Rockmeisha
“Beautifully presented with 3 thin slices of pork, red ginger, scallions, white sesame seeds in a white pork bone broth (Kosher and vegetarians be forewarned).”
“I ordered the ramen: classic high-quality broth and excellent fresh noodles made this a fine choice.”
“We also consumed an octopus pancake with those moving fish flakes, which feel alive.”
Rockmeisha
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Came back for round two already and I have to upgrade. The ramen this time around was both timely and tasty(er). The broth was rich and deep and the noodles, slippery goodness.
Also, tried the sushi and… Best tuna avocado(!) I've ever had. They use wild, purple rice too. Heresy on both counts, I know but it tastes so good I think I can live with the sushi-traditionalist excommunication.
PS try the tofu steak topped with enoki. Drool.
Rockmeisha is a West Village hidden treasure. Nestled on a side street a few doors down from the romantic icon One of by Land Two if by Sea, it's easy to walk right past this tiny ode to jazz. The small space includes a real juke box with real 45s, period Japanese advertising, and plenty of great food and drinks. The music trends toward classic jazz, blues, and a bit of 60s funk. The clientele is a nice mix of Japanese expats and in-the-know American foodies or Nipponophiles.
The menu is unapologetically authentic including tonsoku (pigs feet) and tako wasa (wasabi marinated raw octopus). The kara-age (fried chicken) and gobo chips (fried burdock root) are delicious. Draft beer and sake are plentiful and affordable. Perhaps the highlight of this place is that there's almost always a table available. in more than 20 visits I've had to wait for a table just once. Of course, I typically use it as an afterwork happy hour type spot to meet friends. It gets busier later in the evening.
That said, it's definitely under the radar even on weekends. When the surrounding bars and restaurants are jammed with late night revelers, Rockmeisha is an oasis of calm and elbow room (ironic given its one of the smallest bars in the area). Even nearby Hataka Tonton is frenetic by comparison. I personally appreciate a spot where I can eat, drink, and have a nice conversation with friends without shouting over other patrons and too-loud pop music. Here your food & drinks are complemented with mellow music and attentive service.
Kampai!
Pretty mediocre. We expected authentic, quality Japanese food because of the clientele (Japanese businessmen post-work?) and because of the hidden location. Perhaps the dishes were authentic, but we were craving ramen and they only offered one type. Menu pretty overpriced too, although the drinks seemed cheap as everyone around us had beer. We waited for over 40 minutes for our ramen…plus, no air conditioning led to an uncomfortable wait. To be fair, this was our backup to the popular ramen place down the street that had a 40 minute wait so I guess time-wise it evened out?
I've always liked Japanese food. And this place captures the essence of an izakaya well. It is small and cozy and can seat about 20 people. There is also a bar area for those dining solo.
I was actually in the mood for ramen, but the only ramen they had on the menu is meat-based, so I passed on the ramen, despite the need to warm up. It was interesting that the waiter just kept speaking to me in Japanese. Even when I replied in English, he just continued in Japanese. We just kept doing the polite head nod thing and I even found myself saying Arigato and Hai a lot. Weird how you vibe off of people, but anyway, I digress…
So to warm up my innards, I ordered a draft Sapporo ($6). Of course, that always hits the spot. I also spied a few good sakes on the menu, will have to try another time. I had the okra ($6) and also the octopus pancake ($9). Both excellent dishes. The okra had bonito flakes on top and also paired with wasabi, makes for a good sinus opener. The pancake has tiny morsels of tender octopus that melted in your mouth and it was topped with more than enough bonito flakes. I tell you, I can't ever eat enough bonito flakes lol. Perhaps in my last life, I was a kitty cat?
In any case, I enjoyed eating here and listening to old Americana music. Perhaps the next time I come back, I can learn to speak a bit more Japanese other than Arigato and Hai lol.
I was tipsy throughout dinner, so here are what I can gather:
We came here on a Friday night for dinner
The ramen was not all that. Four of us ordered 4 bowls of the same ramen, because there is only one choice of ramen. The soup was good, but the portion was small!!! Skinny people don't eat ramens, therefore ramen should always come in BIG GIANT bowls!!!
The pork belly was my favoriate! So fatty and yet so light.
The quail and fried chicken wings were just an ok.
I liked the decor, I felt like I was in a Japanese restaurnat in Tokyo.
Here comes the ugly: With all of the above, a pitcher of beer, 3 sodas…We paid $210. Sorry….no ramen from Rockmeisha again…Can I get some pork belly to go please?
After walking past Rockmeisha twice without even realizing it, I walked in and could immediately dig the decor – although I felt a bit claustrophobic because i'm a tall guy and all the drapery was a bit distracting.
The ramen was.. meh.. it took a while to come out but that's actually reassuring. The noodles were "al dente" if you will but the broth was pretty one-dimensional.
Definitely order the pork belly small plate. This is the one! Stewed to perfection, it comes with a baby bok choy stems, a perfect compliment to the meltiness of the pork, and a delicate broth that is SO soul warming.
The Gyoza was decent, i really liked the super thin dumpling skin but I think the filling could have been a bit more robust. Kara Age was good but it didn't excel in any particular realm of kara age-ness: crispiness, flavor, juiciness.
It was, in a word, aiite.
This place is very easy to pass, we did and then had to look for it again so keep eyes peeled. I came on a friday night to try their ramen. Which was porky and delicious but tad bit ginger for my taste. The reason why this is 3 stars is because the service was a tad understated. We asked for diet coke, got beer and the check sat there for about 10 mins because someone decided to charge us. But hey laid back environment is really great unless you got somewhere else to be after :). I really enjoyed the fried chicken with tartar sauce and the green hot tea in a can that had a coaster holder so I don't get burned. Besides the fact it was bar wooden stools under a canopy of bamboo I believe, it was indeed a feeling of seclusion and immersion. If you are looking for nice small snacks and don't care you have only one option for ramen and want to have privacy .. go here.
This small Japanese ramen shop reminds me the good 6 years I spent in Japan.
I came here with my hubby, both of us spent 6-7 years in Tokyo, and we both love Japanese food. Although this small ramen shop only offers 1 flavor of ramen and we didn't actually order ramen, we ordered lots of other dishes and truly enjoyed every single one.
The Chilian Seabass is absolutely delicious, the shrimp pancake, shrimp dumpling and their miso is also great.
I like its atmosphere, quiet and friendly. Would come back again!