Ramen Kuraku opened during the pandemic in a Columbia University building neat the 168^th street medical center, making it one of the northern most ramen restaurants in Manhattan.  The restaurant offers shio black, miso and shoyu ramen broths, served spicy and non-spicy, with pork or chicken toppings.  They also serve curry ramen and abura soba, which is warm no soup ramen.  I have tried the shio black pork tonkatsu ramen, non-spicy, twice now and both times it was quite good.  They also have a variety of rice bowls and serve beer. 

The dumplings: Ramen Kuraku sells Takoyaki and a variety of dumplings: pork gyoza, chicken gyoza, ebi shrimp gyoza, Ika squid gyoza; and tofu vegetable gyoza. They are served steamed or pan-fried and the pan-fried versions come spicy and non-spicy.   While I have enjoyed the ramen, the dumplings I tried at Ramen Kuraku were disappointing.  The pan-fried gyoza needed more time on the pan, the bottoms of the gyoza were not crispy or charred enough, and the filling tasted a little metallic. The Takoyaki were not spherical and were flat on one side so that each one looked like half a takoyaki.  This shape is a sign that the restaurant is using frozen Takoyaki and they are probably throwing them in the fryer to heat them up and re-crisp them.  Takoyaki should be served blazing hot with lots of toppings, but the ones I got at Ramen Kuraku were not hot enough and needed more toppings. 

The Location:  Ramen Kuraku is located on Broadway between 165th and 166^th streets, in the Washington Heights neighborhood.  It is near the Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center 168^th street A/C/1 subway stop.