Random ramen image
Usually, weekends are reserved for dim sum indulgence, but recently, we’ve entered a ramen phase. We dropped into Men Tei Japanese Noodle Cafe for our ramen fix for today. Tucked in a side street off of Newbury and Boylston, this little noodle shop serves up a hearty bowl of ramen. We were lucky enough to get seating, just before people began to crowd around the entrance to wait for tables to open up. It’s a small restaurant with limited seating, but it looks like a number of people come out of their way for a bowl of noodles here, including a number of Japanese-speaking clients. Reminiscent of noodle shops in Hawaii, the atmosphere is simple and home-like. The service is fast, people eat fairly quickly, and turn over the tables quickly too.
Men Tei offers good, tasty broth that almost measures up to the broth at Ken’s Ramen, but the variety of options on the menu at Men Tei is a real plus. Alán had the soft shell crab noodle soup, I chose the chicken katsu soup, and we shared an order of takoyaki. The takoyaki was a little bready and skimpy on the tako, but the flavor is delicious and it’s served piping hot.
This is definitely a restaurant to keep in mind for re-visiting. Alán and I agree that our favorite is still Ken’s Ramen, but Men Tei is nonetheless a close second, and we will be back to try their curry dishes and taiyaki too.
