Menkoi Ramen House

I’ve been wanting to try a ramen noodle house for quite some time now and I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s in a great location close to the college and the prices are great especially considering the portion sizes. I got the miso ramen and edamame. They give you healthy dosing of the soup or broth, good pieces of pork but you can choose tofu or chicken as well, bean sprouts, green onions and a hard boiled egg. I was expecting to be full but I wasn’t and it didn’t seem to be very salty either. The bowls are big but just the right size and the place was very clean, I’ll definitely come back and would recommend anyone to a great wonderful establishment.

My girlfriend and I got tonkotsu ramen because we had heard it was the best ramen at this restaurant. Tonkotsu is also my favorite type of ramen. The broth was very black and didn’t stick to the noodles very well. The fish cake didn’t taste like anything. I was quite disappointed with the whole experience except for the boiled egg topping. The egg was yellow and moist still. In my opinion, the egg is one of the most important parts and it’s the only reason I gave this ramen house more than one star. Overall a ramen house in charleston was a good concept but didn’t deliver.

To be honest this could have been a 5 star review as they have delicious food at stupid low price points! Unfortunately some service flaws were hard to ignore though understandably my friend and I dined here at a weird time (2pm).
Walking into the this place you are welcomed and inundated with the essence of pork itself. Marvelous. It’s super casual and you just walk up pick out a drink from the fridge and then place your order of ramen (why would you get anything else at a ramen shop?).
My friend is allergic to seafood so he asked for his tonkotsu (a pork based broth) to not include any seaweed or naruto. Naruto is a seafood sort of sausage with a swirly pattern popular in japanese cuisine for those not in the know. Unfortunately when our entrees came out there was a piece of seaweed and chunk of naruto floating in his ramen. Quite unfortunate and given the wait period for our food as well as the emptiness a bit of a downer that they either didn’t listen or forgot. Quality control is also inconsistent as one bowl would have stuff that the other didn’t get and vice versa.
The actual ramen itself is amazingly delicious for only $ 7.50! Such a smooth and delicate tonkotsu broth with springy noodles that were perfectly cooked. The partly runny soy soaked egg lended even more indulgence to the whole bowl with every bite. About as good as it gets in the ramen world!
I’ll be back the next time I’m in Charleston for sure. Though hopefully they do pay a little bit more attention next time.

Busy place on a Saturday night… simple and family oriented ramen restaurant. Order two different ramen and both are in good portion not some other places where I have to ask for more noodles. Will be stoping by when I’m around downtown in the future.

Had a late dinner at this place with the family last week, it’s really a ramen hawker stall I think. Food is very cheap by Charleston standards, I think it will appeal to the students and those out late looking for a quick bite. We ordered tonkotsu ramen and miso ramen, but they ran out of pork slices so had to settle for chicken fillets. Not the same. The noodles came out overlooked, kind of soft and not springy. Broth was very tasty, so they get a star for that. The host /​server was a very nice young man, tended to us well and allowed us to pick up a couple of origami stars for free. Saw a few other customers at 9pm, I guess they were looking for quick in-​out bite. Recommended to those who need something to eat late, but as a proper eatery, I think they will need to up the decoration.

I really like this place. My boyfriend and I go here for rice balls and ramen. It is made really fast and it is hot. Good fare in a cold night. Sometimes the salmon rice balls are too salty and the miso is a little salty but a lot of miso bases are. Pork base is delicious as well as beef. Staff is freindly and restrooms are decently clean everytime i have used them. Iflt is snuggled right in by college of charleston so there will be college students. I have never seen it too crowded but that doesnt mean it doesnt happen. Try it you hopefully wi t regret it!

With the, what 3 days of cooler weather we’ve had so far this fall, my palette has been seriously craving the warmth of savory ramen. Enter Menkoi which satisfied my ramen fix quick.
Its a small place, warm and temporarily comfortable. I sat in the window on the bar stool (though they do not have the ring around the foot of the bar stool to put your foot on so it just hangs. small detail, but anyway.).
If I recall correctly, their stock has a mixture of pork, chicken and beef, and they do not have a vegetable based stock. Unfortunately this is problematic for me, as I dont eat pork. Anyway, I ended up ordering the chicken ramen. The regular size ramen bowl is good deal for the price, around $ 8. The noodles were a little stiff, but still good. The chicken was actually pretty terrible. Its the rubbery salty stick o meat you’d find in a school cafeteria, so a big no to that. It only had two small sheets of nori, and I love to pile it on, so a little more of that would have been nice. And the broth, I couldnt really appreciate, mostly because the salt was overwhelming, and there were too many flavors going on for me.
I like the concept, and I soo wish there were more specialty places like ramen houses in Charleston – I mean do we really need another place that serves fried chicken? Im not going to check this off of my list quite yet, but hope they get a vegetable stock for real. Because that would be awesome.

There are very mixed reviews for this place. I love traditional ramen and we had passed by it so we said we’ll try it and give an honest review. As soon as we walked in I knew I didn’t want a bowl of ramen. I told my husband he could pick and we’d share because I wasn’t going to get one. Why did I walk in and not want a bowl? The guy in the kitchen was wearing headphones. It’s an open kitchen. You’re not engaged with what you’re doing so I know you’re not going to put the care into the dish. He was also touching ready to eat food with his bare hands. If it was an upscale kitchen I’d be ok with it but again, not engaged.
Second thing is cashier asked us if it was for here or to go. Traditional ramen is meant to be ate within ten minutes, not taken to go.
Third, she brought our spoons out with her hands on the ladle portion of it.
Broth was tasty but all the toppings were no longer toppings. I found the egg at the bottom of the bowl.
There were bones both my husband and I picked out of our mouths.
There’s so many other delicious places in Charleston I wouldn’t waste my time in this one. If you’re a poor college student that doesn’t care about flavor this is your place, just know it’s not traditional ramen.

I can’t say I will ever return… It’s okay if you aren’t able to cook your own instant Ramen at home and doctor it up. The curry was mediocre. The white rice served on the side was cooked nicely.
The staff was less than enthusiastic, however were kind.

I am a big ramen fun! I had the no.3 ramen on the menus. The noodle were cooked over, but the soup, egg and roast pork are great. My fiancé order the curry rice. I took a bite and I don’t like it.
I think they have a lot of spaces to improve!

Ramen bowls seem to be all the hype these days and I understand why. Comforting, soul warming and hangover-​helping, a simple bowl of broth, noodles and vegetables really hits the spot. While their noodle bowls don’t touch those served at the likes of Two Boroughs Larder, Menkoi has a decent set of options that are very reasonably priced, at around $ 7 – 8. The Spicy Ramen is my favorite– served with marinated pork, beansprouts, spinach, green onions, nori (seaweed), fishcake and a boiled egg. If you love lots of toppings like me, opt to add extra meat and another boiled egg for a slight upcharge!
Must-​order item:
Spicy Ramen

Came to Menkoi last night after a concert at the Music Hall. It was fairly late and with the available choices, Ramen sounded like a great idea. I’ve read through the reviews and I’m pretty much on par with many of the other guests with a decent experience.
As a fast-​food ramen spot or a fast-​casual as their calling it these days, it’s not bad. They offer plenty of food for a reasonable price that tasted alright. My friend ordered the Tonkotsu broth (which I was going to get, but decided to not order the same thing) and i had the chicken. The Tonkotsu was way better and more flavorful. i would definitely go for that or the spicy version next time.
The toppings were a little underwhelming… I had the dreaded «grey egg», the fish cake tasted like nothing, and it was a little heavy on the spinach. Aside from that, the noodles had a great texture, there was plenty of chicken and it was tender without any fat, and they green onions added a nice flavor.
The Mango Calpico drink was described as an carbonated soft drink. It tasted like artificial mango candy was melted down to liquid form. I wasn’t a fan. The gyoza was fine, but with the portion on my ramen bowl, it wasn’t necessary.
As I mentioned, as a fast-​food or late night spot that isn’t a burger or pizza, it does the job. The service was friendly and lighting quick. The portions were large and and the price was right for the quality. No atmosphere but I’m not sure that’s their target demo.

Good, can’t say great though, spicy ramen wasn’t spicy, but they gave us the assorted chili pepper shaker to heat it up.

I’m excited to have a Ramen house in Charleston now, so while it may not be the best ramen bowl I’ve ever had, it itches the spot. I had the spicy ramen– the broth was delicious, the noodles were a good amount of chewy but the rest of the elements were a little lacking. The grey/​brown color of the egg kind of threw me off and I found no more than three pieces of fatty pork in the entire bowl. I would definitely go again when I have the craving for hot soup. I think they are open pretty late which also drives up the appeal for me

I rarely give out any reviews but our last visit to Menkoi was truly disappointing.
Our first Menkoi experience was in August of 2014. If I were to rate our experience from back then, it was hands down, 5 stars. I ordered the spicy tonkotsu and ume rice ball, while my boyfriend ordered the tonkotsu ramen and salmon rice ball. All were very delicious! So delicious it put a smile on our faces :) — A bite from the rice balls made our eyes open. — The first sip of broth from brought feelings of nostalgia. — That good. And ever since then, every time we get the chance to come down to the Charleston Area we try to pay a visit to this ramen shop. We couldn’t even stop thinking about it on our 7 hour drive back home.
Whenever I eat ramen I pay attention to 3 things: the presentation, the flavor, and the temperature! Who wants to eat lukewarm or cold ramen?
First visit’s rating:
Presentation — 4 stars
Flavor — 5 stars
Temperature — 5 stars
Sadly, our past visit on Sunday did not meet our expectations. At all.
Last visit’s rating:
Presentation — 1 star
Flavor — 3 stars
Temperature — 3 stars
Wondering why so low? First off, we ordered the exact same items as our first visit: spicy tonkotsu ramen, tonkotsu ramen, ume rice ball, and salmon rice ball. So we expected EVERYTHING to be just as good as it was the first time.
When the ramen was being walked to our table, I knew right off the bat that something would be wrong. I did not like the way my ramen looked so I didn’t even bother taking a picture. My boyfriend, however, did take a picture of his. From past experiences, everything that goes into ramen is strategically (or at least nicely) placed into or on top of the noodles and broth. For example, the veggies, egg, chashu/​pork, and everything else is nicely arranged in the bowl. My bowl of ramen looked like a bowl of jambalaya. It was as if everything was put into an empty bowl and the broth was poured right on top causing everything to mix. I am sure some of you may think «ok, now you are just being picky. if it tastes the same then quit complaining», which leads to the next two things… flavor and temperature!
I am not sure if Menkoi has changed the type of spiciness in the spicy tonkotsu, but there was a difference in flavor. I am not sure if it is a new ingredient or if it was the temperature of the ramen itself that changed its flavor. As far as temperature goes, it was warm. Not boiling hot. Not piping hot. It was just warm, like it could’ve been put in the microwave for a minute longer.
I was VERRRRRYYY disappointed about the chashu/​pork. I did not receive a nice slice of chashu like I wished. Instead I received bits and pieces of pork throughout my bowl :(I was really disappointed because I am not one to drink the broth at the end and I am 100% positive that there was meat well worth eating leftover in that bowl.
And the rice balls? Two words: more water. The rice was so dry and that it did not taste right. I did not really look but I think it might have been long grain that was used. I suggest calrose rice if Japanese rice is too expensive. What once «opened our eyes» made a complete 180. I did not even finish my rice ball.
The worst part of this trip was that we brought our family to come join us because we kept raging about how good it was. But despite the bad experience with the food, the service was good.
Will I come visit Menkoi again? Maybe… we are a little skeptical about doing so now when there are plenty of other restaurants that we could be try around the city. Menkoi, please bring your deliciousness back so we can come again and give you a better rating!

My wife and I stopped in while walking around on Saturday for a quick lunch. We ordered a spice ramen, a beef curry, and a gyoza to start (plus two drinks). The food came out very quickly, and here are my observations:
This is not a great place to dine in. The store is small, illuminated with florescent lights, and the radio is playing overhead (with commercials and everything). Since the place is so small, and the people at the counter are no more than 10ft from you, we found ourselves awkwardly whispering to each other while we dined so as not to feel like the staff or surrounding diners are helplessly listening in to whatever it is we’re saying. So, low score when it comes to atmosphere and dining in experience. Seems more like a grab and go kind of place.
The food had some highs and lows. The gyoza were great. The Spicy Ramen had a nice broth, and the bean sprouts and green onion were fresh and vibrant. However, presentation for both dishes was terrible, and we were put off by a dark grey hard-​boiled egg that had been sitting in that broth for god knows how long. The beef curry tasted nice, but actually reminded me more of a beef pot roast than a curry. The flavor was nice, but I was not excited.
So all in all, for a $ 30 lunch I’d take my money elsewhere. From reading past reviews, I’d say they replaced a soft boiled egg for a hard one in their ramen, and I’d go one further and just eliminate that all together or figure out how to execute the soft egg appropriately. The broth was nice, and the noodles had a great al dente type texture, but we couldn’t get over that grey egg. If I were in college, I’d probably come here for late night food, but this isn’t much for a lunch destination while walking around downtown.

Update: Menkoi has already raised its prices. On the plus side, they also added $ 5 small bowl Tuesdays, which I love.
I have found this place to be inconsistent. I frequent Menkoi and still love it. Sometimes the soft-​boiled egg is warm and sometimes it is cold. I once asked for half the amount of noodles and I was told that this is not an option because the noodles are pre-​portioned. Also, the ceiling leaks occasionally, which is not appetizing.
The people who work there are great and I think all of the restaurant’s issues can be resolved.

Ramen house? Of course I have to check it out. Especially on this cold night. A warm, tasty ramen sounds like a perfect meal right now. So we went. Love the staff — very warm and friendly. I had to ask for a small bowl so my 4 year old can enjoy her ramen without the risk of spilling everything on the floor. They were quite accomodating. Thanks!
Ramen was tasty. But the serving was ok. I wish there were more noodles and meat. There was plenty of broth, yes. The reviews I’ve read said a serving is good for 2 people. I couldn’t relate to that. I’m a petite lady, and I was still hungry after my spicy ramen, mochi and Japanese rice ball with salmon.

Can we say forgive and forget? Tonight’s Menkoi experience was much better than the previous one! My ramen was delicious and flavorful, not bland or bitter. I ate every single bite and I will be back for more! I got the small Shio Ramen with chicken instead of pork, and my husband got the Tonkotsu Ramen. It’s so perfect for the upcoming cold days, and I’m so happy they improved!
I do wish that my egg was a little more soft boiled but it might have to do with me ordering the small order of ramen instead of the large because the small order only came with ½ of an egg. The chicken in my ramen was very good, flavorful and soft, not dry.
Customer service is still fast and friendly. The atmosphere was a little damp, literally. I think because of all the steam from the cooking made the restaurant feel like a bath house of ramen ha ha. I think they just need some better ventilation.
Good job Menkoi for stepping up your game! So I step you up one more star! I’ll see you next time!

Don’t discount this place even if it is a niche market that they are geared for. Unfortunately to fill that niche they need to be able to compare to the cheap ramen that college we kids can get creative with in price or they cannot skimp on quality products going into the ramen at these prices.
The quality of their ramen was not up to par for the price of $ 7.50/bowl. The Spicy Ramen definitely had a kick to it. That was expected. The ramen didn’t seem homemade. It looked like the noodles you buy from the grocery store at $.10/​pack. The fishcake was rubbery.
We also got an order of Shrimp Shumai. I could not differentiate their version from the ones I’ve purchased from the local Asian grocery store frozen department.
I got the Japanese Beef Curry which was delicious and very spicy. The sticky rice they had with it was amazing. I haven’t had sticky rice like that since I left Hawaii.
My Beef Curry only had two bullion cube size cuts of beef, 3 pieces of carrots and a couple of pieces of what I would have guessed was potato. Flavorful and surprisingly filling.
We will be back to this place. It is new and I am the type of person that can eat ramen daily if it’s good.