NYCReview
Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen
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We went into our eating experience at Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen understanding that the ramen wasn’t going to be what you'll find at the Ippudos and Slurp Shops of the world. The broth is more subtle, and the hand-pulled noodles more central to the experience.
But just because we went in with an open mind and adjusted expectations doesn’t mean we had to love the bowls in front of us. The noodles at Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen are excellent (almost as excellent as the name) but the broth and meat were just so...boring...that it was hard to fall in love with the ramen here, or even develop a nonsexual crush on it. Quite frankly, we wouldn’t even swipe right on the new app that matches you up with various available soups in New York City (patent pending) if this stuff popped up on it.
Then again, something about this soup just works. After the ramen was cleared away and our tears of disappointment dried up, our meal at Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen was actually really good. The other menu items - soup dumplings, scallion pancakes with beef, lo mein-style dishes - were fantastic. So much so that this place has jumped straight to the top of our [perfect_for slug=“late-night-eats”]Late Night Eats[/perfect_for] Hit List for Midtown, right up there with Sake Bar Hagi. There is, however, one caveat. For some reason, there are no alcoholic beverages available for purchase in the restaurant.
All in all, Kung Fu Little Steamed Buns Ramen is fairly straightforward. The dining room is pretty unremarkable, the turnover is fast, and the bathroom has random pairs of headphones hanging on the stall wall. Ok, so one part isn’t so straightforward. To avoid springing these kinds of surprises on future customers, Kung Fu Mad Good Little Steamed Buns Mediocre Ramen Bizarre Bathroom Decor might be a more fitting name. We’ll throw it in the suggestion box next time we’re in.