“Irasshaimase” is the greeting that welcomes every diner entering a restaurant in Japan. New York’s east village ramen noodle shop, Men Kui Tei, welcomes their predominately Japanese clientele with this same phrase. Its location, at 63 Cooper Square, is in close proximity to both Starbucks and McDonalds and feels about as far away from Japan as possible, yet stepping into this noodle shop is like a step into one of the many that line Tokyo’s busy streets. The rich aroma of pork and soy sauce, paired with the rapid muffled Japanese chatter from nearby tables, was enough to transport me to a country I’ve heard stories about for years — often stories about food. First I heard about sukiyaki from my father who lived there as a child, later about sushi from my half brother studying ninjutsu, and most recently about ramen from my boyfriend who returned last summer from a semester abroad in those far eastern islands. Sukiyaki became a family staple and sushi a longtime favorite after hearing of them as foreign wonders — ramen was something different.
Until last summer ramen was perfectly familiar to me. I thought it was about as untraditional a food as there could be. If I had played the word association game with “ramen” my responses would have been a mix of the following: fake, MSG, “salty but otherwise tasteless,” Top Ramen, “not for me.” Yet most Japanese people, along with my western boyfriend, father, and half-brother, would disagree. Top Ramen is a sort of pathetic, packaged spin on a really good thing. Yes, traditional Japanese ramen is a noodle soup, but that is the only link between the delicious traditional meal and its packaged and chemically flavored counterpart. Traditional ramen is a comforting noodle soup composed of freshly made wheat noodles and a base of homemade broth. There are a variety of different broths offered at Men Kui Tei. The choices include tonkotsu, a pork bone broth that is cloudy and slightly sweet; shio, a salt-flavored broth; shoyu, a soy sauce flavored broth; a miso broth, or a spicy miso broth. A bowl can have a variety of different foods such as roast or ground pork, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, seafood, scallions, sautéed vegetables, tofu, and/or wantons. But they all come with thin, springing al dente noodles. The ramen noodle in the soup is actually a type of traditional Chinese noodle, but the dish is certainly Japanese. The use of these Chinese noodles in this dish is an example of how trade and communication between cultures can help food traditions evolve, such as the use of the tomato (a plant native to the Americas) in Italian cooking.
Men Kui Tei has a wide variety of ramen, many more then I’ve seen in other restaurants since the search for good traditional ramen began this past spring. When my boyfriend returned from his semester in Japan, he was adamant that we find ramen to satisfy his constant cravings. So far we’ve been to shops in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City. Men Kui Tei has proven the most spot on. I have tried three different ramen at Men Kui Tei: a traditional Shoyu Ramen, with sliced roast pork, bean spouts, and bamboo shoots; Yasai Ramen, with tonkotsu broth and an exotic array of sautéed vegetables (the mushrooms are scrumptious!); and Sutamina (stamina) Ramen, my favorite, with spicy miso broth, a mix of ground and roast pork, seaweed, bean sprouts, and a fried egg.
Men Kui Tei is a true taste of Japan — one that’s meant to be slurped.
I had sushi tonight…more than my usual amount. But then again, there was a special half price offer and I was feeding my hunger for the past. However, the only soup (not ramen) offered was miso. Nevertheless, it was warm, salty and comforting. Japanese food will always be associated with my son, who could consume vast quantities of sushi. I think he would have liked the ramen choices you mentioned…wish he could taste them all. Thanks for the update on this new spot in New York.
Did you know a good noodle shop in Boston? Why can’t we have places like that in the country?
Sapporo Ramen is a decent shop in Porter Square, another Cambridge neighborhood near Huron Village. Their ramen is good, but its a limited selection (no spicy miso, my favorite). Its located on Mass Ave. right near the Porter Square redline stop. The phone number is (617) 876-4805, but I would probably google the location instead of call. It’s a little tricky to find because its inside a Japanese market place, but the scene is interesting in of itself if you’re in the area. I hope that helps! Have a great trip!