Ise Menkui-tei
“A bowl of Ramen with a side of Gyoza is a perfect meal for a cold windy day.”
“We took advantage of the additional curry and fried rice offer for $3 and that was also delish.”
“This noodle shop is an oasis amid the desert of delis, prepare-your-own-giant-salad joints, and lunch chains in this part of Midtown.”
Ise Menkui-tei
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I've been here a few times already. Service was super quick. Our waitress was very pleasant and attentive. The Hakata ramen was quite tasty with the exception of the pork. It was very lean and not as tender I would like. The broth was very rich and flavorful. We shared a small gyu don for an extra $3.50. Our bellies were very full over all.
I love this place!
I'm a ramen enthusiast, so places like this make my heart jump. The takeaways are: it's cheap, it's delicious, and they have incredible service.
A co-worker of mine brought me here when he heard I loved ramen. The first thing you notice is the hoards of people on this block. The tourist bike shop is the biggest offender. Folks are coming in and out of here on the regular. You can't blame them though. Renting a bike closer to Central Park is expensive; better to get it here. There are a few other restaurants that are also good on this block further increasing foot traffic–notably the Indian place next door and the Cuban place a little further down, Tina's. Back to ISE though–this place is tough to find. It's hidden and does not have any obvious signage.
When you go inside you'll be greeted by the coolest old dude you'll ever meet. He's ALWAYS there and he runs things. Things get nuts at lunch time. Do not go in there with a party during lunch. If you go by yourself, you can likely get seated at the bar quickly, but if you're coming with company, you're gonna have a rough time. Back to the cool old guy. This guy must have been an air traffic controller in another life or something cause he's amazing. I expect things he sets the standard for service. Everything is fast and efficient. ISE is a rather small and humble place. There is seating in the front, a slightly more private area in the middle, and the bar is set in the back.
To the food–it's delicious. In my opinion, this ramen is better than Toto, better than Ivan, and almost as good as Ippudo. The biggest difference between this and Ippudo? About $5. Most ISE ramen is under $10. The brother is incredible and the noodles are fantastic. Their fish broth is something that you should go out of your way to experience. You can also choose to enjoy from a wide variety of sake or go with a plain old Sapporo. I'll usually drink a 16oz Sapporo with some Hakata ramen and leave feeling like I could take over the world if I wasn't about to go and take a nap immediately.
Give ISE a try and let me know what you think.
There is a huge range of Ramen spots in New York City. But I always come back here.
Portions are HUGE for a bowl of Ramen that starts at $9-$11 dollars. You also add a side bowl of Fried Rice, Beef over rice for extra $3.50. can't beat that.
Friendly service, Fast and Fills your tummy !.
My favorite is the Miso Ramen, but Sometimes I crave for the Sutamina ramen which is Spicier. Always order a beef over rice as extra.
Hell Yeah!
My wife, daughter and myself dropped in here after a quick stroll in Central Park. My wife has never had ramen before that wasn't cooked by me (I am not the greatest at making it). But they offer great options for the broth and toppings. They have vegetarian and fish broths for those who are looking for something a bit different but they hold up really well. The staff were also great with my daughter, making room for her and her stroller and giving things to her for entertainment.
I can't express how awesome this place was. It nails ramen down and I frankly can't wait for my next trip to NYC to eat here again. Absolutely love it!
Overall, the Raman was good and the service was consistent.
I went here with a party of 4 and we were seated right away on a Friday evening. The clientele came and went in a steady flow and their menu was robust but not overwhelming.
The prices were so reasonable! I had the Miso Ramen and my boyfriend had the Hakata. Mine tasted fine, nothing crazy, but the Hakata received rave reviews.
I would definitely come back to try their rice dishes and appetizers.
– most ramen places serve/offer a tea/soy sauce egg with the noodles, I ordered the flavored boiled egg. . . I personally disliked it, it was more like a sake egg (sweet and just strange with the other flavors, was not a fan)
– recommend: toyko ramen w/ a poached egg
– honorable mention: stamina ramen (special on the wall), was a touch salty but overall very flavorful
– hakata was average at best
– personable staff and quick service
I was famished after a two-hour excursion through Central Park, and couldn't think of anything better to eat than a hearty bowl of ramen.
Space – Dimly lit, and perfect for a group of 6.
Service – Hostess and waitress were super friendly, so even though we had to wait a half hour for a table, we didn't really mind too much. The food also came out really fast.
Chicken Karage – Delightful crisp on the outside, and paired well with my ramen.
Hakata Ramen – Beautiful presentation and overall flavor was good. A few complaints: (1) pork was too fatty, (2) noodles were too hardy, and (3) pickled ginger garnish was too sharp a contrast to the overall tone of the dish.
Hakata (pork bone broth) ramen was okay. Not bad, not the best. The broth could have been more flavorful. LOTS of noodles, though (sliightly overcooked)–couldn't even finish it all. The pork here is very lean, but has a good flavor.
I ordered a boiled egg to top my ramen and it was given to me hard-boiled as opposed to the typical soft boiled. A little disappointing–especially at 1.50 extra.
Got a side order of curry rice (with minced pork) which was pretty good.
My friend got the gyo don which was also tasty. I'd recommend either of these.
Our waitress was friendly and attentive.
Overall, not a bad place and definitely won't break the bank for a filling meal.