Jin Ramen

Jin Ramen Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant & décor: In a cozy, cheerful space full of succulents and hanging, exposed light bulbs, Jin dishes up ramen and other Japanese eats. Jin means “benevolence,” and the quality, soul-satisfying food certainly feels kind. This is the second outpost of Jin, whose original location is in west Harlem.

Likes: Kara-age, ramen.
Dislikes: Restaurant is small and can get cramped when busy.

Food & Drinks: Jin’s homemade tofu is silky and delicate, and soaks up flavor from yuzu salt and scallions. Kara-age, boneless fried chicken, is crispy on the outside and tender inside. Pork fluffy buns that yield to chashu pork, iceberg lettuce and spicy mayo satisfy. But it’s ramen that steals the show. Jin specializes in a style of ramen called Hakata, pungent and rich thanks to its pork rib (tonkotsu) broth. Jin’s Spicy Tonkotsu is exceptional and fragrant, with a six-hour cooked pork stock that is full of depth without being greasy. It comes with hot sesame oil and roasted garlic paste, plus chewy thin noodles. Shio ramen is a lighter option, with a chicken-based broth bright with yuzu-kosho, a pepper-citrus blend made from the rind of yuzu. A perfectly cooked marinated egg and mirin round out a flavorful bowl. Japanese beer and saké are on offer.