May Chan Ramen & Robatayaki (CLOSED)

How do you stand out in a neighborhood packed with ramen joints? This East Village noodle spot decided to focus on sake (bottles can be had for as little as $14) and a sleek interior (illuminated panels are plastered with sake labels). Drink up; the food, mostly ramen and robatayaki (grilled skewers), falls short of the hood’s reputation for solid Japanese grub. The miso ramen—thin, unremarkable broth and limp egg noodles—was narrowly saved by a slice of tender braised pork belly. Meanwhile the creamy May Chan ramen was a hodgepodge of seafood (barely-there clams, an impossible-to-crack crab claw) in an oddly sweet miso broth. The robatayaki items are none too memorable, but the charred garlic cloves and tangy chicken with scallions will at least soak up all that sake.