A Black and female-owned ramen shop in NYC's East Village, known for its intimate, reservation-only dining experience and a menu that fuses Japanese asa-ramen with American brunch concepts.
Rasheeda Purdie is a stylist turned chef, acclaimed for her ramen-focused venture, Ramen by Ra. She launched her business during the pandemic, collaborating with Ada Supper Club, and is known for embracing Black and...
Ramen by Ra is a Black and female-owned ramen shop in NYC's East Village, offering an intimate, reservation-only dining experience with limited seating (6-8 people). Its unique concept blends traditional Japanese asa-ramen with American brunch elements, creating a distinctive 'breakfast ramen' menu. The restaurant emphasizes a cozy ambiance and a personalized culinary journey.
Customers generally praise the intimate and cozy ambiance, the unique concept, and the flavorful, comforting ramen. Many appreciate the skilled and passionate chef(s) and the warm, attentive service. The reservation-only system, while sometimes difficult to secure, contributes to the exclusive and personal experience. Some reviews, however, mention inconsistencies with ramen temperature, broth depth, overcooked eggs, or textural issues with certain toppings like bacon.
Additional Details
Ramen by Ra was formerly located in the Bowery Market before moving to its current East Village location at 70 E 1st St. The dining experience often features jazz music, such as Dave Brubeck. There is no public restroom available on-site. While the official website and recent reviews indicate it is operational, one Yelp listing states 'CLOSED - Updated July 2026'.
The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 AM to 5 PM. Reservations are required and are released on the 1st and 15th of each month, often filling up quickly. It's recommended to know your order in advance due to the 45-minute dining slots.
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Ramen By Ra offers a very different ramen experience with a small, reservation-based setup that feels more like a private dining experience than a traditional ramen shop. The intimate space has only a handful of seats, creating a quiet and personal atmosphere where the preparation of each bowl becomes part of the experience. The counter seating allows you to watch the ramen being made up close, adding to the connection between the kitchen and the guest.
The menu takes a creative approach by combining ramen with breakfast-inspired flavors and unexpected ingredients. The egg drop ramen and bacon, egg, and cheese ramen showcase the restaurant’s unique concept, while additions like crispy shallots and soy eggs add extra texture and flavor. The dishes feel thoughtfully designed and different from the usual ramen options found throughout NYC.
Because of the limited seating and reservation system, planning ahead is important. The smaller format allows for more attention to detail, but it also means the experience is less flexible than a typical restaurant visit. Ramen By Ra is best approached as a unique tasting experience for those interested in a more creative interpretation of ramen.
The reservation-only system makes your time at the restaurant very intimate as there are only 6 spots (4 counter and 2 table). Since Ra has the orders in advance, your selected ramen order of choice is more of less ready within minutes of your arrival. Dave Brubeck was playing the entire time, which had Ra and I humming along at moments and added a soulful touch to the entire experience.
I started off with the lox bao and as a lover of salmon, it was an inventive fusion of flavors. The ramen was the obvious star of the show with my everything egg drop soup topped with chili oil -- it added the extra bit of heat without being overbearing and distracting. It was the perfect hearty meal for a cold NYC day.
Such a well put together cozy space!!
Good ramen but honestly I know so many other places with a outstanding broth. The broth and ramen was lacking dimension. 🍜 it’s lovely to be upclose in such an intimate environment with such a skilled and passionate chef. I’ll never take this experience for granted. I highly recommend you guys visit to try the interesting flavors!
Food Quality and Taste- 5
When I first realized that Ramen was more than the $1.75 packs of noodles at Walmart, I didn't know what to think. As someone who grew up poor, I found it cool that "cheap meal" could also be a culinary masterpiece.
The food is cooked to order. Always hot. Always fresh. This "breakfast" ramen spot is a great idea. My favorite? The everything Bao.
Service- 5
Service is great. You are welcomed warmly by both chefs. There are hooks for your coat, as needed. And you're quickly shown to your seat. Courses are not rushed (although you only have 45 minutes to eat) and they check with you often to confirm you're doing well.
NOTE: Reservations are required.
PRO TIP: Know what you want before the reservations open, because you will lose your spot if you take too long.
Atmosphere- 5
Warm, cozy. Intentional. Practical. My favorite spot is
"The Nook." Right by the window so provides a nice breeze. The nook only seats one, by the way. The noise level is moderate as it only seats approx. 6-8 people at one time.
NOTE: There is no restroom, use the restroom before.
Value- 5
Totally worth it. I've taken the train to NYC for the day just to visit Ramen by Ra. The pricing is reasonable, and the portion sizes are quite large.
Opportunities for learning- 5
The Owner's story, the restaurant concept, the specific dishes and ingredients, and cultural fusion create so many opportunities to learn.
gritting my teeth writing this because i really love the concept but it missed the mark for me. we ordered the bacon, egg and cheese ramen & the steak and eggs ramen. TLDR: i don’t think i will return with how difficult it was to get the reservation to begin with. glad i gave it a shot!
what worked well:
-beautiful moody ambiance with an intimate feel
-sweet chefs
-unique flavorful broth
what didn’t work well:
-ramen wasn’t hot when we ate it + oily broth
-ramen egg overdone and not jammy. also wasn’t flavorful
-steak pieces incredibly small and honestly unappetizing
-hard cut bacon just doesn’t texturally work with broth. in concept they should balance but in reality they get lost in each other
service:
-the host didn’t recognize my name for the reservation, even though it’s a four person restaurant. meaning he only had to keep track of 2 reservations for this time slot because each of us came with one person. i wasn’t lost in the system he was just underprepared. (i call this out because when i said the name under the res he said “are you sure?”)
-i would’ve expected there to be more conversation with the chefs since it was so intimate but because the time slot was short and they had to prepare for the next group of customers, it took away from that feel
-no proper ventilation; i’m more worried about the chefs for this one since they’re always cooking
