Broth Variety at Ganso – NYC

I love thick, creamy tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen broth, but sometimes you want to spread your love to the rest of the animal kingdom. Unfortunately, in New York, this is a pork-dominated town. Chicken ramen can be found in a few Japanese restaurants, but beef? It’s pretty rare. However, not so at Ganso. At this oddly-situated ramen joint not too far from a Jimmy Jazz, the NYC Food Stamp Office, and Papa John’s, chicken, beef, and even vegetarian broth can all be found under one roof.

I ordered the Stamina ($14; pictured above), chicken-soy-chili broth ramen with shrimp paste, chicken chashu, onion, Napa cabbage, and scallions. Without a doubt, the best part was the chicken. It was a mix of white and dark meat, although mostly white much to my BF’s delight, but fortunately, even the white meat was juicy and flavorful. As for the broth, it had some heat, which was nice, but overall, it was a little too light for my taste.

David ordered the Short Rib ($15), soy sauce-beef broth ramen with slow-braised short rib, an “onsen” (slow-cooked) egg, seasonal greens, and scallions. Sadly, the broth again lacked body and tasted more like soy sauce then beef, but the short rib was tender, and the onsen egg was beautifully wobbly. David liked his ramen, but we both much preferred the Stamina ramen because of the chicken but wished it came with an egg also.

For those who don’t eat pork and are looking for a lighter broth, Ganso is a good option. David left Ganso quite happy that day. However, for those looking for a non-pork ramen with just as much flavor, Ganso falls a bit short. For me, the quest for non-pork ramen continues. Until then, pork it is!

Ganso
25 Bond St (b/n Livingston & Fulton St; map)
Brooklyn, NY 11201
718-403-0900