After spending countless years living in Japan, where he studied all things Japanese, and graduating from the famed Culinary Institute of America, Ivan Orkin opened up Ivan Ramen in the Lower East Side. As this spot has quickly become famous through countless features of it on television, blogs, and magazines, I expected a lot when I tried it. Happily, it did not disappoint.
The first dish, served on a thick warm ceramic plate, was the Breakfast Taco. While many of the dishes rotate seasonally, this dish has remained a constant and for good reason. On my first bite, I initially tasted the tortilla - it was airy and warm, almost pillowy, and kept its heat for a surprising amount of time. Then I tasted the hash brown strip which was incredibly crispy and not oily at all. The third flavor that hit me was the ajitama, a Japanese marinated, soft-boiled egg, which provided a bouncy texture with almost milky creaminess. And the final flavor to reach my taste buds was the smoked trout roe which delightfully provided an explosion of salty seafood flavor in my mouth with each pop of a fish egg .
Of course, it’s flan, or créme caramel, or crema caramella, depending on where you are. A classic dessert as old as the Romans, it has become one of the most popular desserts in France, Portugal, Spain, and most notably, Latin America. Whether it’s in the variation of pudim abade de priscos with 15 egg yolks and bacon in Porto, flan de coco with coconut and condensed milks in Santo Domingo, or served with dulce de leche in Buenos Aires, flan has become ubiquitous with Latin American desserts.
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