Sunday, October 16 10am to 06pm
Broadway btw. 92nd & 94th Sts., New York, NY
The street festival formerly known as Japan Block Fair will focus on ramen for its last outdoor event of the season. At the JAPAN Fes Fall Fes & Ramen Contest, guests can explore an array of Japanese ramen styles at this tasting extravaganza. Ramen shops hailing from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and even Japan will go head to head to see who will be crowned the ultimate champion – as voted on by Fes attendees. All voting entries will qualify entrants to enter a sweepstakes to win a trip for two to Japan, sponsored by Amnet in collaboration with the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) and American Airlines.
For the first time, the competition welcomes two ramen shops from Japan, each representing distinct regional styles from the northern and southern areas of the country. 175 Deno, hailing from snowy Sapporo City, Hokkaido Prefecture, will bring their signature tantanmen (based on Chinese dandan noodles), a heat-packed ramen made with sesame and their original chili oil, notorious for causing tongues to go numb from its spice levels. And from the southern end of Japan, Menya Jiro of Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, will offer tonkotsu (pork bone broth) ramen – but instead of the traditional creamy, heavy tonkotsu style, their version will be a much lighter, refreshing take that still draws out rich flavors. Both shops are looking to expand to the U.S. in the near future and this year’s Ramen Contest will be an exclusive opportunity to get an early taste before it arrives.
Ramen restaurants from Japan
175 Deno – Hokkaido Prefecture
Menya Jiro – Kagoshima Prefecture
Ramen restaurants from New York and New Jersey
Batten Ramen – Fort Lee, NJ
Benkei Ramen – NYC and Brooklyn
Genji Ramen – Philadelphia
Kishuya Ramen Noodle Bar – NYC and Brooklyn
Mew Men – NYC
Naruto Ramen – NYC and Brooklyn
Tabata Ramen – NYC (2012 Ramen Contest Champion)
Zen 6 – NYC
& more
JAPAN Fes. isn’t just about ramen. There will be many other types of delicious Japanese cuisine and Japanese products available.
Japanese food, products, and activities
Coffee & Japanese Handcrafts – Harmony of Shining Women Foundation
Curry udon – Resobox
Dango – Dangoya Masa
Izakaya menu – Teineiya
Mochi-filled waffle – Serina
NY maze gohan – Maekawa’s Kitchen
Ocha – Ichikawa
Okonomiyaki – Okonomi
Onigiri – Yamas Japan
Takoyaki – Karl’s Balls
Yakisoba – Uminoie
Face art – Tanaka Taisan
Kids’ clothing – Mizudama
Kimono – Kaede NYC
Maekake – Anything
Sushi Pillows – Sushi Designs New York
Tenugui – Wuhao
Yo-Yo Fishing – Amnet
Free and open to the public! For more information visit: http://japanfes.com/