Menkui-Tei Noodle Restaurant: Japanese Noodle and Ramen
Menkui-Tei
63 Cooper Square
(Btw 7th St & Astor Place)
New York, NY 10003
(212) 228-4152
You probably have passed this place a million times when you’re walking down to St Mark’s place or down on Cooper Square. I know I’ve been around here a trillion times and never noticed that right on the block where the pizzaria is and the hotel is that there lies on the middle of the block, a ramen shop that screams of a real japanese ramen like you would see in Japan.
It looks pretty small on the outside, but wait until you get inside. I had this preconceived notion that there was going to be a ramen bar, a few tables and that will be it, like how I see it in Japanese anime, like Naruto, lol, and on tv. But whoops, I am wrong. Inside the restaurant, there are tables that you can see by the window, and then there is a short hall leading into the back of the restaurant with more tables! Yeah!
Just know that this place is pretty spacious. If you’ve been to the other Japanese restaurants around the neighborhood, especially on St. Mark’s place, then you know what I mean.
I came by here around 5:30 and it was pretty quiet. By the time it hit 6:00, more and more people started to come, which I’m sure is a very good sign. The restaurant played very mellow Japanese music, which my bf absolutely loves, then followed by Evanescence, which wasn’t that cool. We both preferred it if they stick to mellow Japanese music, that way it makes the dining experience that much more pleasant. Now let’s start with the appetizers!
APPETIZERS!
Edamame, Gyoza, and Mabo Tofu. These are our favorite appetizers and we had to try it at least once to see if it’s better or worse than the others I have tasted. After trying all 3 dishes, if you think they’re nothing out of the ordinary, baby, you’re wrong, except perhaps the edamame. But I’ll tell you why.
Edamame – Lightly salted & boiled soy beans, Price: $3.25
I always say, the saltier the better. Here, they weren’t generous enough with the salt, which made it pretty darn bland. I’ve had edamame better at Gobo, the vegetarian restaurant, than here. But I must say, if you’re a fan of edamame, go for it. You can’t go wrong for the price and you can eat it like you do with peanuts
Not Recommended
Rating: 2/5
Gyoza – Fried pork dumplings (6 pieces), Price: $4.00
My god! These are the best gyozas I have ever had! The pork was nice, tender, and surprisingly juicy! I loved the skin, it wasn’t too thick and doughy and is cooked just right.
Recommended
Rating: 5/5
Mabo Tofu – Sauteed Spicy Ground Pork & Tofu, Price: $6.00
THE BEST MABO TOFU I HAVE EVER HAD! Straight up. The Chinese invented this dish, but the Japanese makes it better. No hatin’, no hatin.’ The tofu is fresh, rich and creamy like the kind of tofu that I had at Kyotofu. If you’ve been to Kyotofu, you’ll know what I mean. And also the good thing about this dish is that it’s not overwhelmingly spicy, like how I had it in the past in Chinese restaurants.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Rating: 5/5
RAMEN! NOODLES!
Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen – rich pork bone broth & soy sauce flavored noodle soup, Price: $7.50
The pork bone broth needs more salt, but at least it’s not loaded up with MSG. Honestly I’ve had my share of pork bone soups and broth and they’re pretty much bland. This however wasn’t bland and does have flavor, just that to me I didn’t think there was enough salt. The ramen is soft and delicious and it goes very well with the broth. The piece of pork is honestly bland and it was a little tough to chew, but it was alright. The ramen is really about the noodles and its broth.
Recommended
Rating: 4/5
Char- Shu Men – Soy Sauce Flavored Noodle Soup Topped w/ Extra Pcs of Roast Pork, Price: $8.75
After stealing a bite from my bf, the only thing I can say about this is that it is very enjoyable to eat. As you can see, there are the same pieces of pork that you saw with my noodles and some bamboo shoots. I am not a fan of soy sauce soup, but it compliments well with the pork, which is probably why my pork tasted bland and hard. My bf is a hardcore ramen eater and he loved this.
Recommended
Rating: 4/5
There are just so many things to try at this restaurant. I definitely would love to come back here and eat.
Now I leave with you with the NYC Health Inspection report!
MENKUITEI
63 COOPER SQUARE, MANHATTAN 10003
NYC Health Inspection Report
Current violation points: 4/28
Inspection Date: 07/24/2006
No violations that present a threat to the public health or relate directly to factors which lead to foodborne illness were recorded at the time of this inspection.
1.) “Choking first aid” poster not posted.”Alcohol and Pregnancy” Warning sign not posted. “Wash hands” sign not posted at hand wash facility. Resuscitation equipment: exhaled air resuscitation masks(adult & pediatric), latex gloves, sign not posted. Inspection report sign not posted.
2.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
Kunjip Korean Restaurant & BBQ
KUNJIP RESTAURANT
9 West 32 St
(212) 216-9487
Wow, I’ve been meaning to update my post. Sorry I haven’t been doing that because I’ve been so preoccupied! And when I had time, all I can do is sleep. But anyways, finally here’s a post on one of the many Korean restaurants that I need to do a post on.
I came here for a friend’s birthday this past April looking for something that’s not entirely BBQ and not entirely Korean, so I found this! Kunjip is a mixture of both, especially if you don’t want to spend so much on the barbeque or have too much of it. I did do research before I decided to come to this place, and there are a lot of reviews who totally digg this place. Of course I couldn’t totally trust them, but it did really motivate me to try this place out. Then I learned that one of my friends went there and told me that their bbq isn’t all that great and that’s it’s quite expensive — about $46 for two people for the bbq there. Yeah that sounds really expensive, but I figure that for that price you can split it with four people. I mean like for that price, they should totally give a lot of meat right? She told me she was really full, but thought it was expensive. She paid like $30, which I didn’t think it was bad. I think Korean in general is very expensive, because again it does take a lot of time to prepare, and I wouldn’t mind one bit to pay a little more.
When I first walked into the restaurant, I was missing a friend but figured we can still sit down since we were all hungry. With a party of 4 at that time, we walked in and asked the maitre’d if that was alright, which she told us that it was. At that time, the whole restaurant was entirely packed. I didn’t see a lot of people having barbecue, which made me wonder why. Maybe because the bbq is expensive? lol. I did see some tables with a metal top and figured that we needed that table for the bbq. But then we were directed to a regular table, which I asked the waiter why that was and he said the bbq will be served on a little hot pot?? Interesting. After we were seated, we told the waiter we needed a bigger table because another one of my friends were coming, and he was really nice and courtesy, and prepared another table there and then!! Great great service!!! More points to them really!
Alright, first off, appetizers!
Appetizers
All this was for free. At some places they give you more, but this is still pretty good. The kimichi was very good here and well as the stringbeans. I wasn’t a fan of the white jelly drenched in soy sauce and scallions, but I was told that it is cool and smooth to eat.
Kimchi Panjun – kimchi pancake, Price: $12.95
My god, all I have to say is this pancake is mucho mucho spicy!! I know Kimchi is supposed to be spicy, but this was burning my mouth like crazy!! It was a painful experience, but strangely it tasted pretty alright. Maybe because I was really hungry. Hey, Lol, doesn’t this look like a pizza? It does come in a whole pie, not that big like you would with a pizza, but it’s certainly not worth the $13.
Recommended: No, unless you feel like splurging a little and love spicy food.
Rating: 3/5 – Good
Man Doo Gui – Fried dumplings, Price: Small (shown below) – $8.95 // Large – $12.95
Honestly, these are the best korean dumplings I have ever had in my whole entire life. It’s nice and crispy on the outside, but not too crispy, and soft and juicy on the inside. I think the inside has marinated pork, leek, and something else. There is a fair share of meat inside and it meshes very well with its crispy skin.
Recommended: Yes!
Rating: 5/5
Entrees
Gobdol Bibimbob – rice on the heated stone pot with assorted vegetables, ground beef and egg, served with red pepper paste on the side, Price: $ 12.95
I didn’t have this personally, but I did have a little taste of it. My friend who ordered this thought it was pretty good. A lot of places would cook it pretty bland, but this place does it pretty well. It can definitely be better, but it’s alright.
Recommended: Yes
Rating: 4/5 – Very good
Barbecue
My bf and I decided not to get the $50 bbq for two, because we didnt want the ox-tongue or the beef briskets:
Bbq Combination (For 2) Sang Sam Gyup Sal & Chadol Baeki & Hyu Mit Gui – grilled slices of pork, beef briskets and thin slices of ox-tongue.
So instead we ordered the Doi Ji Gal Bi Gui:
Doi Ji Gal Bi Gui – grilled boneless pork ribs marinated in soy sauce, $17.95
Je Yook Gui – grilled sliced pork strips marinated in spicy sauce, $18.95
A waitress will come and periodically check on the meat to see if it’s done. As she’s cooking it, let me tell you how strong that aroma is!! People from other tables are looking at our table with envy, I’m sure, and even the new people that came ordered the bbq as well! Let me tell you, oh man, both the meats are so sweet and succulent! Trust me, you gotta have it with a side of rice. Even though the rice was purple, it still tastes like rice and it went well with the meat. Oh my gosh. Wow, it was the best pieces of meats thanks to them marinating it! But it really wasn’t enough for 4 people.
Recommended: Yes to both! But it’s pretty pricey.
Rating: 4/5 – Very good
I probably would not come here for bbq because it’s not worth the price, but I will definitely come here for the korean food. I do highly recommend people to come here, especially if they want a mixture of both bbq and korean.
KUNJIP RESTAURANT
9 WEST 32 STREET, MANHATTAN 10001
212-216-9485
NYC Health Inspection
Current violation points: 25/28
Inspection Date: 10/26/2006
Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
1.) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained.
2.) Food contact surface not properly maintained.
3.) Thawing procedures improper.
4.) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
5.) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
6.) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
Previous Inspection Results
Prem-On Thai Restaurant
Prem-On Thai
138 W Houston St
btw MacDougal & Sullivan St
(212) 353-2338
Thai food in new york city is always pretty much moderate to expensive. The reason being that it takes forever to prepare for the food, since there’s so much that goes into it. Plus it ends up looking very artistic, unlike the cheap Chinese food that you can get down the block. Hey, you pay for you get. But yes, this cuisine traditionally ranges from sweet to ultra spicy, and soft to crunchy. Here at Prem-On you’ll get a variety of flavors that will blow your mouth away. I prefer a thai place that doesn’t light my mouth up on fire every time. Grrr–
After a quick recommendation by my friend, Roma, I knew I had to come here. She had told me that a friend that she grew up with in Thailand opened up this restaurant. Right there, I give this place a few extra points because it seems to be authentic thai. Now, don’t go crazy on me, but I’ve been to a share of Thai places before and not all of them have Thai chefs or owner. I believe originality plays a vital role in a cuisine. Hands up.
Now, I brought a friend, Vicky, who has never had Thai before. This is good because then she wouldn’t have a bias tongue and it will be a clear indicator if this place is good. Thai food simply cannot go wrong. The only thing that does go wrong are simply in it’s ingredients, which even then is rare.
Upon arriving to the restaurant, I can’t help but notice how a little things reminded me of SEA Thai Bistro. As we were waiting for seats, the lovely Roma was the maitre’d for the evening and she arranged a table for us. I love that girl. I can already see that this place is very trendy and it is packed. That’s a good sign for me.
This is just the front of the restaurant. There’s actually a lot more room than I thought since there’s an extension and an extra back room to the right.
Now appetizers!
Steamed Thai Chicken Dumplings stuff with chicken, shallot, peanut, and radish in a traditional thai rice and wrap
Price $6
At this time, me and Vicky was extremely tired and hungry. We did not know that we have ordered this, and of course we didn’t, but we figured it was part of our Mixed Appetizer since the steamed thai chicken dumpling was supposed to be part of it.
Anyways, long story short, this is my first time having a thai dumpling like this, and I must say it is excellent. It is soft, moist and tender, with a hint of sweetness, and the peanut gives it a giant kick! Yumm! Unlike regular dumplings that are usually fried, this is steamed like a dim sum.
Rating – 5/5 Excellent!! Highly recommended!
After we had that, our actual appetizer came, which was the Mixed Appetizer.
Mix Appetizers steamed chicken dumpling, thai spring rolls, and kanom jeeb served with dipping sauces
Price: $8
Seeing how we were hungry and wasn’t in the mood on spending a lot of money on appetizers, we figured that we would order the sampler and see how that would go. Apparently Vicky did not know what a spring roll was, and when it finally came, she didn’t like it because it was fried. Honestly, this sampler is not that special, and I can say you’re better off ordering something else like a handroll or a duck roll unless you’re not feeling that hungry and wanted to try the thai version’s of dim sum. But I gotta say, the dipping sauces, especially kanom jeeb, went very well with the spring roll. Never again with the samplar. Ahhh. I think it’s only because I had that free appetizer which filled me up.
Rating – 2.5/5
Recommended: No
Next off was the Spicy Thai Crabcake fresh maryland crabmeat stuffed with thai herbs and spices
Price: $7
This is by far one of the best crabcake I have ever eaten before. I know, I know, this is a thai restaurant and I should be eating “thai” food, but I must say, the chef did an excellent job to this dish. The meat was very tender, moist, and succulent with juices literally flowing out when you bite into it. You have to be careful with it because it falls apart quickly when you poke into it. One was enough to get me full, so don’t underestimate this dish.
Rating: 5/5
Recommended: Yes
At this time my Thaiteani, cute spinoff of martini, came.
Price: $9
This is a very strong drink that is loaded with absolut vodka so don’t be fooled by it’s color and cuteness. It certainly made me tipsy on a couple of sips, and I am not a lightweight. I would still recommend this drink, especially if you know what it is and you like something a little strong. If you don’t, then stay away from this.
Entrees
Thai Orange Duck crispy roasted duck topped with a sweet orange, ginger and scallion sauce & comes with a side of rice
Price: $17
Vicky’s pick of the night and that poor girl was already stuffed from all the appetizers. She tells me that this is a very tasty juicy duck. For a girl who’s very picky about food, I believed her, that and I had a taste for myself and it was deee-licious! The duck is oven roasted as you can see, so it’s not fried up or anything like that. Although the presentation is sorta lacking, this is still a very good duck, but not as good as the way how the Chinese make their ducks.
Rating: 4/5
Recommended: Yes if you’re not looking to have anything too entirely ethnic.
Roasted Duck Noodles stir-fried flat rice noodles with shredded roasted duck, red onion, egg and bean sprouts served on romaine
Price: $10
This looks awfully Chinese, because of the rice noodles, bean sprout, and eggs, but there’s duck on this and romaine lettuce which I both love. But when it comes to the flavor of this dish, it meets expectations! The duck is a little dry, but that’s alright because when the chef stir-fried this, the juices and fat got sucked into the rice noodle, which is okay because it gives that greasy ducky taste. I’m already impressed that the dish of noodles is placed on a cute little wok. Very cute. But yes, you can’t imagine how much I like this dish, I really truly do.
Rating: 5/5
Recommended: Hell yes!! I love it! And it kinda breaks away from traditional thai food.
At this time me and Vicky were incredibly stuffed. Heck we couldn’t even finish our entrees and had it wrapped to go. During the whole entire time, the waiter was really really nice to me. I regret not remembering his name, but he’s very sweet and soft spoken. He is like the first waiter who encouraged me to take pictures everywhere!
The only thing I regret was being in food coma. Remember people, ALWAYS TIP YOUR WAITERS IN CASH! I forgot to do that to my waiter and I think he was a little disappointed. Whoops! Totally forgot. Next time when I go there, I’ll definitely give him a little more!
Overall Rating: 4/5 – Very good!
Recommended: Hells yes! I love this place. My friend Roma definitely did not let me down.
I definitely have to come back to this place again because there were so many things that I wanted to try, but I couldn’t! That is why I must come back. Now, to show you how they perform in the city’s health department inspection:
PREM-ON
138 WEST HOUSTON STREET, MANHATTAN 10012
Current violation points: 17/27
Inspection Date: 08/07/2006
Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
1.) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
2.) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140°F to 70°F or less within 2 hours and from 70°F to 45°F or less within 4 additional hours.
