Cospa Ramen Brings Nagahama Ramen From Fukuoka To Manhattan

Cospa’s spicy ramen will be served morning through late night in Flatiron

Cospa Ramen

Another Japanese ramen style has made its way to Manhattan.

Cospa Ramen, a new all-day, fast-casual concept from HAND Hospitality, will open on Thursday, August 13 at 36 West 26th Street in Flatiron.

Cospa serves Nagahama ramen, a style originally developed as an affordable, satisfying meal for workers at the fish market in the coastal Japanese city of Fukuoka. Nagahama is defined by very thin noodles and lighter tonkotsu broth, designed for quick service and daily consumption.

The name Cospa comes from the Japanese expression “cost performance,” the value received for the price, a concept New Yorkers are highly familiar with in an era of $10 matchas and $55 pizzas. A highly intentional, streamlined model allows Cospa to price a bowl of its original ramen at $9.99. Walk-in-only seating, QR-code ordering, a limited menu, and no website to maintain help keep costs down.

“With ramen in New York now often costing more than $20 these days, we wanted to return to what ramen was originally supposed to be: delicious, affordable, and accessible,” says Keisuke Oku, director at HAND Hospitality, who oversees the group’s Japanese restaurants. “Ramen has always been an everyday food for ordinary people in Japan. COSPA is not simply about serving inexpensive ramen. It is about returning to the roots of ramen culture, from the price and the food itself to the fast, straightforward and simple style of service.”

The menu is deliberately short featuring Cospa’s original ramen for $9.99, spicy ramen for $10.99, karaage (Japanese fried chicken) for $4.99, and kaedama, an additional serving of noodles, for $2. Guests can add a seasoned soft-boiled egg for $1.50, extra scallions for $1.50, or extra chashu for $2.50. A side of white rice is available for $1.50. The drink selection includes canned beer, highballs, sake, and sodas. Each table is stocked with takana, spicy pickled mustard greens, which can be added to a half-empty bowl for the classic Fukuoka-style change of flavor and texture.

The low food price does not indicate low quality, but an intention with ingredients and lack of food waste.

“Pork bones, the foundation of our broth, are naturally one of the more economical ingredients, which allows us to keep the base cost under control. We add chicken bones, chicken feet, and pork back fat to build greater depth and richness in the broth without relying on expensive ingredients,” says Oku. “For the chashu, we negotiate bulk pricing directly with our vendor. We work carefully at every step to manage costs and pass those savings on to our guests without compromising the flavor or quality of the ramen.”

Cospa will be open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., for breakfast, a quick lunch, dinner or a post-drinks slurp. The restaurant’s tagline, “Like It’s Supposed To Be,” reflects the idea that ramen should be fast, satisfying, affordable, and part of everyday life.

“Just as New Yorkers often grab a slice of pizza after a night out, Japan has a culture of eating ramen as a late-night meal after drinking. That is another important part of ramen culture that we wanted to bring to Cospa,” says Oku. “Nagahama-style ramen is especially well suited to late-night dining because its broth is lighter and less heavy than many other styles of tonkotsu ramen. We wanted Cospa to be a place where hospitality industry workers can get a satisfying, affordable meal after finishing their shifts.”