Address: | 1574 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-327-2800 |
Site: | meijinramen.net |
Rating: | 4.2 |
Working: | 12–2:45PM 12–2:45PM 12–2:45PM 12–2:45PM 12–2:45PM 12–10:15PM 12–10:15PM |
SA
Sahid Limon
I love me some Ramen, so if Im ever near a new place, I try to give it a go. I was sold on this place since it doesnt use pork broth, which I dont eat. Stopped in here on a very cold night to try out their Ramen. I was first seated at the bar facing the kitchen, but the bar is placed somewhat inconveniently in the front, so you are seated with your back to the rest of the restaurant, which I wasnt a fan of. I asked to change seats, and after a brief discussion with the rest of the wait staff, they seated me at a small table. They offer a Beef broth and Chicken broth Ramen. I asked which is more flavorful, and the waitress suggested the beef. So, I went with the spicy beef ramen. Ramen came out in about 10 minutes which was nice. The broth had a slightly meaty favor, which had a slight more beef stock style flavor vs the umami flavor Im used to with Ramen. The broth did have a good amount of heat to it though, so the spicy was actually spicy. The noodles were nice and slightly chewy, which I liked. The meat was actually ground beef. Initially it tasted fine, but was a bit strong and slightly greasy as the meal went on. Also, I dont think the meat was very lean since there was a bit of gristle in the meat, which wasnt enjoyable to bite down on. This noodle didnt come with an egg, but I added one to the order, which surprisingly didnt cost extra. I will say that the egg was really good, had great flavor, and just melted in your mouth. All in all, this was pretty good, but sort of just OK ramen, as I wasnt too big of a fan of the slight greasy-beefy feel of the ramen. Maybe the chicken one is better, so Ill have to try that next time.
JA
Janet Jin
Great interior environment and excellent food. I took a friend who has very discerning tastebuds here, and we were both really impressed. The restaurant is quite new, so the inside is well-designed with a modern feel. It wasnt too crowded for a Sun lunch, but there were enough diners to show that this is a solid go-to spot. We ordered the fried squid appetizer, which was amazing. The squid was very fresh - the way you can tell is the ever so slightly sweet taste the meat has. I ordered the spicy chili chicken ramen, which to be honest could have been better - Im not a fan of ground chicken, which is rather tasteless and weird in texture. The spicy chili sauce was also a bit like a layer of red grease over the food - so this dish wasnt the best choice. But my friend ordered the miso beef ramen and it looked amazing with actual strip of beef. My advice is stay away from the chicken and spicy chili items and go with classic ramen flavors/meats.
MO
Monica 夏
This ramen is on point! Whenever I have visitors in from out of town, this place is on the top of my list to show off the great restaurants in my hood. The food is always flavorful and the portions are monstrous. I always have leftovers which Im not mad about! Huge fan of the curry soy ramen (chicken broth) and the chili ramen. Both have excellent flavor profiles. Heat but with flavor, so you arent getting a spice bomb that just knocks out all of your taste buds. The buns are a great way to start. And whatever tempura veggie they have feature, just get it. They have an awesome sake selection as well. Check it out. They are an amazing addition to the UES restaurant scene. Deal Seeking Diva tip: you can score a free glass of sake if you follow them on Instagram and take a photo at bar and use #meijinsakaba in the tag of the pic. Show it to the bartender and boom, free sake for you!
YU
yu new
There is something mystical about Mei Jin ramen that I cant quite pinpoint. My first impression of the Shio ramen was that the soup base was too thin to have enough complex depth of flavor. I had to add hot sauce to give it that oomph and make up for the insufficient umami flavor. That being said, I kept eating until I saw the bottom of my bowl due to that subtle mystery that draws you in. I also really enjoyed the noodles here. Its thinner than the traditional ramen noodles, but was delectably chewy and wavy. The pork buns were on point! I like my buns to be more doughy and pillowy instead of sticky, which was executed very well. The pork was slathered in delicious zesty cream sauce and served with refreshing pickled cucumbers.
XI
xiaomin wang
Really a three and half star. Came here with a few of my friends for some yummy ramen. Love the decor and atmosphere, very hip and cozy. I like small details like theres a small basket as part of your chair, which you can put bags and jackets in. Food wise, they took time to arrive comparing to other ramen places. We got tuna tar tar which was very flavorful. I would say thats my favorite for the night. Ramen soup were good but not the best I have had. Nothing wowed me but its decent for a quick eat out. We also got a salmon poke bowl, it sounded amazing on the menu. However the bowl itself is just okay. Mayo was a little overpowering the flavor. Overall a good place to hang with friends with mediocre food.
CC
CC Wu
I live nearby and decided to go inside after reading the positive reviews. Although I went into the annex incidentally and sat at the bar just for eating ramen, but the bartender was really nice and friendly serving me the ramen. I also found out that they has a good variety of sake and Cocktails based on sake! I will definitely wanna try one next time if I am not going alone. I had spicy miso ramen, which was very good, and the soup was great, not too thick as I once had in midtown. It was just as good as what I had when I was in Japan.
RA
Rachel Basevich
Treated amicably and respectfully. Quick service. Well-priced for location. My current favorite ramen spot. Most mainstream, chain-restaurants are sad excuses for Japanese food. This one hits the spot for me and everyone else I know who has eaten here loved it. You can tell when a Japanese restaurant is not run by Chinese people that its authentic. And when Japanese people eat at a Japanese restaurant that it must not be disappointing.
CH
Christopher Jenness
I had the sliced beef ramen in beef broth. The beef was very thinly sliced, which was amazing! The actual flavor of the ramen was a bit lacking though. If it was a bit more flavourful, I would have give it five stars. Unfortunately, it was a tad watery. I dont think I will go back, because it was about $14 for ramen, which is steep if its not full of flavor. O still has a good time though.
HO
Howie Z.
I like how hospitable the staff is. They have great food! I highly recommend the Japanese fried chicken as appetizer. Its is slightly spicy but complements well with the spicy mayo. I had chicken shio broth with extra naruto. The chicken melts in your mouth. 5/5 food 5/5 service 5/5 atmosphere Oh yeah try the earl grey alcoholic beverage on the recommend list at the bar.
CH
Chris Donnatin
Unauthentic ramen, fast food quality at normal ramen prices. Really poor quality meat. Ground beef or ground chicken in ramen? REALLY? Not substitution option if you even want to swap out for the cheese steak quality meat. Just pay another $4.50 for it on the side. Wanted to like this place, but below average at best.