Michelin Ramen From Tokyo! HUGE Japanese Food Tour in NEW YORK

Andrew, you look like somebody who eats a lot of ramen. I just did have ramen yesterday. Man, I'm telling you, it tastes so Asian. What's going on, everybody? Welcome to another episode of Funro's Food The World NY edition. Today, we are traveling to the country of Japan. Yes, behind us, we have two chains that are from Japan. One is from Kyoto and the other is from Tokyo. Guys, New York has a whole bunch of new Japanese restaurants as always, but a lot of them are being imported from Japan. First off, Andrew, we're talking about a brand new Michelin-ranked ramen chain from Tokyo. It's called Suta Ramen. The world's first Michelin-star ramen. 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019. Let's check it out. Sugoi. All right, you guys, we're sitting here with the signature dish at the Michelin-starred Suta Ramen. Andrew, why is it called the original truffle shoyu soba? I can see that confusing people because people are thinking buckwheat noodles, cold, ice cubes. Okay, so these noodles are actually ramen noodles, but sometimes in Japan, he was telling me that they use the term soba just to mean noodles. So ramen oftentimes means Chinese noodles or Chinese soba because ramen from a long time ago comes from China, aka ramen, right? Right, right, right. And that's actually why, you know, we have a Chinese-flavored mala tonkatsu over here. But, you know, let's just focus on this one. Let's focus on the shoyu. This is the truffle shoyu, guys, but it's essentially ramen noodles. It's not buckwheat noodles at all. But here, listen, I broke up the truffle here. We have the chashu. We have nicely skinned scallions. Put your extras in there. Put your hat on. Throw it all in. Wow, it's kind of like a hot pot. Yeah. Okay, okay. Let me just throw the soft-boiled shoyu infused. Guys, the shoyu here is very special. They age it for two years in a barrel in Nagano. And it's also hand-picked shoyu from different parts of Japan. And if you guys know about Nagano, that's where they have the Winter Olympics. It's cold there. Guys, this is not your average shoyu. All right, let's get a little bit. I'm eating this first. This is the first thing I'm going for. Oh, the truffle flavor is strong. Of course, Andrew, you cannot forget about the add-ons. This is an appetizer. This is aburi niku. Niku means pork. I believe the aburi refers to the Iberico pork, which is the grade of Spanish pork that this is. Lots of charring, very tender. Has that kind of like nice little daikon ginger kick. Garlic. That truffle shoyu is the best truffle ramen I've ever had. Because I've had it at a few places. It's always a swing and it's always a miss. This one was a swing. And I'd say maybe not a home run. I'll give it a third base hit. Moving on here at Suta Ramen, Andrew. This is a flavor I've started to see a lot more recently as like Sichuan flavors have started to become popular all over Asia. This is a mala tonkatsu. And Andrew, we actually did a flavor similar to this back in the day at Ramen Lab. Yeah, we had a ramen pop up in New York City. I'm sure they pulled it off even better. But shout out to the Ramen Lab. It was actually pretty tasty. So you're going to throw in your add-ons, David. I guess I'm kind of curious to see how this one tastes. Does it kind of taste like dan dan noodles? Kind of like a tan tan ramen, which is very common in Japan as well. This is the nori. When it's in its raw seaweed format, it's kombu. When it's dried out, flattened, it's nori. So I'm just going to put the sheets in there. I don't even know if this is how you do it. But man, I'm actually pretty excited to try this. I know that, like we said, ramen is originally from China. So they do kind of have a lot of like dan dan noodles flavors, you know, different influences. Here we go. I'm going to go ahead and give that a 4.5 out of 5. Maybe a 4.75. It's really, really good. All right. Overall, Andrew, which one did you prefer here at Suta Ramen? I would say I got to go with the tonkatsu mala one because it kind of tasted like a mixture between a tan tan ramen with a little bit of the sesame taste and the fattiness of the tonkatsu mixed in with a ramen. Yeah. Honestly, I'm going to go with the mala tonkatsu as well. And it's not just because we're Chinese. I know, you know, some people could say that's biased. Probably, you know, everybody's biased in some sense. But I'll tell you, it was just such a... It pulled it off so well. Much better, to be honest, than our pop-up. I've never had a ramen that tasted like that before, guys. But I recommend you try both if you can. I don't think you could go wrong with either one. Obviously, this is a Michelin star rated ramen spot, aka soba spot. So, you know. All right. Here we got the tori karaage. There is no spicy mayo dip that you're going to have with this. This is just straight chicken and a little bit of lime on top. Yeah, man. I think... I mean, look at that. Not too much batter. You can still see the chicken meat. And you know what's very Japanese about it? There's no mayo aioli to dip. They cooked it in already. And, you know, like if you know about Japanese spots, Andrew, they're kind of like, um, we did all the thinking already. No need to change it. I love this minimalist tori karaage. I love how the batter is not too thick. I love how there's not too much mayo. It's not too heavy. It's just straight, nicely seasoned, marinated chicken thigh. Cooked together, man. Overall, Andrew, what did you think of Suta Ramen, the Michelin starred restaurant chain from Japan? Man, if you're a ramen head or you love Japanese food, you got to check out the chains from Japan. I think every new ramen spot is going to have a couple bowls that blow your mind. Maybe not all of them, but the quality is clearly there. And Andrew, just as the quality is elevated, so is the corresponding price. Yeah, each bowl was about $23 for a large, but with the egg and the extra three slices of chashu, that was an extra $9. So it's about $32. But given that the soba noodles were made of a mixture of flour from Japan and France, and then the shoyu is aged in a barrel for two years from different prefectures. I mean, I don't know. That's what you're paying for. I really think like the devil is in the details in the sense of like, if you're a true ramen freak, you're going to value all of those things. If you're just like a regular ramen consumer, you might be thinking about it $32. I don't know. My favorite bowl is $15. I don't know if it's worth twice the price. Come here, check it out, and you let us know. Okay, so right next to Sutai Ramen, Andrew, we actually have the premier international Japanese coffee chain, Percent Arabica. Yo, when this chain started in 2014 from Kyoto, Japan, it changed the game. And now there are locations worldwide. I've seen them in Asia, but now they got one in Dumbo, Brooklyn. Let's check it out. I actually think it's just Arabica. I just had to say the percent. So Arabica Coffee actually started in like 2014, but they have like such a Japanese philosophical approach to coffee, Andrew. I think now they have like 136. Most of them are in Asia. This is the first one in North America. All right, you guys, I got my favorite drinks here. This is a Kyoto latte. This is a sparkling lemonade. I've only ever seen this drink ever before at Arabica Coffee. Of course, Andrew, you had to get the Kyoto latte. Arabica started in Kyoto. You know what's one little known fact, David? I just found out Arabica stands for Arabic coffee because actually this coffee plant was first cultivated in the Middle East. Oh, okay. And by the way, guys, if you're looking for anything to eat here, this sticky bun is the go-to. It is super sweet, but super delicious. Very small, very, you know, volume management, very Japanese. Listen, guys, you guys got to get the sparkling lemonade though. This is probably the most refreshing, unique, simplistic drink. I get this when I'm in Asia at Arabica, and I'm going to get it when I'm here in New York. Is this coffee a little bit expensive for such a small cup? It is a little bit pricier than usual, but all you need is a small cup of coffee. You know, if you can't go to Asia, you can't go to Japan, come to Dumbo. All right, so for our next Japanese food concept that is from Japan, we're outside of Kaikogetsu, and they specialize in a very high-end tasting menu. I heard the wagyu is amazing, and I might even grill it on a stone or... Anyways, guys, we got to check it out. It is from the Hida region of Japan. Basically, she cooked the wagyu ribeye in it before while it was hot, and then she pours in the broth, and now it's still bubbling. Now it looks like a traditional sukiyaki, but we saw it before. So here's the wagyu. Yo, that is buttery, oh my gosh. This is the special wagyu curry. So this is the Japanese curry with sliced wagyu inside. Oh my goodness, I've never had wagyu curry before. All right, I'm gonna get a nice piece of that, a nice piece of sauce. That's super tender, man. Eat it with a little bit of radish. White radish, not red radish this time. Hey, guys, this is actually part of their set menu, and the set that we're getting is only $50. So it's like a really good deal, and you get to try a whole bunch of different food that you never had before. This is shrimp with applesauce on it. That's how it's described in English. Nice, savory, and salty. Here we go. This is monkfish. Oh, nice and smooth. This is a special tofu from the Hida region, which is where kaikaketsu is originally from. Oh my god. It's really soft, a little smoky. That's cool. All right, you guys, our next spot is Nippon Cha out in Williamsburg, and we're on the famous Bedford Avenue right now. Nippon Cha has locations in Miyajima and Hiroshima, Japan and New York. And the only other place outside of those three cities is Poland. Very interesting. But anyways, there's not that many of these. They serve the highest grade ceremonial green matcha. And I gotta say, outside, the way the sign juts out from the side, it has very much a Japanese feel to it. I feel like I'm in Hiroshima right now. This music, that's when you know you're in a real Japanese spot. They're not playing the pop music. They're playing the instrumental music. All right, you guys, two of the most popular drinks here at Nippon Cha are actually this tochucha latte, which is actually a mixture of coffee and tea. And then you got actually, Andrew, it's almost like a tiger sugar matcha, but it's actually, what, like brown sugar matcha layered. This is a brown sugar matcha latte, but made with the Nippon Cha matcha. Whoa. I gotta tell you, I have never had anything that tasted exactly like this tochucha before because it really is this hybrid of the two, but it's blended really well together. It doesn't taste like you just threw coffee and tea together. It's somehow fused. That's probably the best brown sugar matcha latte I've ever had. Now, you're starting to see a lot of boba shops do the different layer of colors and mixtures here, but I will tell you this, between the high qualitiness of the brown sugar and, of course, the ceremonial matcha, this is next level, man. And I'm telling you, when you're here, it just feels different because every legit Japanese spot I go into, they're always playing the Yoshida brothers, you know, playing on their three-string instrument, the shamisen. Well, not only that, Andrew, there's people behind you drinking matcha in a very ritualistic way. This is not a boba shop, okay? This is a matcha spot. We have their signature matcha tiramisu. I've had matcha tiramisu before, but this one, I'm not gonna lie, looks different. Andrew, from the Yoshida brothers to the Fung brothers, Andrew, which brothers are taken more seriously? Well, I'll tell you which ones are way more famous globally. The Yoshida brothers. Matcha tiramisu. Could it be the best matcha tiramisu I've ever had? Yo, that was good. David, would it surprise you if I told you this was the best one I've ever had? Yeah, I would say the biggest difference is the matcha cream that separates the layers is not too thick. Obviously, like when you look at dessert creams in Asia, much lighter. Everybody, I'm here with kind of the bartender or tea master here at Nippon Cha. We got Angel. Angel, you're about to fix up a straight matcha shot for me, right? Yes, I'm gonna make the traditional way they drink in Japan. Just put the matcha here with the water. And is that special water? No, the special temperature, but it's regular water. But it's not like just New York tap water. I'm sure it's purified. Yeah, and then you have to mix with a whisk. What would you say the key is to whisking good matcha? Yeah, you have to do like zigzags. Don't go around. Do not make a circle? Yeah, not make circle. Just go zigzags, it's obvious. See like the way I do it? This is what we call usecha or matcha straight, same. Oh, and then you do the slow circle at the end. Yes. Wow. That's what we call usecha. You can guys drink like that. Arigato gozaimasu. It's dope to see a business as Japanese as Nippon Cha next to something as iconic New York as Joe's Pizza. All right, our next chain from Japan is actually not a super fancy one. It is Go Go Curry. This is great for students, people on the go. Of course, it's actually named after Hideki Mitsui, who was playing on the Yankees. Go is five, five, five. Go Go Curry. Anyways, let's check it out. Okay, guys, Go Go Curry. This is like fast food in Japan, and I love it. I got the home run. This has everything in it. I got chicken. I got rice. I got curry sauce. I have the shrimp tempura and the little sauce. There's a little cabbage and the egg. Guys, do you have the hamburger? Have the hamburger. No hamburger. Guys, this is Go Go Curry. Fast food in Japan here in New York City since 2007. A lot of Japanese chains opened up in New York because they kind of see it as the Tokyo of the West, being that the density and the speed of the city is very similar to Tokyo. So maybe the eating habits and kind of like similar concepts could work. And I like Go Go Curry. I know there's one in Times Square and there's a couple over all over the city. But, you know, this is great for students. Shrimp tempura. Listen, I've heard a lot of my friends debate about whether Go Go Curry is worth it because, oh, you can get better chicken katsu curry elsewhere. Um, honestly, I think it's pretty solid. I give it like a 7.5 out of 10. And especially for the price and speed, you can't be too mad. I love how the curry is very dark and the chicken, the katsu breading is actually not too thick. That's what I appreciate. And honestly, just kind of having that authentic crammed, small packed experience is very Tokyo, I guess. And if you're ever wondering why Japanese curry is the way that it is, well, it's because it actually comes from Britain, which comes from India. So it's kind of like through different iterations of curry. And then it comes back to Japan, which is kind of a funny route for it to go. But, hey, you know, I mean, it's pretty good. I like it a lot. Guys, our next location is Ramen Danbo here in the West Village. Now, it came to America in 2017, but it started in the year 2000 in Fukuoka, Japan. And I will tell you inside, there are customers that are speaking Japanese. Maybe even the servers don't, but the customers are. That's how you know it's legit. All right, so Ramen Danbo started in Japan in the year 2000. It came over to America. It is one of the few very, very authentic Hakata style ramen chains in America. And Hakata is a part of Fukuoka. Fukuoka is a big city in Kyushu, Japan, obviously at the bottom island. Check it out. Wow, look at this curry tonkatsu, man. I've never had a curry tonkatsu before. I'm very, very excited. This egg looks amazing. It almost looks perfect. Gudetama would be proud. Look at these noodles. Tons of scallions. The pork is looking right. Got a little bit of preserved veggies, too. Oh, kind of spicy. Here we got the mentaiko rice. I'm just going to mix it in. Usually you'll get like mentaiko udon that's creamy, but just a little scoop of mentaiko on rice is kind of like adds that little burst of like salty umami like fishiness. Pan fried gyoza, not deep fried. Nice and gingery and peppery. All right, so one thing I noticed about the ramen chains that are coming over from Japan, at least in the past like 10 years, a few things. They'll always give you this chopped garlic, which is delicious and honestly just a really cool add on. And then also I feel like things like Ajisen, which is a chain that's actually from the 60s that came over to America like 20, 30 years ago. You know, it's going to feel a little bit more like I guess not as premium because I think pretty much if ramen is coming over in the 2000s, it's going to be like kind of high end or at least done really well. I mean, I think it's safe to say that the more recent ramen chains from Japan are for the ramen freaks. I mean, look at this, beautiful noodles, hakata style, still doing things differently though, not only keeping it traditional. I mean, this is a curry ramen, so it's pretty cool. All right, you guys, our next chain from Japan is Muji. It started in 1980, came to America in 2007, and they sell a very high quality, but extremely simple and essential version of just about everything. It's almost like an H&M home met a target. Let's check it out, Muji. Every time I go to Muji, I don't necessarily get something. However, I do always make sure I get these freeze-dried Japanese strawberries, both in white chocolate and regular chocolate. I'm going to go ahead and give the chocolate one a 4.5 out of 5, and I actually think this white chocolate one gets a 4 out of 5, much like all the products at Muji. Always at least a 4 out of 5. Listen, guys, everybody inside of a Muji is very well put together. You don't see any tattoos. Everybody's hair has got product in it. It's been combed properly in the morning. You know, everybody looks like they're in a tea commercial from Asia. All right, everybody. I'm here at the largest yakiniku chain in the entire world, Gyukaku. It means horn of the bull. It started in Tokyo in 1996, made it to New York City in 2001. Here I have the short rib, guys. Obviously, this is going to look a lot like Korean barbecue. There are some slight differences though, aside from obviously the general flavors. But yeah, let's throw it on. Guys, Gyukaku is so popular. I didn't know there was over 600 locations worldwide. That's a lot. One of the traits that you see of a yakiniku is that the vents have to be at the bottom so that it's sucking all the, you know, smells and the smoke down, which I think is really important, guys. I will tell you this. Japanese chains are really good at localizing so that it almost feels like this is kind of an Americanized spot, but it's actually from Japan. But they just do a good job of marketing and honestly, just all types of people love it. So one of the main differences between yakiniku and Korean barbecue is that yakiniku focuses more on sauces. They do marinate some meats, but not as much as Korean barbecues do. Here we have sweet soy ponzu. Just get them both in there at the same time. Guys, the meat's almost done, but before that, I'm going to hit them with some appetizers. These are bacon chips. You have a little bit of salt, have a little bit of lemon. So it's unsalted and fried first, but you just put a little bit of salt, kicks it up. Here's a tofu salad. One thing I noticed that Japanese really like, they like salt-flavored things kind of like a shio ramen and they also like milk-flavored things like milk bread. All right, guys, here we have some cold tofu. Nice and chilled, garlicky and salty. Some of the meat is done. I'm going to remove it, put it on my plate. Not going to worry if there's a tiny bit of red left. I like it medium rare, you know how I do. Oh my goodness. All right, short rib first. The ponzu sauce is going to more remind you of something that you've had at Korean barbecue. A little bit citrusy, a little bit of vinegar, but still sweet. I think the cool thing about gyukaku is that this is the same chain that is started in Tokyo. So I'm not saying it's exactly the same in America, but it's pretty similar and you see all types of people here. It's very accessible and overall, you know, they just do things a little bit differently. They even have an all-you-can-eat menu. So that's kind of cool. So guys, I will say for a long time, I used to think gyukakus were like too Americanized for some reason until I really came here and I looked into the history. Actually, I don't know, maybe they're just good at adapting. Ajisen Ramen is another chain that originally started in Japan all the way back in 1968. Since then, they've expanded, they've grown, they've sold to this company, they've taken on investors. Now there's over 700 locations worldwide. This is the one in Chinatown, New York City. They are known for like localizing. They've got tom yum ramens here, but they've also got, you know, spicy traditional ones like the volcano ramen. So let's check it out. Non-Asians love this place. Listen guys, I think the secret to having a chain from Japan have 700 locations just like gyukaku is creating an environment and a flow in a business system that really allows it to thrive overseas. It's not about having the best or most authentic product, even though I think the flavor are very enjoyable here. This is a tom yum ramen with grilled chicken on top, guys. This is tom yum broth. It's already a fusion. I think it's for the Western market. Just take a look at everything that's on the inside. I think for people who grew up eating maruchan or missing, you know, like instant ramen, this is gonna be right in line with the flavor profile, but just a nice step up in quality. Tom yum ramen here at Ajisen. Honestly, guys, that might not be for the ramen freaks, but I'm really enjoying that. It kind of tastes like a mama noodle. As you can see, guys, they also got some traditional sides. Agarashi tofu in the back. It really reminds me of Japan, actually, from like circa 1990 from a lot of animes and things like that, a lot of movies. If you guys are big weeaboos, it's good. And last but not least, of course, guys, we got shrimp tempura. Honestly, guys, for how much shade Ajisen gets from like the ramen freak community, I gotta say everything here is really enjoyable, really accessible. You've got anime, you've got one piece, you've got traditional sumo paintings on the wall, guys. Listen, man, I can believe why they have 700 chains worldwide. One of the most interesting things that I think we learned while doing this video is that there's chains that were started in Japan in the 1960s that came over to the Western world in the 90s, and they almost feel like they're Americanized chains. However, the leadership and the ownership is still in Japan. Whereas I think a lot of chains from other countries, when they poured over, it's almost like a one-to-one or there's very little localization. But Japan, you see the whole spectrum. You've got hyper authentic stuff from Fukuoka, Hakata-style ramen, and then you've got Ajisen, but they're both tasty, different ends of the spectrum. Straight up, guys, it feels like we're in Shinjuku right now at one of the cafes that's in the fashion district. Guys, we're at Harbs Soho. Harbs is a play on the word herbs. This is a chain from Japan. They have 30 of them over here. They got a couple of them in New York. This is their six-layered milk crepe, guys. You've seen milk crepes before, which is, you know, a Japanese take on the French 20-layer cake. But I'm telling you right here, you got the Japanese fruit, you know, kind of a play on the classic Asian fruit cake as well. This cake slice was $15, and I heard that they make this cake recipe exactly as they would in Tokyo, Japan right now. So if you guys don't want to buy a plane ticket to Tokyo, but you want that Shinjuku vibe, come to Harbs Soho for sure. This is a 10 out of 10. So when you're talking about Asian coffee shops, there are so many different styles. For example, this brand started about 35 years ago in Japan, in Tokyo. They're probably not going to be doing grapefruit nitro coffee. That's a very modern thing. I want to say the last 5 to 10 years in Asia. So it's still interesting to see a Japanese traditional approach to coffee. All right, you guys. We are looking at a signature Japanese Western sandwich here, guys. As you can see, all the ingredients, all the flavors are Western, but the approach is very, very Japanese here at Harbs. This is a BLT with extra bacon. You've got a fried egg, you've got tomato. Oh my goodness, man. If I don't love me some Asia-made club sandos, who am I? The standout thing to me is obviously the type of bacon that they're using here. It's more that European, Canadian, French cut right here. You know, it's much thicker. It's almost like a strip or like a slab of bacon, Canadian bacon style. Long story short, guys, this is a chain from Japan that did very little localization. From what I heard, their game plan was to try to port it one-to-one as much as they reasonably could from the Japan to the U.S. market. Very, very cool. Like we said, is Harbs a coffee shop? It's really more of a cake shop, almost slightly a restaurant. They serve pastas on weekends. Guys, come check it out. But I did learn a lot. All right, our next spot is in the financial district over on the cross streets of Church and Murray. It is Takahachi Bakery. And this stands out as one of the most authentic Japanese bakery experiences you can get in Manhattan. Honestly, everybody in there like working is Japanese. So, you know, that's pretty authentic. So let's go check it out. Oh man, immediately I'm going for this chicken cutlet sando right here. Andrew, this is not a sandwich. This is a sando. So the sando bread is unlike other ones. Like usually it's cut off, but they do it a little bit more like, I guess, American style here. Plus, look how picturesque that is. That's one thing about Japanese spots, guys. It looks like the pictures. Oh my goodness. I have to get one for myself. This is a mini wasabi sausage right here. All right, guys. The next thing I'm getting is the Takahachi combo. Cheddar cheese, beef, sausage, ham, green pea, carrot, and onion. They got the matcha joint. It looks like a regular pastry, but with matcha on top. All right, you guys. Takahachi Bakery is a chain from Japan. I just confirmed with the owners. And yeah, it makes sense. These items, Andrew, look highly unlike anything else that you can find in the US. Dude, I'll tell you this, man. Japanese know how to make something very authentic, still very Japanese, and appeal to everybody. All right, you guys. I got a chicken cutlet sando. This is really dope. I didn't even know they had this here. For some reason, I just thought it was pastries like that. Yo, this kind of tasted like a tuna bun. I've never really had anything like it. This is a wasabi sausage in a blanket. I've never seen that before. Here's a cocoa moon. I want to say there's a Japanese candy that's kind of like a cocoa moon or something like that. And this is like the bakery version. Look at that. Look at the swirls. I'm telling you, man, definitely Japanese bakery's pricey, Andrew. But the authenticity is here. Last but not least, here at Takahachi Bakery, of course, Andrew, we've got a number of matcha items. This one's actually got a matcha cream filling as well as matcha powder sprinkled on top. Guys, something I noticed about Takahachi Bakery is that it's unlike the other Asian bakeries like 85C or even a Paris Baguette where the buns are super, super fluffy and soft. Actually, these pastries are more kind of like authentic French pastries. So they're actually a little bit chewier, but they kind of cut the difference between something that's Asian and French. So I think that's why it's Japanese. Yeah, because it's kind of in between. It's obviously not as chewy as French bread would be, but it's not as soft as Chinese or Korean bread would be. I think a lot of Asian bakeries tend to make their stuff super, super fluffy and soft, almost cloud soft. But the bakery purists out there, they know they want a little bit more to chew. Well, Andrew, I'm still very Chinese. So at the end of the day, this one was fluffy. I'm picking this one. All right, you guys, that does it for our qual throughout New York City, trying out different chains from Japan. Andrew, what did you learn? Because some of them were chasing an Asian audience and some were really going for non-Asians. Yeah, it's really impressive how a chain from Japan or a chain from Asia can attract and really be a strong hold amongst non-Asians. And I think that's really cool. One thing I will say is that the Japanese chains, oftentimes they keep the Japanese name. Oh, that's a good point. So they're like making you speak Japanese. I think that's cool. But anyways, I would say the commitment to quality and the commitment to the systems is always there. But the flavors and the recipes can totally change and adapt and fuse with other things. Let us know what are your favorite chains from Japan in the Western world in the comment section below. Until next time, this was an episode of Fun Bros Food. We out. Peace.