New York Roundup VI: Disappointing Acclaimed Spot Alder and Jinya Ramen Redeems Itself After 3 Years

I was sorely disappointed at Alder from semi-celebrity chef Wylie Dufresne. I definitely sensed he was trying to stimulate the palate with different flavors and textures but I just didn't love what he did with those flavors and textures. Take the scallops. I was open to his version of served with pickled radishes and a powder whose texture was all wrong. The scallops were fresh but didn't impart much flavor. The radishes were overpowering and masked everything on the plate.

Unexpectedly, the best thing we had was the clam chowder of all things, which had strong clam flavor and creamy but not too thick texture. 

Now for the not-so-good. I love soft shell crab but this version was too greasy and too heavily breaded. I didn't enjoy it at all. The sweet pea-ramp tartar sauce didn't add much flavor. It was certainly a meaty piece of crab but not properly breaded and fried. The sides of fried starch didn't complement it too well either.

The squid salad with black chickpea hummus, summer squash and lovage (a seemingly trendy herb) sounded so promising. It wasn't bad and quite refreshing but nothing to write home about. It expected more from this chef. 

No New York visit would be complete without a visit to a ramen joint so I went to Jinya Ramen, which has several outposts in LA. I recalled not liking it but gave it a shot since it had been a while and it was convenient. I must have been in my Beastie Boys phase from reading the headline on that scathing post. I got the spicy tonkotsu pork-based ramen with an egg and I actually liked it. The broth was solid. The chashu slices were tender. The soft egg was perfectly cooked. I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe I should give the LA locations another chance, I thought. I didn't love the thicker noodles, however. I should have asked for the more traditional, thinner ramen noodles. Thumbs up.