Had such a fun experience at Wanpaku, NYC's first Cambodian-Japanese izakaya! I really enjoyed seeing how they bring together Khmer flavors with Japanese techniques. Their Cambodian Teishoku lunch sets start at $17, with options including Angkor Hanger Steak, Kampot Cod, Charoeng Chicken, Paripari Tofu, and sandos. I love the seaweed rice that came with the lunch set! They also have ramen made with chewy mochi-style noodles, plus their Ochoko Don, which were both such unique additions to the menu. The space has a cool izakaya atmosphere, and it's a great spot to come with friends for food and drinks. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something different in NYC! Follow me @foodie.elite on IG, TT and RedNote for more! read more

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Some of the actual best ramen I've eaten in the city top 3 easy I always get the spicy butter miso ramen - first time I came here. I got it with the egg this time I didn't they were both great. The broth is so warm and comforting I will forever keep coming back! read more

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Stopped in for lunch on a holiday Monday. The Wanpaku chicken sando was amazing, definitely would get it again. I also upgraded and made it a lunch set - great miso soup! 4.5 stars. read more

Wanpaku - Chicken sando + lunch set - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came with a big group (7 people) on a Friday night and they accommodated us in a reasonable amount of time, especially for a restaurant on the smaller side. Staff was super attentive the entire evening. We got a couple appetizers, including the avocado on crispy rice and the spicy edamame, which came in nice portions. There were plenty of options for different dietary needs, including vegan. Everyone was happy with their ramens. I loved the spicy chili oil add on. The prices were super reasonable and everything came out quickly. Would definitely come back, especially to try the cocktail bar, which was closed for a private event this night. read more

Wanpaku - miso beef ramen - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

It's been many years I've been and they have upgraded their menu to Cambodian twist & interior! There is a speakeasy in the back which is super cool. I enjoyed their new menu with lots of different flavors - crab fried rice, edamame, avocado cucumber crispy rice, steak tartare, kibinago fries, hanger steak and spicy pork ramen are must try's! Really glad was able to try a variety of dishes this time and the itemeshi highball with Roku gin was really refreshing & not too sweet! There are more dishes want to try, will be back! read more

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I seldom cross the border into Brooklyn, but when I hit up a inventive and tasty Japanese spot like Wanpaku it makes me wonder why I don't do so more often and why don't we have better Japanese/ramen choices in the majority of Queens. I appreciated that they have Suntory draft on offer, which is a bit of a recent discovery - I find it has a fuller taste and a nice sweetness that makes me order it over Sapporo if both are on tap. I enjoyed the Otsumami Cucumber which had a nice pop of flavor with the addition of sesame oil, shio kombu, scallions, and sesame seeds. Potesara (Japanese potato salad) was our other app and I enjoyed the flavors in this, but found it a bit too gloppy for my liking. I ordered the Miso Beef Ramen, which is something I don't see too often. The beef was thinly sliced with miso flavor - it was melt in your mouth tender. Ajitsuke tamago marinated egg, bok choy, scallions, corn in our miso chicken broth rounded out the ingredients. I could do without the bok choy in this, never really a big fan of it in a soup where it becomes limp and chewy. The noodles had a nice bite which I would say was a Kata level of firmness (or Al Dente for your Italian pasta lovers out there). Wanpaku is a spot I would easily go back to because they seem to change up the menu providing more options over the shoyu/tonkatsu/chashu remixes most other Ramen spots offer. Good service and a nice vibe make it even more worthwhile. read more

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I've only visited the location and walked past to get the Hidden Pearl and was delighted to dine first when my friend suggested it, having been before. The small plates are priced the same as the entrees but at least they're shareable and pretty tasty - definitely recommend the spicy karaage and the spicy tuna crispy rice. the Spicy karaage is dark meat and not too crispy but very well sauced. the tuna crispy rice is DIY or "deconstructed" which was not really mentioned anywhere but still good. there's mains selection is basically a choice of protein over rice - i tried the pork cutlet over rice and it was pretty good. it's a decent size restaurant and can easily fit larger parties with 6-8 people and brightly lit. our waiter was pretty prompt and had good service! read more

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We encountered a quick downpour on our way here, so it was perfect weather for ramen! We had no difficulty finding a parking spot on the nearby residential street. The service was polite and quick. The Otsumami Cucumber had a great balance of flavors with the strong sesame oil, fresh scallions, salted wakame, and cool crunchy cucumbers. The Potesara was more of an potato and egg salad. I enjoyed the unique addition of pickled vegetables for the crunch and sourness to balance the creaminess. I do wish there was a little less of a kick of mustard though, as that was the prominent flavor. The Matcha Iced Tea could use more matcha, as I could barely taste it. I do like the metal straw. The Shoyu Ramen with Pork Chashu and Homemade Spicy Chili Oil on the side had a rich shoyu flavor. The Spicy Chili Oil is a very mild spicy. Maybe they use a pink peppercorn, which helps round of the flavor of the broth. I enjoy the thin noodles, which maintained a great bite. Topped with a well marinated egg, tender and thickly sliced Chashu, and bok choy, which seemed a bit out of placed but it was well cooked. Overall, a decent spot to hit. The flavor could be balanced better, but it was a good meal. read more

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Quality Japanese and reasonable prices. If I could give the service 6 stars I would! Highly recommend the Honey Sesame Chickendon! read more

Wanpaku - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I did two stars long time ago but I'll now can give them so much more! It seems like they changed menu. The high ball was so good! We enjoyed our time with drinks. The server was friendly. This place has been always packed I was curious- washu beef curry was really tasty. Maybe will try the ramen again next time! read more

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"If you haven't checked out Wanpaku yet, you are seriously missing out! We celebrated a birthday here with a party of eight, and it was a total 10/10 experience. Huge shoutout to Chef Dan, who was absolutely doing his thing in the kitchen--dish after dish of Cambodian-Japanese fusion perfection. The drinks were completely off the hook, the staff was super friendly, and the whole vibe was just right. I'm already planning my next trip back to work my way through the rest of the menu. Definitely a must-visit in Brooklyn! " read more

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This is a solid ramen shop over at Greenpoint. There was no wait when I came here during lunch on a weekend and I ordered the miso beef ramen. I'm always a fan of chashu pork so I added that as a topping. read more

Had high expectation on Wanpaku. There are highs and lows. Let me explain myself. Appetizer is great. We had karaage, fries. Both are delicious. We love the crispiness. Entry: had Raman and katsu don. We were disappointed. The food is greasy... pork has fat meat in both entries. Unexpected. Because if you fried pork or have pork broth, you are not supposed to leave fat meat to serve in the pork. Service is great. Overall, can be better. 3 stars. read more

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Came for lunch. Had some apps (all excellent but a highlight for us was the TNT Tuna Rice cakes) and then a mix of ramen and curry for our meals. We ended with the sundae (comes with a fish shaped red bean pastry and two scoops of incredibly tasty vanilla and black honey ice cream). Everyone thought that the ramen was flavorful (a fully gluten free option was available, as well as gluten free noodles to substitute in to all the other ramens that do still have some gluten in them - likely from soy sauce if we had to guess). The Washu Beef Curry with pork katsu was the "best I've ever had". Service was fast, the tables were clean (a mix of family style long tables and some smaller doubles), and they were accommodating to a child in our party. Everyone was very kind and attentive. If you're looking for Japanese ramen and curry in Brooklyn, Wanpaku needs to be highly considered. read more

Hands down this is one of my favorite ramen places in the city. You MUST try the pulled pork ramen. First ramen place I've seen do it, and they do it damn well. My friend and I also had a few highballs, and they were all so delicious and refreshing. Didn't have appetizers this time around, but I did last time and I can safely say I don't think I've ever had a bad menu item here. read more

Wanpaku - Spicy Pulled Pork Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Really amazing happy hour! I got the edamame which was so savory and delicious and the karaage chicken. The chicken was pretty spicy so I wouldn't recommend if you are sensitive to spicy food. The restaurant is rather small but we didn't have problems getting a table on a Wednesday night. The servers were very attentive and made sure our drinks stayed full. read more

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We arrived at the place and get seated and order like you would at any usual restaurant. We get some apps and entrees. The gyoza that is brought to us is burned black at the bottom to which we tell one of the servers (male) who does apologize and brings us a new one, no biggie. The issue came when the table next to us and the table to the corner of us are getting there entrees,(ramen, rice dishes) when they ordered after us. I bring it up to one of the servers (female) and she says we know we're working on it. No apology, no empathy not even an explanation to why its late. Then our friend eats her curry, and the curry sauce is cold. So essentially if you can put two and two together they just forgot to bring us our order from the kitchen and didnt even own up to it. Food wise the apps (karaage, takoyaki) were decent, the chicken in the ramen was dry. The pork chashu is 70% pork fat probably because theyre buying cheap pork in bulk then actually quality like any respectable ramen restaurant does. Ive worked in the fast food industry before so i completely get if youre busy and you get overwhelmed. But if someone came up to me and told me that they ordered something 40 mins ago and it still hasnt come, i wouldnt look at them rudely and say "we know", id be apologetic and have some empathy for a mistake. The curry sauce being cold only confirmed what we had thought about them forgetting to bring our dishes to us, but the zero accountability is what made a bad thing even worst. I honestly never write bad yelp reviews, but this was a horrible expierience. read more

The food was EXCELLENT. I had the beef katsu curry which was the best I've had. And the service was also great. I will be back here for sure! read more

We came here for dinner around 8:30pm on a Friday night and were seated right away with a table for 6. We were initially going to Hidden Pearl, but since the menu only had small plates, we decided to do a full meal at wanpaku first before heading inside. They were so accommodating and had a space saved for us inside hidden pearl when we were done eating. We ordered a few apps to share, and everyone got their own entree My favorite app was definitely the shime saba (cured mackerel). Nice flavor but a little salty, and reminded me of the pressed mackerel sushi from raku. The tai-chan wings (comes with 5) were just ok for me, but at least they came out piping hot As for entrees - the bf got the shoyu ramen with pork chashu and chili oil. The soup had a nice clean flavor. No complaints with this one, but not the best ramen we've had. - I got the katsu don, which is pork katsu on a bed of rice and pickled veggies. I wouldn't recommend this one because it was quite plain. I loved the vegetable shoyu soup though! SO good and probably my favorite part of the meal. I'd be down to try other things on the menu and maybe come for happy hour, but I wouldn't repeat the food we ordered that night read more

Wanpaku - Katsu don - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I'm thrilled to have discovered this place. The karaage was excellent, and the highball was refreshing. The food felt authentically delicious. I'm looking forward to returning to check out the hidden bar. read more

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Consider this a combined review for Wanpaku and Hidden Pearl, the speakeasy that is this otherwise unassuming Japanese restaurant on the Williamsburg-Greenpoint border's claim to fame. The wait was not bad on a Friday night. My favorite dish of the evening was the avocado crispy rice, whose texture I would compare to a McDonald's hash brown covered in guacamole. I also am a big of kewpie-based Japanese potato salad, and the version here was good, although I felt tea sandwich bread without the crust would have been a better vehicle than crackers. The vegetarian Japanese curry was good, although admittedly this is a hard dish to make extraordinary. The best item of the night? The extremely green pandan cocktail served in the back at Hidden Pearl after finishing dinner. read more

Wanpaku - Potato salad - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Nice unassuming restaurant located in the heart of Greenpoint with lots of different eateries around. Walked in and only had to wait for a couple of minutes for a table. The decor is minimalistic and reminds one of the late night Izakaya's in the heart of Tokyo. Seating is limited and the place was busy. We ordered various Yuzu cocktails, Shishito Peppers, Chicken Karage, Squash Fritters/Balls?, Nori Fries, Beef Miso Ramen and more. The staff is kind and polite and the service was quick. Taste wise we really liked the Peppers and the Chicken, Ramen was meh... Would surely like to come again and try a few more cocktails and drinks from their extensive menu... read more

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Another one crossed off the list. I wanted to visit the speakeasy portion of restaurant but because of my flight, I had to settle for HH lunch. Top to bottom, everything was great. The spicy karaage, cucumber salad, and spicy chicken tan tan ramen were highlights. The broth was creamy and rich, truly divine. The crispy rice with spicy tuna was unexpected but a really good dish. Very beautiful space. Can't wait to return. Service was very quick and attentive. read more

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It is an excellent place to have oysters on Tuesday and Wednesday and it was delicious when I visited on July 2nd, 2024 The dipping ramen (cold) was nice and spicy and it was balanced. The Sapporo was nice and ice cold in a glass. The services are as polite as they will get. But, I also livestream my food experience as a food critic and journalist. Come with family here or on a date. The atmosphere was calm and lit. I will visit again soon. read more

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Stopped by for dinner and drinks and while some of the food tasted great, there were tiny issues with the speed at which the drinks arrived and the order in which the food arrived. The Spicy Pork Bao was the highlight of the night for me. The next time I return, this is what I'm getting again without a doubt. The bun itself was super soft and fresh, while the filling inside absolutely flavorful. The Spicy Fried Chicken Karaage was cooked brilliantly and only if it wasn't too salty this would be a star performer too. Decent dinner with exceptional baos. read more

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Today is a ramen day. It's raining, or misting. It's cold and damp and just wet everywhere. The snow is officially ugly, and I haven't seen the sun since who knows when. Today was the day, I had a date with myself to dine inside Wanpaku since last year, when I discovered it, I settled for takeout. DO NOT SETTLE. Find a way to eat here. Drive; make your friend drive - get Uber. Rent a bike; buy a bike. Skate, scooter, roller blade, run, walk, or cross the BQE barefoot - you NEED to eat here. I was the only one dining today for lunch, and I couldn't have been more happy. I was quickly asked to produce my COVID vaccine card, and was more than happy to present it. I appreciate the caution and care. I immediately knew I needed to order the karrage again, but I was truly stuck as to which ramen to try. I had the dipping ramen last time, but the spicy chicken tantan was calling me. It was spicy; I didn't need to share. I figured it was cold and miserable out anyway, so I ordered and waited. The wait wasn't long, and the beautiful crispy, crunchy golden karrage was put in front of me. The smell was intoxicating and my mouth was watering at the anticipation. It was perfect. Moist, juicy, and the pieces were HUGE. Accompanied with spicy mayo, a lemon wedge, and some mixed salt, I tried all three combinations. The spicy mayo was my first choice, then the lemon, and then the salt. I did want to save one piece though to dip in the ramen, because, why not right? The spicy tantan ramen is the sexiest looking ramen I've ever seen. The gooey egg yolk staring at me; the cilantro aroma hitting my nose. I had a few pure spoonfuls of broth, and WOW. The unami was just on a whole other level; the color is beautiful and the broth was savory and rich. Not too thick (that's what she said) and not too thin; it was a wonderful balance. The ramen wavy noodles clung to the broth for dear life. I kept dunking them to get more of the ground chicken and that spice; it was delightful. I haven't thoroughly enjoying eating a bowl of ramen - alone with my thoughts and critique - for a long time. This was a feast for all the senses, and the staff is beyond attentive. Did I close my eyes and picture Japan, again? Yes; I did close my eyes a few times, and I pictured Tokyo, outside the JR line, and I could hear the SEGA center UFO games. I saw Shinjuku, and I was thinking about going back to my hotel afterwards to enjoy the view, but then realized I had to go back to work. So much for that. A perfect experience from beginning to end; so glad I came to you and not you to me. read more

Wanpaku - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

On a very cold New York evening, I was craving ramen. After a few back and forth between yelp and Reddit I landed on this restaurant. I was seated right away, and the restaurant is very cute. Always appreciate a real candle. The server was kind and attentive. I started with the mule highballs and the crispy rice appetizer. Both were good, nothing outstanding. I then order the spicy pulled pork ramen. Part of my love for ramens comes from the delicious ramen eggs, the Wanpaku ramen egg was disappointing.. the spicy pulled pork was quite good, but the broth was underwhelming. Overall this was a very average experience. read more

Very friendly and attuned staff. The food was amazing as well, with our favorite being the curry. The curry was mildly sweet but extremely rich and flavorful. The tempura ebi was perfectly flaky and complimented the curry perfectly. The baked oysters for happy hour was also very delicious and buttery, highly recommended! The seafood ceviche was good but nothing too special. The dipped ramen has a rich broth and is definitely flavorful as well, would recommend it to try at least once. The Karaage was extremely juicy and definitely would order it again! The avocado cracker was okay, the rice was a bit too hard. I think the raw oysters at happy hour was our least favorite and definitely would not get it again. Thank you for reading and I hope you give them a chance! read more

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Was very pleasantly surprised by Wanpaku while passing through Greenpoint. Small menu. Quality ingredients. Their Spicy Pulled Pork Ramen was to die for and easily one of the best ramens I've ever tried. And the Washu Beef Curry was equally as good with a perfect crisp boiled egg. It has been almost a year since we dined here, but super memorable nonetheless. Wanpaku would def be my go-to if I lived nearby. Love this place. Amazing Japanese cuisine at such reasonable prices.. what more could I ask for? Well, they happen to own the speakeasy attached to the back of the restaurant called The Hidden Pearl. Will come back.. one of these days. read more

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I ate here back in May and had a great time. I arrived just before happy hour and they allowed me to order drinks at the happy hour prices! I got a dry sake, Shoyu ramen, blistered shishito peppers, and Dynamite Crab Crispy Rice. Everything was delicious! read more

Wanpaku - Shoyu Ramen with chicken chashu and spicy chili oil - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was hoping to checkout another Japanese (udon speciality) nearby which happened to be unexpectedly closed. Quick google search for Japansese cuisine nearby brought me to Wanpaku. Happy to have been able to visit this little gem! Not alot of places offer tsukemen (personal favorite method of ingesting ramen) ; the cold ramen paired with a warm dipping concentrated broth. So I was super stoked. All in all, ramen was fresh, staff was attentive, hunger was satiated. What more can I ask for? Maybe for their backroom speakeasy The Hidden Pearl to open earlier before 5pm... will definitely be back here to experience a night time vibe! read more

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Ramen was pretty good. But that's about it. Hidden Pearl cocktail as options but it's draft/premade. Kombucha Croquette - not good..... Weird. Too dense and single flavor. HH Oyster - not fresh :/ read more

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I had an anticipation that going to a Japanese restaurant would have an ambiance connecting to the culture, unfortunately, I didn't see that, felt too generic. The food was neither good nor bad, was little bit too salty for me (I couldn't finish it) and the chicken didn't have that classic spice kick to it. Service was good though. read more

This place is very clean and cute. The staff was super friendly and the food came out quickly. The karaage were quite large compared to what I'm used to... it took a few bites to eat each piece but it was still tasty! I had the miso beef ramen and it was pretty good. I enjoyed eating it, but I don't think the broth was as rich and flavorful as I would have liked. All in all, I think it's a nice place to try in the neighborhood. I would probably try more of the sides if I came back! read more

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Everything we ordered was super flavorful and well cooked. This is a cute low key spot with happy hour every day of the week. You can't beat that. The ramen broth had good depth. We'll definitely be back to try the drinks at Hidden Pearl. read more

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environment was really cute! the spicy karage had a good amount of heat and had a very mala flavor to it. Katsudon was perfectly lightly crispy drizzled with a sweet sauce. the curry was also super hearty and paired perfectly with the ebi fry. read more

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I stopped by with my family for the first time because we were all craving ramen. We ordered the pork buns, the Yake Edamame, Blistered Shishito Peppers, Spicy Karaage, Coconut Kabocha Croquettes, Spicy Tuna Crispy rice, Spicy Chicken Tan Tan Ramen, Spicy Pulled Pork Ramen, Mochi Ice Cream, and a whole bunch of other things. The food came quickly, there were gluten-free options, but beware the broth is not gluten-free. I just made an exception for myself for one night because it wasn't a lot. I loved the cocktail I ordered too, it had a mermaid tail in it and an umbrella. The only thing that I didn't love was that we were originally sat by the door and it was freezing. They did change our table though which was great. I do love this place. I hope to come back and try some more of their menu items. I am overall, very happy. I can see why everyone loves it here. read more

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This is our favorite ramen in the city. The fermented shoyu broth and chashu pork is the best I've had. Order with the homemade chili, black garlic oil and extra bok choy and noodles. The spicy chicken karaage is also very tasty. Excellent all around. Friendly workers too. read more

Wanpaku - Shoyu Ramen- best I've had - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

3.5 - solid but wouldn't come out of my way Came for happy hour on Thursday night right before it ended at 7. was seated right away and was able to order the happy hour prices! Portions were what you would expect for an appetizer, and prices were around ($6-$8). Lighting was nice and dark, lively romantic ambience that's good for a days. Truffle fries - solid fries, very crispy, Mayo sauce was good but truffle flavor not super strong. Safe to order wasn't that outstanding compared to fast food fries Spicy karage - strong flavors (had peppercorns and lots of gochujang) so can be somewhat controversial. Tender Sake steamed mussels- loved the light broth, mussels itself were lightly flavored Enjoyed the sweeter sake over the dry one. Would recommend for the happy hour if you're in the area! read more

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Nothing to complain about. Pretty good ramen and beer on draft for $6 happy hour. Good place to eat your meal and go. I personally didn't get the vibe to order and take my time kind of vibe. Ramen was flavorful and not overly salty. Will be back! read more

Wanpaku - Ramen Near Me - Brooklyn, New York