Mentei
66 Hereford St
(between Boylston St & Newbury St)
Boston, MA 02115 (617) 425-0066
- Nearest Transit:
Hynes Convention Ctr/ica (Green)
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
42 Reviews for Mentei
I have been to Men Tei about a dozen times and have had a great meal every time. I recommend the katsudon, crab croquet & curry over rice and the unagidon. I have also had the Takoyaki and seaweed salad, both were pretty good. They have a lot of soups as well that look good too, but I haven't tried any of them yet as I mostly eat soup in the cooler weather. It is nice to have reasonably priced comfort food in the Newbury Street area.
CASH ONLY, opens at 12:30, limited seating, FAST service, reasonably priced good eats.
Cash only + limited seating + hole-in-the-wall somehow always = a great, cheap-eat find!
I loved the simplicity of this place - with both the decor and the menu. This isn't the kind of restaurant you take someone you want to impress with the most authentic and mind-blowing Japanese food ever. The offerings here are humble, but tasty.
The seaweed ramen ($6.95) was delicious, light, and really filling! The broth wasn't too salty or bland. They didn't skimp out on the noodles or the veggies, and the bowl was bigger than the size of my head. The service was all it needed to be (though there weren't too many people in the restaurant). I got my food, water, and check just when I needed it.
As an Asian girl who can't stand pho, I know I am a rare species. So to fill my cravings for cheap noodles, Mentei is now my go-to spot.
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I just have two things to say: OME-RICE and TAIYAKI
Thats all I'm here for and keep coming back for more!
The omelet over rice has a really yummy sauce and "hidden treasure" lil shrimp in there somewhere (its like treasure island, minus the pirates)
and Taiyaki is those funny fish-shaped pastries full of red-bean paste and they are soooo yummy when fresh and hot.
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Japanese erotism and pornography at its best. Why WOULDN"T you want to go?
..... Well, that's what I initially thought of when somebody told me they frequented this place. Then I realized the word I was thinking of was "Hentai", and that Mentei was actually this innocent Japanese noodle/rice shop down the street from where I lived.
I've been here 6 times over the last month, alone and with kids, and this is probably one of the best value meals you can get in the neighborhood. Reminds me a lot of the places in Japan and Korea, or in Japan towns in other parts of the US. Food is very decent, with generous proportions, and the service is very friendly. I sample a lot of the different noodle dishes, and have had the grilled eel and chicken katsu curry rice several times. If any of you have had been to the 'Curry House' Japanese restaurants in other parts of the country, this isn't as good, but will do the job.
Cash only, quick service, and tight spaces between seats, not unlike what you'll find in similar establishments elsewhere in the world. Me likes it :)
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Mentei is a small ramen place, serving normal ramen noodles, fried Japanese treats, and fried rice. A good place for a snack or light meal. Don't go in big groups, their largest table seats 4.
While small and cramped during lunch, I still make it a point to visit Mentei at least once a week because it's cheap and fast. Not many restaurants in the Back Bay do both very well. While it's not the best ramen I've tasted, this place isn't trying to be anything other than a japanese fast food shop. On the totem pole of Japanese cuisine, Mentei hits that niche as being tastier and more authentic than Sakkyo (mall food court) and a few notches under Oga (out in Natick). I'd venture to say that Mentei is a much better alternative to Shino Express Sushi and Typhoon. Aside from Mentei and maybe Samurai, there aren't any decent places in this particular area where I feel I get my money's worth (Haru, Douzu, Oishii? No way am I paying 25-40 bucks for lunch) so I'll give Mentei an upgraded 4 stars for being oh so convenient.
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Great place for a quick, cheap, warm bite to eat. I always get the pork katsu noodle soup and it's perfectly filling. Service is quick and friendly. This place is cash only though, so bring yo billsss
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I LOVE Mentei, especially because they give you big portions for really cheap. I usually get the chicken cutlet over rice, or chicken noodle soup with yellow noodles and extra veggies. Oh, so good.
Sidenote: Some Berklee students of the band "The Ricecookers" work here, so if you're looking for a punk rock Japanese band for your next event, hit 'em up!
I love this place, and eat here at least once a month, though usually weekly. I always get the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet) over rice (ask for extra sauce, it's really good!), and it's always fantastic. The ramen is good here, but it's the Tonkatsu that's the best! Considering its location, it's pretty cheap.
We came here and did not have any noodles, when we totally should have. ARGH. I had their curry katsu and J had their kimchi fried rice. No gos :P
We will be back to try their noodles. Expect an edit soon.
I loved it. Ordered chicken cutlet noodle soup and pan fried pork dumplings. The noodle soup was delicious and I can see myself going in again for it when it gets cold outside. The dumplings could've been better with a little more filling of pork in them. I almost felt like they were mini dumplings.
Its a small place, but convenient and cheap. The service is fast too. Beware - they only take cash! Nevertheless, Yum Yum :)
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Not bad. Reasonable prices. Some interesting ramyeon options, but actually, no ramyeon like I'm used to getting. Yeah, you can get a fried soft shell crab in it, but it's still just not the sort of ramyeon I prefer. I guess I'm just used to a spicier base, with a hotter temperature, bubbling up with goodness, maybe little slices of rice cake in it.
The tables were pretty dirty and the condiments were grossly dirty. I'm not a germ freak, and I still used them, but they made me think twice about it. The service was all that was needed for this sort of place. Nice selection of popular Asian bottled beverages. Nice prices. I'd tolerate the sticky tables if I needed inexpensive ramyeon in Back Bay and happened to have cash on me.
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Delicious.. I like their beef noodles & cow tongue. It's one of the quicker, cheaper places to eat on and around Newbury St. esp if you're craving some Japanese (other than sushi!)
The place is kinda small but it's fun to squeeeeze, usually if it's packed you don't have to wait long anyways.
Don't forget to pick up some of the fishie pastry desserts with the red bean paste in it. YUMMMMM!!!!
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Great ramen dishes for the cold, cold days...
Avoid the fried rice, a bit too oily.
They are amazingly quick though and the place gets full easily during the busier hours.
Cash only :(
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Pretty good ramen. I'd say the selling point is the drinks they have in the cooler, pretty much the same selection at Cherry Mart. They got hello kitty drinks, the yummy coffe-tea stuff, maybe some pocari? Green tea is definitely there.
This place has pretty good ramen. I always get the fried chicken one, which comes in a huge bowl with little pieces of chicken and lots of bean sprouts. It's moderately priced and they are super fast, so I'm a little wary about the quality of the food. The service is lackluster at best, and the place is really tiny but there is always a table open. It is cash only so be prepared for that. My friend has tried some of their other dishes in combination with the ramen but has said they were pretty mediocre.
Men Tei is a kind of fun place to eat. I say kind of because you're paying a lot for what amounts to be basic Japanese food. I don't really like the ramen, honestly, but I come for the other items like the Eel or Spicy tofu. Maybe if I'm really cold, I'll do the ramen, and chew through the most basic kind, as the meat here, as said in previous reviews, isn't that great. But the spicy tofu and eel... Mmm...
Cute exchange students take your orders, slap your meal on the table, and read various issues of Japanese fashion rags while they wait.
I like it better than Sapporo Ramen in Porter Exchange, however, but that's more because I don't really like Sapporo more than I like this place.
Bring cash. And a lot of it, because the drinks are 2 bucks each (Japanese bottled drinks a la Pocari Sweat/Dakara/Apsari Drink).
Sure, it's got nothing over Porter Exchange, but if you're on Newbury and want something decently quick and okay tasting, it's worth it.
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My friend and I found this place a year or two ago while walking on Newbury St . I've only been there about 3 times so far but each meal was decent each time. I had the tonkatsu, the croquette curry, and the tofu with hot sauce dish.
For the price, the food is decent. Can't say much about the ramen because I haven't tried it.
Oh..CASH ONLY.
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This cash only, hole in the wall ramen place is one of the best deals along newbury street. One of the worst things with boston is not knowing where to go when you get hungry. You can end up spending $20 for a mediocre meal.
I'll save you $10.
For a mediocre bowl of ramen at a great price go to Mentei! They won't win any awards for their curry rice or pork ramen, but the owners are friendly if you are too and the food will fill you up. When I get hungry walking down Newbury, I head straight for Mentei.
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Located at the busy & touristy Newbury area, Mentei is a cute & cozy little Japanese restaurant that serves surprisingly good Ramen.
I was impressed by their Kim Chi Ramen. The soup base was tasty with a hint of spiciness. I've had lots of good Ramen in the bay area, but this place still comes in par. The pork chop rice was also pretty good and my petite gal pal managed to eat it all.
They have some young hip Japanese guys working there as waiters and I found them a bit odd. They were friendly but had an interesting way of getting their tips. Below was what I witnessed:
There were 2 girls sitting by the window when I first came in. The 2 girls gave the waiter a $20 bill (the place only accepts cash) and were ready to leave. The waiter stopped them and said: "Excuse me, but I don't believe the change would be enough to cover the tip." The girls seemed stunned, but still took out more dollar bills for his tip. I was thinking: You gotta be kidding me. Perhaps I heard him wrong?
30 minutes later, a table of 4 girls were done eating, paid their bill and were getting ready to leave. Here came the waiter again stopping them: "You didn't leave any tip, you do understand that the pricing doesn't include gratitude?" The girls looked so embarrassed and were apologizing: "oooops, we are so sorry... we totally forgot..." And yes, they took out their wallets and gave him his precious tips.
I was speechless. I put out the tip on my table immediately so I don't forget about it later. I wouldn't want him to ask me for tips and embarrass me in front of the whole restaurant. Seriously, what the hell was that about?
4 star food minus 1 star for the weird waiter = 3 stars.
The basics: Good place for some cheap eats (less than $15 per person w/ tip - cash only!). Closes at 9p during the week.
What to order: There is a dinner special: ramen bowl and side dish for ~$9. I suggest the kim-chi ramen with a side of tofu w/ spicy sauce (over rice) (the egg with sauce is also good). The barley tea washes things down nicely. This dish is consistently good and the price is right, I've strayed from this and was disappointed.
Conclusion: Check it out if you're tired of paying too much for mediocre food on Newbury.
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This is the closest you'll come to a cheap meal on Newbury. Fast service, excellent crab croquettes and kimchi fried rice (the best I've had). I'd say stick to the vegetarian ramen, or a rice/curry dish. Tables are all meant to seat 2 or 4 people, so it's great for a cheap date ;P.
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I think I owe this place a review considering the fact I've been a regular here for almost three years now, regardless of the fact that I now believe Sapporo and Ken's have a bit of an edge in terms of food quality. However, it being the closest ramen house and me being the car-less lazy bum I am, I will continue to be a customer here as long as they are in business.
My top recommendations here are usually the pork fried rice and shoyu ramen, which are lo and behold what I usually order for myself. In fact, there was a time when I became so addicted to their pork fried rice, after having it for lunch, I would grab another two orders to go for dinner and a possible midnight snack. After a while, this led me to believe that their cook might have been adding ridiculous amounts of monosodium glutamate or whatever addictive additive Starbucks puts in their coffee (sue me for being a conspiracy theorist).
One of the waiters there I had actually befriended after a short time, but he eventually moved back to Japan to pursue his singing career and regroup with his band. I wish him the best of luck!
P.S. This place is cash only and don't flush toilet paper down their toilet. And don't try to steal their mahjongg pieces.
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I stuggled with whether to give Mantei more stars because it is edible food for a reasonable price in an area full of overpriced eateries (note that even folk that gave 4 stars says that Mentei would go out of business in another part of town).
However, after some debate, I decided that bad food should not earn extra stars just because there's no competition. Everything is mediocre at best, cash only. Frankly, there's no need to produce quality food or cater to convenience because they are the cheapest eats around. If Mantei was located in Central Square or Chinatown, it would have long been yelp bombed. The dishes are on the expensive side for basic dried ramen ($7) - in Chinatown you can get the same thing with better quality noodles for $4.
- The various noodles are okay, but I wouldn't consider it good.
- The vegetable noodle soup have almost no vegetables in it.
- The cutlets are okay, but dry and somewhat tasteless.
- The kimchi is okay, a little too sour and salty, even after soaking in the soup
- The tofu is good, but it's hard to ruin cut up tofu with soy and hot sauce poured on top.
If you are in the neighborhood and in need of cheap eats, this is, unfortunately, your only choice. You won't die or get sick, but there's nothing good there either.
If you can make it to another neighborhood (like Chinatown, Central, Harvard, Porter) without passing out from hunger, I would most absolutely opt for other options.
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Mentei is a cozy little Japanese restaurant that serves tons of comfort food. The shoyu ramen here isn't the best. The base is mild and tasty, but the noodles are a bit wimpy. If you've got to have ramen in Back Bay though, this is the place. If you're not feeling the soup, the crab croquettes are phenomenal. If you want donburi, leave immediately and go to Cafe Mami instead. Itadakimasu!
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The only reason why this place is still in business is probably due to its location amidst other high-priced eateries. In comparison, the prices here are lower. However, I will definitely not return for a second bowl. I had the Roasted Pork Ramen ($8) and it was subpar, to say the least. The soup was lukewarm and bland, I probably used up half the container of soy sauce nearby. The roasted pork tasted more like cured pork since it was dry, tough and much too salty. The noodles themselves were the only redeeming item given its al dente texture. The proprietor is Japanese but the chefs were Chinese, and I am appalled as to how he would allow such poor imtation bowls of noodles to escape his kitchen.
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Men-Tei
Not your regular ramen.
I got the vegetable curry which is probably not the best dish to get at a noodle house. And the veggies were those genetically modified hydrated died bright orange and green peas and carrots from a can! The brown curry was pretty tasty and the fresh red peppers were a spicy touch. Too much rice for one serving; like 2 1/2 cups. I love the marinated hard boiled egg with it.
My friend got a soup with fish paddies that hat HOT PINk designs in it!
It looked like an Italian sugar cookie but really it was a magical hot pink fish pancake. Other got fried chicken. Fried Pork. We all ordered too much and didn't eat it all. Westeners! Be careful how you order.
Check out the art on the walls in this very small place with cafeteria seats.There is this screen with three horrified women crouching and a giant angry man. Japanese hipster waiter was alright.
I know someone who would order their curry a few times a week for lunch.
I will be back to the little fun house by Newbury Street.
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ABSOLUTELY LOVE MENTEI!!! Ever since my boyfriend and I found this whole in the wall restaurant between the always bustling Boylston Street and trendy Newbury, we've always considered "our special place." It by far has the quickest service we've ever had with the most delicious noodles! Even though there's usually only one waiter around, they really don't need anymore then that.
It's so cozy and yummy, we went there for our 4 year anniversary! haha guess I really am a cheap date =)
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Ramen here is average at best, but gets 4 Stars due to lack of good ramen places in Boston area. I'm not a big fan of any of the ramens in Porter Exchange (http://www.yelp.com/bi...), so Mentei becomes the only place I could enjoy a decent ramen with gyoza (dumplings) and cha-han (fried rice). Reasonably priced in a high rent area.
Note that if Mentei was suddenly dropped in Shinjuku Japan, it would go out of business in less than a month. Both soup and noodles cannot compete with quality of ramen places in Tokyo.
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mentei was introduced to me ten years ago by my college roommate from japan. she had moved on newbury street for a summer amd explained to me that it was decent japanese fast food. at the time, it was. i remember table service, a friendly waitress, and being a bit overwhelmed by all the hiragana on the menus.
years later, i went back to mentei, introducing it to a friend. i was embarrassed and let down by service and quality. maybe its changed hands over the years.
conclusion: if you are craving some basic japanese food and want something quick and inexpensive, head over to cafe mami in the porter exchange.
OISHII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(tastes good in japanese)
cheap yummy. and they have lots of sweetjapanese sodas. i realy enjoy the curry....mmmmm curry....mmmmm japanese food
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Don't even bother, the bowl of ramen is completely filled with MSG, I was comatized almost immediately after I finished my bowl. Mouth was dry as the Sahara (another side effect of MSG) and had to down a bottle of water as I was walking out.
Then again, it's located in a prime spot near Newbury street, that's probably the only positive thing about this place.
I'd only recommend it if you're immune from MSG and desperately craving for a bowl of noodle.
I'm probably unfairly biased since I work right down the street, but I love Men Tei! The service is fast, the waiters are friendly, the portions are huge, and the food isn't fancy but it gets the job done. The ramen is really good in the winter, and they have the best fried rice I've ever eaten (it actually DOESN'T taste like it's been sitting out all day!). I also recommend the fried chicken over rice.
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This is a tiny place that mostly just serves large bowls of noodle soup. While not expensive, it's not as cheap as anything you would find in Chinatown. The food is decent but is definitely a notch down from most other Japanese restaurants in the area.
meh-tei.
i've been here before and last time i had the kimchi ramen. i remembered this place being better before. i went last night after the spectacular yelp event at match. ate the roast pork ramen. uhh, not so much. maybe it was the combo of too many martinis and not enough juicy roast pork (yet too many dried pork slices), i'm not sure, but i wasn't feeling the noodles last night.
i think if i want to get my ramen on, i'll stick w/sapporo in porter exchange.
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Decent Japanese food. Like the chicken katsu fried rice here. Great rice dishes but the noodles are not as good as Sapporo in Porter Square. Good price considering its around the corner from Newbury.
They don't have the best ramen in town, but it's at a convenient Back Bay location and not as pricey as the surrounding restaurants. I usually get the miso-based ramen.
i love mentei!!!
ever since i discovered this little place on a side street by hynes convention center for quick and cheap eats, which is a rarity in the back bay area, i have been addicted. it is a little hard to find, but the key is to look for the blue banner with the japanese characters [also chinese characters -- generically meaning "noodle stall"]. i get their fried chicken ramen noodles every time...i can't seem to veer away from this choice...the ramen is done to the perfect al dente texture with lots of goodies floating in the broth served in a nice big bowl and a technologically advanced asian soup spoon that is notched to not allow it to fall in the delicious broth.
the restaurant is small and intimate, with the booths placed haphazardly wherever they fit. there is usually only one server there, usually some young, trendy japanese guy who speaks japanese to the other employees and regulars of the establishment, but also speaks perfect english without a trace of an accent to the customers. the space is so small with so few tables that one server is all that is needed. customer service is usually quick, and with a smile.
beware, with prices that are reasonable [it is not cheap for ramen but they do need to pay the rent in the back bay area], they take only cash.
i must admit, i am very confused by one prior review that ken's at super88 in allston is better. [see my review of ken's.] WHAT???
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This place feels like it should be in an alley in Tokyo. It has that greasy spoon, hole in the wall feel, but the soups and food are great and the portions are big for the price. If you're craving noodles and spent all your money shopping on Newbury, stop by here for a quick, cheap meal; don't expect to be understood completely unless you speak japanese.
I rejoiced when this place first opened many years ago. Previous to this, there was really no Japanese noodle place to speak off (I still shudder at the horror found at Goemon...did they improve since?) Unfortunately, Men Tei has gone down hill since the early days. I think the owner changed. The beef noodle one is still very good. Their fried rice is very good. But for ramen, Ken's in Super 88 food court in Allston is much better.
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