Long Island's best ramen shops

Does Long Island have its own regional ramen style? This might be the moment we declare one. Right next door to New York City, which is arguably the world's leader in ramen trends, Long Island has pursued ramen with fervor over the past few years. 

Small chains have popped up in nearly every town, serving Japanese menus with theatrical Chinese flourishes. Kinya in Hicksville pairs ramen with Asian crab boil, topping bowls with edible gold leaf that shimmers and crunches like fishy bonito flake. Meet Izakaya gives you the toppings on the side, so you can dip them like you're doing hot pot. And the dish to order at Takkii in Syosset is the tan tan ramen with ground pork and spicy Sichuan sesame sauce. 

But that's not authentic, you say ... Well, remember that ramen noodles have only been around in Japan since the 1900s, when they were brought over by Chinese immigrants. Creative cooks are constantly playing with the form, adding local ingredients, experimenting with technique and bringing in international flavors. Chicken parm ramen? It's on this list and it's incredible. After trying more than a dozen spots across Nassau and Suffolk counties, here are seven memorable destinations to visit right now.

Ikedo Ramen

983 Port Washington Blvd., Port Washington

This adorable spot wows with its near-perfect bowl of tonkotsu ($16.50), which features a 10-hour broth and al dente noodles from local factory Happy Noodle in Mount Sinai. The restaurant is the product of Port Washington resident Mimi Chi and chef Jason Lin, who lived 10 years in Japan before working at ramen shops in New York City. His small menu is approachable but carefully rendered, with a few ramen varieties alongside udon soups and rice bowls. You'll want to get something with the chashu pork, which was one of the fattiest and most succulent tried. More info: 516-441-5780, ikedoramen.com

Kiko Ramen

361 Nassau Blvd S., Garden City; 480 Plandome Rd., Manhasset and 26 School St., Glen Cove

Another chic Japanese minimalist spot now with three locations, Kiko stands out for its attention to detail. The negi ramen ($15) is topped with green onions shaved into delicate wisps, providing a biting flavor that cuts through the rich broth. Underneath, a beautifully broiled slice of chashu pork adds more of a roasty flavor than a fatty one. Everything else is great: the runny egg, the springy noodles and even a hit of pickled mustard greens, a hallmark of Chinese soups that somehow tastes perfectly at home here. More info: 516-307-9211 (Garden City), 516-682-2268 (Manhasset), 516-200-9806 (Glen Cove), kikoramen.com

Kyuramen

988 Franklin Ave., Garden City and 296 Main St., Huntington

If you're into immersive dining experiences with futuristic honeycomb booths built high onto the walls, this is the place for you. Kyuramen is a quickly-growing chain from Queens that goes the extra mile with its restaurant design. The Garden City location has private tatami rooms and a geometric booth that looks like a cross between a teepee and a giant squid. And the newer location in Huntington has you dining in the air like a bumblebee. The main food attraction might be the omurice, an omelet of runny scrambled eggs that's showily split open at the table. But the ramen is not to be missed. The Kyushu spicy tonkotsu ($16.99) is barely Japanese, but has a tantalizing mala flavor of Sichuan peppercorn. More info: 516-385-8887 (Garden City), 631-888-3858 (Huntington), kyuramen.com

MB Ramen 

57 Main St., Port Washington and 335 New York Ave., Huntington

Maybe you were wondering who had the chicken parm ramen. It could only be MB Ramen, Long Island's funkiest Japanese fusion spot, and one of the only places you can sit at the ramen bar and watch the chef make it in front of you. (Now that's authentic.) On a recent visit to the Huntington location, the quality is still apparent and silly concoctions like a chicken parm ramen ($22) actually work. Yeah, it has cheese. And bouncy bucatini-style noodles. But the signature MB Ramen ($19) also impresses with supremely fatty chashu pork and shiitake mushrooms. More info: 516-690-8166 (Port Washington), 631-923-3176 (Huntington), mbramenshop.com

Slurp Ramen

109 W. Broadway, Port Jefferson

A pioneer in the Long Island artisanal ramen movement, Slurp is no longer the only game in town. Yes, there are flashier dining rooms and yes, the business hours can be wonky. Make sure you call ahead to establish when the dining room closes and moves to takeout only that evening. But when you're sitting in front of a Hokkaido-style miso butter ramen ($14.98) and marveling at the savory aromas flowing up to your face, you'll be happy you kept this neighborhood spot in your thoughts. More info: 631-509-1166, slurpusa.com

Youta Ramen

58 Old Country Rd., Mineola

Is that Japanese the servers are speaking to each other? No, it's Thai. This charming space is the brainchild of Thanontuch Tyler Laiamnuay and Pat Boon, a seasoned restaurateur who worked at Sripraphai in Williston Park. Laiamnuay cooks his tonkotsu broth for 16 hours, stirring every 10 minutes so it doesn’t scorch, and the result is spectacular. The noodles in the tonkotsu ($18) are both delicate and sturdy, sharing the bowl with custardy "ajitama" egg and scallions sliced so thin they look like translucent threads. Not to mention, the raw fish kanpachi dishes here are beautifully presented, worth a trip on their own. More info: 516-447-6995, youtaramen.com

Yume Ramen and Cake

350-4 Smith Haven Mall, Lake Grove

From an unassuming kiosk at the Smith Haven Mall food court, Kai Wang prepares some of the most interesting bowls of ramen and Japanese bites. The chef worked at David Chang's Momofuku empire as well as the modern Korean ramen house Jeju Noodle Bar. HIs kombu chicken ramen ($12.99), with its artfully arranged toppings of little fish cake flowers floating in a crystalline pond of scallions, evokes a tranquil feeling, like looking at a Japanese woodblock print. The roasted chicken is just right and the hot broth is elegant, yet comforting and homey. More info: 631-456-9013, yumeramenandcake.com

By Andi Berlin

andi.berlin@newsday.comAndiBerlin

Andi Berlin is from Arizona and does not know where she is going. But when she gets there, she’ll find something beautiful and delicious that the world needs to taste.