E.A.K. Ramen

If New York’s noodle scene felt saturated, it might’ve been because many of the shops that opened specialized in that ultracreamy, dense style of pork broth. But Japan has a dizzying number of ramen styles, one of which, Yokohama’s iekei ramen — made with unusually thick noodles and a salty broth that blends rich tonkotsu (from Kyushu) and subtler shoyu (from Tokyo) broths, topped with spinach instead of green onions — has finally come to town. The Japanese chain Iekei Ramen, under the moniker of E.A.K. Ramen, now serves iekei-style ramen as well as the Zebra, a thick tonkotsu-shio blend bolstered with garlic oil and (why not?) butter, and the Oh So Hot, which is spiked with spicy miso with ground chicken. There are two vegetarian options, including a miso variation loaded up with a garden variety of vegetables, and add-ons like kimchee, menma, and Parmesan cheese. For those who need more than just noodles for a night out, there’s an extensive selection of appetizers, too. The requisite steamed buns with pork belly and shrimp, of course, but also fried rice, tofu and pork gyoza, and cucumber kimchee.