Great ramen. I highly recommend getting the shio ramen without the red onions, and opt for the chicken instead of pork chashu. Skip the karaage and go for the delicious gyoza or takoyaki instead. I generally think tonkotsu is overrated; a light chicken ramen done well (like in here) can taste just as complex and perhaps more elegant. Plus, you get to walk out without feeling like you’ve downed an entire brick. Ordering the shio instead of shoyu or truffle will allow you to maximally enjoy the pristine chicken flavor. I recommend asking for no red onions because it can overpower the broth. Ramen is evaluated on three components: soup, noodle, and toppings. They’ve got the soup down pat. Very flavorful. The noodles had a great bite. For me, mushy noodles is a dealbreaker, so I was very glad to get firm noodles. The only thing they need to improve is the topping. I noticed they struggled with cooking proteins, perhaps because they haven’t figured out the role of salt in changing the structure of muscle fibers. The sous vide chicken was soft but I wouldn’t describe it as juicy, which is what I’d expect from this cooking method. Adding salt to the bag should solve it. The pork chashu was also a bit dry and gummy, not cooked long enough. Plus, the meats could’ve benefited from being warmed up, as they were fridge cold. This issue extends to non-toppings: the karaage was dry and stringy, which would not happen if it was allowed to marinate amply in soy sauce, enough time for the salt to alter the muscle fibers. I know the takoyaki is probably pre-made frozen because it was deep-fried, but I’m now so curious what brand it is. It was perfect. Generously big chunks of octopus were surrounded by soft and gooey batter the consistency of molten lava cake, with the noticeable taste of pickled ginger. It came with all the proper sauces and toppings. It’s the best takoyaki I’ve had that does not involve a takoyaki pan.
Menya Ramen House
Excerpts
Great ramen. I highly recommend getting the shio ramen without the red onions, and opt for the chicken instead of pork chashu. Skip the karaage and go for the delicious gyoza or takoyaki instead. I generally think tonkotsu is overrated; a light chicken ramen done well (like in here) can taste just as complex and perhaps more elegant. Plus, you get to walk out without feeling like you’ve downed an entire brick. Ordering the shio instead of shoyu or truffle will allow you to maximally enjoy the pristine chicken flavor. I recommend asking for no red onions because it can overpower the broth. Ramen is evaluated on three components: soup, noodle, and toppings. They’ve got the soup down pat. Very flavorful. The noodles had a great bite. For me, mushy noodles is a dealbreaker, so I was very glad to get firm noodles. The only thing they need to improve is the topping. I noticed they struggled with cooking proteins, perhaps because they haven’t figured out the role of salt in changing the structure of muscle fibers. The sous vide chicken was soft but I wouldn’t describe it as juicy, which is what I’d expect from this cooking method. Adding salt to the bag should solve it. The pork chashu was also a bit dry and gummy, not cooked long enough. Plus, the meats could’ve benefited from being warmed up, as they were fridge cold. This issue extends to non-toppings: the karaage was dry and stringy, which would not happen if it was allowed to marinate amply in soy sauce, enough time for the salt to alter the muscle fibers. I know the takoyaki is probably pre-made frozen because it was deep-fried, but I’m now so curious what brand it is. It was perfect. Generously big chunks of octopus were surrounded by soft and gooey batter the consistency of molten lava cake, with the noticeable taste of pickled ginger. It came with all the proper sauces and toppings. It’s the best takoyaki I’ve had that does not involve a takoyaki pan.
We tried both vegetarian options on the menu, and they were well prepared. The portion sizes were satisfying and the service was good. The flavors were balanced , especially since vegetarian ramen can be hit or miss at many places. That said, I do wish the bowls had been a bit more generous with the vegetables.
We tried both vegetarian options on the menu, and they were well prepared. The portion sizes were satisfying and the service was good. The flavors were balanced , especially since vegetarian ramen can be hit or miss at many places. That said, I do wish the bowls had been a bit more generous with the vegetables.
Jenna, thank you for the black garlic oil recommendation and thank you for you friendly spirit. You definitely leveled up my DoorDash experience. Highly recommend Shoyu with ajitama, and black garlic oil.. it was 10/10! The chicken was fresh, so were the noddles , and the broth was so amazing it wasn’t oily and it wasn’t too watery it was made just right. Probably the best ramen I’ve ever had in NJ !