Ivan Ramen

The story

Ivan Ramen in New York City | Chef's Table Star & Michelin Recommended Ramen

Ivan Ramen

The story of Ivan Ramen begins not with a bowl of broth, but with a dishwashing job at a sushi bar. Chef Ivan Orkin was fifteen. That job led him to major in Japanese language and literature at the University of Colorado, and then to a teaching post in Tokyo. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America and cooking at Mesa Grill and Lutèce, he returned to Japan determined to start a food business. His wife suggested a ramen shop.

In a country where ramen has a cult-like status, a foreigner opening a shop seemed destined for failure. Instead, Ivan Orkin succeeded. His Tokyo shops became some of the city’s best, an almost unheard-of achievement. In 2012, he returned to New York, publishing his cookbook Ivan Ramen and opening his US flagship at 25 Clinton Street on the Lower East Side. That shop remains open, earning a Michelin Recommended distinction — a natural fit for a kitchen that combines the rigor of Japanese technique with an American cook’s curiosity.

The menu at this Japanese restaurant reflects that cross-cultural ease. There are thin rye noodles in a rich tonkotsu broth, a triple-pork mazemen for those who want concentrated flavor, and a cold yuzu-shio ramen that is pure refreshment. The appetizers read like an izakaya dream: schmaltz-fried gyoza, tonkatsu pork buns, and Ivan’s karaage with your choice of yuzu-kosho mayo or black garlic honey. A truffled vegan shoyu ensures there is something for everyone.

Ivan Orkin was featured in the hit Netflix series Chef’s Table, which only deepened the crowd that fills this Clinton Street space. He speaks fluent Japanese and understands the culture on a level that allows him to present ramen that appeals to both Tokyo and New York. The result is a restaurant that feels both deeply personal and utterly welcoming — a place where the chef’s journey is on the plate.