Foodie Chat (7): Zutto

It has always be a mystery to me why people would wait for hours in line for a bowl of ramen in front of Ippudo, even on a snowy day. I know it's iconic, but sometimes iconic also means run-of-the-mill. True, it's good ramen -- definitely too salty to my taste -- but there are other places in the city that serve equally good ramen, if not better. Zutto is one of them.

Zutto has been overshadowed by its shining neighbors such as Nobu and Brushstroke in the past 30 years or so, until it is revamped by a Bouley and Per Se veteran, Joshua Smookler. The chef designed a short but well-edited menu and beer list that turned Zutto into THE ramen powerhouse in Tribecca.

I've been to Zutto a couple of times, and have tried quite a few items on the menu.  Tonkotsu ramen is one of their signature dishes. The broth is thick and cream-colored, so concentrated with marrow and bone that your lips get sticky. In terms of the toppings, instead of pork belly that is standard in most ramen places, they serve juicy pork jowl chashu. The wobbling white fat will surely take you to heaven. On the light side, seafood ramen tastes quite healthy. The flavor has nothing to write home about, but the noodles are cooked to perfection, as in other ramen dishes. Wasabi Shoyu ramen seems to be quite spicy. My Japanese friend was sweating throughout the meal.

But Zutto is known not just for its ramen. Steamed buns are many patrons' favorite and must-have, and short ribs buns are the clear winner of all, filled with saucy, braised meat dressed sparsely with kimchi and a bit of spicy mayo. Gang Nam style buns have an interesting take on Korean essentials -- kimchi. A little on the spicy side, but worth a try. I'd suggest you to avoid pork belly buns if you like pork belly stew in Chinese cuisine. The sauce is way too sugary, even to the American standard. We ordered some in a large group setting, and not a single one could finish his/her pork belly bun. A bummer. Shishito peppers are also pretty good. It reminds me of those charred fried peppers (虎皮辣椒) my parents use to cook on hot summer evenings. Yes, we ate it in summer, and cooled our numbed tongues with icy cold beers. :)

Unlike those more high-end Japanese restaurants only steps away, there is no hush-hush reverence at Zutto--it's a self-styled Japanese pub, and that means jovial noshing at a huge communal table. The staff is friendly, chill and hippy. But they may get carried away on busy evenings. The best time to visit Zutto is lunchtime when the place is quiet and slow... Did I mention I was sitting next to Jeremy Lin on my first lunch at Zutto? That was in those Linsanity days when he was still in Knicks. At his height, he couldn't hide himself from anybody. :)

Address: 77 Hudson St., New York, NY 10013
Telephone: 212-233-3287

Photo credit: The second and third pictures are sourced from villagevoice.com.