Very nice space with lots of interesting design features and a pleasant garden (where we ate) with no loud fans or vents to interfere with the peacefulness of sitting outside on this perfect day.
The waitress was very well informed about the menu. We decided to share four dishes (none of them ramen, though Ivan's is great, at least at the Slurp Shop).
The first item, roasted pork musubi, was described as a piece of sushi with shredded pork and a roast tomato on top. "This is your pork bun," I joked. It actually was NOT a pork bun at all, but a wonderful creation. The roast tomato was more of an oven-dried tomato and sat on top. Next, flavorsome shredded pork. Then perfectly cooked, crunchy sushi rice (A+ on the rice) on top of a sheet of toasted nori (seaweed). You pick it up like a hand roll and eat it in a few bites. Wonderful.
This was followed by pork meatballs with buttermilk dressing, bulldog sauce (bbq/A1, basically), and bonito flapping on top as if it were alive. I asked if there was bread in the meatballs, but they are lightened with tofu instead. They were very freshly made, hot, meaty, crunchy and satisfying. The two sauces worked well enough though the bonito (shaved dried fish) provided an unwelcome fishy first taste that I could live without, though my foodie sons might like it. They don't actually shave the bonito in the kitchen; they buy it pre-shaved. I would have sworn a microplane in the kitchen was involved, but no.
Next came the shrimp “Waldorf” donburi which features fried prawns, green apple, smoked chili, toasted pecans, scallion rice. The texture of the shrimp reminded me a lot of popcorn shrimp. It was in a kind of pasty orange mayo sauce that I was not crazy about and sitting on top of a good-sized bowl of rice. Once again, rice was A+ sushi rice, crunchy, soft, tasty (pecans were fresh and a nice touch). Final result: perfectly cooked shrimp in a sauce that was just too gloppy.
Next was Ivan’s Dan Dan noodle “dry style" which features aromatic sesame oil, spiced pork saute, thick whole wheat noodles, and a raw egg yolk that you mix in when the dish arrives. This was a more balanced and successful dish. Nice umami flavors and great noodles. Ivan always gets the noodles right: I'll give him that. My dining companion uttered the harsh words "sesame noodles," but the dish is better than that, though it could have used something crunchy and green.
Great sake selection, interesting beer choices, wine also.
Hostess was great; waitress was extremely patient and helpful. Ivan himself was seated behind us yakking about about some venture with Chad (Robertson) and other famous chefs. He seemed friendlier this time than when I met him at the Slurp Shop, where he was a little brusque.
Grade: A–
25 Clinton Street
www.ivanramen.com
646-678-3859
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