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Menkui Tei
Categories: Restaurants Japanese Restaurants Soup Japanese, Soup [Edit]
60 W 56th St(between 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas)
New York, NY 10019
Neighborhood: Midtown West
(212) 757-1642
- Nearest Transit:
-
57 St (F)
57 St - 7 Av (N, Q, R)
5 Av/59 St (N, Q, R)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
462 reviews for Menkui Tei
Review Highlights
"This place makes a great Misu Ramen."
(in 400 reviews)
"Their gyoza is oishi (delicious too."
(in 108 reviews)
"The fried rice was exceptional."
(in 62 reviews)
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462 reviews in English
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Review from Ty R.
New York, NY
2/3/2012
This is one of the better ramen shops around the area. The place fills up quickly during lunch so it's best to get there before or right at 12.
I've had the tan-tan, curry, and menkui ramen dishes, as well as the pork gyoza and shumai. The shumai here is actually pretty tasty. Sometimes the broth is saltier than I'd like but every now and then I'm in the mood for that. There's katsu and rice dishes similar to other ramen/Japanese spots and a variety of beverages both alcoholic and non. The service is very fast which is great for when you're in a hurry, but makes you feel rushed when you just want to chill out. There are 2 ramen joints right next to my office, but I always prefer to walk the 6 blocks up to this one. -
Review from Vivian H.
1/30/2012
It was very cold tonight and after studying nearby, I really needed something to warm up my soul. No better way to do that than to slurp on a big bowl of ramen noodles!
I found this place on my yelp app and marched over for dinner. Around 7pm, the place was brimming with people, but not completely packed. I was able to score a seat right by the open kitchen. It is fun when the kitchen is open, you get to see everything. The good and the bad. There was an older Japanese cook shouting out things every so often and he was just adorable to watch and listen to.
Now ramen isn't very vegetarian friendly, but they did have one veggie ramen dish, so I ordered that. In less than 5 minutes, my big bowl of piping hot broth, veggies and ramen were delivered to me.
It was a very decent bowl of ramen, chocked with cabbage, carrots, snow peas, and bean sprouts. The broth was a bit on the salty side for me, but it was good. The noodles were standard, nothing too exciting.
For $9.25, I was able to warm up my soul and walked out with a full and happy belly, ready to face the cold of the world! -
Review from Kat J.
Lavallette, NJ
Like the fact that they actually have a vegetable ramen option and that they have 5 different broth choices. Not much ambiance but pretty clean and staff is almost friendly which is great for an Asian joint ;)
The bamboo shoot from the shio (salt) broth is crazy salty but nice and tender. The shio broth is pretty salty (but I tend to eat everything reduced sodium) but you can order it 'light'. Hubby didn't really like it compared to others he's had in the past.
My soup came out boiling hot and I totally burnt my tongue so be careful!!!! And I'm not exaggerating - it was "just boiled" hot. Cannot say much for its taste as I couldn't enjoy it after that, but my MIL seemed to enjoyed her plate of the same vegetable soup. I wouldn't go back. -
Review from victor z.
New York, NY
2/8/2012
Awesome ramen. GO HERE IF IN AREA. Best ramen around.
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Review from Jacob Y.
1/19/2012
DEE - LEE - SHIOUS!
If ramen is your thing, then this is your place. Authentic, succulent noodles in healthy portions. Enough to share, but who wants to do THAT?
Now, don't expect to come here for ambiance. This place is straight up about getting in, seated, order, slurp down all the delicious noodle, guzzle down the broth, wiping the mouth and exiting (after paying of course). It's just been quite some time that I have tasted such delicious broth!
And top it all off with a decent sake selection...this place is a win win.
And no, they won't rush it. There is just not much scenery except the big bowl in front of you waiting to be consumed. -
Review from Katie S.
1/18/2012
***Hidden Gem Alert!***
Tucked into a tiny space in the culinary wasteland that is Midtown, are the tastiest bowls of Japanese ramen I've ever tasted!
Tried this place a few weeks ago during a particularly acute bout of noodle craving. What a find! The first hint that this was going to be a yummy experience is that the place was packed at 4:30 on a weekday. I haven't been there during the lunch or dinner rush, but my guess is that it's madness! Of course, the other classic hint is that it's cash only. Always annoying, but usually a sign of high quality if New Yorkers are willing to put up with it.
I had a bowl of shoyu pork ramen with extra pork, and it was absolutely delicious. Plentiful, perfectly chewy noodles; mouth-watering, savory broth; tender, richly flavored pork. Everything you could ask for on a winter's day in Manhattan. My friend had the pork curry, which was also delicious.
Prices were very reasonable. Service was efficient and polite. We sat at the counter, which gave us a view of the chaotic kitchen, not to mention all the heavenly aromas wafting out of it... Yumm! -
Review from Jean L.
Pasadena, CA
1/3/2012
This is my favorite meal when staying at the Parker Meridien. Not only do I get a hot cup of steaming yummy noodles in under five minutes flat, they actually listen when I say "no scallions", unlike just about every other Asian restaurante ever. I pretty much pick up a number 8, extra seaweed, no scallions, on my way "home" from work every night.
Watch out, it's a bit tucked away and doesn't have a big banner to notify you of it's presence but it's there on the corner, hidden next to the Korean place and the Sub place. -
Review from Lily C.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
I like this place a whole lot when it comes to Ramen! I sometimes travel all the way from uptown to here just to get my soup fix. Especially today! New York was absolutely freezing, so soup was just what I needed to warm up. The service is usually really nice and the only problems I may have is my order (I always feel bad saying the traditional words wrong)
This place is medium sized and naturally set up for two or three at a table. I went with a friend and she never had Ramen before so I was really happy to introduce her to this place.
The soup was well and the cook actually knows me after all this time so he gave us a little extra wontons and pork slices in our Ramen bowls. This definitely made me smile!
The soup was hot, full of perfectly cooked noodles and delicious meats. Not too salty either which is a problem in a lot of soups!
So five stars for delicious soup! -
Review from AndresSamuel R.
Queens, NY
1/2/2012
No-nonsense, top-notch noodle soups at reasonable prices. This is a bare-bones, cash-only establishment. Whatever they lack in terms of comfort (it's cramped) and ambiance, they make up for in terms of food quality. The bowls of noodles are hearty meals, featuring a flavorful broth, plentiful noodles, crunchy bean sprouts and bamboo shoots and tasty slices of pork. I have enjoyed both the miso and shoyu soups, and I'm looking forward to trying some of the other options. The gyozas are good too.
Finding a good meal at a reasonable price in this central/northern midtown location is difficult. Bookmark this place. You can't go wrong.
Caveat emptor:
- cash only
- not good for groups. -
Review from Ai V.
Dallas, TX
12/30/2011
For a ramen place in the US, it's about "as good as it gets" -- seriously, my friend from Tokyo said so himself. Very, very yummy ramen.
No mo' cup noodles for me!
I got the Menkui Ramen special. Yes! -
Review from Alexandria B.
Bellerose, NY
1/21/2012
Hands down, my favorite ramen place in the city... I've gone there so much that the waiters don't even ask me what I want anymore: I love their shoyu ramen with a side of curry rice. The waitstaff is super nice. The food is GREAT... Seriously... Their gyoza is something my mom goes there for as well as their chuka don... When I am not in the mood for shoyu, I go for the tonkotsu... And for dinner, my sig other usually gets Mabu Don. The only down side is that the place gets really packed (lunch and dinner crowd beware).
Great place to sit and meet friends, but watch out: big crowds can be tough to seat. -
Review from Jennifer Z.
Manhattan, NY
1/8/2012
Stopped in for lunch on a random Thursday and was seated within 10-15 minutes. I had a bowl of the Miso ramen while the bf had the Seafood ramen. I loved that their noodles were completely different depending on what you order and not all that varied was just the broth. I loved his broth which was also filled with a variety of veggies. The Miso had too many scallion in it for my liking, but I think it just more didn't fit my preference. The gyoza was great as well.
Overall, would definitely come back again- especially give the great prices and short waiting time for quality food and great service! -
Review from Shivonna R.
Brooklyn, NY
1/27/2012
I really don't understand the 4 stars here. I had the spicy pork ramen. It wasn't spicy and the broth was blech. If this is your favourite ramen place, then you need to get out more. The only reason I can fathom for such a high rating is that this general vicinity is ramen starved. Truly the ONLY reason. I won't be back. Sorry, Menkui Tei.
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Review from Ken S.
Manhattan, NY
2/5/2012
Delicious food for around $10, including tax and tip.
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Review from Wing L.
11/28/2011
There's a few ramen places in midtown and if you're like me, you probably ended up here after you discovered how long the line at Totto is. What is the fascination with long lines at ramen places? Ramen is comfort food- eat, slurp, pay. All done in 10 minutes. If you're still craving ramen and don't want to wait long lines at other places, Menkui Tei may be an option. Beware, space can be cramped.
For me, ramen is not my main course. Sure, I will eat it but by itself, I will be hungry afterwards. If you have a big appetite like me, opt for an appetizer or a rice dish to share amongst your party.
The tonkotsu ramen was decent. The noodles didn't have that "bounce" and consistency that I like (i prefer Totto or Minca at lower east side). The boiled egg sadly was not half-runny (that's 1 whole point there!). The soup itself was not salty enough which goes both ways. If you're a fan of drinking all your soup, then the broth works for you. I prefer drinking a bit and letting the noodles soak in the flavors. For me, the soup just didn't have enough oomph.
For a rice dish, we ordered the Mapo tofu dish. Simple, comfort food: spicy (not too spicy) minced pork with silken tofu over a generous portion of white rice.
Nonetheless, it still satisfied my ramen craving for an hour. Afterwards though, I needed a main course. Appetizer was served. -
Review from Yufan W.
Bryn Mawr, PA
1/23/2012
I was here couple times after work. A quite space to sit by yourself (unfortunately I was reading for the exams) during all my visits. I always go with either Tonkotsu ramen or Meikui ramen. Great ramen, both meat and noodle were tender, soup was just about the right amount of saltiness.
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Review from Dana H.
Flushing, Queens, NY
12/26/2011
This is a great place, great food and great for a cold day; but the only reason I'm giving this place a 3 is because of one of the servers. I had two servers when I went, and I came here almost 4 times now., The asian server, was very nice, polite, lots of patience and got us whatever we needed. However, while I was leaving another server, probably a college/high school student, wasn't giving the best.. attitude for his customers. I had said, check please, and his back was facing me so I couldn't here him. So I repeated it, and he says "I said sure," in a rude tone.
Besides that one waiter, this place is great. But beware when going at night! It gets full quick! -
Review from Yibing Q.
Manhattan, NY
11/20/2011
Hidden gem off 5th avenue! despite its 4-starness, the eatery was not packed on a saturday evening!
ordered Menkui Ramen (item number 1, waitress said number 1 and 5 were the most popular). very filling portion. very good soup (not msg-ladden) and chewy noodles! pork was not as tender and flavoured as i wanted. lots of bean sprouts too!
tried totto-ramen a few days ago. i think menkui's is relatively on-par with totto ramen, but is 1-star better as there was no insane queue and i actually felt really full after the meal. -
Review from Vania K.
Manhattan, NY
12/11/2011
Disappointing :(
Hands down the worst katsu don I've ever had. The pork was chewy, discolored (grey), and unappetizing... I think it might seriously be rat meat. We ended up only eating 3-4 bites of it. We also ordered the mapo don, which is mapo tofu over rice. Yes, yes, ordering mapo tofu at a Japanese restaurant is probably not such a good idea. It was actually pretty good... way too salty. Didn't order the ramen because the ramen bowls on our neighboring table didn't look good (generous portion though).
Side note: CASH ONLY. Tiny, tiny little place... which would've been fine if the food had made up for it.
My recommendation: walk away. If you must come here, don't order the katsu don. -
Review from SCOTT J.
Westwood, NJ
12/18/2011
Anyone in the mood for some Fresh Hot Ramen to warm you up on a cold day in NYC? Service was fast and quick, my Fried Rice came out in seconds shortly after I ordered.
My Wife ordered the Vegetarian Ramen, I could smell the fresh Ramen Noodle and tried some of my Wife's Bowl and found the Broth to be very Oishi.
FYI: This is a Cash Only Restaurant, MT doesnt accept Credit Cards but worth visiting for some good Japanese Comfort Food. -
Review from Jinra I.
Anaheim, CA
10/30/2011
Menkui Tei is basically like Ise next door, only the specialty here is ramen. There are a few rice dishes like katsu curry, but for that you should just go next door.
The ramen was delicious and to my liking without filling out a fancy ramen preference sheet like they give you in California. By to my liking I mean the soup wasn't too oily, the ramen noodles were the Japanese word for 'al dente' and the pork slices that came with the house special ramen were quite large. Unless you're really hungry, I wouldn't order any extras. Instead, I'd do a combo -- full-sized ramen with a small side of curry rice. The curry is delicious!
Even better, the service is great and the food is pretty cheap. -
Review from Pinky S.
Boston, MA
12/17/2011
Very good ramen. Been to Japan and has had my fill of Japanese ramen, and this place is comparable. The noodles has the right chewiness and the broth is rich and tasty.
Only drawback is that the space is tight, but I guess for NYC, one must make do. -
Review from Diana X.
Brooklyn, NY
1/4/2012
Absolutely LOVE this place! My boyfriend and i enjoy going these for bowl of yummi ramen. Good prices and ramen is sooooo good!
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Review from Adriana M.
Brooklyn, NY
11/18/2011 1 photo
Wow, hit the spot! Love this pseudo-whole in the wall (more like little flags cover the entrance on the corner of 56th and 6th).
I got there 11:30am, hungry and cold from outside. Instantly I felt welcomed and warmed by the bar where I got to watch the latinos and japanese make little dumplings right in front of my eyes.
On a time constraint, after I sit down I immediately ask whats the best on the menu. The nice waitress points to #5 and #10 decisively, so #5 it was!! AMAZING.
They gave me a bowl, I wolfed down as much as I could, and they even brought it back to put it to go!
Wow by 12 the place is PACKED, but even the cooks and waitresses were thoughtful enough to wave and say goodbye as I left. So nice!!
I definitely want to sample their sake menu for late night dinner sometime! (or thanksgiving haha since they are open) -
Review from Sooyeon H.
Yaphank, NY
Good for the price, friendly staffs.
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Review from Jacinda S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fans of true ramen rejoice. This tiny midtown spot makes some pretty amazing noodles. My favorite is the wonton ramen, with delicate little pillows of pork that make you want to cry. Don't expect anything fancy, this place is basic and busy so they serve you fast...this also means it's not a place to linger while on a date or catching up with old friends. I would give them four stars but for one little issue: they use MSG, which I typically avoid like the plague but in their case, I have to make an exception. It's that good.
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Review from Lou M.
Quincy, MA
1/10/2012
1 to 5 (lowest to highest)
Miso Ramen: 2 (does not compare to other joints)
Tonkotsu Ramen: 2 (definitely had better)
Fried Rice: 1 (You got to be joking me - who made this?!!!)
Menkui Ramen: 3 but is this even Japanese? -
Review from freckle b.
Westminster, CO
1/7/2012
This was the only place that we went to twice while we were in NYC, which says something in itself. And both times it was a total nightmare to find - the address is hidden, it's buried below sidewalk level, the name on the sign is different than what we had found on Yelp, etc. BUT - the noodles are worth the trouble. Once I had a cold noodle salad and the next time had hot ramen - delicious on all fronts. Highly recommended.
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Review from William W.
Astoria, NY
11/25/2011
Overall I feel that this is a decent ramen spot. I thought that the noodles were fair, I had the number 5 ramen. Yet, I thought that the broth was not bold, it was tasteless. The gyoza was a bit bland for my taste, I disagree with the majority of the reviewers on yelp which stated it was the bomb. The only dish that I kind of enjoyed was the fried rice. Here, the portions are big and the food cost are reasonable.
I do admit that I have high explications of ramen because I lived in Los Angeles and I would frequent the little tokyo ramen houses. The decor of the place was nice and I felt that the people which worked here where friendly. The restaurant was half empty on a Friday around 9pm thus my server was very attentive and my water glass was always full. I may come back again is the bottom line. -
Review from Allene T.
10/20/2011 1 photo
Just came back from here for lunch... service was decent and my party of 6 (though separated into 2 tables of 3) was seated immediately upon arrival.
Couldn't decide between the house special and the tonkotsu ramen. Finally chose the tonkotsu and told them to hold the pickled ginger (after reading several yelpers' reviews about how it made the broth sour - great choice!). Giant bowl... almost uncomfortably full for lunch. I loved the texture of the ramen - slippery, bouncy, and springy. The broth though, was mediocre. It was rich, but something or some flavor was missing and I can't really put my finger on it. Perhaps not cooked long enough with the pork? Wasn't a big fan of the [probably canned] extra-salty bamboo shoots. At $8.50 a bowl though, these giant bowls of noodles are pretty alright for the price. -
Review from Lauren R.
12/17/2011 1 photo
Amazing pork ramen. Salty, but delicious.
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Review from Nida K.
9/28/2011
We came here because the line at Totto was so ridiculously long and after a whole night of drinking, we were starving. I ordered the Mabo Ramen which came in a big bowl and was actually pretty good. Not as great as the ramen at Totto but good enough to satisfy our ramen cravings.
I would've given 4 stars for this place, but apparently we didn't tip the server enough and he was complaining about it and wouldn't leave us alone until we gave him another couple dollars. i mean, if we didn't tip enough, it was because we miscalculated it. Sorry buddy, our mistake, but harassing your customers doesn't seem right to get one or two more dollars. -
Review from A W.
Denver, CO
12/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great Ramen, fast service! I love the fried dumplings!
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Review from Emi Y.
Manhattan, NY
12/9/2011
Favorite Ramen in the city. Both locations are delicious! Shoyu Ramen is my go to on the menu.
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Review from Dave B.
11/26/2011 5 photos
Menkui Tei is one of those hole-in-the-wall places that you'd walk right by without even a glance unless someone who had been there before led you with whispers of ramen goodness. This place isn't attractive, no curb appeal, no frills. The food is tasty. Service is efficient. Price is ridiculously low, especially given the location. Been here several times now and enjoyed every bite. Glad it's far from home because I'm sure it's bad for me. I'd recommend it on a cold day with hot ramen. I'd recommend the cold noodles on a hot day. I'd always get the fried rice. Thanks goes to my lovely wife who brings me here when we're in town.
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Review from Daniel S.
Fort Devens, MA
12/27/2011
Had a nice evening at MOMA and dinner at a really nice ramen shop two blocks away. They hand made their shumai, which seemed to melt in my mouth. Delicious. And my lady had a wonderful shiitake mushroom ramen dish, which tasted amazingly earthy and was filled with seafood. Mine was a rich miso ramen soup with added hot greens (wonderful foil). Reasibly priced. recommended. Off 56th street. Menkui Tei. Don't let the fact that it looks like a hole in the wall put you off.
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Review from PT L.
Manhattan, NY
9/24/2011
Glad we found this nice little place. We ordered an extra spicy ramen and a Tonkotsu ramen. The latter one was slightly lacking something in flavor - plainly, not salty enough. The extra spicy ramen was delicious! It appears red hot but it's not really spicy, more flavorful than spicy. But if you want to drink the soup, this is not the bowl to do it. It's way to salty to drink.
Overall it was a cheap, filling, yummy meal. We would definitely come back again. -
Review from Laurie S.
Manhattan, NY
12/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
I hate that its cash only. The door is kind of hidden and you don't see it until you are right in front of it. But there were lots of Asian people here, so I knew it had to be good. And it was. I'd definitely go back.
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Review from May L.
8/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummy, solid Ramen Noodles. I'm giving a 3.5 in the Great Noodle Search. I think menchenko tei down the street is slightly better on taste. The noodle quality is solid, but Menchenkui tei is better, broth is better.
The service is superior here, which goes a long way. Nice siumai, not quite as good as the Rei Rei ken in the LES, though.
Oddly, I agree with subscribers who prefer this location to the one down in Cooper Square. Service is better, but also the actual quality is somehow slightly better. Weird...
Definitely worth a try!Listed in: The Great Noodle/Noodle Soup…
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Review from Michelle H.
Hanover, NH
8/8/2011
If you are around Midtown and don't want to make the hike to Ippudo in order to wait for a long ass time and pay the premium for a flashy, modern, Asian-fusion ambience on the price for your admittedly great bowl of ramen, I would urge you to seriously consider Menkui Tei as your alternative ramen spot.
The unpretentious, homely atmosphere complements their ramen immensely. The broth is very savory and hearty (albeit a bit salty, but that's the risk we have to take when we get ramen, I guess) and really hits the spot when I have my unpredictable hormonal ramen cravings. Whichever ramen you get, make SURE you get extra roast pork to go along with it--the pork is what makes Menkui Tei what it is :)
And in case you don't want to take my word for it, I will add that my Japanese then-boyfriend fully approved of the joint. According to him, it was a pretty authentic rendition of any neighborhood ramen restaurant you might find off the main path in Japan! Don't we all love authentic cultural dining experiences?Listed in: NYC Unpaid Internship
