When the discussion of Ramen came up in the private Girls On Food Facebook page (for bloggers only!), I barely needed a second to solidify what I wanted to talk about. There’s one name that immediately comes to mind. Five letters spell out the name of a small place (thirty, maybe forty covers maximum?) in downtown Brooklyn that fills each bowl of ramen with massive amounts of flavor and that warm, fuzzy, comforting feeling; like your favorite cute winter sweater and jeans.

Ganso
25 Bond Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
www.gansonyc.com

Ganso has been satisfying the ramen cravings of Brooklynites since 2012, and not wasting any time catching the attention of both local and national media as well.  This ramen rendezvous spot has been praised by Eater, Thrillist, and The New York Times, just to name a few. The menu items are similar year round, but each season has a specialty item or two as well. I’ve been a fan of Ganso since I came across it by accident in 2013, and it was one of my happiest accidents to date. It’s busy nearly every time I go in, but it’s worth the wait. My taste buds are so happy slurping down the Triple Shrimp (year round) bowl, each slurp and inhalation setting of an explosion of heat and the most amazing savory flavor in your mouth. During the warmer months when some might deem it “too hot for soup,” Ganso offers Summer Ramen (seasonal), a chilled noodle dish that when plated, looks like an edible rainbow of bright, vivid colors. For those looking to skip the spiciness, the Yasai Bowl (year round) although lacks meat, is still bursting with delectable textures and flavors.

While many New York City residents keep warm by cramming into Starbucks for Pumpkin Spice this or Salted Caramel that, do yourself a favor and skip all of that. Head over to Ganso instead. Even during the most frigid weather, a bowl of Ramen could warm even the coldest of hands, mouths, and hearts.