60 W 56th St
I was glad that part of Sunday bordered on chilly because I had ramen on the brain. And you can’t really do ramen when it’s 65 degrees. Men Kui Tei is a hole in the wall midtown staple, but a clean, friendly hole in the wall that fills up quickly and has slurping ramen lovers coming in and out all day.
Since the downtown ramen explosion it’s hard to call Men Kui Tei the best but it’s a hearty yummy bowl. I enjoyed rich tonkastsu broth and perfectly toothsome noodles and liked customizing with the chili oil and vinegar. Mike had the spicy ramen that wasn’t mouth numbing but gave a kick in the back of your throat with each bite.
Yes, broth and noodles were excellent, the only thing bringing it down were the toppings. I may have become spoiled by Ippudo’s perfectly roasted pork, but here it was a touch tough and bland and the veggies didn’t taste fresh.
Still, my ramen thirst was nicely quenched and it was a perfect filler before braving crowds at the Cindy Sherman show.
But what do you think?