Mr. Taka Ramen Reviews

After reading about the Mr Taka shops in Tokyo -which are Michelin recommended - we looked forward to the NYC branch. As anticipated, this was ramen at its best. A small shop with about ten tables - we went at an off-hour and it got crowded quickly. The food was terrific. The Beer and Sake selections were great and it was fun and delicious. We will return soon. This was worth the effort to leave our neighborhood, where there a a few good ramen places.

Fancying a bit of ramen on our second night in New York, we were planning on heading down to Momofuku. However, after a couple of drinks in a nearby bar, we were recommended Mr Taka by a nice local and decided to take the plunge. Yep, all in all a pretty good call. It’s a small restaurant and therefore pretty busy most of the time. We had to wait for a bit, along with a few others but didn’t mind. Once in, the food was fantastic. I had the beef ramen, my wife had the vege one. Really, really good. Great depth of flavours. Mr Taka’s is cosy, you’ll either be on stools by the kitchen/front window, or on any one of a few tables. This adds to the atmosphere which is fun and vibrant. The waiting staff are great, friendly, quick and helpful. Value wise it is also very good considering the quality of the food. We paid a lot more to eat a lot worse over the course of our stay. Mr Taka’s is up there with the best places we went to.

My girlfriend and I ate at Mr. Taka after an event at Bluestockings Bookstore, right next door. We ordered the purple sweet potato tempura appetizer, which was excellent - all three dipping sauces were yummy. My girlfriend has the vegan ramen and I had the special white miso with pork belly. Delicious both! We both added spice to our order, which was a good choice, it's not too spicy, but gives the plain ramen a very nice kick. We were both very pleased with our dishes! And, we could have done without the appetizer we didn't finish. Mr. Taka's is a cute little restaurant that probably is a mob scene during peak hours. It was just full when we went at 9:30pm on a Thursday.

This place is simply the pinnacle of human accomplishment. The food, menu offerings, decor, service, staff, music, atmosphere...all 5 star. This place is exactly what I think of and what I expect when I come to NYC. Absolutely brilliant!

Check out the mushroom ramen. I tried the tempura Brussel sprouts were very tasty (I had two orders....very good). The only downside was the service. This pace gets really busy which may be the reason why the staff looked overwhelmed. Even though the staff was friendly, the service was very spotty.

I LOVE Ramen, so when I'm traveling I try to find the best place in each city. I travel to NY nearly once a month and have tried several places, including the more expensive, well-known places - though Mr. Taka is a top contender for one of my favorites EVER. The broth (which I personally think makes or breaks ramen) is complex and nearly creamy. It has GREAT garlic flavor and all the traditional toppings. The egg was cooked perfectly (this is surprisingly uncommon). Only reason I'd be tempted to give them a 4.7 is that the noodles were a little thinner than I expected and it was quite pricey. They only give you one piece of pork belly, where the standard is two. Service was wonderful though - very fast and friendly. Bottom line: It was SO good. I'll be back every chance I get!

Hearty rich miso ramen with melt in your mouth fatty pork belly and noodles cooked firm. Wings were excellent too. Worth queuing up for, which you inevitably will.

This is the best ramen I have ever had. Such great option for both meat eaters and vegans. The gyoza were awesome and the ramen itself is out of this world. You need to eat here

As a ramen lover this was possibly the best broth I have ever had! I ordered the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen which was rich and buttery with the perfect amount of spice. The sliced pork belly melts in your mouth however I was disappointed that you get only one small slice of pork per ramen bowl. For $16 I would expect at least 2 slices. Will absolutely return in the future.

The #1 draw in Mr Taka is that it's best choice for a late-night meal for quite a distance on the Lower East Side. Staff are extremely attentive and accommodating; every time I've visited, I've been expressly reminded to let them know if there's anything I'd like to comment on, or ask to have done differently. I still find the broths (I've tried everything but the vegetarian) too salty, as well as the karrage chicken. But the pork belly here is terrific.

we ate here since it was next to our hotel, but it was the best ramen we've had in a long time! friendly staff and rich delicious ramen. spicy miso ramen is the way to go!

Went to this small restaurant after visiting the Tenement Museum. It was a short walk away and a great spot to combine with a tour of the museum. I've sampled ramen in many cities and this rivaled them all. The pork belly was the best I've ever eaten at a ramen restaurant and the noodles and the broth were superior. We had been to the top rated dumpling spot the night before. The dumplings here were far superior. My friend had the vegetarian ramen and she said it was excellent. Friendly and prompt service!

had the shiitake mushroom shoyu "special", which i believe is a winter seasonal bowl. good toppings, but the broth is the standout here. the 'meaty' shiitake flavours transferred quite well and almost demands that the bowl be finished to the last drop. the room is small, but warm--perfect on a cold winter's evening

Had lunch. Very food food and friendly staff. Worth the waiting time of approx 30 min for lunch. Got so “stuffed” that we had to cancel dinner reservation some other place later the same day ;)

Fantastic choice of starters and main courses. The Ramen Noodles with pork were amazing and fun trying to use the chopsticks. Will definitely go back next time I'm in New York. Fantastic service and atmosphere.

Delicious ramen and dumplings in a pleasant, casual atmosphere. Good service. I enjoyed sitting at the bar and watching the food being made. I can't wait to return.

Arrived from UWS with my daughter who says this is the best she has ever had. We got there early enough on a sunday evening to avoid the crowds and were seated right away. it is a small place!! I enjoyed my ramen (miso) as did my daughter. (spicy veggie). Service was very good and food came out quickly. They only take visa/mc (and cash) at this time. Not a big deal.

No frills . Good hot steaming bowl of ramen. Comes with a complimentary fried chicken or salad.. pork gyoza equally good too

I love the food here. It is so tasty and not overly salty (sometimes an issue with Ramen). Totally worth the visit. It's small and has a nice interior. The tan tan Ramen is excellent.

Hello, On Friday night I went to Mr. Taka with my husband, I had Tonkatsu spicy with pork ramen and my husband had a barbecue beef broth ramen. They were both excellent. My husband left his book bag there. Will you please give it to our friend Javier Diez. We have returned to Italy. Thanks, Patty

The place is small, but very nice and clean! I love ramen and grilled eel over rice!!!nice and friendly staff. The area around is also very nice.

Really yummy ramen. Had both veggie and pork gyoza and veggie and pork ramen. All very good. The miso "sauces" were excellent. I suppose its "cheap eats" by NYC standards; family of four well filled for ~$65 (w/o drinks). Well worth it.

A great little place in the Lower East Side. We tried the Gyoza, Crispy Brussel Sprouts & Ramen and all were delicious, plus it was great service!

Tasty vegetarian ramen. We had one spicy with an egg and another regular with tofu, both were excellent. Service was quick. Prices are reasonable.

Food was delicious and service was great. I have a spicy tonkatsu ramen and part of the meat literally melt in my mouth. It comes with 3 pc of boneless fried chicken with their own sauce. You can have a salad instead of the chicken but looks like the chicken is the better choice. Place was small that you can see almost the entire place reflected on the wall mirror. Claustrophobic but clean restroom.

Stopped by on a Saturday for lunch. Since the metered street parking was only for an hour, I didn’t have the time to analyze the menu. I ordered the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen and wasn’t disappointed. I’ve had my fair share of ramen in many places and this would definitely place in the top ten percent. Service was friendly and quick. The ramen was cooked just right in regards to the firmness and the broth was so rich and delicious I ended up drinking the whole bowl. Be mindful that this is not a fine dining establishment and that my rating is not about the placement of utensils nor the art decor but about how the ramen was cooked, presented, and tasted. A must try if you’re in the area... or maybe even if you’re not. My only regret is that I didn’t order an extra soft boiled egg with the ramen.

Mr. Taka has a nice casual atmosphere when my friend and I visited last week during a snowy Monday. We started off with pork gyoza which were perfectly juicy & with a light sear and then went on to the ramen. My friend had the spicy miso ramen with pork and I had the ginger shoyu ramen with chicken. Both broths were awesome and service was prompt. My failure was ordering the chicken as the pork just looked so much better but I wanted a lighter meal. The only subpar part of the meal was the beer was only slightly chilled.

After a morning in Chinatown, went here for ramen and this restaurant did NOT disappoint!!! Having an Asian daughter, we are particular on our ramen, and both of our meals were delicious!!

This small Ramen restaurant on Allen Street offers an incredible choice of Ramen and other delights. In addition to the regular menu, there are also some amazing cold summer dishes. I opted for Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen (available with GF noodles) - it was scrumptious. The pork belly was tender and beautifully cooked. The spice level was perfect - broth delicious. My friend opted for a cold Lemon Ramen - gorgeous and cool! The restaurant is very nice and minimal - staff very friendly. A must stop on the LES! Enjoy.

Attractive little spot with attentive service and excellent ramen. Lunch special came with either salad or Japanese fried chicken, I chose salad and it came with a nice spicy mustardy dressing. Ramen was silky and slurp worthy, with crunchy cabbage scallions ground pork and chicken. All in all a very enjoyable lunch and fairly reasonable too.

Excellent ramen shop. My companions and I had three different dishes all delicious and filling. Two were hot and one cold. The cold ramen was particularly good considering it was a hot day. The waitress was perceptive enough to confirm that I understood how the cold ramen differed from the hot. I recommend the sliced pork belly with any of the dishes. The shop now accepts credit cards (Visa & MC).

Loved the Garlic Ramen Bowl, just so much food though it is hard to get through it all, you can probably just get two spoons! Also had the dumplings which were excellent. Good service, good value for money. Free water!

We went there on a Sunday night, my husband and I both had the vegetable ramen. Food was quick, like before our beers quick. Portions were ok, normally you can't finish your ramen because they are so generous but in that case we both emptied our soups. The biggest drawback for us: the SERVICE. We both worked in the industry for 10 years so we are very comprehensive but there were 12 customers and 2 waiters. Nobody came to see if the food was to our taste, we waited a last 15 minutes with our empty plates and waited another 15 to pay. I don't know if it was new staff but they should work on that.

The food ia ok, but the waitress from the night asked me to wait outside in the cold (there were 8 seats available, but as I was with my mom, the waitress didn't want to give us the 4-seat table, it's ok, but asking me to wait outside while it's 40°F? C'mon!) The same waitress tries to put pressure on me asking if I wanted the food to be packed (I was with the hachi in my hand and the mouth full of food! I WAS STILL EATING!) And after that, the other waitress bringged me the bill without me asking for it! We spent a total time of 30 minutes during this horrible diner! Gave 25c to show how horrible this was!

Stopped here on a whim, and got exactly what I we we’re looking for. The food was great, small high quality menu with vibrant flavors. The mushroom bau buns and vegan ramen were our choices.

We stumbled upon Mr. Taka one late night in August while trying to find Mission Chinese food. Luckily for us, our orientation system sucks, because that night we found a jewel, in thick spicy broth, covered in noodles. I will arguably state that this is the best Ramen in New York. When in my foodie dreams I think of a bowl of ramen, this hub is what comes to mind: a well balanced broth, either spicy miso or a fabulous shoyu, complemented by the fatty sensuality of the pork melting delicately in my mouth. Seasoning to perfection, consistency throughout my visits. The menu also contains several fresh and green dishes, which I greatly appreciate because I feel less guilty about slurping a huge bowl of noodles. They are also delicious! The desserts are a beauty, bordering between sweet and savory (the ice cream with matcha syrup is a must). The service is always fantastic and quick, you can expect to eat in 30 minutes or less if you are in a hurry. They also deliver (great news!) Also consider that Mr. Taka is actually a person who happens to be Japanese and loves to - along with his wife- pursue perfection and culture in each bowl of noodles. Expect nothing but pure Japanese coziness! Thank you, Mr. Taka - san

This is one of the best ramen joints in the city (Totto Ramen in Midtown being the other) and is worth every penny. Get the spicy miso ramen and you won’t be disappointed, especially as they cook the pork and egg to utter perfection. The customer service is always top notch and they treat you so well regardless of how packed and busy they are (with lines out the door on a rainy Friday night). Enjoy!

Small ramen house with stellar staff and delicious food. Standouts for our party of five were pork belly (in ramen), spicy ramen, brussel sprouts and veggie dumplings. Clean and comfortable plus appropriately priced. Easy to find location just south of Houston on Allen Street. Really enjoyed.

We stumbled upon Mr Taka on our way to Rockwood Music Hall. It's a small little ramen place. Not much seating. The service was good and the ramen was delicious. I thought it was a bit highly priced. The bowl was $16. Though delicious, thought it could be been priced a bit lower. Overall, good meal and though the staff and kitchen staff were very nice and all said goodbye to us, which was nice.

This is the first Ramen restaurant I've ever been to, so I am no expert on how "real ramen" should taste. To me, it was delicious. To my 13 year old son, it was not what he expected. Him and I shared a bowl (which was plenty for me). My daughter ordered the Miso ramen and loved it. She could not eat it all either. The server was nice and very attentive to our needs. It is a very small and quaint little spot. Everything looked clean. As we were leaving my son saw someone eating a rice bowl and he said he wished he would have ordered that.

Lower east side is ramen city so competition is fierce but this spot hits the spot though draft beer is not cold enough and service is not always speedy but it makes up with good ramen and late night hours even on a Sunday.

An additional location opened of the famed Mr Taka Ramen on 230 THOMPSON street. This cozy eatery has the most fantastic ramen. I had a spicy pork ramen that was most likely the best I have had anywhere! Service was quick and polite. Definitely put this on your list of ramen eateries when in NYC!

Had lunch here when visiting NYC. We had some of the gyoza and each had a bowl of ramen - they were delicioius! Most of the options on the menu are fine for people with peanut allergies but be aware that one of the ramen options has peanuts as one of the ingredients.

Exquisite ramen here: all the ingredients (from the broth, noodles and pork belly) are fresh and delicious. Warm and welcoming service, happy to have discovered this gem!

I stumbled on this gem in the LES, just down the street from Sixty LES and around the corner from the Indigo Hotel. Apparently it has cult status, and well deserved. There is nothing like cold ramen on a sweltering summer day, and they did it with style and flavor! The service was lovely and the ambiance was very clean, airy and welcoming. I was the only non-Japanese person in the restaurant, which I took as a good sign. The classic ramen that the tattoo-covered man next to me was slurping smelled delicious, and the price was great.

Small restaurant with really god ramen and the Bun pok was perfect. The spicy on the side was perfect for us so we could choose how spice we wanted our ramen.

We went here on a recommendation from a friend, food was excellent, nice cosy place, our waitress was fantastic, held us a table even though they don't take reservations but we had travelled from Europe so she made an exception, during our dinner she was really friendly and genuine. Highly recommend

Went here Sunday, 9-19-21. It was busy but not packed. Waited over 40 minutes and never got served. At 20 minutes someone else's check was presented. At 25 minutes I asked a waitress when we would get our order and got only a nervous smile. At 30 minutes we were told we'd get our ramen in "3 minutes." At 40 minutes we were presented with a correct check but still no food. That was the end of this visit. No plans to ever return.

Haven't actually been to Japan, but this is how I imagined an authentic Tokyo ramen shop. On the East Side, this is a mall store front with a counter facing the kitchen and a few tables. We sat at the counter and watched as our order was carefully prepared. An order of dumplings was perfectly presented and delicious. The ramen was unbelievable. I had the pork which was topped with the most delicious slice of pork belly I've ever tasted. The noodles, greens, sprouts and broth were all spot on. The serving was more than generous - we were here for lunch and I had to skip dinner. All this was washed down by a couple of glasses of ice cold orion draft beer. Service was pleasant and prompt. Don't go for the ambiance, definitely go for the food!

Okay, I must confess, I haven't been to that many ramen restaurants. Sure there are others that are good, like Ivan's Slurp Shop and Morimoto's Momosan. But the attitude, and the "see and be seen" aspect of eating there means you can wait hours for tables at the latter, and pay more at the former. At Mr. Taka I don't feel like I am paying for the pleasure of being at the popular place with the big name on it - just for the high quality food. I like the Tsukemen, which I have had there, but the last time I was there, it was not available, and the ramen I ordered instead also made me very happy. They have good side dishes, and the Japanese style soda is fun too.

Had Shoyu pork belly Ramen with karaage and Gyoza and Orion beer and all were excellent. Great care is taken with the ramen, my only complaint is the the volume should be more and the noodles are a little too hard. The gyoza were the best I've had outside Japan and they go great with an Orion draft beer!

Mr. Taka Ramen serves up solid bowls of ramen. The yuzu shoyu broth was clear, with a stronger bonito taste than yuzu. The tonkotsu broth was light, yet flavorful. The noodles were prepared well. The chashu was one of the better slices I've had, and I was a fan of the purple yam tempura appetizer. The place is small and clean, but getting a seat shouldn't be a problem.

After we walked the Brooklyn Bridge in the cold wind, we walked a bit to try my brother's favorite ramen place. We had to wait a bit to get in because it's so small, but it was worth it. We sat at the end of the bar and watched them cook. I was impressed by the setup! The food was so filling and delicious. LOVE!

Surprisingly good ramen and starters. The place looks mediocre, but it was full so we decided to try. The appetisers were really good, and so was the vegi. ramen. There was a very fun and lively atmosphere

Mr. Taka is a relatively new player to the trending ramen scene. Though it does not entirely measure up to the best in Tokyo, I thought it is as good as other big players currently operating in NYC. For $14 + excess, you can get a regular size (AKA small for big Americans) ramen, and either salad or fried chicken. It is a reasonable proposition for lunch time, but for dinner minus the side dish - not so much. I ordered yuzu shio ramen which is a chicken based clear soup with a hint of citrus acidity and a few peels. One slice of blowtorched pork belly, two portions of scallions in different cuts, and pickled bamboo shoots came standard. The noodle was cooked decent, not stiff nor saggy - just right. The overall meal is excellent, even not the best value. It is satisfying. I will come back again to try the seasonal menu and tsukemen varieties.

Had ramen here and the broth was flavorful. He noodle texture was okay but not the best . Overall it was a good experience.

Ok ramen but service was hurrendous. Considering it's a tiny place with a handful of tables the waiter managed to get our food order wrong and forgot to give us drinks. Had to be reminded for everything which was very frustrating. We gave 18% min standard service which was not deserved and requested two dollars change but he forgot what we paid him and was hesitating to give anything back. In other countries you wouldn't get any tips for that kind of appalling service and totally ruined our evening!

Small, cozy & simple look. I walked in and felt right at ease. Sat at the counter when it just open on Sunday before noon. The place had a few guests already. Small menu but with good variety. I tried octopus app & spicy miso ramen. Good size. I could not finish they offered doggy bag. Miummmm , more for later. Open late on weekends. I will definatly return. It surely hit the spot.

Simply the best Ramen I ever eat... try the chili one. I have no word, really!! The restaurant is Little and cozy, the staff is very nice, I hope to come back in the Lower East Side Just to taste again those flavours

The spicy stamina ramen had a very good spicy juice, nice curly noodles, and a melting chashu (though a bit cold at place). Very good overall. 16/20. The yuzu shoyu ramen was a bit less convincing. Somehow the juice did not really taste yuzu but rather menma (!). The chicken was tender. 13/20.

Actually found this great little spot by accident! Watching 'Master of None' on Netflix and Mr. Taka Ramen was mentioned. I was staying in LES NYC at the time. Mr. Taka was right around the corner. Omg what a lucky find! Vegetarian Spicy Ramen is out of this world delicious 😋 Good beer on tap. Great appetizers. Good service! SMALL PLACE! Go during off peak hours

This quaint ramen gem, is just what I needed... Spicy veggie ramen, yes with chicken was absolutely divine with my sapporo beer. Sweet staff and very attentive. Highly recommended!

Great place. Great food. The best ramen in New York City. No doubt about it. We just love Mr. Taka Ramen.

Great little ramen noodle restaurant. Excellent authentic food. Great service. Good saki and drinks.

Had the spicy ramen with their flour noodle ramen which was thick and delicious! The porn belly was tender with just the right amount of fat!

love this place ! have never eaten better ramen outside of Japan, such a treat ! friendly staff, fast service and reasonable prices - really can't go wrong with this!