[NYC - Harlem] Jin Ramen featuring Volcano Tonkotsu and Kuro Shio Ramen

One of my favorite places to eat ramen in NYC is Jin Ramen. I kind of can't believe I haven't posted about Jin here before!

It's located right off the 125 Street 1 station. I first came here during graduate school and have been making periodic visits ever since then.

This time, we started with the chicken kara-age. I always test out the fried chicken at ramen shops when I have the chance, so when I saw this, I knew we had to have it.

The nice thing about the kara-age at Jin is that it is well-seasoned with some spicy pepper seasoning and there's a nice lemon wedge to add a little acidity into the mix.

If it's your thing, there's also a boatload of spicy mayo for you to partake in.

I would 100% recommend this kara-age. It's so crispy and so flavorful and the meat inside is still so tender. It's probably one of the best kara-age I have had...and definitely the best I've had in New York City.

This is the Kuro Shio ramen. It's one of the signature ramen options. It's made with black garlic and sesame oil. The Shio broth is made with chicken, which was great. I like that Jin has a variety of broth options for people like me who can't necessarily handle the pork broth (tonkotsu). The broth itself is so flavorful with its yuzu and pepper flavoring. When it's combined with the black garlic and the sesame oil, those flavors combine to create this wonderfully rich and deep flavor with each flavor complementing the others so perfectly.

This is the Volcano Tonkotsu ramen. Don't let the super red color deceive you. It's not death noodle spicy, but it's definitely spicier than most Japanese "spicy" foods. I would recommend it to a spice lover. The broth flavor itself is quite rich and multidimensional, so when you combine it with the meats and the other components of the ramen, you get a very delicious treat.

There's a sweet, but yet a somewhat acidic and spicy flavor in each spoonful. As you eat, the heat definitely builds, so if you're kind of slightly worried about the spice level and the number of peppers you see on the menu, you may want to start off with trying the Spicy Tonkotsu ramen on your first visit and then work up to the Volcano Tonkotsu for your next visit. There's also a Shio version if you want to have the chicken broth rather than the pork broth.

If you aren't a ramen, there are plenty of other menu options and tons of the appetizers sound delicious, so it might be fun to have a tapas-style happy hour sort of meal.

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