Dean
Google
If you're looking for authentic ramen noodles, than The Ramen Spot will be one of Manhattan Avenue's finest options. In terms of flavor, The Ramen Spot delivers wholeheartedly. I ordered both the Tonkatsu ramen and the Miso Vegan Ramen, and both dishes were excellent. I ordered a side of extra miso eggs and their homemade chili paste to compliment my meal.
The tonkatsu ramen centerpiece, the broiled pork belly, was excellent. The noodles in both dishes were toothsome and cooked nicely, and both broth's were rich and bursting with their respective flavors.
Service at The Ramen Spot was also quite good, though I suspect that to be because I was the only patron in the restaurant that night. I came in on a Saturday night at about 9:00, an hour and a half before closing. When I got there, there was one other patron finishing up his meal, the rest of the restaurant was totally empty. I suspect this is because I came in so late at night, when most other Brooklynites had already finished their meals and moved onto the drinks. Even so, it was surprising, and a bit jarring, to see the restaurant as effectively a ghost town.
While the service and food were both good, I do have some minor complaints. For one, I was warned about the chili paste when I ordered it, I was told I "definitely wouldn't need more than one." As a spicy food enjoyer, I was very excited by the idea of a very spicy ramen, and insisted that they bring both of the orders of chili paste. When it arrived to me, i was dismayed to discover that it was actually quite mild, and lacked any real bite or further depth. This disappointed me, because the sides of chili paste were an additional two dollars per portion.
This brings me to my main complaint about The Ramen Spot, and the reason I simply cant bring myself to give the food a perfect 5/5, the price. The Ramen Spot definitely falls into being one of the more expensive bowls of ramen that I've had. Its not outrageous, but it seems excessive given how expensive the soup additions also are.
Unfortunately, I would be an insincere food enjoyer as well not to mention that during my meal, a roach did run across my foot and under the booth seating. It turned my stomach a bit, but being Brooklyn, it wasn't a huge turn off, and did not prevent me from enjoying my meal.
Overall, The Ramen Spot is a place that all Japanese food enjoyers should stop by when their in Greenpoint.