E.A.K. RAMEN and IZAKAYA by Machida Shoten Hell’s Kitchen

New York Ramen Restaurant E.A.K. Opens in Hell’s Kitchen Wednesday | Eater NY

"Opening a 50-seat outpost at 360 West 46th St., near Ninth Avenue in Hell’s Kitchen, I found E.A.K. Ramen to be a newly minted Eater 38 member best known for its iekei broth — a pork-and-chicken-with-soy blend — and its chewy, thick noodles. Chef Kiyoyuki Miyashita, who has been with the Japanese import for over a decade, offers ramen ranging from the iekei with thick noodles, spinach, pork belly, and nori to an “umami mushroom ramen” made with dashi broth, mushrooms, and spinach noodles; meat-free options include the “Greenhouse Ramen,” a vegetable broth with thin noodles and vegetables like bean sprouts and cabbage. The Hell’s Kitchen menu expands the chain’s offerings with vegan and vegetarian options, new items exclusive to this location such as poke bowls, deep-fried tofu karaage with garlic sauce, mushroom fried rice, and bao buns, and it also includes the chain’s garlicky Zebra bowl. Drinks focus on sake by the glass or bottle, plus Japanese craft beers and wine. The space seats 50 — including a 10-seat bar and an eight-seat communal table — and will operate 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. In a neighborhood already full of ramen options, E.A.K. differentiates itself with its less ubiquitous iekei-style broth, a distinction that helped earn it the title of imported restaurant of the year and keep its West Village outpost popular." - Carla Vianna