Menya Sandaime
“The Karakuchi (aka spicy) Ramen is my favorite – the broth is flavorful but still drinkable, with just enough kick.”
“As a person whose ramen experience was limited to the options at Mitsuwa, this little gem exceeded my expectations!”
“Soup broth was okay
The mini pork don was pretty good too
A small place and no reservation but they have quick turn around.”
Menya Sandaime
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Went for Lunch
Food – 5/5. Their Tonkotsu Ramen has a rich but "clean" broth. The addition of shredded scallion and spinach gives that rich pork broth a vegetable freshness which is great for keeping your taste buds refreshed so that you can finish your entire ramen bowl. The noodles are made in-house with the machine being visible at the entrance and it shows in the quality of the bite you get in their noodles. The gyoza is delicious as well with a crispy skin and delicious pork filling. They seem to add some extra batter of sort when searing the gyoza so it comes with extra crunches you can munch on.
Service – 4/5. They are quick and polite. The ramen tends to come out before the gyoza so time how you want to eat your meal accordingly if you order both!
Price – 5/5. Their prices are lower than the average price of ramen in the area and their quality is top notch. They don't particularly have lunch special prices or anything but with the Tonkotsu Ramen being $8.50, the price is comparable to the special prices in other restaurants. Their ramens are smaller in portion size than others but not by much and to be honest I like their portion sizes better as it never feels overwhelming.
Parking – Very Limited Private Lot (Free), Street (Metered)
This place is a true gem for specialized variations of Japanese ramen. I went with a friend and ordered the gyoza + tonkatsu ramen, which were both priced reasonably and absolutely delicious.
My sensory experience was on a whole different level. The pork melted in my mouth like butter. The noodles were the perfect texture, and they gave a hefty portion.
The broth was so flavorful and soothing. The best part is, I didn't feel gross after consuming the food. It's not overly greasy, but still packed with tons of flavor.
The only issue is parking and seating. It's a quaint, small space, so expect a wait on busier days, and try to find street parking if possible. It's hard to pull out of their back lot as it's super narrow!
Menya Sandaime is one of the best hidden secrets of Fort Lee – ramen taste insanely good but never too crowded that you have to wait hours for (30-min, sometimes expected, is reasonable for ramen-waiting). A little history of the place: actually first opened in Korea, they are few-generation old and they definitely know how to make a good ramen. My favorite is the Tonkatsu Ramen, their signature offering. The pork-bone broth is rich in favor, but is neither salty nor greasy – thanks to the No-MSG rule. The noodle is on the harder side and has a bite to it. Finally, i'm a pretty one-dimensional guy (perhaps speaking on behalf of most guys) when comes to meat. The two fatty pieces of Tonkatsu definitely satisfy my requirement for size.
For the price and taste, Menya Sandaime is quite unbeatable. Best of all, it is right in my backyard. That's right, no need to cross the GW to get a truly authentic Ramen experience.
This is a ramen place. If you don't want ramen, go someplace else. If you want ramen, this is a pretty good place. Small, with a few tiny tables and a few seats at the counter. There is a table in the back that seats 6. There is only one choice if you are vegetarian. Basically it is bone broth with freshly made inhouse noodles and a few slices of pork, served in a lovely bowl with chop sticks and a personal size bamboo ladle.
This is my go to spot when I'm craving a hot, piping bowl of spicy ramen with extra chashu & gyoza! Do skip the miso.
I love how you can see the ramen machine churning out freshly made noodles, and the cooks charring the chashu with a torch. Its practically a ramen symphony; you can literally see all the components of your meal coming together. Mad respect. The gyoza is also in a league of its own, with perfectly crisped skin and juicy, savory filling.
What's weird is that their miso ramen broth is delish but the toppings suck. No chashu, ground pork and piled high with crunchy veggies. Y u do dissss?!
BTW a few weeks ago, we waited 20 mins and were seated in this creepy back room. It was their freaking office! They had put in 2 tables there next to computers and file cabinets. Who does that?! I guess some ppl don't mind, but my friends and I were straight up weirded the fuck out.
Never sitting in that back room again.
On the blander side. I have tried several Japanese Ramen restaurants in NYC, such as Ippudo, Totto, and so forth. Menya is good but not better than Totto in my humble opinion. Their gyoza is excellent, however. This place does get really packed, especially on the weekend, as expected with any good Japanese Ramen places. Worth a try!
Quaint little place. You better get there early upon opening or have the patience to wait a little if it's busy since seats are limited. The atmosphere reminds me of a ramen place in Japan. Oldies Japanese music playing and the waiters saying the orders out loud. I like it!
I've tried their karakuchi ramen (the spicy one) and I really enjoyed it. K had that when I first went there and I had a positive experience. The noodles are homemade and I really like the texture (歯ごたえがいい！).
The second time I went, I tried the tsukemen (つけ麺). It was good but I wanted the soup to be hotter. It cooled down pretty quickly as I ate it which was a bummer to me. If I ordered this at my first visit, not sure if I would like this place so much. But overall, I enjoy their ramen here.
BUUUT the best thing about this place is their gyoza (not pictured. I was that excited about them). It's sooooo good! I love homemade gyoza at ramen places. Can't beat it. And this place reminds me so much of Japan, I'm salivating thinking about it. Definitely order it! The right amount of crisp on the outside with juicy deliciousness in the inside. You won't be disappointed.
I'm going to give this place four stars because it's possibly the best ramen in the area. (I have yet to try the ramen spot in Mitsuwa) With that said, this is the ramen I've ever had in NJ.
Being as though we are so close to NYC, it's always difficult to compare any Jersey location and its food to NYC. However, this location does have one thing going for it and it's their homemade noodles. Many ramen places use packaged noodles and it seriously, no mater how good the broth and ingredients are, hurt the dish. Menya has this down packed! The broth for their miso is on point and of course their noodles make it ten times better. Their gyoza tends to be on the greasy side so I stopped purchasing these. If you're not in the mood for soup though, their rice bowls are a delicious alternative. Small venue with barely any parking but worth your time if you're in the mood for ramen in this area.