Zurutto Ramen & Izakaya — Restaurant in New York

Went here with high expectations but was a bit disappointed. I ordered the chicken karaage, pork and shrimp gyoza, and zurutto miso ramen.

The karaage was first to come out and was nice and hot. It was accompanied by a small dish of mayo for dipping and a slice of lemon. I picked out the smallest piece, dipped a bit of mayo and took a bite. It was very crispy but I immediately realized that the chicken was dry and overcooked to the point that it was a bit difficult to cleanly bite through the crispy outer parts. Not only that, but the chicken itself did not have much flavor. Chicken karaage should be marinated before it's dredged and fried, but I could not taste even a hint of marinade. The remaining few pieces were more of the same. So far, my experience was not encouraging.

Next, the gyoza came and looked great. Sure, they were a bit small for my liking, but that's often the case. I took one up and noticed the wrapper was loose around the filling. I make my own gyoza at home and this usually happens if there's not a lot of filling and the wrapper loosens up after being steamed in the pan. This seemed to be what we had as my first bite showed there wasn't much filling at all. Not only that, but the soy sauce ponzu was extremely vinegary but in a bad way. It was almost bitter and I'm not entirely sure why. I opted to dip the remaining gyoza in the sweet chili sauce, which tasted as expected. All in all, the gyoza were also a bit disappointing but I wouldn't say they were terrible. Just not a lot of filling and not a lot of flavor. Just not memorable in any way.

Lastly, the zurutto miso ramen arrived. A sip of the broth revealed a broth that was creamy from the miso and silky in texture on the tongue. But this is supposed to be a chicken broth flavored with miso and I struggled to find any chicken flavor coming through. I also started to notice a strong char flavor that wasn't pleasant. Yes, the charisu pieces were charred, but I'm not sure if they were the cause of the strange smokey char I was getting. All in all, it was a decent bowl of ramen. I wanted more noodles, but I had no complaints on the texture. Broth could have been more flavorful for me but I would come back again to try the regular chicken ramen with no miso to make a more accurate determination of zurutto's broth. Charsiu was decent but maybe a bit too charred. Again, not much flavor? The remaining toppings were just after thoughts and because they were small bits (corn and ground pork), you don't really get to enjoy them while eating the ramen unless you are expressly digging for them with your spoon.

Zurutto was ok, but I was hoping for better based on the reviews. Service and atmosphere were good and it seems like a fun place to eat, but I was not impressed and left with no real desire to come back for more. I would try it again if someone wanted to go, as I said, to try the plain chicken broth ramen, but I am definitely not going out of my way to head back...

If you're looking for a good bowl of ramen on the UWS, look no further. Zurutto is a small Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen as well as gyoza and is the perfect spot if you're craving a good bowl of flavorful ramen.

I was in the area for TJ shopping and wanted to grab a bite beforehand, Zurutto was absolutely perfect and satisfied a craving.

We ordered the pork gyoza, that were pretty good. The filling was flavorful and the skin not too thick and nice and chewy. The filling could have been a little juicier and the outside a tad bit crispier, but all in all it was a good dumpling.

We also had to try the takoyaki, and they were really good. Nice and crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside, with a nice piece of octopus. I wish I could taste more of the pickled radish, but I'd definitely order them again.

My husband went for the ramen deluxe and it was really delicious. The chashu pork was nice and soft and the broth deep and rich. The noodles were also cooked to perfection, with just the right amount of chewiness.

I went for the pork donburi: rice topped with delicious roasted pork, nori, and green onions. Oh and obviously a delicious and perfectly cooked onsen tamago. Would absolutely recommend. Super filling and with a lot of meat (I gave almost half to my husband cause I couldn't finish it).

All in all I'd recommend this place for sure, and I will be back...

My husband and I have been here 4 times since it has opened. It's an AWESOME addition to the neighborhood. Umami flavor perfect Q texture (Taiwanese foodie reference for the perfect "chew"). My husband always gets Zurutto Ramen with a poached egg (extra $ to substitute) while I always get the Truffle Dan Dan. Both are perfectly savory and yet very different flavors. We've also have (and always start with) the sesame cucumber which is simple but it's served with a sprinkling of kosher salt that brings out a beautiful flavor. Very summery fresh. Gyoza are yummy nicely pan fried - not too oily, but a good crips - and so are the roasted pork buns. Their karaage (Japanese fried chicken) is quite tasty and the curry over rice with sliced kaarage is quite comforting after a tough Monday at work.

We have lately been ordering the Dassai 50 sake and they properly and generously pour the glass overflowing in a wooden box. Love it.

Price points are great for a casual any time of the week dinner. Like I said - perfect for the neighborhood.

The only regret and wish is for them to deliver or even just serve takeout. I know it wouldn't be exactly the same as eating in, but I can imagine in the winter it would be nice to stay in the apt with a lovely...