New York is ramen obsessed. Proof the city’s infatuation with the slurp has reached epidemic proportions lies in the ramen maps you can buy; instructional slideshows you can watch; and the three-plus-hour lines you can stand in for burgers bunned with the noodles.
It was amongst this soupy fray that Midtown East’s Hinomaru Lucky Cat came onto the scene this winter (which, let’s face it, called for a lot of hot noodles to keep the collective cockles sufficiently warm). Another co-venture from Japanese Chef Koji Kagawa and Chatchai Huadwattana (of Hinomaru, Spot Dessert Bar, and Obao fame), the restaurant is a ramen joint that also serves Kushiyaki (Japanese grilled meats) and Chiritori Nabe (a hotpot with ingredients similar to those found in ramen). The venue is modeled after the izakaya style of eatery, which, like a pub or bar with good food, is popular with Japan’s casual after-work crowd.
The customers who filled the tables on the chilly March evening I stepped through Hinomaru Lucky Cat’s Torii-gated door were pretty much exactly this: laid-back professional types looking for an easy dinner on a Thursday night. The ambiance was festive but comforting, with a giant Maneki-neko – or Lucky cat – beckoning us to long wooden cafeteria-style tables under colored paper lanterns.
Despite the biting air outside, the warm and casual fare inside definitely called for a cold one, so I ordered the red miso beer, specially sourced from Japan by Chef Kagawa. Though delicious, it didn’t taste all that different to a full-flavored amber ale (and at $13 a bottle – it’s probably a one-round treat). Accompanying that, came the Kushiyaki of skewered pork belly and eel in an unagi sauce, served with lemon and shichimi (order one or two as an appetizer and more for a tapas-style main course). The eel was melt-in-your-mouth good, but the pork was fairly unremarkable and also probably unnecessary given the amount of pork that features in the restaurant’s noodle-based main courses.
Because of the ubiquity of ramen in New York, and Lucky Cat’s other claim-to-culinary-fame – Chiritori Nabe – featuring so heavily on the menu, I thought I’d give this “spicy volcano hot pot” a try, particularly as it serves a minimum of two people and I was dining with a guest. The Nabe comes DIY-style on a tabletop cooker with pork belly, cabbage and vegetables piled high toped with red miso and anyone who orders it is polaroid-photographed for Lucky Cat’s “Nabe Wall.” The diner is entrusted to pour the 14-hour pork and chicken broth at the Nabe’s base over the top, so the miso trickles down lava-like, cooking the thinly sliced meat. Once you’ve eaten half of it, it’s traditional to add noodles (which are sold as an extra side).
The result is a bit of work for something that is filling and tasty – if not quite as moorish as the cloying umami of a good ramen bowl. However, while ramen should be eaten quickly, Nabe is a long, drawn-out affair, perfect for winding conversations and multiple (maybe cheaper) beers that come with a post-work evening. If you want to draw out the experience even further, round it off with the green tea ice cream mochi, which offer a cooling chewiness that’s welcome after the steaming hot broth.
As Hinomari Lucky Cat’s namesake raises his left paw (a gesture that is traditionally believed to bring more customers) it looks like this new venture will be as fortunate as the name promises – offering Midtown noodle lovers a place to go when the ubiquitous ramen craving takes over.
Hinomaru Lucky Cat is located at 232 E. 53rd Street.
Twisted Talk: Will you check out Hinomaru Lucky Cat for your noodle fix? What’s your favorite spot in the city for ramen? Discuss below!
