NYCWFF Ramen Party Review

By Leah Alfieri, Photographs by Christie Kascak

NYC Wine and Food Festival (NYCWFF) celebrated one of the city’s hippest dishes this Saturday at their first ever Ramen Party. Hosted by social media sensation The Fat Jew, the party was a late night dine-around experience of New York’s tastiest and trendiest ramen dishes.

The NYCWFF event took place at Chelsea’s High Line Hotel. This sweeping castle-like building gave the event a rustic and romantic feel. Pair that with the youthful vigor of these ramen chefs, the free flowing drinks, and the sultry party music–you’ve got yourself one hell of a NYCWFF Ramen Party.

The evening featured everything from tributes to traditional Japanese ramen to the ultra modern Ramen Burger, served up by Keizo Shimamoto. With ground beef sandwiched between two handmade ramen buns, not only was Shimamoto’s original creation thoroughly delicious, it got bonus points for creativity.

Esther Choi of Mokbar, NYC’s first and only Korean ramen restaurant, offered up Korean Bulgogi Kimchi Ramen. The dish featured marinated ribeye and three different types of kimchi, commonly hailed as the best kimchi in NYC. This dish managed to be simultaneously elegant and edgy, as the ribeye and noodles offered a softer bite after the kick of the kimchi.

Jeffrey Chen of Momi Ramen stood out from the others with his house made ramen noodles, produced fresh every day. Momi’s Tan Tan Ramen was filled with deep flavors and homemade vibes. The broth is simmered for 20 hours prior to serving, and the minced pork and poached egg both scream “Asian comfort food”. If your grandma made ramen, perhaps this is what it would taste like: cozy, complex, and homey.

The definite highlight of the night was the White Truffle and Parmesan Cheese Dan Dan Noodles, offered by Hideto Kawahara of Hide Chan Ramen. As professed, his dish epitomized “tradition and innovation”, combining customary umami ramen flavors with the luxurious hint of white truffle. Spicy and indulgent all at the same time, this was the kind of dish that you can lose yourself in. I found myself at the last bite before I had begun to understand the full breadth of what I was eating.

Another favorite was Chuko Ramen’s Spicy Vegetarian Miso Ramen. Autumnal and warming, this dish featured seasonal squash to mellow out the spice. The broth was woodsy and savory, the sort of thing that you can drink all by itself.

The most adventurous ramen of the night was Daikaya Ramen & ’s tribute to New York: an NYC Lox & Bagel Aburamen. This bold dish featured smoked salmon, cream cheese, everything bagel spice, and dill oil. It was truly, truly, reminiscent of a bagel with lox—a true feat of innovation and daring. This ramen was a big crowd pleaser and the personal favorite of host The Fat Jew: he called it “the jewiest” of the ramen options.

Finally, like all great parties, this one came with dessert. Snowdays NYC served their signature melt-in-your-mouth Shaved Cream in several different delicious varieties, including the Made in Taiwan. This treat featured matcha shaved cream with grass jelly and mochi—the perfect way to cap off the night of indulgence.

Have leftover ramen? Sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on top and bake! Instant dessert!

Special thanks to the NYCWFF for presenting the marvelous and fun Ramen Party—it was truly a night to remember, and a wonderful celebration of some of NYC’s brightest culinary talents.