Mei Jin Ramen
“Compared to other shops in the city, I'd say on par with Ippudo and a tad less than Totto.”
“The friendly staff catered to our every need and my Southern friend said the fried chicken was the best he'd ever had!”
“Love this place and like I previously mentioned, it has become our go to spot on the Upper East side, dethroning Naruto.”
Mei Jin Ramen
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I had this place twice: as delivery and dine-in.
delivery:
– i got the spicy chili beef ramen (their signature ramen). I thought it was weird to have a beef ramen and I was right. It just wasn't the same!
– they delivered to me in under 30 minutes.
– everything was packaged separately (noodles from broth) so it didn't arrive all soggy
dine-in:
– i got the seafood ceviche cold noodle. it seemed like a splurge but it is TOTALLY worth it. not only are the noodles really good (thin type) but they are showered with a bunch of different types of seafood. I had enough for two portions and almost felt overwhelmed by all the seafood i had to eat.
– my friend got the pork ramen. i tried a little of the broth which seemed promising and he seemed really pleased with it.
– shared the tuna tartare which was small but really tasty (like spicy tuna variant)
overall, i'd come again but probably focus more on the non-ramen offerings. it isn't on par with ippudo but there isn't a wait and there is more to the menu.
Decent ramen spot, but nothing fantastic. I came here on a Sunday evening and didn't have any problems getting a spot at the ramen bar. You can see the chefs making the ramen right in front of you. It seems like their ramen menu originally focused on beef and chicken ramen, but they now have an additional page of "specials" that include some pork ramen options. I saw a few ramen options — the spicy options — that looked good, except they served it with ground meat. Come on! Serve it with char sieu! I ended up opting for the Mei Jin pork ramen because I wanted the char sieu instead of the ground pork. It was decent, but didn't particularly blow me away. The char sieu was really fatty.
With the gorgeous wood storefront and the interior consisting of fun wooden tags with Japanese writing, you'd expect this place to be an authentic ramen spot. Unfortunately, with soup base options only being beef, chicken, or vegetable, I knew not to set my expectations too high. The reason traditional ramen broth is made with pork is due to the intense, rich, and complex flavors created from using pork bone. Although there was less guilt from eating my bowl of ramen at Mei Jin, I couldn't help wanting more depth in flavor.
– Mei Jin (miso) beef broth ramen: Definitely the best option! The broth was pleasant and flavorful, but lacked complexity. I also wasn't a fan of the arugula or the overcooked noodles.
– Spicy Chili beef broth ramen: A pass. The broth was bland and basically tasted like….well, chili oil and chili pepper in each bite.
Tip: Don't forget to ask for the noodles to be firm!
Mei Jin definitely caters to those who are watching their calories when eating ramen (traditional ramen with pork broth is heavier in calories and fat content) or to those who enjoy lighter flavors for ramen. They offer a modern American spin to ramen, but if you're looking for authenticity, I would suggest elsewhere. After all, if you do decide to have ramen, why not have the real good stuff with yummy umami pork broth?
3.5 stars: Very authentic Japanese ramen shop with friendly and attentive staff.
I got the meijin beef ramen with half egg additon. It was pretty solid and I don't think there's much to complain about, but I'm still partial to tonkatsu and spicy tonkatsu pork based broth. Really a preference thing. Noodles were cooked to perfect consistency. I didn't however, like the slices of beef which were basically think slices of beef you'd find in chinese hot pot thought probably good cuts.
Kara-age is a must wherever I got, and this place did it right, perfectly fried and juicy and plenty of flavor.
OVERALL: I've tried pork, chicken, and now beef ramen broths…..next is lamb??
UES just isn't my neighborhood at all since I barely pass by as there aren't much opportunity for me to go. When I heard about Mei Jin that they have their signature noodle with beef based broth, this spot became the spot I should go if I pass by UES. So finally- I made my step and got their signature noodle, Mei Jin Ramen.
Exterior of location made with wooden plank makes place look pretty neat. They have two entrance that one goes to bar and other goes in the dinning section. You cannot get a Ramen from bar section thou. It was Thurday 7:30PM but place was almost packed yet no needed to wait to be seated. I sat on the Ramen bar and ordered Mei Jin Ramen.
I've heard that owner of restaurant chose to make their broth with beef based broth under the mind concept of "Americans love beef more than pork" – which is true on some point, but would it be also applied when it comes to broth? I am not sure about that. But still, I know how great the beef broth is as I am South Korean who was raised with beef(bone) broth cuisine for whole life. S.Korea has lots of food that is based on beef broth. That must be reason I could smell something really friendly from this restaurant.
So talking about Mei Jin ramen, I want to mentioned that their broth was really good. It was much great than I was expecting. Deep taste of broth tells how long it takes to be prepped, and also beef broth made great matching with miso paste. Hint of sesames and chilly oil made a great combination all together. I completely loved their broth.
Problematic part was noodle thou. Despite the fact that they get customized noodle from Sun Noodle company, I don't think noodle makes good combo with broth at all. It was slightly over cooked but flour smell didn't get away from it. And those smell was effecting against their good broth thus when I had it with noodle, it was not pleasant taste. This is some part I really didn't like about this. It could have been just me, but as I see many others complained on noodle and praising on broth, they must have something to work on their noodle. It would make really great ramen if noodle can be improved.
Ramen is good, not too salty. Service is nice too.
Lunch deals are great but its not overly expensive.
I like how they have sliced beef ala yoshinoya style. I miss yoshinoya. haha
This is a very solid ramen joint. Firstly, it's unlike those teeny ramen places where you sit only one bar stools and it's basically an assembly line for how quickly you can eat your food. This is an actual restaurants with tables and a nice ambiance. The menu is extensive and they have specials all the time. There's even a happy hour menu which is a pretty good deal with $5 drinks. I had the miso based beef ramen. Firstly, it's very difficult to find good miso ramen. I don't eat pork and most ramen places only have pork ramen. I enjoyed it very much but it was just 4 stars instead of 5. It was lacking a flavor and kick that other ramens have. However, it was very good and I would come back for it. The service was also excellent, prices reasonable, and the bathroom was very clean. My water cup was never dry which is always important with spicy ramen. Their other food looks quite delicious and I'd love to try the other items on the menu in the future!
Nice ambience as a fast paced ramen spot. Love the basket under the chairs for your handbags. Ramen is not bad but also not great. Topping was arugula and thin beef (the ones you use for bulgogi). A bit untraditional. Soy ramen soup base wasn't too impressive while the miso one was better. Shishito peppers were nicely charred as I like them. Haven't tried their rice items though. So rating is for ramen only.