Why Come Here? Best Ramen in the West Village, Unique options like Yuzu & Hot Capsaican
Ramen by Mew kind of looks like someone crammed a ramen counter into of a concert hall. You sort of expect at some hour the tables will be cleared, the lighting dimmed the Rock-n-Roll Ramen Show will begin. I only came here for lunch so all I can only tell you that there was no matinee. But I expect regardless of who (if anyone) is playing, this place will get pretty packed at night. Consider this: we waited half an hour at lunch, on a weekday. And it’s in the heart of the West Village. You better really feel the need to slurp.
Of course if you’re in the West Village, your ramen options have long been limited. And Ramen by Mew is a very good choice regardless of geography. The chicken broth in the majority of their bowls is on the lighter side, which is good assuming you’ve come to the Village for more than a stopover before your nap. There’s also a variety of interesting options including a yuzu bowl, a hot capsaican and spicy negi chasu in addition to the usual shios and shoyus. If you come at lunch, you’ll get a salad and side with your bowl for only $2 more. With the ramen priced at $12, it’s pretty reasonable given the location. Guess they’re making their money on the shows.
Here’s what we tried:
Yuzu Ramen 
The chicken broth was thin but has some sweetness and umami from the yuzu and a nice little kick at the end. It’s definitely unlike any ramen I’ve had before. The noodles are slippery, but could be a little more al dente. The toppings include big chunks of chopped up pork belly (always good to see) but the lettuce and scallion didn’t add much.
Vegetarian There’s an off-menu vegetarian option that vegetarian blogger letsnomnom ordered. It comes in a tasty mushroom broth that’s actually richer than the chicken-yuzu. Definitely one of the better veggie ramens out there.
Negi Chashu Don 
– This was my side in the lunch set and consisted of pork belly and scallion over rice. It’s tasty and pretty much exactly what was in the ramen.
Takana Don 
– Letsnomnom’s lunch came with this spicy pickled cabbage as it’s basically the only vegetarian small plate. It was surprisingly spicy and sour but if that’s your thing, it’s tasty enough.
Ramen By Mew
7 Cornelia Street (W 4th & Bleecker Sts.)
New York, NY
