Frank Pinello and Mark Iacono Eat “Japanese Pasta” | Gochi Gang

Last week, Reina Scully ate her way through three of Japan’s most recognizable ramen styles. But today, she’s on a mission to see where ramen is going next. Her first stop is Niche, where chefs Frank Pinello, Mark Iacono, Carlo Carciotto, and Anthony Vitolo are ready to try mazemen, a saucy, brothless style of ramen. Chef Shigetoshi “Jack” Nakamura calls this dish “Japanese pasta”—but will his cheese and bacon-topped noodles satisfy some of NYC’s most beloved Italian-American chefs? And later, Reina heads back to Ramen Shack to eat Keizo Shimamoto’s infamous ramen burger one last time. From a discussion of ramen-stuffed pizzas and burritos, to an interview with 16-year-old ramen prodigy Josh Reisner, Reina is seeing how ramen is taking new shape in NYC heading into 2020.