The hiyashi from Men Kui Tei ($8.50) was topped with roast pork, bean sprouts, shredded egg, cucumber, picked ginger and a piece of fake crab stick with a spoonful of mustard on the side. The toppings were excellent, especially the amount of pickled ginger they put on top (I can never get enough of that stuff.)  The ramen was a little chewy and when I got to the bottom (where the ramen had been soaking in the broth for about 30mins) it was quite salty. Overall it was still tasty and I understood the saltiness at the bottom was partially my fault for getting it to go. Maybe next time I’ll ask them if they can put the broth in a separate container or dine-in.

Besides Men Kui Tei and Sapporo, has anybody seen cold ramen anywhere else?

Men Kui Tei, 60 W. 56th St. (btw. 5 & 6th), 212-757-1642

I know I promised to ease up on the Asian soups, but I’ve been sick all week… so back off! Sure, a good bowl of matzoh ball soup might have been tempting- but you know what is more tempting? A gigantic bowl of ramen. (Because this fat Jewish boy tends to react better to pork broth than chicken broth.)  I was totally inspired by Blondie and Brownie’s post about the tonkotsu ramen at Men Kui Tei (on 56th btw. 5+6th) on Monday, and it’s been a long time since I had slurped a bowl of what I called Best Ramen in Midtown back in 2007.

Apparently 1:45pm is the time to hit up Men Kui Tei. At 12:15 the line is out the door, but at 1:45pm I quickly got a seat at the near empty bar. I toyed with the idea of ordering one of their menu delicious sounding soups (miso ramen being my usual goto), but the milky tonkotsu called to me.

And it didn’t disappoint. I’ve never tried Sapporo’s “more salty” version, but this soup was plenty salty enough… probably too much so for some. But the pork was delicious, and the ginger added a nice tang to the pork bone broth. The only thing I didn’t love was the ramen itself, which tasted a little more like pre packaged top ramen than I would have liked. (Still ate it all though…) I guess now I’ll have to try Sapporo’s version.

Men Kui Tei, 60 W. 56th St. (btw. 5 & 6th), 212-757-1642

One of the three places is right next to my office, and I wrote about it a few weeks ago.  Sapporo.  Highly recommended, and considered pretty authentic, many people claim it is the closest thing to a real Japanese ramen place.  I enjoyed my lunch there, and I’ll definitely recommend it and eat there again.  But for some people, Sapporo might be a far walk, or a little too authentic (i.e. dirty) and the ingredients are on the cheap side.  So with that in mind, you have another option:  Men Kui Tei on 56th between 5th & 6th ave.

In comparison to Sapporo, Men Kui Tei is definitely a more “business” environment.  The decor is a little nicer (if that’s what you’re into), but it’s also a lot smaller, and fills up much easier (a big drawback if you are in a rush and don’t get there early enough).  In fact, we got there at 12:15pm, and still have to wait 5 minutes for a table.  By the time we left at 12:50, there were about 8-10 people lined up along the wall inside the doorway.  I would definitely recommend getting there early.  In fact, they even offer an Early Bird special.  Get there before 12:15pm and an order of Gyoza are $2.50 (instead of $4) and the “Set Menu” Curry Rice or Fried Rice is $1.50 (instead of $3.00).

Pictures of what we got, and the +/- after the jump…

Gyoza
fried pork dumplings ($4.00)

Miso Ramen
miso flavored noodle soup w/ roast pork, bean sprout, bamboo shoot and scallion ($7.50)

Hiyashi Ramen
cold noodle salad with sesame seed sauce, bean sprouts, chopped roast pork, cucumber, egg, imitation crab and pickled ginger $8.50

To me, you can’t go wrong with Gyoza. Some people may be able to find fault with these, but they tasted fine to me.  The Miso Ramen was delicious, with a much better quality of pork then Sapporo.  The Hiyashi Ramen is a perfect summertime treat.  It is described as  cold noodle salad, but since there is some cold broth at the bottom, I like to think of it more like a cold soup.  All the toppings were delicious, and because the pork was chopped, it seemed better and less fatty then the roast pork in the hot soup.

All in all I really enjoyed my lunch, and while I’m sure many people will disagree with me, I think Men Kui Tei is now my favorite Ramen place in Midtown.  But I will still go to Sapporo on those days when I don’t feel like walking…  In the end, we don’t have enough good places in Midtown to rule out one or the other.  They’re both great- and are worth the trip!

THE +

• Reasonably priced, quick and delicious
• Great cold soup dishes for the summertime
• Early bird specials if you are willing to show up before 12:15pm
• A little bit nicer decor then Sapporo and the ingredients seem a little better
• If you work on the North or North East side of Midtown- this is your place

THE -

• If you work close to Sapporo and enjoy it, this might not be worth the extra walk (but it’s still a good place to try!)
• Really small, so it gets pretty crowded, pretty quick.  You’ve got to get there early if you don’t want to wait
• It’s a more “business” enivronment then Sapporo, which may seem more authentic to some
• Cash only, no credit cards

Men Kui Tei, 60 W. 56th St. (btw. 5 & 6th), 212-757-1642