New York Roundup I: Ramen with Fried Garlic Bits at Totto, Suckling Pig at Txikito, Meatball Shop and Gospel Brunch at Ginny's Supper Club in Harlem

The highlight of my culinary adventure in New York was undoubtedly Totto Ramen, which came highly recommended by my trusty fellow ramen fiend MN. It didn't disappoint. Even though chicken broth-based, the broth didn't taste diluted or particularly wimpy compared with a tonkotsu ramen. I got the spicy ramen that wasn't all that spicy but what made our entire table of six diners rejoice was the beautiful, crunchy little morsels of fried garlic bits floating daintily in the broth alongside chili oil drizzled on top. The garlic bits reminded me of one of my favorite ramen shops I stopped by when I visited the ramen museum in Yokohama. I may have forgotten the shop's name but I do remember those garlic bits very clearly. Yes, I still dream about ramen-hopping on entire floor of the museum featuring the very best ramen joints throughout Japan.

But I digress. I only had two complaints besides the long wait -- the chashu and to a lesser extent, the soft boiled egg. I topped my ramen with pork belly slices that I thought were not tender enough. They seemed undercooked. The soft boiled egg was good but a tad overcooked. Still, it was a very solid bowl of ramen goodness that totally hit the spot for me and my dining companions. We walked out of the packed, tiny midtown location with happy bellies. The broth definitely beat that of the much-hyped Ippudo (I've tried locations in Seoul and in NY and found both of them just above average but nothing special.).

The second most memorable dish I had in New York was suckling pig with a chimichurri sauce at Txikito, which specializes in Basque cuisine. It was the ideal combination of crispy skin on the outside and succulent and tender flesh on the inside, to be smothered with a parsley, garlic and oil-based sauce. I once again fantasized about slow cooking a whole pig in my back yard someday. I've watched too many Bourdain shows. The sauce could have had a bit more punch but then again, the meat could stand on its own due to the time and care it took for its transformation.

I also liked the croquetas that were piping hot, fluffy and creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Delicious. We also had a squid salad with poached egg that was just ok. 

I was intrigued by the idea of Meatball Shop when I first read about it. Naturally, I had to try it. We made a pit stop to the Chelsea location, which was a charming spot. I loved the decor and the vibe -- down to the cutest decoration of deconstructed meat grinder parts posted up by the entrance wall. 

As for the food, they were ok and tasted better smothered in a tomato sauce than "naked." We had the sliders and the classic beef one with tomato sauce, the latter of which was probably the best for the aforementioned reason.  

We washed it all down with some peach sangria, which was refreshing but nothing special. Behold its beautiful color though!

We had wanted to try Red Rooster but ended up at the Gospel Brunch buffet at Ginny's Supper Club downstairs. It was dark and extremely crowded but most of all loud with the live Gospel performance. Don't get me wrong. The performance was awesome but I just hadn't expected it to be that loud. The food was disappointing. The only thing I thought was remotely noteworthy was the fried chicken, which was crispy albeit on the bland side. I liked it because most of the other things were extremely salty. It was a zoo because food at the buffet line kept running out and they were slow to replenish. Still, it was nice of them not to charge 20% tip on the bill as we were a large party. I would definitely like to return to the upstairs dining room at Red Rooster someday.