In honor of a most joyous occasion, I am going to finally review Ony, a ramen place I have been frequenting since 2002 or so. I LOVE this place. (Bear with me, I’ve taken pictures a few times I’ve been here, so.. pictures galore! Yay!)
357 6th Avenue (at West 4th)
(212) 414-8429
(I was under the impression they don’t take reservations, but they did for us on Friday. Then again, we were rollin’ 14 heads strong. Haha sorry I just always wanted to say that.)
Ony, which stands for Original Noodle for You, is an unassuming place in the heart of the Village. You could walk by a dozen times before even really noticing it; directly next door is a Mexican food joint (La Palapa, which I’ve also yet to review, and likely never will nor return) which also has outdoor seating that could conceivably blend in with Ony’s. A few doors down is Balluchi’s; the Village doesn’t lack in restaurants and this block is no exception. So why go here?
If on a cold NYC winter day, you want nothing more than to sink into a bowl of soup with noodles, this is the place for you. I love nothing more than a big bowl of ramen when it’s rainy out, or cold, or both, and this place satisfies that craving to a T.
My boyfriend says this is the best gyoza of any place he’s been to in the city.
these pictures have been compiled over the years of me going there, so i’m not sure what these are actually.
the first one is definitely menchanko, their standard, original soup mix. i believe the second one is menchanko with a substitution of beef for shrimp, or perhaps my own creation. it’s hard to say.
sukiyaki menchanko (what i had this past friday night)
My favorite had been, for the past few years, the regular mechanko. I’d tried the sesame miso, the miso menchanko, and a few others, including creating my very own combination, but I’d always returned to the regular menchanko. For the price ($11) and the combination of ingredients, you couldn’t get a better deal. If you were to create-your-own combination from their menu (which they do allow), the price would be closer to $20~ or so, but this way, you get pretty much a wide variety of everything. High in protein, the word menchanko supposedly (according to the menu) is representative of what sumo wrestlers enjoy during training seasons. The menchankos are served in boiling hot cast iron bowls set onto wooden boards (to prevent scalding/burning) alongside these adorable wooden spoons that are more like ladles than spoons.
I’m not a big fan of [regular] sukiyaki normally, but on Friday, the description sounded great so I took a chance and ordered it. Honestly I loved it so much that this may be my new favorite at Ony. The broth was sweet and the noodles, as always, were cooked to perfection (more al dente than cooked, but still cooked through). The noodles are freshly made (I believe by Ony, but I could be wrong) and the overall taste is just great. The soup isn’t overly oily or greasy and just leaves you with a refreshed, healthy feeling. They load you up with soy products and veggies, and it’s just very healthy.
The staff is always friendly and accomodating, I have never had a problem with service. They are attentive but not overly so, and they are always willing to answer any questions you might have about the food- either yours or what the table next to you is having! Seriously, this place is great, I go here at least once a month, more in the winter.
And dessert…
pannacotta
Basically milk tofu with a strawberry sauce on top, the pannacotta is my favorite dessert here. Actually, for a while, this was my favorite place for it as well, but now I’m starting to see it at more and more places (anyone smell a trend article coming up?) and so it is easier to get. I know my friends will say they don’t like it that much or that it’s not enough syrup, but for me, it is just perfect and occasionally I find myself dreaming about or craving it.
Yvo says: Part of the reason I didn’t want to review it is because I didn’t want everyone to rush out and crowd up my place. But then I want them to do well so I am conflicted. Also, look at my review, it’s so much nonsense and just personal feeling, as opposed to my normal reviews! If you like ramen, you have to go here. They do it right. And though I have no pictures of these dishes (he stabs into the food before I can snap them), my boyfriend also enjoys their yaki udon, their spider rolls, eel/cucumber rolls, etc. He likes the food here enough to occasionally ask me if we can go here for dinner (which is a big deal- he doesn’t usually remember the Asian places we go).
highly recommended
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