Revisited and Reviewed: Hide Chan Ramen

I first went here a few months back when this place and the sister location (Totto Ramen) first opened.  Back then it still wasn’t the best ramen I have had in NY but I really liked that they had two different scales to truly customize your order of ramen.  The first was for the richness of the broth and the second was for how you wanted your noodles cooked.  At Hide Chan there are about 8-10 different ramen dishes to choose from but these additional options made me feel like my choice was made especially for me.   The first time I went I ordered the richest broth, which was a bit too garlicky and fatty, but I thought the next level down would be perfect.

Since my last trip Hide Chan they have received a ton of positive press in 2010 restaurant wrap ups

Unfortunately on my latest trip to Hide Chan I discovered that they no longer have the scales for noodle firmness and broth richness.  This was one clear advantage over any other ramen place.  The broth was much more watery than a few months ago.  The pork was ok but it is better at several other places including SEO & Ippudo.

There is no spice powder as I have seen in other ramen houses but there is a can of fresh red pickled ginger strips and sesame seeds.

I ordered the Hakata Spicy Ramen, which had a full flavored broth, but I would have liked the option to add more spice and richness.  I added a boiled egg to the order and was not a big fan of how they cooked the egg.  I was expecting an addition that could be added in and stirred into the dish but this was literally a hard-boiled egg floating in my ramen.

Spicy Ramen at Hide Chan Ramen

There aren’t many other ramen options in Midtown East so I am giving this an extra half star since it is convenient to many offices and my apartment.

Good:

Location

Different ramen choices

Less expensive than Ippudo

Bad:

Place seems to be going downhill

Lack of spiciness in spicy ramen

Pork is so-so and small pieces

Egg was not cooked to my liking

Additions are all $1+

Rating: 3 Stars

Anyone have any favorite Ramen spots I should check out this winter?  Let me know in the comments.