Menkui Tei (Village)

Directly around the corner from St. Mark’s place (on 3rd Avenue) sits the village location of Menkui Tei.  I’d previously been to the midtown location, and been pleased with the noodles but not so much with the broth. 

On this occasion, after a few hours of hard shopping, BB and I fought starvation and decided on Menkui Tei (Village), because it was near a few more stores we wanted to hit, because it was cold out and what better weather for ramen?!, and because… she wanted to.  Haha.  Good choice (though we wound up taking a bit of time to eat, and the store we really wanted to hit closed before we got there!- but Beard Papa’s stayed open a few minutes past its normal closing time of 9, so I managed to score 3 banana and 3 chocolate, since they’d tragically sold out of my fave, vanilla). 

We each picked an appetizer special to split, BB going with grilled/deep fried baby octopus as she’d had it and enjoyed it previously, and myself going with sukiyaki croquette because Japanese croquettes are just wonderful things- deep fried, crispy on the outside but mealy and soft and yummy on the inside. 

baby octopus, deep fried delicious
$4.50

sukiyaki croquette
$4.50

The octopus was delightfully crispy on the outside, yielding gently to my bite.  It had the generous chew of octopus with a subtle flavor of the sea, that wonderful saltiness that means you’re eating fresh seafood.  I enjoyed this very much, although I was a bit disturbed when I realized… baby octopus and it looks like it!  Then I kept eating and all was forgiven.

The sukiyaki croquette (I should have taken a picture of the inside! oops!) broke open to reveal a potato and meat mixture, with the meat’s texture contrasting, yet so soft that it almost melted along with the potato right in your mouth.  A tangy sauce accompanied for dipping- I suggested it was katsu sauce, while BB said it was a bit more sour than katsu sauce.  We finally settled on it being the sauce that cheaper places give you with katsu, because I was positive a place near our offices served it with katsu, while other places serve sauces with more of a subtle, apple sweetness to the sauce with their katsu. 

For our main course, we both opted for the tonkatsu ramen.

tonkatsu ramen (deep pork bone broth with roast pork, scallions, and pickled ginger, which I took off)
$7.75

The broth was deeply flavored, rich and very soothing to the very deepest part of your insides.  It was not oily, as I’d noted about the broth (a different kind, though) at the midtown location.  The noodles, again, were satisfying to a fault- chewy but not uncooked, soft without being overcooked.  However, and I’m chalking this up to personal taste, I just prefer another kind from another restaurant. 

On another note, though, there was a special where you paid an extra $3 to any noodle’s price and got a small fried rice or curry rice with your meal.  BB had been talking about Japanese curry and how good it was for days (check her site!) so I was keen on trying it, and opted to add this on.  However, I was so full, choosing to eat the noodles first (because otherwise, they’d get cold and soggy, which is never a good thing), by the time I got around to this, I only took a bite before exclaiming how I was either going to blow up or throw up, neither appealing to me.  BB wisely suggested taking it to go, so I had it today for lunch, and it was pretty good, though a touch spicy (which, from her descriptions, I hadn’t expected).  Very little meat but the curry was good, a distinct flavor specific to Asian curries. 

small curry rice

Overall, the place was good, with standout delicious appetizers that I would definitely order again.  But the complete noodle dish just didn’t do it for me- I much prefer another place (Ony), but I’ve also been to Ony a billion times and have had a chance to try many of their various dishes. 

Yvo says: If you’re right there and want ramen, definitely go in!  If you’re on the east side and want ramen- of course!  I’d even take a trip here for the ramen, though in all likelihood, since Ony is crosstown from Menkui Tei, I’d have to choose based on what else I wanted to do that night (particularly if it’s cold, else the walk in either direction isn’t bad).  A solidly good place with great appetizers and good noodles, good curry. 
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