The most recent ramen joint to open its doors in Lower Manhattan is Umami Ramen (3 Hanover Square). It of course joins the ranks of many a noodle house in the neighborhood — most notably Kuu (20 John St.), a reliable lunch spot which gets cramped fast (not that anyone minds, since it has low-key built itself a faithful following). The big advantage to Umami, however, is its colorfully decorated space, with plenty of seating beneath delicately hung lanterns. So the chances of accidentally elbowing a fellow broth chugger are slim. And we needn’t our elbows bothered when we’re chugging broth, do we?
Umami’s straightforward and service-y menu (Seamless kiosks are provided at the entrance for you to order, then seat yourself) provides all the staples one would find in your typical NYC ramen spot — shoyu, miso, tonkotsu — and chili oil is within reach at every seating for those who want a trial by fire. Don bowls are also available for those who prefer rice (something of a troll move when frequenting a ramen place IMHO but you do you).
In case you’re worried about walking away hungry, try a slew of other offered noshes, like the shrimp tempura, gyoza and edamame. But, to be quite honest, the ramen bowl should sufficiently satisfy — especially when given the time and space to slurp it down in peace.