Menkui Tei

This was my go-​to spot for ramen. It was also the most decently priced compared to other places in the city. Unfortunately they’ve permanently closed down, even if previous reviews claim its temporarily closed for renovations.
There is another location in Midtown on 50^th St. I haven’t been there yet, but I assume it’s the same type of deal.

This place is only temporary closed for renovations.
A totally worthy option over Ippudo if you don’t want to line up. They have a thick, rich pork broth and good toppings (e.g., you don’t pay extra for egg). It was a total hole in the wall so I’m curious to see what they do with the renovations.

Many people in NY adore the ramen places like Ippu-​do, but still, I recommend Ise Menkui-​tei, if you are a person who is looking for an authentic Japanese ramen place in NY. This is mostly because of the taste which is likely to be experienced in Japan. If you have a chance to visit there, I also recommend their chicken kara-​age.

Loved this place but it appears they have closed down! I’ve gone twice around lunchtime, steel overhead door shut tight, no sign or lights on, no one answers the phone.

Verdict: Go here!
This place is a weakness of mine. I’m particularly enamored by their curry; you had better believe that dipping the wonderfully fried pork cutlet into the fragrant, peppery brown sauce is one of the best things you could do with chopsticks!
Their ramen is also consistently good, bordering on great. It may not have the technique of more modern and chic ramen places littering the East Village, but sometimes the classics are exactly what you need to fill that yawning appetite.

So I was going to bring my friends to Ippudo, but then we got there at 6 o’clock and I was like, «Aww, gee, I forgot we’re all allergic to epically long lines.» So we turned around and sought out Menkui Tei, for our hot-​ramen-​on-​a-​chilly-​evening fix. Yes, we were those «run-​off» customers.
All in all, not bad but not exceptional. I got the Vege Ramen, and the portions were generous, but the noodles were far from al dente. The broth was also bland, like it hadn’t simmered for more than 5 minutes. We also shared the Age platter, which was a fun intro for my non-​Japanese friends.
Service was pretty good, if a bit laggy at times. If you’re jonesing for ramen in this ‘hood and Ippudo looks like it’s about to explode with people, you could do worse than this spot.

Solid 4 Star Establishment
For some reason, people miss this place. Everyone goes to the modern places but this seems very old fashioned and quiet. Definitely give this place a try. I only eat the tonkotsu because if it’s way too good, why change it? I will try something else on the menu next time but their portions are perfect if not way too much food. This establishment is what I would expect when I visit Japan next year. If you think you’ve been to the best ramen shops in NYC, try this place and learn to dream again.
Things I tried:
Tonkotsu Ramen — Why would you try anything else? The first time I had this crazy awesome ramen was a few months back. I was so full but I still had to finish that soup. I was to die for. It’s a very old school place, your ramen comes within 5 minutes. The steamy hot broth at first sight makes your mouth water. The perfect marriage of soup and noodles that you did not know existed.

Decent ramen and ok service. Ordered the vegetable broth version and it tasted ok. Needed to ask a few times for tea to be refilled. The pancake however lacked pork/​seafood.

This place deserves a 5 star, whoever gave this place below 3 is just cray.
I’ve had my fair share of ramen. Totto, ippudo, misoya, minca, kambi, so on… But i think this place is going to be my go-​to place for not-​as-​heavy ramen.
1. Not as crowded, which is awesome, i can get my ramen in peace instead of waiting 2+ hours for a tiny seat in the overheated and overcrowded totto
2. The broth is not as heavy compared to other places, but just as flavorful. But if you are into the heavy broth then you should look elsewhere
3. Super friendly staff!
4. Super cheap but still delicious and giant bowls of ramen. Why would i go and pay 15+ for my ramen when i can get more delicious ramen here for 10 bucks?!

This is not a hip, Ippudo-​like place. But I go there for my fav ramens, including their summer noodle specials. I LOVE seiryo-​men, which is cold noodle w/​cold broth and zha cai (zah-​sai) and scallions. I haven’t seen this at any other ramen shops. So delish!
I wish they brought «yuzu ramen» back though. That was delicious, but they haven’t brought it back :-(

I had the Tonkatsu Ramen and it was really good. But I think the toppings were not as abundant as some other places I’ve been to. But other than that, flavors were good. Broth was tasty, well-​made, and tasted heavy of pork bone.
Price was on par, comparable to other places. Great place and I would go back again if I’m around the area. However, for ramen only, there are other places in the city that are better in taste and on par with price.

Awesome ramen that feels more like homestyled cooking. Ippudo is great. But it lacks that hole in the wall ramen joint that you can only find in small city settings. This place is open late and is crowded with Japanese patrons. Maybe I’m shying away from the more established restaurants as I get older but it was exactly what I needed at the end of LES loudness.
Miso Ramen — this is probably the most basic ramen compared to Shoyu or Tonkatsu that most people are used to enjoying. It’s simple and straight to the point. I should try the spicy miso ramen to see the difference but usually not a big fan of spicy anything from Japanese style cooking. Let’s leave that to Koreans and Thai.
Tonkstu Ramen — I am normally a big fan of this but was a bit disappointed that it only came with 1 slice of pork and the soup was too murky. This definitely can use a bit of improvement in taste and presentation.
Sutamina Ramen — this one is for acquired taste only; it is supposed to be spicy and hearty but this was more minty and muddy. Where was the spice? not sure.
Man I am pretty hungry as I’m thinking about all these ramen flavors. Time for lunch!

My go to spot for a delicious bowl of Ramen! Let’s not forget about the Tonsoku aka grilled pork feet which is always my starter. Quick simple and easy very friendly atmosphere and not expensive at all!
Huge fan of the Sutamina Ramen but they are all good– will have to start on getting some rice dishes but Ramen is to hard to pass up on– maybe when I’m feeling gluttonous ill order both!

tl;dr
Why are you here when you’re next to St Marks?!
—
I don’t really like giving restaurants in general two stars, because for me, two stars signify mediocre food due to lack of effort. However, if standard «okay» ramen places are 3/​5, then there should be a rung for «disappointing» ramen shops, which I guess is ²⁄₅.
So, when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for a two star review to be written, then it shall be written.
I’ve been to the Midtown branch of Menkui-​Tei and was really underwhelmed, so I thought I would give the downtown location a try.
As per my habit whenever I frequent a new ramen place, I order the standards because I’m a firm believer that if the ramen shop can’t even get the basics down right, venturing out to the «fancy» ramens would be a futile attempt.
In this case, it was the Tokyo Ramen with a side of curry rice.
The Tokyo Ramen here may be the most spartan shoyu that I have ever seen. A piece of chashu, fish cake, nori, and a soft boiled egg float alongside a sorry-​looking dallop of spinach. The flavor is equally disappointing. Sure, the shoyu flavor is there, but the broth lacks even the most basic depth of a passable bowl of ramen. Quite frankly, it doesn’t take much effort to make the same ramen at home, and it basically tastes like the Mitsuwa frozen ramen packets (you know, the Myojo brand red and blue ramens).
The curry rice on the side is equally sparse — just white rice with plain curry sauce. Now, I know in Tokyo sometimes the side kare is really just kare and rice by itself without any garnish, but I’d expect a bit more given the ramen scene in New York. For example, even Naruto’s side curry rice for lunch comes with a few chunks of grilled chicken — if you don’t want to add chicken, is some chunks of potatoes or carrots too much to ask? I was seriously disappointed at the bareboned ramen set that I had.
To add insult to the injury, that plate of curry rice is $ 3 extra.
Basically, I see little point returning to a subpar ramen shop that’s right next to a street of fantastic Japanese izakayas (otherwise known as St Marks). Usually I give a shop 2 – 3 chances before calling it quits (Katana-​ya in San Fran), but for Menkui-​Tei, I certainly won’t return.

I have heard many good things about this place from NYU students so whilst walking around EVil with few of my friends on a frigid Sunday afternoon, Menkutei seemed like more than an adequate option.
Hot sake, anyone?
Simple plain décor was unassuming. Waitresses were very friendly and quick to serve.
Drinks were moderately priced — House sake (L) will set you back $ 8.50. They also have Kirin, Saporo, and Asahi on tap! It has definitely been awhile since I’ve had Kirin on tap so it was definitely a nice surprise.
We weren’t hungry so we didn’t order many things, but grilled squid was delectable. Table next to ours had curry which looked and smelled really good.
Overall I was not taken by their simple and plain décor, but enjoyed their delicious hot sake and friendly service!
Cash only!

Awesome, delicious ramen and other Japanese comfort foods, cooked authentically. By Mexicans.
That’s right. I took a peek in the kitchen on my way to the bathroom and saw Juan and Oscar cooking katsu curry and gyoza instead of Keiji and Kazuya.
But it doesn’t matter. It authentic enough to please plenty of Japanese customers, and that’s good enough for me. Especially on cold winter days like today.
The only downside is they only take cash, so make sure you hit up the ATM before coming in.

Handy place to keep in your back pocket for a decent bowl of ramen! I enjoy the tonkatsu ramen topped with an egg!
I like the texture of the noodles – not soggy at all, and hold their chewiness. A friend of mine ordered the curry seafood ramen, and he slurped it up quickly. Being off to the side of St Marks, this place is a blessing in disguise as it is never too crowded, and you can grab a meal here pretty quickly.
I do not recommend the takoyaki here since you can get better ones down the block, and these are breaded and fried – not the right way to do takoyaki. Stick to the ramen, and you’ll add this to your handy list of quick, reliable places too.

This place is okay. I wish I could merge the good parts of Menkui Tei with the good parts of Ramen Setsuya, then I would get the perfect Ramen House.
1. The broth here is incredible. It’s complex and savory and heavy and layered and perfect. I could’ve downed the whole thing if I had the appetite.
2. The noodles again were only okay. I could stomach it but it wasn’t incredibly chewy or what I usually expect from ramen noodles. I like my noodles a little undercooked, and as per my standards, these noodles were slightly overcooked.
3. The stuff is where Menkui Tei falls flat. The egg was only okay. The one slice of meat was overdone and tough. And there wasn’t much else in it. Ramen Setsuya on the other hand had bamboo shoots and flakes and an assortment of other goodies that contributed to the texture of the ramen as well as the taste of the broth.
I wish I had more stuff in it for the price. If I was looking for a good meal, I would definitely go to Ramen Setsuya a couple doors down. If I were in the mood for a good ramen shop, I’d say Menkui Tei wins with its broth.

I had high hopes given a craving for ramen. However, this place left me feeling unsatisfied as if I were a ramen snob. With so many better ramen joints in NYC, you can skip this place. Perhaps the other location near downtown is bigger and better.
Overall, the ramen felt off ond bland. Whether you order the tonkotsu or chanpon ramen, the broth lacks depth and flavor. The noodles are al dente, but there isn’t much flavor from the soup to absorb. The toppings seemed average with small portions. If you;‘re a vegetarian, make sure you read that the broth is made from pork bones and that the «veggie» refers to only the toppings. Their gyoza was tasted decent, but I’ve had better. I tried their otokomae don with pork belly, seasoned boiled egg, scallions, special sauce and spicy mayo on the side to start the meal. However, nothing yummy stood out. You’d think the pork belly would be flavorful with its fat oozing into the rice like spam musubi. Sadly, I don’t think I’ll come back.
Service was friendly and attentive. The place is small with a traditional look and feel. Again, no brownie points for making me feel at home with some comfort food. Parking can be tough on the street, but this place is near public transit.

I came here multiple times in the past because they have a great Age Platter.
Returning yet again, we hoped to be able to get the Age Platter but to our disappointment they did not have any on that particular day. Total bummer. So we decided on something different and was fairly surprised of how much we enjoyed it.
Peach and Yuzu Flavored Beer — definitely something different and tasted tolerable. I personally don’t like beer just because they have that awkward bitter taste. But with it being spiked with just a bit of fruit makes it that much better. This can be a new way to start your journey into beer.
Nira Reba — a dish of sauteed leeks and chicken liver. We were extremely hungry and thought that this dish would come out first since it was a simple sauteed plate. Although it took a while to come out, the dish was really good. The chicken liver wasn’t as irony and gamey as I thought it would be, but tasted like regular chicken breast.
Mabo Ramen — wavy ramen noodles that was covered in tofu and minced meat in a spicy broth. If you love tofu and spicy food, this can be your new go-​to dish at a ramen shop. The tofu was silky and made the broth thicker than usual which packed each ramen bite with intense flavor.
Sutamina Ramen — spicy broth with thin slices of pork meat, leeks, pouched egg, and wavy noodles. Amazingly spiced. I personally really liked the pork because it soaked in all the spicy broth and was really tender.
Glad to venture out to something different other than the regular Shio or Shoyu Ramen.