Kuboya (CLOSED)

Japanese-born businessman Hiroshi Kubo originally took up ramen-making as a hobby, but a successful pop-up shop he ran at Moco Global Dining earlier this year encouraged him to open a restaurant of his own. His special “Kubo-chan” soup features a blend of pork, chicken and seafood stocks, topped with a classic combo of char siu pork, scallions and bamboo shoots. The low-key East Village eatery has wooden tables, brick walls and a low counter—plus a built-in rival, in the form of ramen shop Minca, just next door.