There are basically only three things on the menu at the spanking new Cospa Ramen located right near Madison Square Park, and all of them are very good.
The first two are variations on a style of tonkotsu ramen that, according to Keisuke Oku, who runs the place for the sprawling Hand Hospitality restaurant group, is inspired by the bustling Nagahama street stalls of Fukuoka, Japan.
The porky broth, enriched with chicken feet, is lighter and brighter than you're probably used to—"more airy," is how Oku put it—but still boasts a nice depth of flavor. The chashu, or pork belly, is tender and thinly sliced for easy eating. And the noodles are also super thin, so they cook in seconds.
"This is how ramen is supposed to be," Oku told Hell Gate. "Cheap and fast, made for busy workers."
Now, I don't really identify as a "busy worker," and I'll always make time in my life for a nice snack or decent meal—optimization and efficiency, especially at the expense of pleasure or chill vibes, is definitely not my thing—but I do appreciate the tight focus here, and the low prices, especially since they get it so right.
The "original" version of Cospa's ramen is $9.99. The spicy version, which adds an impressive blob of chili sauce to the mix, costs a dollar more. You can tack on extra noodles and/or chashu if you want, but you don't need them; there's plenty of both in your bowl already. My daughter and I did enjoy the seasoned jammy egg though, which came with a $1.50 surcharge. Get it if you're feeling flush.