Something’s brewing between two East Village ramen restaurants—and we don’t just mean the broths.

Momofuku Noodle Bar, the first of a mini-empire established by Beard Award winner David Chang and Joaquin Baca, has been packed since the day it opened in 2004. Chang, a Korean-American who makes no pretense about serving either authentic Korean or traditional Japanese food, took the usual ramen experience and cranked it up to 11, giving eaters a delicious, albeit iconoclastic, take on the noodle soup.

The new player in town is Ramen Setagaya, the first American outpost of a Japanese chain that decamped two short blocks south of Momofuku's stylish First Avenue digs. Even before Setagaya’s official opening, its manager bragged to the press that its real, Japanese-sourced ramen would put Momofuku’s version to shame. Chang struck back with a snarky sign in his window, saying that his noodles are made with "90% American Ingredients and 10% of Don't Worry About It." Thus was born the first ever NYC ramen showdown (just check out the rabid postings on online food forums).

We swung by both restaurants to get the lowdown on the showdown. Here’s a blow-by-blow.

What we ordered
Momofuku: Momofuku Ramen (Berkshire pork “combo,” poached egg), $14
Setagaya: Cha-syu-men (pork barbecue salt ramen), $11

Round one: Liquid gold
Setgaya brews a shio (salt) broth, a complex elixir of pork, mushroom, chicken, seaweed, anchovy, scallop, garlic and a special Vietnamese salt, steeped together for hours. It's understated, yet powerful, in its salinity and seafood undertones. Momofuku doesn't list on the menu what’s in its liquid, but surely there’s a hell of a lot of pork in there, since it hits a smoky, porcine note pretty hard. A pleasingly oily sheen glosses over the tops of both bowls. This first round comes down to personal choice: For subtlety, the broth contest goes to Setagaya; for knock-your-socks-off pork-infused intensity, Momofuku comes out victorious.

Round two: Noodle time
Setagaya wins this one hands down. The Momofuku noodles are often overcooked and droop sloppily in the bowl. Setagaya aims for a more toothsome rendition, all the better with which to slurp. No contest.

Round three: The pig factor
Momofuku's heritage pork (American-sourced from artisanal farms) is clearly superior, though fattier and with a more pronounced gaminess. The barbecued pork in the Cha-syu-men at Setagya can be parched and dull, with the striped grill marks only hinting at the missing flavor. Momofuku gets the pig points.

Round four: Extra goodies
Adorning both bowls are fine arrays of seaweed, bamboo, scallion and egg. (Momofuku proffers one whole egg, beautifully soft-poached, to Setagaya's half, with its too-hard yolk.) In Momofuku's case, a mound of fresh green peas add a vegetal crunch, but Setagaya’s grated daikon and dried fish topping were also nice touches. Call this one a draw.

Round five: The scene
Both are extremely busy; expect waits of 30 minutes or more unless you go at an off time. Setagaya helpfully delineates a queue in the narrow entryway; it’s well organized, complete with signage. Momofuku's confusing non-system is far more difficult to navigate. Crowds cluster around the cramped entryway vying for the host’s attention, in preparation for a long linger on the sidewalk. But the reward might be the tattooed hotties behind the stoves at Momofuku, who are more fun to watch than Setagaya’s yellow T-shirted cooks, their heads wrapped in white towels as if they just stepped out of the gym.

The Decision
Interestingly, a draw: two spectacular bowls of soup, each pulling its own unique punches while ducking some obvious flaws. Momofuku’s success hinges on its strong blasts of flavor and quality ingredients, but Setagaya’s more authentic version will satisfy purists who long for the streets of Tokyo. Radical versus traditional? You decide.


Ramen Setagaya
141 First Ave. between St. Marks Place and Ninth St., 212-529-2740

Momofuku Noodle Bar
163 First Ave. between 10th and 11th Sts., 212-475-7899