At Ramen MNYK — Restaurant in Philadelphia

I tend to rate ramen places harshly and mostly based on food quality, so take this review as not a vote of disapproval, but a vote of “things can improve.” First of all, great staff, attentive and quick to respond to needs (water, tissue, checks etc.). Great interior, stylish, manga-walled, no issues there. For appetizer, we got takoyaki. Awesome fusion of donut-y batter fried to give a nice crunchy outside yet a doughy filling. Could be bit more generous on the octopus inside.

Now the main dish. This is where most of my critiques come from. We ordered Truffle ramen, Tonkotsu ramen, and Spicy katsu ramen. Definitely not sub-par, but lots missing. My specific dish was tonkotsu. It missed its mark trying to be a Japanese ramen with lack of depth in broth - It felt more like Korean ramen, and sadly the ramen lost its identity along the way. Ramen noodle - egg-based, again a bit more of a Korean instant noodle take than japanese, missed its mark for me. The slice of seasoned pork was dry, and with not enough char - personal preference, but also a mark of lack of time put into making each ramen. Pickled egg though - perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned. Hope I had one whole rather than one-half. Scallion sliced diagonally - a weird choice but a refreshing addition that lifted the dish. This was distinctly Korean, and I appreciated that. I had the spicy option, and it again gave the dish a Korean feel rather than japanese due to its overwhelming spiciness. Overall the dish I feel was an attempt at Japanese-Korean fusion, but it ended up a mediocre blend. Most crucially, I sure missed the fresh garlic in the broth that many Japanese ramen place has as an option, which is almost a necessity for me. Go all the way japanese on broth, more depth to the broth in general, and I wouldn’t mind the rest being Korean.

That said, all fried stuff from the kitchen was perfectly done - the donkatsu and takoyaki were the winners on our table.

Hope this store improves so I can have a great ramen place...

I've been to @Ramen on Main Street Manayunk more than a handful of times by this point. I strongly believe it deserves a visit if you are a ramen fan. If you factor in convenience to me (location-wise), it would be a five-star!

That all being said, I have to temper expectations. It is not the best ramen I've had in the city and people keep telling me Manayunk is out of the way. If you are in the area for a stroll, it offers much needed diversity from the standard Main Street fair.

I had each of the ramen they offered from the original menu. Recently, they revamped the menu slightly, adding a new flavor or two. I ordered their Kagoshima ramen and believe it is my new favorite. I do miss the free mustard greens they provided, but was thrilled that some of the typical extras (like an egg) are included in their ramen.

The portions are more than fair. The quality is solid. The service friendly and quick. And while the atmosphere of most ramen joints would be far from fancy, @Ramen is clean and nice.

One last item worth noting is @Ramen is credit card only. I'm used to cash only and have no problem with a place that only takes plastic. However, I feel that is unusual so...

I am sorry to report that the best ramen in Philadelphia is in Manayunk. But that's the truth.

I have tried nearly every single ramen spot in Philadelphia over the course of 5 years (not kidding).

I hate Manayunk. It's crowded, there's no good parking, and it's inconveniently out of the way for me.

HOWEVER, this ramen spot is worth the trip. It is just that good. The broth is incredible, rich with flavor. The noodles are so good you nearly don't need any additional toppings.

The staff is friendly and makes the experience even better and I like the cozy vibes. Was shocked to see it wasn't packed on a Saturday either it's still underground or nobody in Manayunk has any taste. This place is gold.

I had it about 2 years ago and then had it the other day. The shine has...