New York | DAY 4: (Pt. 1) St. Marks, Setagaya Ramen + Nohohon NYC

I'm ready. I'm ready to go home.

By the fourth and final day of our stay had rolled around, my mind and body had detached from the city without reservation. For the sake of my hygienic sanity, it was imperative to abandon the place whose air felt filthier than a jog in 37-degreee weather.

Alas, we would not be boarding until the early evening. A half-day's worth of possibilities lay before us.

I opted to venture to Manhattan once again, for my main duties in Brooklyn had been accomplished.

Multiple neighbourhoods had been covered by this point: from Midtown to Koreatown to Lower Manhattan, all major streets along the subway lines had been visited and documented. What remained on my dwindling destination map was St. Marks in East Village - a quiet strip filled with eateries, and some queer shops in between.

The main focus of this extension was locating Nohohon's New York location - more precisely, Nohohon's sole operating location in North America.

As bubble tea could not be adopted as a meal, we hunted for lunch first. Ramen Setagaya won over its competitors with an appealing menu and sleek storefront.

The establishment was relatively empty upon entry, which resulted in the illusion of a more spacious dining area. Furnishings were a glossy black; seating was present in the form of backless bar stalls along the street-facing perimeter, as well as a communal table in the very centre of the restaurant.

​Sporting an all-black uniform and visible layer of cosmetics, the waitress/hostess welcomed us with a smile (and slightly judging gaze). Menus were provided immediately after we seated ourselves onto two of the many stools.

< Pictured above and below: Asahi, Deluxe Shoyu Ramen, Mazemen >

​An ongoing three-dollar beer special was being promoted via banners along the exposed concrete-esque walls. This was taken advantage of first before reverting back to menu options.

Following much discussion, the Deluxe Shoyu Ramen and Mazemen reigned triumphant.

Regular Shoyu and Deluxe Shoyu hadn't actually differed too drastically: it had merely been a matter of the quantity of chashu slices and presence of a soft-boiled ramen egg. Of course, these exact elements could easily heighten a bowl's profile without much effort.

​The broth of the Deluxe Shoyu was saltier and richer than we were accustomed to, quickly leading to feelings of satiation post-consumption. Its other components, albeit tasty, weren't particularly memorable (besides the egg). Lining a quarter of the bowl's radius were four thin slices of Chashu. Fatty they were, but uniform in consistency they were not. Instead of the intricate marbling of fat and flesh one had presumed, reality took the form of clumps of fat inserted between soft, succulent sections. Scallions, bamboo shoots, and nori were really quite average. The only component deserving outstanding applause was the Ajitsuke Tamago: Creamy: a phenomenal custard-like yolk encased within a shell of semi-rigid protein. This was perhaps the only aspect that prevented us from disliking the dish as a whole.

Mazemen was a dry dish that was ordered out of curiosity. As with the Deluxe Shoyu, side ingredients were scarce. Bamboo shoots and sliced chashu made their appearance again; fresh cilantro and fried onions topped the shallow ceramic container for an added dose of fragrance. Alongside came a container of tangy/spicy/savoury sauce intended to complement and enhance the composition.
​Setagaya's noodles were observed to be lighter (read: thinner) and softer than the standard. Texture-wise, they were bouncy and satisfying; the strings of carbohydrates worked well to support the varying densities of the dipping sauce.

A discernible shine was evident from the Mazemen upon first glance, indicating that some amount of oil had been worked through the pile in advance. The dish was served warm, possibly to ensure that the noodles could be easily handled with chopsticks even in the absence of a liquid constituent. The first few bites felt a tad heavy, but this quickly took a turn for the better after drizzling in the red-brown condiment.
​The topmost layer was a spicy oil-vinegar emulsion, the middle soy, and the bottom a sweet miso. In spite of carrying initial doubts, each addition of this carefully crafted sauce solidified its role in the dish. The Mazemen was undeniably unique, and the triple-threat topping simply made it irresistible.

More customers began to file in as we eased into the early afternoon hours. The waitress, while keeping busy with others, still managed to provide us with adequate attention throughout our stay. We were judged most strongly when it came to settling the bill - it turned out that weekend visits would succumb to the same charges as weekday dinners, according to the fine print at the bottom of the menu.

The single bathroom stall was, well, tiny - microscopic, even. It appeared as if a plumbing system-equipped storage room had been altered at the last minute during construction.

​All in all, Ramen Setagaya probably doesn't deserve the "Mr. Ramen to the World" title. The requested dishes were tasty, though neither were picks I would eagerly promote or revisit should there be closer alternatives. The weekend/dinner prices were also on the high side of the spectrum.

​We wandered the area for a bit longer before making our way up the stairs to Nohohon.

​The Japanese tea room had adopted a rather unexpected layout. Its "main store" was impossibly tiny and merely served as a grab-and-go counter for drink purchases or the occasional teaware splurge. Immediately across was an A/C- and Wifi-enabled zone for leisurely talks and relaxing; it appears that the adjacent karaoke booth had allocated its seating for Nohohon customers during daytime hours.

​Admittedly, seeing the St. Marks location devoid of a tea room saddened me slightly. The atmosphere seemed hurried - completely unlike the friendly yet efficient vibes of the original Queen and Spadina spot back home. Where the Toronto location excelled in customer service and great-tasting orders, this one housed aloof workers and a sense of unbelonging.

Moreover, the menu was much more compact: seasonal drinks such as the Watermelon Basil Oolong or Yuzu Hot Chocolate were not to be found. Adding to that fact, toppings weren't included in the base price either. Talk about a disheartening discovery.

​I took to ordering a Furano Field anyway, since the trip had already been made. A discernible amount of lavender syrup found its way to the bottom of my cup, then milk, then freshly-whisked matcha.
​Perhaps the influence of lavender was bolder, but its aura was prominently synthetic.

Needless to say, the visit was extremely underwhelming.
​​In concept, I saw no flaws. In execution, the quality had fallen as an aftermath of integration into the American market.

Read Part 2 HERE !