My ramen shop experiences haven't exactly been positive. The first was many years ago at Momofuku Noodle Bar where I tried a very fishy Momofuku ramen bowl. The second was one this past summer, when I snacked on a bitter miso broth and overly firm noodles at Ramen Setagaya. And finally, I'm sad to say, today at Jin in Harlem where I was let down terribly by the tonkotsu bowl.
I'm not a ramen hater - in fact there are few more things I loved in this world more than a big bowl of msg-laden instant ramen- but I never found it necessary to venture to Ippudo or Totto or the lesser known Minca and wait hours on line for a serving of soupy noodles. Jin being the newcomer however, I caved - I can also be easily persuaded by just a few Yelp reviews.
The Kara-age chicken appetizer reminded me of a delicate popcorn chicken. Juicy dark meat was coated with a light crispy potato starch and elevated with a squirt of lemon juice. The meat itself could have used more seasoning though, or a longer soak in the marinade.
The chicken was followed by a small Cha siu pork rice bowl entree about the size of a fist. A slab of the fatty sweet pork was calling for strands of tart pickled young ginger.
The spicy tonkotsu ramen seems to be the most popular options of ramen here, so naturally I went with it. The toppings - a buttery seasoned egg half, tender bamboo shoots, and rounds of luscious pork - were excellent, but core of the dish, broth and noodles, was a complete let down. The spicy version of tonkotsu broth is infused with a roasted garlic paste and the bitterness is overpowering and lingers on your tongue. It was also unreasonably salty and thinned out, not "creamy" as suggested on the menu. The thick noodles were very dense and lacked springiness.
I was really rooting for Jin. Unfortunately, my last memory of this place will always be overly firm noodles and bitter salty soup.
3183 Broadway
New York, NY 10027
