Menchanko-Tei

I was looking forward to this, since there’s not many ramen options in DC. But I was very disappointed.
FOOD: broth was watery, not much flavor. could have had a bit more noodles. didn’t really notice the smell of the sliced pork as others had (but I got the fatty pork which was pretty tasty).
SERVICE: poor. We were rarely offered water refills, and one worker was eating at a table near us but didn’t seem to care. They took away our appetizer plates without asking and took away our hot oil (adding sauce).
VALUE: fine. It is New York City prices, so I guess I couldn’t be too surprised.
It is also really small, so it is not wise to come in a large group and you may have to wait a considerable amount for a table.
I would love to have a better recommendation for ramen over this place.

Menchanko-​Tei and Katsu-​Hama are one and same restaurant since ’12, but they still keep their separate names & business cards, etc. which is pretty confusing…
I had ramen at Menchanko-​Tei many many many years ago, before the whole NYC ramen boom and was not impressed. Well, since they have many competitors now, I thought I’d give them another try… and I was once again not impressed at all.
Four of us went in for late lunch around 1pm on Friday. The place was pretty packed. Waited about 15 min for table, about 5 min to order, then about 20 min for our food. I ordered «Today’s ramen lunch combo» which is a choice of ramen (I chose Aka tonkotsu), chicken nanban (fried chicken w/​citrus soy sauce) and white rice. Noodle was Hakata style (light colored, thin, straight type) and was good. Tonkotsu broth was meh… tasted exactly like the soup that comes with store bought bagged nama-​ramen with chilli oil (Aka) dumped in there. Chashu was COLD (I guess refrigerated), tough and chewy. Chicken nanban was freshly fried, juicy & very good and white rice is pretty hard to mess up (too much for me though).
Coworkers who ordered menchanko, tonkatsu and katsudon seemed happy and enjoyed their lunch very much. So, I would stick to their menchanko noodles & Katsu-​Hama menu and stay away from their tonkotsu ramen.

They’ve closed! NOOO!!!
This was my Favorite lunch spot during work days. It might be a little pricey for lunch, but the quality of the ramen is worth it. This place even beat the one time I had ramen in Japan (however it was in a concourse of a shopping plaza, and probably not the highest standard of ramen– but it WAS Japan! and it didn’t compare to Menchanko-​Tei.)
Every time I got the Hakata Ramen, it was rich, soothing, and comforting. What is really in that broth? The salmon rice balls were another cheap and filling lunch option– always made fresh to order. I’ve had their Menchanko-​tei Ramen and maybe a Shoyu Ramen, but I always go back to the Hakara. The gyoza and small fried rice (a little greasy) aren’t bad either, but for the price & size, I’ve had better elsewhere.
Menchanko moved ½ of their menu upstairs to Katsu-​don Restaurant, and continues to operate there. I’ve recently tried the Hakata Ramen and there’s something missing from the broth. It didn’t taste as rich, creamy, or flavorful. The pork was a little overcooked also.
I missed the traditional counter seating and the whole ambiance of the old restaurant.
Ah well, I’ll have to head to their other location some time.

How do you mess up ramen???
I finished my meal because I was hungry, but I usually expect above-​par food when it comes to eating out versus eating in. The bowls were large and looked vaguely appetizing, but the taste of the noodles was so peppery and the broth so unsavory that I wondered if I — the terribly subpar cook — could even season it better. Shin Ramen that you buy at the store tastes better than this.
*Tip* I got the spicy red ramen and my friend got the white (shiro?) ramen. If you, for any reason, happen to eat here then I suggest my friend’s choice over mine since it tasted marginally better.
Our server was very distant; he seemed distracted half the time he served us, and the rest of the time he seemed to have forgotten about us. The bartender had to remind him to come over to us! I love the sound of ramen houses, but I won’t be coming back to this one unless they swap chefs.

This place was a bit out of the way for me, but due to the reviews, I wanted to check it out. I was thoroughly disappointed though.
It’s a bit confusing because you enter through the entrance for Katsuhama and go to the second floor. Google maps streetview show Katsuhama and Menchanko-​Tei as separate places, but when we arrived, there’s a sign on the former Menchanko storefront that says they «serve Menchanko noodles» next door… (wait so am I reviewing Menchanko or Katsuhama’s food? So confused.)
Based on the ramen itself, this place is okay. I got the Tonkotsu (white) ramen, while fellow Unilocaler Mee J. got the red, and we were not impressed. My broth was too salty, the noodles were overcooked, and my pork was so tough I had to use my hands to rip the meat in half bc it was too hard to chew.
Service was weird, in a bad way. One, there as absolutely no eye contact. It’s oddly disconcerting, when your server (s) put the food in front of you and already looked away before you could thank them. Second, I couldn’t understand who our server was. One person took our order, another brought us our food, a third brought us our check. Who are we supposed to tip? Since the service was so nonchalant, so was our tip. Sorry, kids.

CONS:
*****Some of the items on their website menu don’t match the items on their in-​store menu, including lunch specials. I wasn’t even handed a Menchanko menu (which IS on the website under «Lunch») and that’s what I went there for! But then again, I didn’t request it. Maybe they would have given it to me if I asked for it, I don’t know. I’ll try it next time and update my review.
*****ALL of the prices on their website menu don’t match the prices on their in-​store menu. They’re much higher on-​site. I feel decieved! (Yes, I did make sure I was looking at the menu for the 55^th Street location when checking out their website.)
*****There wasn’t any «char» in my Char-​Shu pork. There wasn’t much fat on the meat, it was bland, and it was cold, as if it were cooked many days prior, refrigerated, then reheated, but not charred. Didn’t taste that fresh either. I received a few skimpy slices for an extra two bucks.
*****The noodles in my Aka Tonkotsu Ramen were the thinner, straighter version. They weren’t bad, but with this broth, I would’ve preferred a thicker, chewier, curlier version.
PROS:
*****The broth, although slightly saltier than my usual preference, was really good. I’m all about the broth! Although I came here for a different type of broth (the Menchanko that they never offered me), I was not disappointed with the Tonkotsu variation that I ordered. It was complex and rich in all the right ways! The broth alone earns 4.5 stars from me!
*****They accept credit cards… a rarity for ramen joints.
*****Appears they may have remodeled since some of the photos were posted on Unilocal.They’re on the second floor now and the décor has upgraded from the local-​noodle-​shop look to a slightly more upscale appearance, with dark woods, clean lines, and ambient lighting.
I came here during lunch, so I don’t know if it gets any better during dinner and late night hours. I may only ever come here during lunch and only when I’m working at the building located near this location, so it really doesn’t matter if later hours have better menu items… not to me.

Pretty basic place in the heart of Midtown that gets an extra star for location. Its ramen noodles aren’t any special nor is the selection particularly varied, but it’s good and serviceable. They give you fancy little water glasses that I finish in two gulps but are at least pretttty good at refilling them. The beef tongue was the bomb — ramen and broth, eh.
I came here on a Sunday night to meet someone who was still working, and it’s one of a bunch of typical lunchtime spots in this area. «Decent,» I think, is the only way I could describe this place.

Great midtown lunch place!!! Best to come here with 2 people or less. Coming here with 4 during peak hours might mean waiting for a while — the guys managing the wait list always say «10 minutes» but I’ve waited 20 min+ for a 4 person table.
The noodles are great but I appreciate the fact that I can order Oden for lunch with pickles + rice + miso for $ 10.50. This sets Menchanko-​Tei apart from other fave ramen restaurants!

I am pretty pleased with this no-​frills ramen place.
It’s simple, good, unpretentious ramen at reasonable pricing. $ 10 for a belly full of ramen — I was a happy camper yesterday. The noodles were firm, the broth hot, spicy and packed with flavor and the pork was juicy and tender.
Minus one star for charging me an extra dollar because I asked for the broth extra spicy.

One word comes to mind when I think of Menchanko-​Tei– mediocre. Just about everything you find in here is just that– the food, décor, service… Not sure how this place manage to hold a spot on 55^th between 5^th & 6^th for so long. What we need is another Totto or Tabata around this neighborhood to spice up the competition.
Here’s a tip, try not to get seated in the far back of the restaurant. It’s in a narrow hall and you will not be noticed or serviced, and did I mention the bathroom is nearby too.

Not at all my favorite place to get Ramen in the city. I’m sorry but the food here is just not up to par and I can’t say I really like their policy that everyone has to order a minimum amount in order to sit down.
I’ve been here a couple of times. The first time was late night and they made each person order a minimum amount even though we ordered more than enough food to cover the minimum.
The second time I was here I tried their garlic Ramen and it was decent at best. The pork wasn’t soft and I didn’t really like the broth that much. I didn’t finish it because it was more bulk than it was quality.
I also remember that we ordered eggplant, and it was raw. Huge no-​no.
I honestly don’t think I would come back.
There was one redeeming quality — the beer and sake was pretty good. But it wasn’t good enough to make me forget this review.

I approve! I enjoyed lunch here with a friend. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait, as we got escorted to the sketchy (but not really) back room (you don’t even know it exists when you walk in. Space was a bit tight in between tables, but luckily I’m paper-​thin enough (key word, enough) to get to the booth side of the 2-​person table.
I ordered the spicy ramen $ 9.50. I enjoyed this quite a bit! The spicy is adequate and just the right spicy so it’s enjoyable but singes your tongue perfectly. Kind of tasted a bit like Sriacha though. Texture of the noodles is great — I don’t specifically know what this type of noodle is called, but its the non-​springy thicker, chewier round kind. Nom. The meat was flavorful and not tough. Soup was hot and tasty and rich in flavor.
I think this will be my pick ramen place for lunch in Midtown :)

Very disappointing Lunch Special, #A Gyoza Set ($ 12.50).
Sliced pork (Cha-​shu) in Shiro Tonkotsu Ramen (see the photo) had a foul-​smell. It was so strong, I had to take out from my bowl (I think some of Unilocalers mentioned this as well). If my Ramen was Aka (hot/​spicy) one, maybe the spiciness hid that odor… scary!
I was very surprise to find out even Gyoza was not good. Something has changed here… not the same??? It used to be good for the price in Midtown. What happened? Even simple as boiled egg had green ring around the yolk. Quality is down.
For tip and tax for $ 16 with that experience… I won’t go back for while. Hope something will change soon??? I loved their Lunch Special… it;s sad…
My picture of the special came our really good but I yacked for the pork! If the pork was good, my reviews might not be so harsh.
One Spanish waiter at the counter served as a Japanese server. he there when I need him but there was another older South Asian man. He wasn’t very professional. I thought he were rude! I asked for extra napkin to put away my pork. Then, he looked at my table and saw the napkin and said «You have a napkin already! You want more!» and walked away.
One good thing about this lunch was free hot and fresh green tea that Spanish waiter made for me. Thank you!

Ramen were ok. Portion was gigantic with lots of stuff (actual ingredients rather than pure carb), but the broth was obviously made from some soup base (or added), extremely salty and artificial flavor rather than complex one.
Also, one noticeable thing was that most servants/​waitress/​waiters are Mexicans… I found it pretty unbelievable to be a Japanese izakaya.
Anyway, none of us (me and 3 friends) were impressed. If you want real Japanese ramen, go to Hide-​chan or Ippudo la~~

Great place for lunch. Service is very fast — my ramen came out about 5 minutes after ordering.
The noodles in my ramen were very good quality. The broth was good. The meat slices were good quality as well — not fatty, like some places. Overall, I was satisfied with the ramen. The prices were very reasonable at about $ 9 for my ramen (might be just a lunch price, but the portions didn’t seem smaller than what a dinner serving would be). The service was quick and efficient.
If you’re pressed for time and looking for a reasonable lunch spot in the area, I highly recommend this place.

Menchanko Tei’s storefront is a little nondescript, but what drew my eating buddy and me in was the promise of an authentic noodle dish that was the food of sumo wrestlers. I mean come on, how could we resist that?
By the way, I had heard that sumo wrestlers are considered highly desirable by a sizable population of women in Japan — is this true? Inquiring minds want to know.
Anyway, according to the menu, «Menchanko» originates from a combination of the words noodle («men») and sumo wrestler («chanko») and is a «unique sumo tradition.» Served in a pre-​heated cast iron bowl, the dish has chicken, shrimp, tofu, veggies, fishball and of course noodles. Now I’m not sure if sumo wrestlers have surprisingly small appetites or my eating buddy that day (measuring in at a towering 5 feet 0 inches) was particularly ravenous, but this bowl of noodles was totally manageable. Fifteen minutes later, it was history. The broth was light, the ingredients fresh and the noodles staying.
I wasn’t feeling as sumo-​inclined that day, so I ordered the Assari ramen, with pork slices, boiled egg, seaweed, bamboo shoots and scallion. While the Assari couldn’t compare to my ramen favorites at Ippudo or Hide-​Chan, this noodle bowl was still respectable.
I’m going with a 2-​Apple rating for Menchanko Tei. It won’t blow your mind, but it’s a perfectly fine option if you find yourself in want of a cheap and quick lunch in Midtown.
The food of sumo wrestlers. Apparently.

Pretty decent noodles in soup. didn’t have the ramen, so can’t really comment on it. Had the Tori karo menchanko noodles… pretty good broth and tasty noodles. However, the fried chicken tasted… sort of not fresh? Not bad, but just a little old or something.
Also tried some oden, which were really good. assorted fishcakey and tofu things in a really delicious broth, with a mustard dipping sauce. yum. All in all, despite the chicken not tasting that great, the rest of the experience was pretty good (servers were not pushy or rude or anything, and everything came out pretty quickly), and I’ll probably check it out again.

I went back to Menchanko Tei at least 5 times this past summer! It’s how much i love this place.
Go there for lunch during weekdays! They have set menus which is worth a try if you’re new to the place. Their sets that come with rice are worth trying!
The ramen i tried (and remember) were Hakata Ramen, their Chilled Ramen and Syoyu Ramen. I recommend trying their hakata ramen. Syoyu was a little blend and normal. My friends always order their chilled ramen and tasted good. So I decided to order it once and out of all obscure-​ness it didn’t taste very good. The soup didn’t have much flavors (which was a big no no for me). I kindly asked the waitress for more soup… (i dont think i’m supposed to). Thankfully they brought out more soup.

To start a chapter of practical self-​love, the Power of One came here for lunch prior to my long overdue spa treatment for Blissage 75 at nearby Bliss 57. Ramen noodles is one of my favorite cuisines as it’s quick, cheap, and easy on the go. Menchanko-​Tei resides directly next to Katsu-​Hama which they evidently share half-​retail space of one unit and same facilities despite of operating as two independent restaurants.
Menchanko-Tei’s bar is adorned with bottles of Kuro Kirishima Soju; Iichiko; Honkaku Shochu all imported distilled spirits from Japan. The Shoyu Ramen at $ 8.50 is priced competitively and comforts my heart from the daily grind. The pork gyoza dumplings at $ 5.00 were fried thus sticking to each other but serves as a good warm-​up or side to accompany my ramen.
Customer service is attentive, but the renown pleasant Japanese hospitality was not present at Menchanko-​Tei.

I’ve been CRAVING ramen. When I picked Menchanko Tei for dinner this past weekend, everyone wondered what I was smoking. (I love the stuff, and I’m not ashamed to admit it!)
«Menchanko» is their original noodle recipe, cooked in a cast iron bowl, with traditional thick ramen noodles, cooked in a soy broth containing a potpourri of chicken, shrimp, salmon balls, tofu, a gooey ricecake, and vegetables. I had the Chige Miso Menchanko ($ 9.95), a variant prepared with a spicy miso broth instead of soy. Deliciously comforting — even considering the weather — it was salty in the way only ramen can be.
Service was fine. When our group made a bit of noise, the staff politely let us know. On my way out, I told the manager I was visiting from out-​of-​town, and was pleased with the meal. Besides this location, there’s another in NYC and one in Hawaii. Pay them a visit, eat their ramen, buy a t-​shirt, and pick up low-​cost sake while you’re at it! (I shared warm sake with our neighbors, who helped photograph us. Thanks, if you’re reading this!)