Where to get the best ramen in New York City

Temperatures are dropping, which means many New Yorkers are looking for the best wintry meal to warm themselves up.

For that, I look to ramen – the Japanese noodle dish with a hearty broth and a mix of seasonal toppings. And here in New York, we’re blessed with so many slurp shops.

But no single establishment is the same: each specializes in their own style of ramen, with a particular broth style, noodle textures and toppings.

To help you find the perfect soup to satisfy your cravings, here’s an overview of the best slurp shops in the city.

For classic soy sauce ramen: Menkoi Sato NYC (Greenwich Village)

Shoyu, or soy sauce ramen, is considered one of the dish’s mainstay styles and is a must for any ramen fan. And Menkoi Sato excels at making this classic.

The Signature Shoyu Ramen ($18) is delectable. Its viscous chicken-based stock is neither too watery nor too heavy. The texture of the egg noodles was bouncy enough to allow me to savor each bite, but also not so chewy that it felt like work. The bowl is topped with menma (bamboo shoots), a generous helping of chashu pork, and sliced cabbage – all of which soak up the umami-filled broth. Wash the ramen down with a classic draft beer. Menkoi Sato’s simple bar seating is also a great fit for solo eaters.

For veggie ramen: Susuru Ramen (Astoria)

“Susuru,” which means to sip or slurp in Japanese, is the best way to enjoy this Astoria shop’s veggie miso ramen ($17). Its earthy, brown soup is made from shiitake mushrooms and kombu (dried kelp) which mimics the fish-based broths that are also common in ramen.

While some other shops overload the ramen with veggies with six or seven toppings, Susuru’s veggie bowl sticks to the classics: bamboo shoots, onions, corn and fresh cabbage. Their surprising addition of kimchi also imparted the broth with a pleasant acidic note.

With its…