Ramen Kuidouraku/Bibim Bar

Cuisine: Noodle Shop/Korean
Location: 141 1st Ave b/w 9th St & St Marks Pl
Phone #: (212) 529 2746
Method: Eat In and Delivery
Price Range: $$
Food: A-
Value: A
Service/Atmosphere: B+
Overall Rating: A-

I figured it made sense to make this a combination review of these two places, since they are at the same address (you have to walk through Ramen Kuidouraku to get to Bibim Bar) and they share a kitchen. Ramen Kuidouraku used to be called Ramen Setagaya (which is a very successful ramen chain in Japan) but once the licensing contract expired with their corporate parents earlier this year, the owners opted not to renew and just change their name. This was a shrewd move since they already have all the info they needed in terms of recipes and ingredients, and they can save the money in licensing fees they would have otherwise spent. The reputation of this place is already there so I don't think the name change should effect their business. For those of you who crave original Ramen Setagaya, they still have one location left in NYC on St Marks Pl b/w 2nd & 3rd Ave.

What I Liked
True to its namesake, the bibimbap at Bibim Bar is truly remarkable. If you are not familiar with bibimbap, it is not only a really fun word to say, but it's also the most popular Korean dish. "Bibim" means mixed in Korean and "bap" means rice, but that only begins to describe it. It is typically served on a hot stone bowl and consists of white rice, whichever meat you decide to order, a fried egg over-easy and sautéed assorted veggies. I'm sure you're thinking after reading that sentence: "did you just say that Bibim Bar serves bibimbap with a fried egg over-easy on top?" The answer to your question is an enthusiastic "yes!" Break the egg with your chopsticks and watch as the yolk soaks the rest of the ingredients in this delightful dish. If you are eating at Bibim Bar (as opposed to having it delivered), once the sizzling hot stone bowl arrives at your table, you will have the joy of witnessing the rice and egg crackle as it continues to cook as you eat it. I can't say enough about the incredible consistency and crispiness of the rice due to it being cooked right in front of you and mixing with the yolk. As far as choices of meat, I would recommend either getting the Spicy Pork ($10.95) or Marinated Beef Bulgogi ($10.95), but I'm sure you can't go wrong (they even have mixed veggie or tofu varieties) . Pour on the spicy Korean Chili Pepper Paste that comes with it and mix in some of the kimchi that's always included and you will simply not forget this experience. If bibimbap sounds too crazy for you, the Marinated Beef Bulgogi ($11.50) entree is a bit plainer, but also fantastic. The tender beef is cooked over a bed of rice and with that chili pepper paste you are going to love it.

The ramen at Ramen Kuidouraku is also pretty special. For what it's worth, it was actually dubbed the #1 ramen in NYC by the Rameniac, narrowly beating out Ippudo and Minca (Momofuku Noodle is way down at #7 according to that list). Although I can't say I agree that it's the best in the city (in my opinion Ippudo and Momofuku are better), this variety of ramen is unique in its own way and definitely packs a huge flavor punch. The Shio ($9.50) is their signature ramen (salt flavor broth) and is fantastic, especially if you add in some of the aforementioned chili paste. Also great is the Syo-yu ($10) which contains mostly the same ingredients as the Shio (pork, egg, seawee and, bamboo shoots) but contains a soy flavored broth.

In terms of app's, the Oyako-don ($4.50) is a must-have on any visit to this spot. It is basically a bowl of rice with ground up "natural salt taste" chicken, with an organic egg cooked into the rice. If you again add some of that chili paste, you will not believe your taste buds. Equally incredible is the Kimchi Pancake ($7), which is a pan-fried egg and flour based pancake with kimchi mixed in. Ridiculously good! Also keep in mind that they have a very limited lunch menu (although they reduce all the prices by $1-$2, which is cool).

What Could Use Work
I wasn't the biggest fan of the Shio Tsuke-men Oomori ($11.50), which is extra cold noodles with pork and seaweed in a sweet & sour broth. It was somewhat tasty, but there just were too few ingredients and flavor combinations when compared to the other amazing dishes at this establishment. The Gyoza ($4.50) also was nothing special, save the stomach space for the better stuff noted above and below.

Killed It!
The Fried Chicken (drumsticks $5/3 or wings $5/6) at Bibim Bar is some of the best I've tried, even better than at the famous Boka/Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken franchises around the city. You can order either Spicy or Soy Garlic flavor and both are fantastic; it has signature Korean style perfectly crispy skin and is just exploding with flavor. It's also a pretty damn good deal.