Review: Kogane Ramen in Brooklyn!
Every month, a friend of mine in NYC and I meet up to enjoy Ramen and sake in New York city. Together, we are Ramen Club!
During our March meeting, we had decided upon two criteria for April’s gathering: it needed to be a place in Brooklyn, since we hadn’t had ramen there yet, and it needed to be a place that served Takoyaki.
Takoyaki, for those who aren’t familiar with Japanese cuisine, are fried balls of batter containing cubed Octopus, topped with a Worcestershire-like sauce and bonito (dried fish) flakes. I’d seen the delicious snack referenced in various anime, shows, and even a video game or two, so I was dying to try some!
My fellow club member found a delightful place that met both criteria: Kogane Ramen!
Kogane Ramen is located in Brooklyn on Henry Street. While L train shenanigans are causing problems in some parts of Brooklyn, the section where Kogane is located is easily reachable from Manhattan on the 2 or 3. I live in NJ, just outside of the city, so I prefer locations that are easily reachable from trains passing through Penn Station. It was a short and easy ride from Penn to the Clark Street stop. It’s also about a 10 minute walk (depending on the weather) from the Brooklyn Bridge. One could easily walk over from Manhattan. All two Ramen Club members were delighted to walk back into Manhattan over the bridge, as it was a particularly lovely day.
The restaurant is on the small side, but not overcrowded. My friend and I were comfortably seated at the counter, and the tables were reasonably spaced. It was busy when we arrived, but there were still available spaces and there wasn’t a line out the door. The temperature wasn’t particularly remarkable, so that probably means that it was just right. Given how close we were seated to the kitchen, that’s a plus. Overheated or undercooled restaurants are not my cup of tea. They have one restroom with a sliding door, and it was reasonably clean. The food and drinks are very reasonably priced, especially when you remember the location (New York City).
We started with some sake. Kogane has an excellent variety. The menu shows, in addition to the descriptions, a scale of the richness/lightness as well as the sweet/dryness of each. We went with a dry and mid-light sake called “Sho Chiku Bai” to enjoy before and during the meal. The bottle is 720lm, an excellent size for some enthusiasts.
Our cups were filled by the attentive waitstaff both when they brought the bottle and when we were too busy enjoying the food to refill them ourselves. It was dry, as promised. The flavor and appearance of this sake are beautiful and crystal clear, and it has a light, smooth feel on the tongue. This particular sake was described as pairing nicely with food. The appetizers, which arrived not long after the sake, provided an excellent opportunity to put it to the test.
The first appetizer we tired were the steamed pork jowl buns. They came two per order. The pork buns we’ve tried at other restaurants have typically been made with pork belly, which is tender but also fatty. I prefer the jowl meat now that I’ve tried it. It has the same tenderness without the fattiness. The buns have sliced cucumber. It adds a nice contrast in texture, a refreshing crunch to accompany the richness of the pork. The sauce is a spicy mayonnaise, flavorful but not overpowering. Paired very well with sake.
Next, the long awaited takoyaki, pictured at the beginning of this review. Bonito flakes, scallion, and a drizzle of sauce adorned the balls, of which there were four. They arrived piping hot and the sauce was very fragrant. Squid and Octopus both have a slightly chewy texture when I’ve had them on other occasions. However, the takoyaki were creamy and melt-in-your mouth delicious. There was only a tiny bit of the usual chewines at the center. The sauce was sweet, and reminded me a bit of teriyaki sauce, but only slightly. Paired very well with sake.
Other appetizers featured on the menu included miso eggplant, shishido peppers, black sesame tuna, and brussel sprouts, as well as seaweed salad. It’s a solid selection, and everything looks like it would pair well with sake.
I like sake.
Anyway: The ramen.
Kogane offers staples like Tonkotsu and vegetable ramen, as well as spicier variations. They have chicken broths, pork bone broths, and miso broths on offer. Many of the selections include black garlic oil, which I enjoy. A half of a soft boiled egg was included, as well as scallions, and most of the offerings included corn. My friend went with a Red Tonkotsu Ramen, and in the interest of variety, I ordered the Miso Lobster Ramen.
The other founding member of Ramen Club enjoys her food on the spicy side, so she ordered her Red Tonkotsu extra spicy. This ramen has a pork bone broth, and the spiciness comes from red chili paste. It includes black garlic oil, scallions, and corn. I sampled some of the broth (for science). It’s extremely rich, and the spiciness was delicious. That said, it may be on the mild side of “extra spicy” for die hard capsaicin addicts. Personally, I like a nice flavorful kick but tend to go milder. Reported to have gone very well with sake.
My order required the slightest bit more effort to enjoy, but it was well worth it. As you can see from the above, there is a portion of lobster, shell and all, in my soup, enjoying the company of the soft boiled egg, corn, and pork belly. The waitstaff provided an additional bowl and a cracker to enjoy the lobster with. The broth is tonkotsu broth & lobster with a dash of miso and the delightful black garlic oil. This decadence is topped with plenty of scallions, the flavor of which stood out nicely in the savory broth. The corn had a nice bit of crunch left in it, contrasting against the texture of the egg, the pork, and the lobster. The lobster itself was a nice decadent touch. However, it wasn’t the star of the show, just a nice touch to an already excellent tonkotsu ramen. I needed guidance to dissect it, since lobster is not something I usually eat. It was mild and sweet, very pleasant. The noodles at Kogane are chewy, and absorb the broth nicely. Obviously, the ramen paired nicely with the sake.
We tried one more sake before we left. The first thing I thought of when I saw it were the brightly colored children’s beverages called “little hugs”. It came in a smaller (and cheaper) container than the first sake we tried. The Otokoyama scaled similarly as far as the flavor/texture ratings on the menu. Somehow, I thought this sake was somehow colder. The texture was smooth, almost velvety. It was a very different flavor, but very nice to try and a good choice if you’re only getting sake for one.
The staff was very attentive. Food arrived quickly, finished plates were quickly removed. The water was refilled frequently, and our sake almost magically topped itself off while we were busy experiencing the food.
Kogane in Brooklyn is easy to get to and has a solid selection, at a reasonable price, and with an enjoyable atmosphere. I would absolutely eat there again, and would recommend pairing it with a pleasant walk across the bridge, if you’re lucky enough to be out and about in NYC during the spring.
