Mentaikou

***My review is based off their ramen…
…their salty ramen. It was a pity how salty it was because the ramen I ordered, their SPICY RAMEN, was otherwise well executed. It’s a pity because you can faintly taste the savory, complex flavors. Sadly, those other flavors were mere undertones and took a backseat to the overpowering salt. There was no consideration in balance of flavors.
I heard the ramen chef here used to work for Toto Ramen, but, regrettably can’t say this is on the same tier as theirs.
Boy, was it spicy though. Thumbs up for that!
Last words: Unfortunately, I didn’t try their sushi or any other of their dishes. If I ever to come back, I’ll give those a try and maybe my rating may just change. And like I’ve said before, we’re just lucky enough to be in an area where we have an abundance of ramen shops; and, therefore, the privilege to rate a ramen shop two stars.

Went here on a Wednesday afternoon at 1:30. No one else was there. The beats of reggae style music filled the air. My husband & I had the groupon deal-​1 app & 2 ramen. We got the edamame as an app. It had salt & pepper on it. We really liked it. For ramen, I had the tantan which was so good. My husband got the chicken korymasu (sp?) which was really good too. Service was good, but as I said, we were the only ones there. Bathroom was very clean, too.

Taku, the cook from Okayama, and probably owner, is super friendly, and the ramen he made us is awesome.
I spend a lot of time in Japan (20+ times a year) and I know good ramen.
The soup in mine and my girlfriend’s ramens is kotteri (think an flavorful).
The gyoza are perfectly crisp and the dipping sauce packs a punch (sesame seeds, scallions and some spicy ingredient).
The sushi is fresh and the roll is thick.
Dishes follow traditional style, but use a little ingenuity to add a couple of ingredients that take the flavor from expected traditional, to… Inventively better than expected.
The restaurant is clean, fresh with authentic Japanese décor, and even the mucus was awesome. They played mostly softer pop/​rock, but later on they played an Armin Van Buuren remix of Spectrum (not loudly though).
We came on a Wednesday night, at 20:00 and it wasn’t crowded, but I think soon it will be.
The rest of the staff was super nice and helpful when navigating the menu. Everyone speaks Japanese which adds to the level of authenticity.
1 month later…
Went with my girl and two of her friends. Had the kuromayu ramen and tantanmen, gyoza and again, the best spicy tuna imaginable. The food was all awesome. Large hot sake only cost $ 7.
All in all, awesome!

this place have 4 star on Unilocal?!Really?! Has Unilocal’s standard gotten that low?
My second visit here wasn’t so pleasant and I got food poisoning after eating here! NEVER AGAIN!
First of all, the Sapporo beer we got was flat, warm, and tasted nasty! I know and love my Sapporo and it shouldn’t have tasted like that!
We had the fish poki, which was made with «fresh» fish and white onion. It tasted decent when I was eating it, but I don’t think the fish was «fresh» at all
For ramen we had the vegetable ramen, which on the menu said «made with LOTS of vegetable» but when we got it, there was not much vegetables at all. It tasted just ok, and was a bit on the salty side
We also had the chicken soup ramen, which was the WORST ramen I had ever tasted. The soup had an old, nasty chicken taste to it, yuck!
I don’t know what gave me GI problem, whether it was the «fresh» fish or the nasty chicken ramen… whatever it is, I will not be returning again!

Food: good
Service: exceptional
I got a groupon for Mentaikou, but it’s really a steal. It comes with 2 entrees and 1 appetizer for around ~$ 17. I immediately bought another groupon after I visited them because I couldn’t wait to go back.
They have a much bigger menu than the one shown on groupon’s website (about 8 ramen dishes). I was looking through the pictures before I visited, and the Kuromayu looked delicious so I ordered that. It really was delicious. The sesame taste is a little overpowering, but once you mix it around a little, it worked really well with the ramen. It leans more towards the salty side, which is good for me, but I’m not sure if it would work for everyone else. My boyfriend got the miso ramen and it wasn’t as good. Also, the japanese fried chicken appetizer is forgettable and I would pass on that. Maybe I’ll try the sushi next time. It did look a little pink, but they cut it to make sure it was cooked and I didn’t die, so I’m sure it’s fine.
Phenomenal service comes from everyone in the restaurant, especially the hostess. Our orders came within a few minutes, probably less than 10, but they were apologetic and apologizing for the wait. Didn’t even realize we were waiting. Also, one time she happened to be nearby when my boyfriend was trying my ramen and she asked which one he liked better. We agreed that the Kuromayu tasted better and she offered to bring a bowl of my broth for him to eat with. We were REALLY surprised. LIKE REALLY SURPRISED, because no one has ever done that before. So he was like «no it’s okay, I’ll just take some of hers.» She said okay, but came back with the bowl of broth like a minute later anyway.
I think it’s a new business owner thing because I don’t expect this to be ongoing as they go into years. For the constant attention asking whether we were okay with our foods, it’s weird that they not once refilled our water. They serve salty foods, so I think they should put some attention on the water.
Next time, I’m probably gonna end up buying the Kuromayu ramen again because I really liked it. I still crave it occasionally. MMM, they still have the groupon now, so get on it! Like I said, I already got another one. You should at least try it once.

I liked this place a lot, but can only give it 3 stars. Chief reason: salt. I didn’t realize it at first, but as I had more and more of the broth, I sorta felt my insides dessicating and then didn’t feel well for the rest of the evening. If they’d cut the salt significantly, this would probably be my favorite ramen place or among them.
I had the veg bowl and I loved it (aside from the salt) — first of all, the broth is legit veg-​based, not pork or chicken. (There are chicken options, and many pork options too.) Next, they were creative, with their veggies. I’m talking lemon, I’m talking AVO-MOTHERF*CKING-CADO, perfectly ripe. Good stuff. They also have a strong assortment of add-​ons – I tried the «spicy flavor» (we checked, it’s not just Sriracha, it’s a home-​made blend), the egg, the roast garlic, and the roast beef. Yeah, that’s right – I put beef on my veg bowl, and these guys didn’t even blink. They had other options, the most interesting being the raw egg, and the «crunchies». Didn’t find out what that was. Kinda curious.
Aside from ramen, I liked this place because it has a menu of sashimi and rolls, if you want some variety. I accidentally ordered a ridiculously large deep-​fried roll squirtled w/​mayo on top (it was good but, a bit much), but they have more subdued options and they’ll custom-​make you a roll, too.
Other notes:
— Came with a half-​Japanese friend, and she said this place was maybe half-​Authentic. The noodles, she said, are pretty good. But the lemon and avocado in the broth are maybe more for the American palate?
— Service was super friendly and attentive.
— If not for the saltiness, I’d give them 4 or 5 stars.

4 stars for the Groupon deal — which is admittedly a great deal. Without, I’d probably give them a three. Kuromayu ramen is good, but not as good as the one at Terakawa. Broth is much better at Ippudo/​Totto. The tuna poke app was nice, perhaps the best starter for the greasy ramen which followed. The Tantanmen — advertised as spicy — goes above and beyond overkill. I’m not one to shy away from spicy anything — and in fact, I consider sichuan to be among my favorite cuisines — but the heavy handedness of the chilli oil was almost enough to put me off of spicy ramen for good.
Service was sluggish. Definitely needs additional staffing.
As an aside — the way they make their spicy dishes, is a sure sign that it isn’t Japanese owned. Just in response to the commenters about who runs the joint.

Always on the prowl for authentic ramen joints, I came upon this rather new establishment, Mentaikou, in the East Village. A 4-​star restaurant based on less than 50 reviews must be legitimate, and so it was after my husband and I made our first trip over. I wouldn’t say the ramen is up in the ranks of Totto, but it’s certainly very good, quality ramen that is a true competitor to other ramen places.
Mentaikou, located right below street-​level, is a clean, newly renovated space with understated, simple décor and a casual ambiance. On a Wednesday evening, it was rather empty in here, with only less than 2 or 3 tables occupied by small groups, so it’s not what you call a hip and happening restaurant. On first visit, my husband and I went with a cold appetizer, the Fish Poki. For main, we each both decided to go with one of their special ramens on the menu, the Kuromayu — basically, ramen with half an egg on top of roasted garlic, char siu pork, charred scallion, sesame, in a dark sesame oil topping. The amount of garlic is intense but really adds a kick to the dish without being too overbearing. The char siu pork was quite fatty, but tasty, and added a good amount of flavor to the broth. In terms of the noodle itself, it was cooked properly with the right level of chewiness, and they don’t use cheap quality noodles. I was pleasantly surprised by the Kuromayu, and it was very much to my liking. I usually go for just spicy ramen, but this was a little different. The Fish Poki was also quite amazing. Bite-​sized fresh tuna sashimi seasoned in what is a medium-​spicy dark sauce and sitting on a bed of white onions. I highly recommend this appetizer if you’re looking for a side dish to your meal.
Mentaikou is a positive, new discovery, and I wouldn’t mind another visit when having the ramen crave. If you want to avoid any sort of lines or crowds, of say, places like Ippudo or Totto, then Mentaikou is an alternative to consider. It’s not as happening, hip, or as thriving, but knowing this place is fairly new, I’m sure business will pick up once more customers learn about it. While the food is authentic and very good, I must note service here is very friendly. Waiters are attentive and will talk to you and ask if you need any further assistance. They even poured our beer when they brought the pitcher to our table and when our glasses were empty. Overall, I consider myself a fan who would recommend to any ramen connoisseur.

Came here with 3 other girls on a groupon deal for 4 — 2 apps and 4 ramen. Although the deal specified a few things you can order from, the menu in the restaurant offered a lot more choices for appetizers.
for the appetizer, we got chicken kara age (~6pcs) and gyozas (4). The gyoza was average. The karaage was hot, juicy and perfectly fried. no bones! like :)
For ramen, I got the spicy ramen, which was basically tonkotsu soup base with a lot of chili oil. It was kinda gross when it congealed after my friend spooned out the chili oil. The noodle was ok but it was not your usual ramen noodle. it was straight w/​o any curves. The amount of veggies was average, but the cha siu was a nice big chunk of it. It was more like a chunky Chinese-​style braised pork with a nice layer of fat than a typical thin slice of ramen cha siu. the flavor was great though.
All in all, a good deal but since I live close to Mitsuwa, I’ll probably satisfy my ramen craving there.

Overall, good experience. This location was not hard to find, but it is randomly placed. My groupon for 2 ramen and 1 appetizer led me here. I would not come across this place otherwise. Most restaurants nearby are Indian cuisine. As expected from reading Unilocal reviews, the place was empty when I went.
Announce that you have a groupon deal first because there is a separate menu. They have a lot of specials going on but it was pretty expensive here. I’m not willing to pay too much without knowing it is a worthwhile place. The place was decorated nicely with lots of room to sit.
With my groupon, I got the soy sauce ramen and the chicken as an appetizer. The chicken was delicious! It was so hot and fresh. Also, the sauce was delicious! To be fair, I’m used to the cheap homemade ramen in a cup or package. Here the ramen was cooked al dente. The broth was thick from some kind oil and it topped with sesame seeds which was interesting. I wasn’t too fond of the broth because it was hard for me to drink it alone like I would typically do for my soup noodle dishes. The rest of toppings on the dish was delicious. I wish there was green vegetables to make the dish cleaner.
For dessert, I tried the tempura ice cream which sounded like fried ice cream. It was ok. The vanilla ice cream had a bit of ice in it but it still tasted good. It had a fried coating which I didn’t like. I personally don’t think it’s a great combination but I think some people might.
Also, they have an option for you to design your own sushi and name it. They would post it up in their menu of customer rolls. Again, it’s a bit expensive. You have to pay for each topping.
I would give this place 3 stars for their good but the service here was so great. It was speedy, nice, attentive, and genuine. Thus, I give this place 4 stars.

On a pretty hot afternoon, we decided to have ramen and then try out the new bike share program in NYC. I remember I bought a Groupon for this place, so we decided to try it out (even though bf is a little doubtful about this place).
When I first saw the Groupon, I checked on Unilocal and found out that this is a brand new restaurant, and there was only one review. The second time I saw the Groupon, I checked on Unilocal again, and there are more than 10 reviews already, all above average ratings, so I decided to get the Groupon.
With the Groupon, here’s what we ordered: Spicy Tuna Biscotti, Tonkotsu Ramen (pork broth) and Miso Ramen. The spicy tuna biscotti was very good, very a little pile of spicy tuna on a flavored rice cracker, topped with two tiny pieces of avocado; it was pretty spicy, but it was very delicious.
Now both ramen come with bamboo shoots, a piece of seaweed, half of an egg and two pieces of pork. One of the reason I like this ramen a lot is that the pork they put in the ramen is not the ordinary chashu (which is a thinner part usually), instead they put a piece with fats in between the meat layers. Because the broth itself is not oily at all, so the fats on that pork really brings a little extra something to the whole ramen.
The broth is very well done also, and you can definitely differentiate it from other MSG broth, it is so natural and you can tell that they put a lot of efforts into that broth.
The restaurant is new, so it’s not a crappy hole in the wall restaurant. They should have turned on the air-​conditioning (or they turned it on already?), but luckily it was not a very hot afternoon. The service was pretty attentive, I believe the boss (or owner) actually served the customers along with other servers. When we told them that we liked the food, they were so happy.
I like this place, but for ramen, Ippudo is still my favorite so far.
P. S.: Please note that if you are using a Groupon, you can only use it between 12pm-​5pm.

Mentaikou is a fairly new ramen spot in the East Village on 6^th St between 1^st and 2^nd Ave. Overall 3.5 stars. The place is up and coming and there’s virtually no wait at all. The servers were very attentive and I think even the manager/​owner came around at one point. You won’t feel rushed either, they’re just stopping to say hi and see if you need anything.
Say, compared to Ippudo where the wait is typically 1 – 2 hours on a busy night you always have to be mindful of the time because there will always be other people waiting for a table. Here, that’s not the case. You can take your time and take all the food pictures you want to make your friends salivate on all forms of social media.
I ordered the Kuromayu Ramen (charred black garlic) from their specials and the Fish Poki for the appetizer. The Kuramayu had lots of the roasted garlic and the entire soup didn’t look like an oil spill if you’re comparing it to Hide-chan’s version. It was garlicky enough for me. There was a half egg in the bowl plus the toasted nori. The ramen noodles were nice and firm. It was cooked well for my tastes. The char siu pork was very fatty and it tasted good, but there was no evidence of any charring around the edges and the color was pretty naked looking. I chose the pork broth and it wasn’t as clean as I would like, but definitely good enough for me to make another visit back here to try more of their ramen soups.
The Fish Poki is a tasty appetizer that is a large bowl with generous sized cubes of fresh tuna that’s seasoned to be spicy on a bed of fresh white onions and drizzled with soy sauce. This is the perfect size for sharing.
Honestly the ramen here tasted better than what I had most recently at Hide-​chan (which has come to be saltier and saltier with each visit). The décor is simple, nothing crazy and there’s no people yelling when new customers come and go (E.g. Ippudo). It’s a good spot to just come for a quiet dinner, a date, or even a group of friends as there’s plenty of tables that seat 4 or more. I hope more people come by and check it out to be another «must dine» ramen joint.

We came here with a groupon and were totally surprised at how good this restaurant is. We came in hungry and really enjoyed our appetizer, fish poki, which was raw tuna chunks in soy sauce with onions. The fish was fresh and tasty. I got the spicy ramen and my bf had the kuromayu ramen. The ramens were decent compared to others. What stands out is the service. It was pretty attentive and they gave us spicy sauce with ground pork whenever we asked. We would even come back without a groupon! Definitely check this place out if you are in the neighborhood.

Came on a Friday around 5pm, totally empty. This is a nice looking and clean place (though it should be since it just opened) but I can’t imagine anyone being over 6ft to walk in comfortably since its located downstairs.
Came with the groupon and had fish poki, miso ramen, and spicy ramen. The sushi chef came over with the fish poki and apologized for letting us wait, even though it was like less than 5 mins. but okay! The dish was basically fresh tuna with raw onions with their special sauce on the bottom. I wasn’t expecting the amount of tuna in the dish but they were so generous with the portions. However, there were too much sauce in the dish. Good thing there was a layer of onions between the fish and the sauce so that the fish didn’t taste too salty.
The ramen seemed smaller than other places, well at least the bowl did, but they are also generous with the noodles. The amount of toppings seemed too little though. The broth for both was rich and creamy.
The waiters and owner were very friendly and nice. Just one complaint though. It’s weird having a wall in the middle, so when we did want to get the waiter, we weren’t even able to see them since the cashier was on the opposite side of where I was sitting.

There are so many ramen spots in the city, all eying the crown to be King of Ramen. Mentaikou is one of the few that has many tables and offers sushi as well. I actually did enjoy my ramen and their Charsiu Bun. But I had to degrade my ranking due to some weakness here.
1) Charsiu Bun: It comes in two and they give you big fat pork belly so you will not be missing out on the grease, the skin and the tender meat. I really like their buns.
2)Spicy Ramen: the ramen menu is rather simple. They have soy, miso, salt, curry or spicy based ramen with a few other more creative varieties. My spicy ramen has a kick but it is definitely not going to make you sweat. The broth is very rich and they gave us generous portion of pork belly. There is also some bamboo shoots and a half boiled egg as a bonus. The poor thing here is the ramen itself. The noodles is uninspiring. It is not wavy but straight thin noodles.
3)Service is rather smooth and quick. Waiters are friendly and don’t rush you.
Finally, I think this is really bad. I was so thirsty the whole night and it lasted till the next morning. I drank plenty of water along with the meal and after. I was still so dehydrated. This leads to my suspicion. Did they use a lot of MSG? Or did they use a lot of salt?! Not sure which one but I am a little scared to eat another bowl of ramen again.

Oh Ramen! I know you’ve been a phenomenon for a long time, and you may wonder, «What took you so long to try me?!» Well, it was because I didn’t know where to go to get good, authentic ramen without all the hype and not enough flavors. Then, Mentaikou came along, and I sucked, slurped, gulped, and wiped my mouth on my sleeve after I was all done.
Walking down this street, the immediate smell of curry greeted me, and I was a little unsure how this meal would play out since I purchase a Groupon for two (one appetizer and two ramen orders). Keep walking past those Indian restaurants; try them another day! I keep my mental chant like a samurai preparing for battle.
Ramen…
Ramen…
Ramen…
Oh, I made it!
Legit…Oh yeah! The owner was Japanese, and while my boyfriend and I were dining, his family came for dinner too, and sat at a table next to us.
Décor…Tasteful Japanese tapestries hang on the walls and in between cut out windows are Nishi dolls — samurai and geisha; very detailed and worthy table talk.
Service…Quick, informative, friendly! Our waiter was helpful in explaining how our first ramen experience would play out, and we didn’t realize when he later came over to ask about the noodles, that he was asking if we wanted MORE to have with the broth! DUHHH!!! Now you know! Aren’t you glad I found out the hard way so you wouldn’t have to?
Taste…NOM NOM NOM! Here’s what we got:
Spicy Tuna Roll — might sound pretty underwhelming and pretty standard in any other sushi place, but this was really fresh and delicious! No soy sauce or wasabi needed!
Ramen choices:
Tantum Ramen Bowl (me): If you can’t take the heat, then skip this one! Your sweat will be sweating! It’s LOADED with spicy and everything nice! Ground up beef is drizzled on top, and not too sparingly either! Look at my picture! It’s red like lava! But, honestly, it was absolutely delicious and I loved every single bite! The broth was thicker than what I was expecting, and it made love to every noodle in my bowl! Excellent!
Yakiniku Ramen (my BF): This is definitely worth a try! The sliced beef he had in his bowl was like a work of foodie art — beautifully crusted and tender. He inhaled; I stole two bites and that was it — then it was gone. Milder broth, and the same lovely thick, stew-​like consistency.
Bonus: The Body Roll: Everything you love about tempura, but wrapped in a marvelous roll! Spicy mayo drizzled on top for an additional touch of heat; very different!
We will be back, and we won’t wait until winter either!

I bought a Groupon here ($ 17 for an appetizer and 2 bowls of ramen), thus making it a decent deal for two. I actually bought it right outside the restaurant — go me.
I loved that this brand new restaurant was airy, clean, and free of the greasy kitchen smell. Ceiling is low, so watch out, tall folks! The place was loud with customers, but we weren’t disturbed by an open kitchen or the loud sounds coming from the kitchen. The waiters and owner were friendly as well.
The wait was so long that I have to bring it up — given the number of restaurant employees versus the number of people in the restaurant (not that many), I would have thought our ramen would have taken way less than ~20+ minutes to arrive after we’d already eaten our appetizer… interesting. Super freshly cooked-​to-​order?
We got the chicken karage — nicely spiced and hot in temperature, but the ratio between chicken and batter was not to my liking. I felt like I was eating batter with a side of chicken.
We both also got the spicy (tonkotsu) ramen. Overall, the broth was flavorful but was too salty for me. The spice level was just the right amount of heat. Loved the char siu pork — on par with many other delicious ramen joints around the city. The noodles were the wrinkled squiggly kind versus the straight kind like they have at Ippudo and Totto — will someone who knows please tell me what these types of noodles are called so I can stop calling it squiggly/​straight? :)
Anyways, overall the experience was enjoyable because of the cleanliness of the restaurant and the fact that it was absolutely beautiful outside and they left the door open. The food here is probably not something I am going to crave like I crave Totto, but the restaurant itself may have a decent chance at survival among the many other ramen restaurants in the East Village.

Having only been opened for about three weeks, I think they are certainly off to a great start. My friend and I bought their Groupon for two, which was really a great deal. You can substitute the Groupon menu for the specials. We were lucky to be served by the chef himself, really sweet guy. Plus the server was really attentive, great service. Now, off to the food!
We had the Vegetable Tempura as an appetizer, never had it served this way before — check the picture I posted. It was a good start, light and tasty. It had a side dish of what I think is potato salad, which I liked!
For our ramen, I had the Pork Tonkatsu — great choice. The pork was cooked to the right amount of tender. There is something about their egg that I can’t really describe, but it was certainly delicious. All these and the other ingredients mixed together made the broth so flavorful that I cleaned up my bowl REAL GOOD. Thinking about it makes me want to go back already.
My friend had the special Tantan ramen and man, was it spicy! I got to taste it and if you do love it hot, definitely get this. However, the only thing we hope is that next time, they put more ground pork.
We will definitely be coming back though to try other ramens and dishes on their menu! Oh and one last thing, this place is like one of the cleanest restaurants I have been to and I hope it stays that way once their popularity grows.

Mentaikou is a decently sized, cozy ramen spot in the Village. It was my first time having ramen and it was a pretty nice experience. The restaurant itself is not too big, but it doesn’t feel cramped. Using a Groupon deal, the restaurant had a separate menu, but their options were fine.
For appetizers, the vegetable tempura and edamame were ordered. The tempura was a nice change from the usual tempura I see at other Japanese restaurants. Instead of the whole vegetable being deep fried in the tempura, they were shredded and breaded all around, so it almost looked like a ball or even a latke. It was very tasteful and crunchy. The edamame was good, too.
For an entrée, I had the spicy ramen. It was in a large bowl with plenty of noodles and yummy toppings, which included mushrooms, bean sprouts, green onions, bamboo shoots, seaweed, raw egg and soft, tender pork. The broth itself had just the right amount of spice; not unbearably hot and very flavorful. It wasn’t greasy, either. If I had a different spoon, I would have scooped up the entire serving of soup, but I just left a little puddle of it in the bowl.
The dessert wasn’t part of the Groupon deal, but couldn’t pass up tempura ice cream. It was sliced in half and drizzled with chocolate.
Overall, the ramen experience was a satisfying one and I would definitely come back for more. They still have the Groupon deal as of today; so if you haven’t done it, get it now.

Clean, spacious and new spot that accepts credit cards! Haha. I got the spicy flavored ramen with gyoza for $ 12, which is a pretty good deal. The gyoza was larger than usual (which was great!) but a bit too oily, and the ramen was pretty good. They also give you a 20% off coupon after you eat, for next time.
No one was here when we came, which was perfect! Haha. But yeah, they now have a groupon so come with 4 people to make the most of it!