One of my favorite places to eat in New York is East Village. The food is good and its cheap. I am also a big fan of ramen noodles — not instant ones (I like those too) but rather the good ones you get at Japanese restaurants. A good place to try Ramen — Japanese Style — is at Rai Rai Ken. It is a little place with only a bar to eat at, but that is all it needs. They have a menu with a variety of different asian foods, but I would recommend sticking with the specialties of the house — Ramen Noodles, Gyoza, and Beer.
I am particularly fond of the miso ramen. The soup is tasty and the toasted garlic its topped with really adds something to the flavor and texture of the soup. The noodles are prepared semi-al dente, close to how ramen should be. The gyoza are some of the best around. Rai Rai Ken uses gyoza with thin skins and pan fries them so they are nice and crispy on the outside. Beers offered are the typical Japanese selection minus the fantastic Yebisu (what is up with the prices of Yebisu by the way?!?!)
Anyway, I took some pictures with my cell phone and they are below. The resolution isnt the best, but you can get an idea of the type of place it is. Rai Rai Ken is definitely worth checking out.