NR
Japanese restaurant · Upper East Side ·
Japanese ramen bar with craft cocktails and unique Japanese fare
Japanese ramen bar with craft cocktails and unique Japanese fare
"Since late 2019, this Upper East Side spot has been churning out excellent Japanese dishes, and after Shigefumi Kabashima closed their Harlem cocktail bar and restaurant ROKC, some of that menu merged here, creating a dining-and-drinking experience that feels highly reminiscent of being in Japan. My must-orders: the chicken and vegetable soup curry ($34), a Hokkaido/Sapporo-style bowl with a lightly textured yet rich curried broth, a preferred level of spiciness, and a choice of turmeric rice size, served with juicy bone-in chicken and thick vegetables; the wagyu tartare ($28), elevated by Miyazaki wagyu and topped with a huge pile of thin, crispy fries; and the cold duck ramen ($28) from a late-summer visit, with a delicate chilled broth, rare slices of duck, an oh-so-tart plum, a yolky half-egg, and springy noodles. The cocktails are way more fancy than the food; the menu makes ordering approachable with taste scales ranging from booziness to fruitiness to smokiness, and the Indigo Negroni ($18)—a clarified grapefruit cocktail—hits high-medium booziness, low-medium bitterness, and high elegance. Portions run large, so there’s plenty for leftovers, especially the soup curry." - Nadia Chaudhury
"When I need to warm up I head to NR, a speakeasy-style Japanese restaurant that serves ramen and soup curry alongside unique specialty cocktails." - Hannah Towey
"A friend and I met at this unassuming, tucked‑away restaurant for dinner and I went for the seasonal duck cold ramen ($28): a lovely bowl of chilled broth built on a chicken‑clam dashi, topped with rare slices of duck, a tart plum my server suggested I nibble between bites, diced onions, a whole shiso leaf, a slice of sudachi, and a yolky half‑egg, all over springy ramen noodles. We rounded out the meal with the absolutely rich, soupy Hokkaido‑style curry chock‑full of whole vegetables and bone‑in chicken ($32), plus really creative Japanese‑style cocktails inherited from the restaurant’s now‑closed cocktail bar sibling ROKC." - Bettina Makalintal
"From the same people behind ROKC, NR has a similar menu, with ramen ranging from simple Kyoto and Sapporo-style bowls to more unique options like a soupless ramen made with wagyu beef and bone marrow. And while you might raise an eyebrow at a bowl of noodles that sounds like stunt food, you don’t have to worry about that here. Everything at this UES spot is great. Just go with what your heart wants." - will hartman, willa moore, sonal shah, neha talreja, kenny yang
"If you're tired of things that go with syrup or having to decide how you want your eggs cooked for brunch, head to NR for some ramen. They have six different varieties (including one with cold broth, clams, chicken, and eel tempura). You'll like whichever one you order, because all of them are great. If you are in the mood for eggs, don’t worry. You can add a seasoned soft-boiled egg to your bowl, which we like on their ramen with uni and salmon roe. This is also a great choice for an inventive cocktail." - will hartman, sonal shah, willa moore
