Rise and shine and…ramen?
If you’ve ever woken up craving a soulful savory treat, you’re in luck. Chef Rasheeda Purdie is making culinary history with the opening of her first permanent ramen shop, Ramen By Ra, the first Black and female-owned ramen shop in America.
Its previous, cozy home, a four-seat stall tucked into Bowery Market in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, was ranked the top ramen spot in New York on the restaurant rating app Beli.
After its seven-month-long closure next month, Purdie is bringing her concept back in an upgraded form next month, complete with a new space, an expanded menu, and the same heart that made Ramen by Ra a citywide obsession. The reimagined stall features a fresh counter with two extra seats, bumping the total up to six, and will soon be opening in the East Village.
Once open, early risers can once again stop by starting at 9 am, when steaming bowls of broth and pillowy baos will begin to flow. By 10 am, Purdie’s five beloved bowls return, including her signature bacon-egg-and-cheese shoyu, a cult favorite that perfectly bridges breakfast and brunch.
For Purdie, a South Carolina native, the origins of this particular craft began with the merging of ramen with her southern roots. On her website, she said:
I started my culinary career focusing on my southern roots. During the onset of the pandemic, I was drawn to ramen as a form of comfort and warmth during such an uncertain time. I immediately began to draw parallels between Southern food and ramen broth. Both draw from the soul; using all the ingredients, with the low and slow cooking method.
Retaining the spirit of her beloved ramen pop-ups, Ramen By Ra is built for intimacy and connection. Guests are seated directly in front of Chef Purdie, creating the kind of one-on-one experience found in the most traditional ramen counters in Japan. Each bowl is crafted in real time, letting diners watch the artistry unfold.
Beyond its personal story, Ramen by Ra stands out for being New York’s only asa-ra shop, serving traditional Japanese breakfast ramen built on a soy-based broth — a lighter, more nuanced alternative to the city’s ubiquitous pork-heavy tonkotsu.
With her new six-seat café, Purdie is weaving together her influences, her heritage, and her imagination into something unmistakably her own.
To hear more about Purdie and Ramen by Ra, check out their website, and for renovation and opening updates, follow their Instagram.