Ajisen Ramen

Markedly un-Zen with busy caricaturish decorations—paper lanterns, sumo paintings and a bamboo-shoot ceiling—this Japanese restaurant by way of Singapore is the sole New York location of an international ramen chain that comprises more than 400 restaurants. The salty, signature soup is a steaming bowl of creamy-textured pork broth ramen with slabs of roasted pork and a hard-cooked egg. Make it even more savory by ordering it topped with “tendrous ribs,” which lend a dense, sweet flavor and fatty texture. Ajisen also serves a full sushi menu, bubble teas and an adventurous Mixed Slush dessert—a mountain of sweet lychee snow topped with corn, sweet red beans and tapioca, drizzled with sugary icing.