Not the best, but decent for a midtown lunch.

Menchanko Tei serves decent ramen, not the most authentic but definitely acceptable. The service is fast and their prices are not too bad. They have two locations, both in midtown (131 E 45th St & 43 W 55th St), the 55 St location was under renovations a month ago and I’m not sure if they have re-opened yet.

During my last visit to the 45th St location I tired their Hakata and Shoyu ramen, both were respecable but not comparable to Ippudo nor Santoka. Their gyoza gets a huge “Don’t Buy”, it  not fresh and tastes like it’s from a package. Overall, I like Menchanko Tei for lunch, but only for it’s ramen and nothing else.

Pork Dumplings – $4.75

Hakata Ramen w/ Mochi – $10 (8.50+1.50)

Sapporo is a “has been” in the ramen market, they’re no longer what they use to be. I came here last saturday hoping to have some decent ramen, but instead I was greeted with watery ill flavored broth, overcooked noodles that taste like cardboard and toppings that were bland. The waiter also forgot to put in my order of gyoza, but I’m glad she forgot. It saved me $5 on flavorless dumplings that I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed anyway, this coming from my friend who previously ate at Sapporo and had the dumplings. In addition to their tasteless ramen, they also enforce a 18.4% service charge on your bill regardless of party size. I can understand enforcing a service charge on large parties, but for a party of two where the waiter does not take my order properly they’re not deserving of a 18.4% tip regardless of the actual amount. Now I’m a fair tipper and I tend to leave a larger than average percentage, but this is just wrong. One can only image why Sapporo started enforcing a service charge, perhaps many left low or no tip because their food/service is so awful. Needless to say, I won’t be dining here again.

Menma Ramen – $7.50

Shio Ramen – $7.50

Santoka is well known for its ramen shops in Japan, where they have dozens of locations. Outside of Japan they have only seven, six in the States (one in New Jersey) and the remainder in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay). They’re famous for their delicious ramen noodles in a full-flavor soup. When it comes to ramen, the soup is just as important as the noodles and Santoka has them both. Their noodles are fresh and their soup is amazingly good. They have three serving sizes (small, regular and large) and four soup bases (salt, miso, spicy miso and soy sauces) to choose from. My favorite is the shio (salt) and if your like me who likes an egg with my ramen, I recommend getting the set. For additional $2 you get an egg and your choice of side rice. You can find Santoka in the food court section of the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ. Be prepared to wait on line, this place has a huge following and gets really busy on the weekends. In like-Japanese fashion, Santoka only accepts cash so don’t bank on using the plastic here. Overall, Santoka is great place for ramen, probably the best in New Jersey, but Ippudo is still the best I’ve ever had in the US.

Realistic replicas of items on their menu

Their menu as of April 16, 2009

Shio and Shoyu Ramen set

I’m not a huge fan of ramen but, this place Rocks.

I went there for dinner at 7 on a Friday night and had to wait about 45 mins but, definitely worth the wait (they don’t take reservations). The Shiomaru Moto Sji is simply the best bowl of ramen I have ever had. If you’re still starving after one bowl, which most are, you can add a kae-dama (another ball of noodles). Now if you are longing for more after a second round, they also allow you to add a third ball of noddles, in which case they will also provide you with extra soup for free (but I would’t do this too often).

The Matcha Brulee (green tea pudding) is a good ending to your meal. Stay away from the fruit in champagne.