Rockmeisha
Izakaya restaurant · Gramercy
351 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003
Highlights
NYC's best Hakata ramen, rich tonkotsu broth, Japanese bar food
351 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003 Get directions
NYC's best Hakata ramen, rich tonkotsu broth, Japanese bar food
351 E 14th St, New York, NY 10003 Get directions
"The broth at this East Village ramen shop smells like an essential oil diffuser that’s loaded with pure pig essence. The noodles are on the thinner side, and a few slices of straightforward chashu, green onions, and pickled ginger complete the bowl. Unlike some ramen places with more options than an old jukebox, Rockmeisha serves just one kind of soup (though they do have an old jukebox, and speakers blasting classic rock). Their Hakata-style ramen isn’t bogged down by a broth that’s overly sweet, or too thick just for the sake of it." - will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah, neha talreja, kenny yang
"When ramen hit New York City like a ton of bricks in 2004, Rockmeisha was there. Owner Toshiaki Kondo once operated a ramen stall in ramen’s hometown of Hakata, and his pork-knuckle tonkotsu is the city’s most perfect, beige and dense. There are no optional add-ins to his bowl and the price is modest, but this may be the one bowl of ramen in the city you shouldn’t miss." - Robert Sietsema
"This venerable izakaya — one of the first in town — hopscotched from the West Village to this East-Village corner, now with a dining corral out front, and a tight but charming dining room shaped like the letter L. Toshiaki Kondo still presides in the kitchen, and his fried chicken smothered in tartar sauce is still top notch." - Robert Sietsema
"Some great things debuted in 2004: Shrek 2, The Killers’ Hot Fuss, and, if you lived in the West Village, you got Rockmeisha, one of New York’s early ramen hotspots. Fast-forward 20 years, and the rock-and-roll loving, beer chugging, noodle slurping ramen bar is back, now in the East Village, after a pandemic closure. The izakaya plates, like spicy popcorn shrimp and octopus, do a good job of soaking up pitchers of beer. But you’re mostly here for a steaming bowl of Hakata-style ramen, creamy with boiled-forever pork bones and full of thin noodles. Don’t be distracted by the vintage jukebox and pro-wrestling championship belt on the wall. Just focus on doing your best vacuum impression on your bowl before bar-hopping on down Avenue A. photo credit: Will Hartman" - Will Hartman
"Rockmeisha originally opened in 2004, serving Hakata style ramen out of a small spot in the West Village, until closing in 2020. Now it’s back, this time in a larger space in the East Village, where you can sip rich tonkotsu broth and a big beer. We checked out Rockmeisha. Read our first thoughts here." - Will Hartman, Willa Moore
