Terakawa Ramen

The Sunday $ 1.50 gyoza plate is a must and they’re friendly and quick. I have had better ramen and I wish they had miso soups or a wider choice… but all in all it’s a good option. coming here each Sunday… it must be good, right?

Why do bad things happen to good people?
I *just* discovered this place and now Unilocal tells me it’s closed?
I guess I’ll have to review in the past tense then.
Terakawa was a very barebones, no-​frills, cheap ramen place. A great alternative to all of the super expensive Grammercy/​Flatiron eating options. They also had great lunch special deals.
I ordered the signature Terakawa ramen (pork bone broth). It was $ 9 by itself, but with the lunch special, I got gyoza for an extra $ 2. Maybe the low prices led to their demise…
It was hardly the best ramen I ever had, but it was very solid. There were all sorts of preserved veggies in the broth, and a generous helping of roast pork. The gyoza tasted like the frozen stuff you can get at the Asian supermarket, but hey, $ 2!
It was cash only, and there was a line out the door with people waiting for a table when we were done.
I guess now Terakawa’s also done.
:(

I love coming here for lunch since they have an amazing lunch special. Plus, it’s only a ten minute walk from the office. It’s $ 12 for a bowl of ramen and a side of gyoza or a half order of curry chicken or a half order of fried rice. Even as a half order, the curry chicken and fried rice is basically another meal, so you’re essentially paying $ 12 for two meals — lunch and dinner.
I also love that when you’re ordering takeaway, the noodles and toppings are packaged in a disposable bowl and the broth is in a separate container. While it takes a little while for your food to be ready, the wait is no more than 15 min from ordering to leaving (it just feels longer when you’re trying to get back into the office).
The ramen is absolutely delicious and super filling. I tend to order the Terakawa ramen (their signature) and it’s very different from the other ramen I’ve tried in different places. The gyoza is also really good — the wrapping is super thin and the dumpling itself is really juicy. The half order of curry chicken is mainly mostly rice with a few pieces of chicken and slightly smothered in Japanese curry sauce.
I’m definitely going back to actually eat in the restaurant and not just takeaway. It’s a great little restaurant and I can’t wait to try their other ramen and appetizers like the takoyaki and chicken karaage and their other specials.
PS — this place is cash only so definitely make sure you have enough!

This tiny shop on Lexington is a decent place to grab a solid bowl of Ramen. I’ve eaten here a few times and enjoyed it every single time starting from their Signature Terakawa Ramen, curry, Tan-​Tan Ramen, and Miso Ramen which I had on my recent visit. Miso Ramen is my favorite so far. I love the thick and soft noodle. Miso Ramen comes with a slightly thicker noodle compares to Terakawa Ramen … so darn good. Broth flavor was spot on. I didn’t need to add any salt just a few dashes of Japanese pepper flakes (because I like a bit of a spicy flavor in my broth).
It can feel pretty cramp because it is small place and they are always busy. During lunch hours, you can expect to wait 10 – 15 mins, but turnaround time can be pretty fast depends on your party size. Foods came out fast too. If you are going solo, you can easily grab a stool at a bar in front of the kitchen. And they only accept cash. If you added 2 bucks extra, try the dumplings!

#ramenlunchspecial #Order a ramen as low as $ 9 and pay $ 2 extra for gyoza or half curry chicken dish. #good deal for sit-​down ramen restaurant
#The ramen is a lot better now than it used to be when it first opened up #so says my Japanese friend #but I also concur #or came to the same conclusion #separately
#Last time I ate here even though I was low carbing #so I drank the broth and ate the meat and curry side dish sauce #I was full #then I looked at all the food I wasted

As one of the ONLY ramen spots open at 11:30 AM on a Sunday in NYC, we decided to hit this up for lunch. We started with the pork dumplings and edamame. The dumplings were pretty good — came out hot, and both the filling and outer shell were tasty. The edamame was a bit mushy and didn’t have ANY salt on it. I guess that’s to be expected at $ 4 (for 5 dumplings) and $ 2.50 respectively.
I ordered my typical choice of Shoyu ramen… but I knew it was trouble when I couldn’t spice added to the ramen or as a side «ball» like at other places. However, I did like all the condiments on the table — they had roasted garlic, oil, dry spice, pepper, etc. The noodles in mine were just the right thickness and cooked perfectly, but the broth left a lot to be desired. I still ended up finishing it, but would have liked a little more flavor and richness (especially as I’d had Ippudo two days earlier). The bamboo shoots were also all still connected… so like one giant clump (weird!) instead of separate pieces — so I didn’t even end up eating any of them. Finally, the two pieces of pork on top fell apart easily enough, but were a little rubbery to the taste. I should have selected a different ramen as chicken-​based just never seems to do it for me. One of my friends got the Tan Tan Ramen, and I didn’t like the flavor of that one at all. It had a decent spice level to it, but something was off about the broth. I will say that it did have way more flavor and richness than my choice though.
One highlight of this place is the prices — particularly considering this is NYC! In a pinch (when you don’t have time to wait) and when your funds are low, this place will work… but there are too many other options for me to go back for round 2. If you go, don’t forget it’s cash only.

Terakawa Ramen
NY Manhattan Flat Iron
8:30pm Monday 8^th November 2014
Four Stars
This place is the real deal asian. We sat and looked over the menu for a minute and the waitress said «are you ready to order» because there were only five choices of ramen. It may seem rude to others but I like it. No octopus balls or pork buns on the menu this evening. We got the Terakawa Ramen Whopper style ($ 14). This Pork bone based noodle soup with double portions of medium thick noodles, bamboo shoot, red ginger, roast pork, 2 boiled halved eggs, scallion, and kikurage mushrooms. This bowl was huge like unfinishable big. The broth was okay. The pork was weird tasting. The veggies were crisp and enjoyable.
Cash only. No bills over $ 20.

In and out in a flash.
So excited our company found this little gem near the office. Not only was the ramen great, the selection is amazing (vegetarian-​friendly) and prices are more than fair.
Snagging a table is tough during the lunch rush, but after 1PM, things take a major slow turn. It took them a while to seat our party of five at 12:30, but no parties behind us had to wait after we were seated.
Their ramen menu has all the favorites including soy, miso, and plain broths. I opted for the Terakawa Ramen, which is their staple bowl. For only $ 2, you can add a side of chicken curry, gyoza, or pork fried rice which was a no brainer. Ten minutes later we had our piping hot bowls of ramen, ready for feasting.
The broth rich and noodles cooked through, I slurped it all up within minutes. As expected, the pork was thinly sliced but did not lack in flavor. My favorite topping honestly was the fried garlic they had at all the tables. I kept sprinkling it in for a nice crunch and kick. Ordering the curry chicken was a little excessive because I could barely finish the chicken, let alone the rice. The curry was tasty, but nothing spectacular to note.
Service was varied throughout. We placed our orders while we were waiting for a table which helped with the time. Unfortunately the servers didn’t seem too organized and we had to ask for waters several times before we received any glasses.
I would definitely come back to try their daily specials, as they all sounded delicious and were reasonably priced. Make that a late lunch for the future…

Miso Ramen $ 9.00 on a Saturday early afternoon was comforting lunch. This business is small where tables are on top of one another as I call it a dining room or a café. Terakawa Ramen is casual atmosphere good for brunch. Good selection of Ramen, Goyza, Endamame for appetizers. Ramen noodle bowl comes with one hard boil egg which is not entirely cooked. I prefer a fully cooked hard boil egg with a nice yellow egg yolk, not bright yellow. There were insufficient noodles to fill the bowl. Flavor and very tasty and my Miso Ramen was served piping hot that burnt my mouth. Fast forward three hours later hunger pangs hit again. Noodle soup is never filling. Service is quick like assembly line and on point without playing games that I did not have to wait long for a table or wait an eternity for the bill. I dined alone for a party of one. No comment on their facilities as I did not use. There is a photo of a festival in Japan where people– men and women wear cowboy western boots to the knee and cloth to cover their butt (no under wear and no pants). Tackless. How about a happier and auspicious annual occasion like a photo of Sanja Matsuri Festival in Tokyo?
Cash only.

I was reading reviews written by other fellow Unilocalers about this place. Ahh… «Poor service» was something I read often but I disagree. I felt that they were really quick but just blunt as in they were trying to get everything in order as efficiently as possible and that just meant talking loudly but I mean they weren’t mean. It is a crowded place and they are trying to service everyone as quickly as possible (it’s ramen– not a 6 course meal). Besides– it’s crowded for a reason the food here is awesome!
My friend got the terakawa ramen and I got the miso. They were both so excellent! The broth was amazing and that’s a very important thing to look for in ramen noodle soups. We also ordered the octopus balls– same as ever, tasted good. Plus the prices are excellent for the area.
As for the atmosphere– a bit dark, a little crowded, some interesting photos on the wall. Overall, good place for ramen, totally recommend coming here.

Had a good experience at this no frills location in Flatiron. This location offers much more seating than the one Hell’s Kitchen, but not as upscale as the one in Philly. There are about 7 – 10 bar type seats and 6 – 7 tables. Quality wise, it appears to be that same great spot if you’re looking for a no frills ramen bowl with some extra seating to seat the fam. Against Ippudo, I would give this location the nod. Terakawa easily wins in quality and price, and without the long wait to be seated. Although its not date night atmosphere, it does boast a better no frills ramen bowl for a reasonable price.
Overall, our service was fast and good. We definitely enjoyed draft Sapporo’s during happy hour for only three bucks as well. This will be our go to spot when craving ramen and looking for seating to accommodate the family.

We loved the sister restaurant uptown. We stumbled upon this downtown location on a Saturday late afternoon. The space is more spacious but lack the feel of ramen joint. 3 of us took the counter (facing the wall) instead of taking one of few empty tables and ordered the usual. Service is minimal and food is about the same as the uptown location.
When we got the bill, we were shock that they put $ 6 tip on my bill of $ 28.50. How can they have the right to charge me over 20% tip? On what basis? Not at a peak time, not a large group, not with great service, not accepting credit card, not serving hot Japanese tea but just a glass of lukewarm water… I don’t get it. This is highway robbery.
But instead of arguing with them, I paid my bill and will NEVER come back.

A small, dingey restaurant. Avoid the bathroom if possible, it’s a bit gross to say the least.
The service is quick and blunt.
The salmon rice ball was mostly rice and not enough fulling. The gyoza had a weird flavor and the texture was off too. The tako yaki was passable, but definitely not great. The karaage was probably the best out of what I got, but even that was just ok.

Pretty legit noodle joint. It’s a departure from the trendy hip ramen places that have sprung up, in a good way.
It’s a small space with plenty of counter seating and some tables down the middle. The place was pretty busy when I went around lunchtime. I snagged the last empty counter stool. Definitely not a place to bring a large party. You will be basically guaranteed a wait at lunchtime.
I ordered their signature Terakawa Ramen. Service was pretty prompt. The ramen is as it should be. Rich porky broth, thin chewy noodles, proper toppings (egg, bamboo shoots, vegetables, etc. It could have used a tad more flavor, but it was good enough to eat without additional seasoning. One bowl of ramen filled me up, but it seemed the majority of people ordered a lunch set where you can choose a side such as gyoza or chicken curry to accompany your ramen.
I rather enjoyed the atmosphere of sitting next to other solo diners, hunched over bowls and slurping up noodles. Would go back.

I really need to ease up on the ramen before I get sick of eating the stuff. But it taste so good, I can’t help myself.
So the ramen truck I usually go to doesn’t work in the area on Saturday’s, and I needed my fix before I began my intense study session (midterm season struggles). I knew of Terakawa Ramen but never been, and thought it would be the perfect day to check out a new ramen spot. After giving me a mini lecture on how I need to end this ramen binge, my boyfriend agreed that we’d eat here (yay). When we arrived we weren’t greeted, just stared at. After a couple minutes, one of the waitress informed us that a spot would clear in a few minutes. We asked for menus to look at in the mean time. I couldn’t decide on a ramen, so I quickly browsed through Unilocal reviews and saw Tan Tan ramen was the most popular. I ordered the Tan Tan ramen and my boyfriend (who’s, sadly, not into ramen) ordered pork dumplings. Tan Tan ramen was good, but I could do without the minced meat. I expected it to be spicy and surprisingly didn’t get any heat at all, so definitely made good use of Sriracha. I tried the dumplings and those things were bomb, definitely on my list of better tasting dumplings. Didn’t order any drinks, but good to know they house sake and beer.
I’ll stick to my $ 5 ramen truck and come here when I feel like paying an extra $ 5.

Totally agree with the comments made about customer service. They are rude before they seat you… but once they seat you they are very nice and attentive. Weird but a true phenomenon. Came here on a Friday night, and it was half empty, so not sure why we didn’t get seated until 8 minutes later…
We ordered the ginormous fried rice dish — nothing special, but really love the complimentary fried garlic… so good. We also go the Spicy Ramen with Kimchi — good noodles, but bland kimchi.
It was a little pricey for what it is worth.

The Tan Tan Ramen $ 10 that I ordered was quite good and full of flavor. It was a spicy miso broth with ground pork, some bean sprouts and topped with just a little bit of green scallion; very well composed. The noodles were firm and tasty. The only thing is that the broth was a bit greasy on top but once you mix up the ingredients, it is fine.
The service is quick and fast. This isn’t a fancy ramen place, just a simple neighborhood place with good food.

Typical Ramen — not bad, not the best.
Not the best Ramen but satisfies the cravings of a college student. My friend and I came here after night classes on a cold, rainy day. I was not please with the staff yelling at people walking in with umbrellas. I understand that you want to keep your customers safe by not getting your floor wet but perhaps, a better tone, please? My shy friend got very startled and scared.
My shy friend recommended this Ramen joint. The lights in there were very dim that I can barely see my friend in front of me. I can’t even tell what color my food was. I ordered the Fried Chicken Bones to share and my Miso Ramen.
The Fried Chicken Bones? What?! My friend explained to me that they really mean it’s a soft tissue part of the bone marrow. It’s very soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Quite surprising, this is pretty good! I would never think that I would enjoy this stranger dish. I don’t taste meat but it was very crispy to chew on.
Miso Ramen here was pretty decent. Good ingredients in this dish. Disappointed with the pork and ramen noodles, though. The ramen was too overcooked that evening. I was not please with the roasted pork, too. It looked like it was old and overcooked. The soup was very rich in pork fat flavor and very tasty! The bean sprout, fungus, and bamboo shoots were very flavorful as has been floating in the soup for a while. It was the right amount of ramen and it was pretty good. The scallions gave it a good smell.
My search for my perfect bowl of Miso Ramen continues…

I appreciate that this is a legit Japanese ramen joint, and I am already biased because I heart ramen so hard, however, sometimes, you’ll be disappointed in even the most authentic places.
We came here this past weekend and it really looked so promising, with the ramen bar giving this place such a classic look, that it felt like we were in little Japan while in the midst of Gramercy Park. But then the food came, and it was very decent but not extraordinary.
I had the «Terakawa Ramen» (pork bone based noodle soup and bamboo shoot, red ginger roast pork, boiled egg, scallion, kikurage). The noodles were a little harder than I would have liked them, and it was also slightly cold. I felt the dish could have used more menma which I adore (bamboo shoots), and the overall body of flavor was less satisfying than it looked. And it looked crazy good. For me, I felt it was also too salty.
I tried a bit of their «Tokyo Fried Chicken Curry» and felt it could have been better. The chicken pieces were over-​fried and lacked tenderness. And the curry sauce was not bold enough in flavor, either.
Overall, a decent but wholly mediocre meal which will not put TR on the map for me as one of my «favorite ramen shops» anytime soon, unfortunately.
Lastly, they only accept cash, which is an inconvenience and I wish they would upgrade their payment method.
2.5 Stars

If you want a decent bowl of ramen without waiting for two hours, and an entire meal for the same price as a bowl of ramen at the trendy ramen joints in the city, then this is the place to come.
This place feels more authentic than most other places in NY too — from the hard-​to-​decipher menus to the very polite and friendly Japanese waitresses, and even the décor, it felt like some of the ramen bars in Tokyo.
I started with the Chicken Karaage ($ 3.50), which was surprisingly good. You get four pieces fresh out of the fryer, with nice crispy skin and really juicy white meat on the inside. Off to a great start.
Next, I went with the Terakawa Ramen ($ 9), which reminded me of Japan as well, how they marked it as No. 1 popular choice on the menu. This is a good choice as it comes with a bit of everything, including chashu pork, kikurage, half of a poached egg and veggies. This was a good bowl, but nothing too special. The noodles were the very thin kind, which were good, and the broth was pretty thick and flavorful. My one beef was the pork — it was completely riddled with fat, to the point that you could barely find any meat.
When I was nearly done with the ramen, he half order of Chahan Fried Rice ($ 4) I ordered finally came out. I don’t know what a full order gets you, because this plate was enormous and way more than enough, even for two people.
This is an extremely satisfying meal for a great value that’s tough to beat. Maybe not quite as good as Ippudo or the other top places, but it’s a great, quick alternative.