more of a fried dumpling/empanada but there's this DIY spicy mayo situation going on. Spicy Tori Karaage. Think fried chicken but tossed in sauce on top of the spicy mayo and chili threads. Of the apps, the karaage was the strongest.

The noodles. They make their own noodles in-house which you can taste easily. It's got this chew to it, it's silky and has a great bite.

The Yuzu Rattan is the crowd favorite at most locations but the Yuzu Shio is what their signature broth is. Instead of tonkotsu (they also have that and I'm interested to try) shio is salt-based instead of pork bones. So what you get is a cleaner more delicate broth and the yuzu is a nice citrus twist. It's not quite as spicy as the one in Tokyo but it was solid.

The Kara-Tsuyu is their tsukemen. The noodles are thicker and I'd recommend you can them cold for the better texture. Between the kakuni pork and the dipping broth, this will be a bit on the sweeter side. So if you like that sweet/savory element - this is a great choice.

The basque cheesecake was great. They incorporated the yuzu here too to help balance out the cheesecake and probably one of the better desserts I've had recently.

Opening night so probably a bit of a learning curve but overall a great addition to the neighborhood. We...

Afuri Ramen Plus Dumplings, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love your Brooklyn location. Trendy Williamsburg with tons of artwork on every corner and every available wall, lends itself to an outdoor museum.

I love your building. So much space in what appears to be a refurbished warehouse. Almost clinical. Somewhat industrial. (Is that an extension I spy happening next door?)

I love your decor. So feng shui-esque with your wood, metal, lights and clean lines.

I love your staff. The host was charming. Staff took special care of me. I felt like I was the only person dining. The last time I was there was Tues 27th Aug 2024 and it's now mid October so forgive me if I mix up the names of staff.

I think MELAH was my Server. As someone who isn't too familiar with ramen she guided me to what has got to be some of the best shxt I've ever had! Melah Melah Melah kiss your Chef for me won't you. Food came out swiftly (you can see them cooking it in their open kitchen), and the aroma as they approached tickled me and I started dancing in my seat. I absolutely cannot describe my experience with this food. You'd have to try it yourself. I got the food porn vibe. Flavours literally made sexy time in my mouth.

KARA (I think Supervisor/Bartender) before making my cocktail, came to find out exactly what my drink range was in order to make my cocktail just right! Like hello! Who does this? I'm feeling myself now. Aaaannnnndddd my drink was delicious! She also shared some history of the franchise and told me about their loyalty program. I signed up immediately.

I love.

Thank you Afuri, I'll be finding my way back to you babe...