Menchanko 55

I LOVE this restaurant! It's like a small hole in the wall restaurant with few tables and a small bar you can eat at. Always busy and full but worth the wait too. The waitstaff is very accommodating, and they have the best ramen in the city! I often have lunch there, and it really hits the spot! I love their noodle soup combinations. And very reasonably priced. I would never go anywhere else for Japanese noodles. They also have great oden. LOVE this place! more

This is one of the best noodle shops in New York I have to say... but, the service is no where near any Near York's standard. I waited almost 30 minutes this weekend to get in for lunch by myself, they sat the 2 people's party ahead of me, 4 people's party after me.. and told me that I have to wait for another 10-15 minutes?! Not that they don't have table open up, but they chose to sit larger group base on the profit. It was very disappointing and you know something, this will never happen in Korean town where they sit small and larger group orderly without discremination. My suggestion is, if you want a bowl of good noodles, this is the place, but don't expect anything else. As for the ""insect"", I did see a couple walking by casually in the last few years I visited the place but not in my soup. Pros: good food Cons: bad service more

I've been to Menchanko-Tei several times and have always had good experiences with it. However, when I went there today for lunch, I was very shocked to find an ""insect"" (you know, the brown insect that's been around for centuries. citysearch wouldn't let me use this word in my review) in the Ramen nooddle soup I ordered. What disappointed me more was the way they handled the situation. When I called the guy at the cashier (I assumed he was the manager) over and pointed out the ""insect"", he simply asked me if I wanted a new bowl of soup or if I wanted him to cancel the order. There was no apology at all! When I said I'd prefer not to get another bowl of the soup, he just left. Though they didn't charge me for the noodle soup, I was still billed for $2 (because I ordered a Ramen+Fried rice combo in which you pay $2 more for the fried rice), even though I only ate half of my fried rice and was too grossed out to finish it. Being a non-confrontational person, I decided to just leave for good. As I walked past the cashier, both the hostess and the guy who took my soup away just looked the other way, leaving me a worse after taste than that sight of that ""insect"" in my soup. Pros: Food tastes good Cons: Bad Sanitary standard, bad service more

I won't say this is the best ramen soup I've had. I go to the food court in Mitsuwa market (NJ) for that, but locally, this is pretty good! I had the pork menchanko and I was surprised to find two huge chunks of pork with more fat than meat on it. However, when I bit into it, the taste was awesome and I got over my initial hesitation. \r The soup base is not too salty, which was a relief for me. I can't stand excess saltiness. It was just enough to enhance the other flavors in the soup and no more. I would recommend this place. There is a little place tucked away in the back and the service is quick. Pros: Good soup base more

We love this little restaurant! It's become our Sunday brunch place on many occasions when we want something other than the typical brunch fair. The food is fantastic (favorite is Kimchi menchanko), but all the other items (soba, ramen, oden) are excellent. Service is very fast and you can't beat the price. We have recommended this place to all of our friends who instantly love this place as much as we do. This place is awesome especially in the winter season if you're in the mood for a nice hot noodle soup. Pros: Food, prompt service, price more

I come to this place frequently as I work several blocks away. They have excellent noodles - both their ramen and mechenko. All of their broths are great. Noodles are fresh. The serving sizes are good enough to not order an appetizer. Their dumplings are pretty good too. You'll spend about 8-10 on a bowl of noodles. There's usually wait to eat during weekday lunchtime but the wait is usually not very long as their service is fast. Waitresses are always friendly. Good value in midtown manhattan. Pros: Great Noodle Soup, Fast Service more

Big portions of ramen noodles get served in cauldrons of broth. Love the original Menchanko! Also, be sure to try some of the appetizers like the shrimp and egg gyoza and riceballs. My favorite is the Ume Riceball more

This place has a selection of Izakaya (appetizer menu) as well as a good variety of noodle soups to offer. Lunch specials are especially good value, while during dinner time there is a lot of little interesting appetizers available. Good food, good value, no fuss. Pros: good food, reasonable price more

Amazing ramen noodles. Best I've ever had. Ranks as one of the best noodle houses in city behind Soba-Ya and Onigashima. more

Menchankotei is decent food. Their strongest dishes are grilled and the Oden(a great traditional cold weather food). The space is cramped, but the location is good. Just because Japanese people are working and eating there does not mean its good. If you want REALLY good ramen, go around the block to Men-Kui-tei or Tan-Tan-ramen downtown. What Menchankotei does well, they excel at, but it isn't the ramen. Pros: location, price(reasonable), selection Cons: small more

one of the best japanese noodle shops in the city. Pros: good value Cons: hard to get a seat, service could improve more

Yes, Japanese businessmen from nearby offices often dine here. The owner is apparently Japanese as well and the menu is authentic-looking. But if you want to spend good money on quality Japanese cuisine, skip this place. I had the ramen and the portion was rather small... I finished the noodles and was still hungry. Not going back. Cons: small portions more