Why Come Here? Sample the legendary original ramen burger
Right Amount for 2? Two Ramen Burgers, One Ramen Fries
Like Kimye*, the ramen burger combined two things people are obsessed with to create something people could be even more obsessed with. Despite launching at Smorgasburg just last spring, Time magazine has already proclaimed it “one of the 17 most influential burgers of all time.” It has inspired many imitators, but people still line up for an hour every Saturday afternoon in Williamsburg to get their taste of the original. Having other ways to spend my weekends, I decided not to join the cues.
Fortunately, Chef Keizo Shimamoto has decided to make his creation available the rest of the week in two additional locations. One is a full service restaurant called Ramen.co in the Financial District and the other a stand in the recently opened Crown Heights beer hall Berg’n. The latter is where I had my first taste last night. Ironically, despite being located deep into Brooklyn, you can probably still get your burger faster here from Manhattan than trying wait at Smorgasburg. In fact on a Thursday night, there was no wait whatsoever (plus you can get beer with it!). Should you feel like branching out, they also offer shredded beef, chicken and vegetarian varieties as well as must order ramen fries.
All right on to what you really want to know:
Original Ramen Burger 
The original is an angus beef patty covered with arugula, scallions and secret shoyu sauce on a bun constructed of ramen noodles. The bun is a little squishy and won’t be replacing bread anytime soon in the mass market, but it adds an interesting taste and texture. The real secret sauce though is the…secret sauce. The shoyu adds a salty, tangy component that really differentiates this from other burgers. My overall take is it’s really good burger, but novelty more than taste has elevated it to legend status.
Ramen Fries Don’t be content to let the bun serve as your only noodles of the meal. These deep fried ramen noodles – cooked in a karrage batter (sort of like a thicker tempura), topped with scallions and covered in a spicy mayo sauce – are just as exciting an addition to the fry world as the burger is to it’s own.
Available at:
Berg’n (Crown Heights, Brooklyn)
Smorgasburg (Saturdays: Williamsburg, Sundays: Pier 5, Brooklyn)
Ramen.co (Financial District, Manhattan)
*Kanye West and Kim Kardashian for those who only use the internet to find food news.
