Wonderful things always seem to come in little packages.  Such is the case with Men Kui Tei, a little hole in the wall ramen shop located in the Midtown East section of  New York City.  Reminiscent of the hole in the wall ramen shops that I went to as a kid, I was hit with nostalgia almost the instant I stepped into this place.

It was about lunch time on a week day and already a line had started to form along the wall opposite the open kitchen.  Men Kui Tei offers both table seating and counter seating that overlooks the open kitchen.  We waited a bit, but the turnover was quick and efficient, that within 10 minutes or so, we were seated at the counter, close enough to witness the chefs create wonderful dishes.

While Men Kui Tei also serves donburi dishes (Chuka Don, Mabo Don, Curry Rice, Oyako Don and Katsu Don) the star of the show here is their ramen.  Ramen noodles with close to perfect chewiness.  A savory broth that is not only comforting, but tasty.  Wonderful pieces of roasted pork that not only acts as a garnish, but is a perfect complement to the overall dish.  I wanted to drown myself in ramen, but because we had a long day ahead (and definitely more eating to do), I kept my order to my usual ramen (shoyu ramen) and side dishes (kim chee and gyoza) and was truly content by the end of the meal.

Shoyu Ramen

Kim Chee (which eventually ended up in my ramen – yumm yumm)

Gyoza

Tonkotsu Ramen (ordered by my other lunch buddies)

After this wonderful lunch, we walked a couple blocks north to Central Park to walk off the carbs we had just consumed.  The afternoon was spent strolling in the park.  I might have pushed my Canon Xsi to its limit by taking pictures of anything and everything.  We enjoyed a few moments at Bethesda Terrace, watching and listening to the water fall gracefully and hypnotically.  We also took in an impromtu gathering of local musicians at Strawberry Fields to honor John Lennon’s birthday.  And the entire time, I was totally content in probably my most favorite spot in all of New York City.

IT WAS A GOOD DAY!

Happy Spooning and Forking!

*****

Men Kui Tei

60 W. 56th Street (between 5th and 6th Ave.)

New York, New York 10019

Phone:  212.757.1642