Men-Tei Ramen

No creamy Tonkotsu soup... :-(
The Shio ramen was redeeming though...
Clear nice soup which doesn't overpower...Can taste the fish used to simmer the broth..
Gyoza was good~


Not sure if its just me, felt a little thirsty after the meal.

The Ramen at Men-Tai is over-rated.  The noodle and the egg is good but the meat is a BIG DISAPPOINTMENT.  

The restaurant occupies a tiny shop space with a maximum capacity of about 30 diners, and the decidedly small menu is limited to only 6 varieties of ramen. But it's little wonder why this ramen joint is so popular with the Shenton Way lunch crowd. This is a case whereby the restaurant really excels in the very few dishes it serves.

1) Shio Ramen ($14), with an additional helping of sweet corn. The light clear broth is made with chicken and fish, so it's very delicate in flavour. The noodles aren't too soggy and they are cooked so they retain just that right amount of bite. I'm constantly amazed at how the Japanese are able to make such consistently semi-runny eggs (tamago) which are so delectable. The flavourful grilled pork (yakibuta), while decadently fatty, is worth every ounce of the heart-clogging fat.

2) Tonkotsu Ramen ($14), Men-Tei's signature ramen, with a pork bone soup base. The whitish colour of the soup is a result of pork backbone being simmered for hours on end until the bone emulsifies. For women who want more collagen, this is the ramen for you.

Read more about it at http://thehungrybunnie.blogspot.com

This is definitely the most decent ramen in Shenton Way.

At $13 bucks, you can chose between 4 choice of ramen, which was definitely mentioned by the rest of the people here + a Free flow of 0-Cha aka Green Tea.

What do i like about this small little join at Shenton Way? The Tamago aka EGG. The soup base is decent but not fantastic. The noodles are decent noodles but it might get a bit soggy at times so if you want it to be Q (Chewy), do let the waitress know!

It's really pretty decent for the price!

This place probably gained quite a number of regulars by now around this area.

If you craving for a Bowl of Ramen and happen to be in this area and if happens to rain, this place is good for you. At least, it does wonders for me on a Cold Rainy Weather in the Office.

Had a lunch session around 2pm today and below is my review.

Ordered a Tonkotsu Ramen at $13(Nett), it comes with a free green tea, the tea was lukewarm, not sure if it's available cold cause I was perspiring so luckily the tea is lukewarm. The ramen has 2 pieces of yakibuta (grilled pork), tamago (egg), some vegetables, bamboo shoots and onions. Recently I have been trying several ramen stores and this one wells, just seems ok for me, maybe too much good food, hahahah. The noodles was quite soft, to some, it may look and taste like you know.., the so called famous tamago, hmm not sure about this, had better elsewhere. The vegetables look like those you buy at wet market, so hmmm I wonder japanese ramen how come have this?? Not a fan of bamboo shoots, but the ones here tasted better than the one I had before elsewhere. The grilled pork although doesn't gives me the melt in your mouth sensation, but the taste is definitely better compare to others, but only 2 pieces?? Should have 4 at least, hahahaha. The Soup well, not bad, cannot complain here because it boil in high heat for 9 hours but who knows?? Bottomline the soup and the grilled pork stands out, rest just decent.

Ambience, took a quick glance, max out the tables can occupy 30 pax, the bar side maybe around 4 to 5 pax.

Value, hmm like I always say, no service charge, the price can make it for me.

Service, well was there around 2pm only 3 tables full including me, by the time I'm having half the bowl, already empty, so service was quite prompt. Nothing to complain here.

The place is pretty ordinary, there's no side dishes like gyoza or anything fancy, so just go for any ramen type as mention below, shouldn't go wrong.

Had a craving for ramen but didn't fancy jostling with the mad crowds at Santouka or Marutama nor was I particularly willing to pay in excess of $15 for a bowl of ramen. Enter Men Tei, which I came across while reading some forums online. Its selling point (to me at least)? All bowls of ramen go for $13 nett.

Located on the ground level of Robinson Centre along Robinson Road in the Central Business District (CBD), Men Tei occupys a small space that is simpley done up and seats probably about 20 pax tops. The menu occupies a single sheet of paper (6 different types of ramen) so if you are looking for variety, this place is probably out.

Shio Ramen - You have the option of specifying the "doneness" of your noodles, ranging from normal, hard or extra hard. I didn't know that until after my ramen was served so I am assuming they gave me the normal option. I thought that it was a little too soft but at least it retained a little chewiness. The ramen broth honestly wasn't very robust and I couldn't quite make out any pork taste. Simply put, it was just salty but light. The egg was quite well done - quivery without being overly soft while the yakibuta (3 slices) was tender and flavourful.

Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen - Although the spicy ramen looked the part, it actually wasn't that bad and that's coming from someone who has a low tolerance for spiciness. As with the Shio ramen, the broth wasn't very robust but the yakibuta and tamago were equally good.

For the price, I honestly think its value for money given the quality of the ramen. Service is decent as well and best of all, there is no queue when you dine there on weekday evenings (they do not open on weekends or public holidays). The same can't be said for weekday lunch though. Men Tei also provides a delivery service to nearby offices for those who crave ramen but are too busy to step out.

See all my pictures here.

On my hunt to track down great ramen places in Singapore, the rave reviews on hungrygowhere made Men-Tei a "must try if not regret lah" choice. But since not all Singaporeans work in the CBD district, I have to leave it to chance when meeting up a friend to visit them for dinner on a Friday night.

The crowd is much better at night with ample seat availabilty. The ambience is not too bad, a comfy little eatery surroundings with warm colours that's kinda nice for relaxing.

Me and my friend swooped down on the menu to satisfy our hunger cravings for dinner. I like that the menu is a simple brochure, focusing just on Ramen types and lots of nice pictures. The explanation of the highlights of the shop such as the tonkotsu soup and the handmade ramen was informative yet succint. This is refreshing given that usually such explanations includes like the history and even the place of origins of the ingredients which is too much for my liking at times.

I ordered the tonkotsu ramen and when it came, it looked exactly like the picture in the menu. (plus point). The special oils on the soup made it a tad oily but it was nothing intolerable and lended a wonderful aroma to the ramen soup (mine had a spring onion fragrance =p, yums~) Apparently they have a different mix to match with each different soup base. Furthermore, each component: soup, noodles, charsiew, egg, spring onions and even the bamboo shoots (not my favourite) tasted above par. Nothing was overwhelmingly spectaular but all were definitely above average. And from what I gathered, the standard is delightfully consistent which ensures that each visit will not disappoint you with 'off' days. (I get that from my favourite Gyoza no Osho where the 'doneness' of the hard boiled egg kinda depended on luck.)

All in all, an experience that will definitely see me going back to revisit should I come by the area. Aiming to try to shoyu version next. (^_^)

Highly recommended to go during evenings as lunch crowds is horrendous.

Is the egg hardboiled, softboiled? Don't understand how they cook or peel the egg, I can never do that... The hardboiled surround with the softboiled center... Yummy, I love it!!!

Requested without the bamboo shoots, had never like the taste of bamboo shoots, I guess the kind of taste, it's either you like it or you don't... To me it just tasted weird and kinda stink...

Ramen are good so is the soup base that is cooked with porkbones?

Definitely one of the best kind in Singapore...

A pity that it's not open on weekends, as I do not work around the area.

Crowded with queue when I went there today

I've been here at Men-tei Ramen many times now. Generally if you arrive during lunch, say about 1215, then the queue can get rather long, but moves quite fast. So, you either arrive a bit earlier, or a bit later @ 1245, if you're not that patient.

Space-wise, is about 10 to 15 tables, including 2 outside & the countertop inside which faces the kitchen. It can be a bit small but not as cramped as other places I've been.

You're here for one thing. Ramen. that's for sure. 4 types of soups.

I prefer either the Tonkatsu/Spicy Tonkatsu or the Shoyu flavoured soups. Their spicy versions aren't extremely spicy (good for me) so for you 'La mei' or 'La ke's out there, don't expect extreme spiciness.

All the ingredients (egg, bamboo shoots, spring onions, charsiew) are generally the same for each type of soup. You have the option to add extras. Their eggs are cooked rather nicely.

The highlight of the ramen is the soup, followed by the noodles, and the ingredients. An interesting fact is that I've been told that the Tonkatsu soup (soup base imported from Japan) is cooked for several hours before lunch.

Charsiew and the other ingredients are quite standard. True ramenists know that the noodles and soup are the key ingredients. Noodles are generally springy and not soggy at all.

No GST, and no service charge, yet the service is great. (especially from J & O).

Just a suggestion, please start looking to expand your menu. Overall, 2 thumbs up. Keep it up!

I love it here because
1) The soft boiled egg is perfectly done, nicely flavoured with a yummy gooey yolk
2) The broth is nice and rich but not overly salty
3) Though the queue is long, the queue moves relatively fast
4) The service is efficient, fast but yet warmly
5) NO GST AND SERVICE SURCHARGE!!!

A few pointers before you come here..
1) No more than 2 unless you got time to wait. ONE person is the fastest
2) Come early, preferably before 12 to avoid the long queue
3) Selection is rather limited but each is quality stuff