Japanese “Gyoza and Ramen” Chain Sanpoutei Opens First U.S. Outpost In The East Village

Our latest installment of Quick Bites brings us to Second Ave for gyoza and ramen.

THE VIBE

Sanpoutei, which opened a couple of weeks ago on Second Avenue in the East Village, bills itself as a "Gyoza and Ramen" restaurant, and it is that, to be sure: there are three varieties of the former and seven of the latter on the menu. But this import from the Niigata Prefecture of Japan—the first US outpost of over 50-year-old chain—clearly has aspirations to be much more than a local dumpling and noodle joint.

The interior is elegant, with moody lighting, comfortable banquettes, and a big marble bar up front. There's a long row of padded stools (with backs!) running before the open kitchen, and a medium-sized dining room, seating about 36, in the back. Natural tones, cleverly hung mirrors, and a dramatic overhead lighting installation all contribute to the semi-luxurious feel of the place.

There's a high-end sensibility to the staff as well. Everyone is welcoming, professional, not obsequious, and constantly at the ready for whatever you might require next. The music is generic Euro Dance Lite, played at a respectfully low volume.

It's a big play from Sanpoutei, though considering that is this the group's 31st restaurant overall (or 56th, if you count their Italian-themed spots in Japan), they appear to have deep enough pockets to go all in.

THE BITES

Fortunately for us, the fancy trappings don't translate into high prices, and the majority of dishes on the surprisingly lengthy menu are priced well below $20. Unfortunately, things are a hit-or-miss at this early stage. Let's start with the ramen. Sanpoutei makes their own noodles in house, and they're good, on the thick side and cooked to a fine firmness. The thin slices of cha-su and the seasoned egg, which appeared in both bowls I tried, were also decent enough, no complaints. I can't say I enjoyed the broth in the signature Niboshi Shoya Ramen, however, the salty, soy sauce based soup given greater depth by the inclusion of dried sardines. This sounds appealing, but instead of a pleasant pungency all I tasted was an unwelcome bitterness.

The Miso Ramen, made with Sanpoutei's chicken paitan broth, was appropriately thick and rich but perhaps overly dense with ingredients and ultimately just kind of overwhelming. The Sanpoutei Gyoza, served lightly fried and stuffed with pork and beef, were texturally satisfying, if also a bit bitter. Much better were the Spicy Chicken and Cheese Spring Rolls, which sound strange but ate like the best sort of stoner food. The Sichuan Peppercorn Edamame puts a nice twist on that workhorse starter (many dishes here play with both traditionally Chinese and Japanese ingredients), and the two-tiered Marinated Egg with Uni and Ikura looks pretty on your table.

The best thing I ate at Sanpoutei was the simple Salmon Flakes Don served chazuke style. A mound of slightly sticky rice is blanketed with minced salmon, ikura generously strewn about on top, with a quartet of egg slices further adding to the fun. Take a few bites as is if you want, but then pour on some of the mild dashi that comes in a little teapot, and eat it like a soup. It's delicious. Finally, as the world's biggest flan fan, it saddens me to report that you should skip the Kurogoma Flan for dessert, a black sesame custard with dark honey that maybe had seaweed flakes on top, in lieu of salt. Either way, this went unfinished at multiple tables around me.

THE VERDICT

It's been a while since we've had any new, truly exciting ramen, so it's too bad that Sanpoutei doesn't really come through on that front. That said, it is an agreeable place to spend an hour or two, and the plating is all impressive, and the prices are low enough that it's worth giving it a shot.

Sanpoutei is located at 92 Second Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Streets, and is open daily for lunch from noon to 3 p.m., and on for dinner on Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to midnight (646-964-4357; sanpoutei.com)