Passionate About Restaurants

Destination Dishes: Tonkotsu Ramen at Men Kui Tei

By Elizabeth S. Bennett

If you ever find yourself sitting at a ramen counter in Japan and your neighbor whispers, "Nani ha?" be prepared to respond. He is asking you which type of ramen soup you prefer, and you'd better be decisive.

Ramen preference is thought to be a reflection of character in Japan, sort of like an astrological sign. Strictly translated,"Nani ha?" means, "Which clan are you with?" If you're eating ramen, the ha represents the broth in which the noodles are served - shio (salt), shoyu (soy), miso or tonkotsu, a pork flavored broth.

All of the traditional ramen dishes at Men Kui Tei are satisfying, but my 'ha' is tonkotsu, and it's worth the trip to eat it here. The pale-colored broth is rich and earthy, thanks to a double boiling process that extracts the maximum amount of marrow from the pig's thighbones. The richness is built into the broth, rather than coming from a single ingredient, like miso, which has the tendency to be cloying in large quantities.

Men Kui Tei's noodles--handmade, firm and fresh--hold their own in the tonkotsu ramen, with chopped scallions, bright pink pickled ginger, bean sprouts and sesame seeds livening up the whole affair. (I prefer ramen without the requisite bamboo shoots, which have a musty taste I never acquired.)

Finally, two substantial slices of roast pork sit atop the heaping bowl and are wrapped in just enough flavorful skin to remind you of why we love this heavenly creature so.

Atmosphere: Plenty of solo diners. Decor is basic, verging on slightly dumpy. The open kitchen makes it particularly fun to sit at the counter, but don't expect any smiles from the sullen-faced cooks.

Men Kui Tei Midtown
60 West 56th Street
(between Fifth and Sixth Avenues)
New York, NY
Phone: 212-757-1642

Men Kui Tei East Village
63 Cooper Square
(between East 7th Street and St. Marks Place)
New York, NY
Phone: 212-228-4152

Elizabeth S. Bennett is a freelance writer living in New York City.

Previous Destination Dishes:

Turkey Wings at Terroir

Chicken Wings at Bon Chon Chicken

Tonkastsu at Katsu-Hama