Menchanko-Tei

Moved to Keaaumoku St which has better parking… still getting very good reviews… the last venue was not a showplace… clean. good service. tasty food…

Our favorite place to have dinner in Waikiki.
The price is right and the food never disappoints. The menchanko hot pot in the spicy miso is yummmmmm.
We also got lots of small dishes like their poke that was great with a cold beer. I think of the 5 days on our honeymoon, we ate here three times! Wish it was on the mainland!

Came here with the gf, because she was having her oh so Japanesey ramen cravings, but I gotta admit after she mentioned it I started to get them too. I heard great things about the ramen here so I recommended we try this place.
When we first walked in this place was pretty empty, which was nice for a couples sit down lunch. I had the shoyu based charsui ramen because I prefer shoyu based over the shio. Which we also ordered. I really enjoyed the shoyu broth as well as the noodles. Smooth and flavorful. The pork was really tender. I tried her shio broth. But my mind was so set on my shoyu broth, that I didn’t care too much for the shio. A combination of that as well as my gf adding half a bottle of spicy powder (not sure what its called) to her broth and then telling me she didn’t taste anything at all. For some reason she does this all the time.
Gf Puts a little spicy powder in broth and tries it.
Gf: «Its not spicy enough.» Continues adding more spicy powder.
All the while I’m hinting her, «Don’t put too much in, you always put too much then complain its too spicy.»
Another half a bottle later. Gf: «Its too spicy.»
I merely give her a glance with my poker face while I’m secretly thinking in my mind. «OMG, I told you so!»
Anyway we also ordered the tonkatsu. As I looked at it on the menu it made me recall eating tonkatsu in a traditional setting in Kyoto japan, smashing sesame seed, and mixing it in with the tonkatsu sauce along with the limitless amounts of crunchy cabbage and dressing. When it arrived I dove in. It was a bit overcooked and the pork was dry.
Service is excellent, A Japanese and English menu is provided. I parked in the parking garage, so I had to get a validation. Unfortunately they don’t validate but because I had a native speaker with me we really got hooked up! I’m definitely looking forward to visiting again for the ramen and great service.

Natsukashii… a Japanese term that loosely translates into fond memories…
Having spent time in Japan, there is often a longing for things Japanese, truly authentic and reminiscent of the Japan experience as opposed to the Americanized version.
The highlight of time spent in Fukuoka was visting Ramen streel vendors offering Hakata style ramen. Hakata broth is creamy, made with pork bones.
Menchanko-​Tei is the only place I’ve found outside of Japan that replicates the true Hakata Ramen flavor of the wonderful street stalls in Kyushu. I can’t speak for any other items on the menu as I never venture from my favorite. The first slurp of the hot steamy Hakata broth always brings back fond memories of the cool spring nights in Fukuoka… Natsukashii…
If only they had outdoor seating with hard wooden stools.

Feeling uninspired by Mechanko although the concept was nice.
Had the tonkatsu lunch with a friend over the weekend — ‘quality’ pork covered in panko and deep fried in good oil, served with a bowl of seeds which you grind yourself and mix with tonkatsu sauce, side of unlimited miso soup and salad (excellent dressing!), ending with a nice cup of tea. All for around $ 10, at lunch time.
There is a discount for kama’aina (10%? 15%?) from 4−7pm. Parking in Waikiki is always a hassle, but they are located in Waikiki Trade Center and will possibly validate (don’t quote me on this).
Would come again if friend asks, otherwise don’t think I’ll crave it.

For a weekday lunch, this must be the best deal in Waikiki!
$ 7.95 for a combo consisting of ramen, 4 small cubes of agedashi tofu, and a bowl of salmon sashimi over sushi rice. The caveat is that this was the weekly special, and every week they rotate the pairing with the ramen, so next week it’ll be a mini ramen plus? But, I’m sure you will not be disappointed. And, they have limited quantities of the weekly special (30 per day). You get to choose the type of ramen for your mini ramen. I chose the shoyu ramen — OMG it was so good. The broth was light and not too salty or oily, and the noodles were al dente.
When we went, every table was taken and there were two parties in front of us waiting for a table. So if you’re limited on time, I’d suggest coming here early to get in on the first seating. Since we were on vacation and had all the time in the world, we didn’t mind waiting for our table.

My half-​white-​half-​Mexican boyfriend is like a barometer for authenticity of Asian places. If he’s the only non-​Asian, you know it will be a good place to eat.
After wandering around the street, we finally found Menchanko-​Tei tucked under one of the side entrances of the Waikiki Trade Center (it’s off Seaside, close to Kuhio). And not only was he the only non-​Asian, we were the only people in the entire restaurant who did not speak a lick of Japanese.
Ladies and gentlemen, THIS is how you make good ramen.
Menchanko-​Tei serves up some of the very best Hakata Pork Ramen I’ve ever had. The broth is rich, extremely flavorful and milky, and though it’s not meant to be spicy per se, there is a nice kick to it.
The noodles weren’t my favorite, as they weren’t very chewy. In fact, they tasted more like buckwheat soba with a little bit more chewiness, but nowhere near the soft squiggles of ramen I’m used to.
Pair this meal with a chi chi (vodka, pineapple juice and coconut crème liquer), and you’re done for the night. Mostly because you’ll be too full to do anything productive.

This place is just across the street from where i live and very near Starbucks Waikiki. I ordered the Lunchtime value meal of Hakata ramen with chicken rice. The hakata ramen was hot and very flavorful but i did not like the pink-​colored ginger and might ask to not include that when i come back. Chicken rice was nothing special and the chicken portions of the chicken were very few. I had to eat the rest of the rice with ramen meat. Service was good, staff was nice. After eating, you pay at the counter.
Overall, good ramen but not the best in Honolulu. It is another good ramen place in Waikiki with reasonable prices. :)

Unilocal Challenge 365 #63/​365
Waikiki? Parking :(Traffic :(Crowd :(Well, I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of getting there. (Maybe it’s the fact that APEC is on and locals are staying away from Waikiki)
Miso Menchanko (10.75) is a great meal. Shrimp, kamabuko, won bok, roast pork slices, ramen noodles… Terrific taste and not salty. It’s like the ramen shops at the train stations in Tokyo.
Hakata Ramen ($ 7.45) dashi is the best! Clean taste and not oily like it could get. The broth is made by long slow boil of the pork bones; long enough that the broth is almost white. Rich in flavor that you don’t need anything else to enhance your bowl of noodles. Menchanko Tei adds a little zip to it by dropping red chili flakes in the broth.
If you go for dinner (after 5 pm), there are several perqs to enjoy. First, with an order of Yose nabe, the pitcher of draft beer is 50% off approximately $ 9 for the pitcher. Second, the parking is free; validated at the Waikiki Trade Center. Third, service is superb, always courteous and polite. What more can you ask for?
A place deserving of a repeat performance.

Came here because we were looking for ramen right after we flew in from San Francisco.
The service was a bit slow and not very good. Seems like the two waitresses were the only ones in the whole place and they did all the ordering as well as the table clean up so it took them forever to pay attention to customers.
I got the lunch special, which was ramen and chicken rice. The ramen was good but not enough toppings, but still tasty. The chicken rice was basically a sad version of chicken donburi. It was three small pieces of chicken on top of rice. Either way, it was super cheap, like $ 7 for this lunch special.
The place was not busy, maybe only less than 12 customers in a place that seats maybe around 60 people. Just because people leave, doesn’t mean you have to clean up the tables right away when you have customers who are waiting to order, waiting for their food to be carried over from the kitchen, need more water or need their check taken care of. A lot of us waiting to get our checks while the two waitresses were busy cleaning tables rather than helping customers.
Other than that, good food but crappy service.

Whenever I am in Waiks and its lunch time, one of my favorite places to grab a quick eat is Menchanko Tei.
The lunch specials are reasonably priced and good. I usually get the hakata ramen set that comes with a small chicken bowl. I think it was priced like $ 6.50
The ramen is pretty good portion with a lot of toppings. The broth is hakata style, which is creamy and smooth. It was rich in flavor and not overly salty like a lot of places makes it. The noodles were also really good. It was thinner then typical ramen. Almost somen like but it was good.
The chicken bowl was just a small bowl of rice with some yakitori chicken on top. The chicken was a little overcooked but the flavor was pretty good.
I am not too sure on the parking situation as I usually park down the road in the metered parking, but for a cheap quick lunch this place was pretty good.

If I’m picky about any type of food… it’s RAMEN!
I usually eat at Yotteko-​Ya, but decided to try here since my girlfriend says this place is great!
I came here during lunch time… THEY DON’T VALIDATE PARKING TILL AFTER 5PM. I think that is so stupid. They should just validate all day, but whatever.
Anyways, I ordered just the regular menchanko — having no idea what I just ordered. The waitress told me that its what they are known for (hence the name of the restaurant). So instead of ordering what I came for (ramen), I ordered the menchanko.
It came to me in like a… steel pot. It was weird but it definitely kept the soup reeeeeeeeeally hot for long. And I love my soup REALLY REALLY hot. I even burnt myself from the steel pot!
But my gosh… the broth is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. It’s like nothing I ever tasted before. They probably used like a crap load of MSG, but whatever… it’s so good!!! Everyone that loves and appreciates SOUP and NOODLES like I do has to try this place atleast once!

Very good ramen place in Waikiki. Being my first time, I got the namesake Menchanko ramen; the Menchanko broth was really excellent, very deep and complex. The accompanying noodles were a bit too eggy and thick for my taste but that is a matter of preference.
My husband got the hakata pork ramen; the broth is milky brown but it had no depth and was oddly not very hot, more a lukewarm which does not do broth any favors. I actually preferred the noodles which were a bit thinner than mine. Good consistency and bite.
We got an order of gyoza which was awesome. I have to say that it was the most flavoral gyoza filling I’ve ever had. They look quite small but they’re packed with flavor. I appreciate the quality over quantity aspect.

Bomb katsu! I get either the kuro-​buta or chicken katsu, half portion. The katsu is always perfectly crisp and tender. They give unlimited miso soup, rice, and cabbage so there’s no way you can leave here with an empty tummy!
The miso menchanko is pretty good too, comes with tofu, shrimp, veg, mochi inside. I’ve had the spicy one before, but found it to be kinda salty so I stick with the regular menchanko.

Hard to believe that it’s been two years since my last visit here… Thankfully, unlike most of Waikiki, it hasn’t changed.
1) Hakata Pork Ramen (
) — Puts most places in the Bay Area to shame.
2) Tenderloin Katsu (
) — After eating this here, you will compare every Tonkatsu you have to this… sets the bar for me. For added spice, dip in the mustard sauce on the side.
One of only a handful of places worth eating in Waikiki! Full credit to Love S. for putting this on my radar.

I had lunch here my first day in town and it realllly hit the spot! the menu is mostly in Japanese but it does have a short English description for those of us who don’t speak the lingo lol my server noticed this and brought the full English version.
I ordered the menchanko and it was delicious! the broth was light with just the right amount of seasoning. a lot of times it’s way too salty at other places but it’s not here. all the ingredients were fresh and added to the entire experience. anyways, go eat lunch here and you’ll make your belly happy!

Great Ramen-​ya.
Having come here 3 times during a short stay in Honolulu, I can vouch for consistency. Pork belly and hakata style ramen made 2 of the three meals. The boiled turnip was also cooked — «just right».
The food really hits the spot, whether the sun is shining, or its a mellow evening.
The staff is prompt, but the place caters primarily to Japanese — which is never a problem in my mind. Limited alcohol menu is perhaps the only negative… but everything else is top shelf.

I grew up in Japan and it has been really hard to come across REALLY authentic Japanese food here in Hawaii. This is why I was so excited when I stepped into Menchanko-​tei a few years back– I felt as if I was back in Japan. Everything from the tables to the menus and the plastic food displays outside. After I took the first bite of what I had ordered, it became apparent that it was not just the physical appearance of the restaurant that was reminiscent of home. The food was simply amazing. Every bite was absolute perfection that the Japanese pride themselves in.
As their name suggests, their menchanko nabe is their specialty. I always order the hot miso menchanko; the broth has so much flavor and it has a great balance of seafood, veggies, and meat. Their gyoza, in my opinion is the best on the island– they are bite-​sized and the skin slightly thinner than what most are used to, which allows each piece to have a perfect balance of crispy and chewiness.
Not much of a ramen person? Don’t worry, their tonkatsu menu is amazing and very reasonably priced at around $ 18−20/set. There are free refills offered on miso soup, rice, and cabbage.
As far as service, I admit they may be a little slow when it comes to refilling water or grabbing the bill. However, the food comes out fast and the staff are very friendly. After the first few visits, the servers remembered me and greeted me warmly. Very few things make a customer feel more valuable than being remembered.
I have been a regular there for the past few years and I have never been disappointed. I encourage everyone to try this place out!

I was a little disappointed in this ramen restaurant, especially since it got a lot of hype. First off, customer service was horrible. I came at an off hour time on a weekday so it wasn’t busy at all, but it still took them 15 – 20 minutes just to take our order! Then we had to ask for water 2 or 3 times. And this is why I give one star less.
The ramen itself was just okay. I ordered the tonkotsu style. The broth needed to have more flavor. Also tried to pork belly. That was pretty good. Nice & tender/​fatty.
I would only come back unless someone else really wanted to go.

In whole honesty, this is the second best ramen place I have ever stepped foot in. The absolute best was this joint in Fukuoka (Ichiran) next to yatai stalls which served Pork Ramen Broth and was rated in the top 3 ramen restaurants in the whole of Japan.
That’s a pretty hard act for anyone to follow, I’m afraid.
However, Menchanko-​Tei is the best ramen place in North America as far as we are concerned. The Hakata Pork Broth Ramen is the closest thing we’ve seen since Fukuoka. The style of broth brings out the luscious sweet richness of pork that is balanced by a lovely citrus note (?yuzu) at the end. It is near perfection my friends — the only reason this place doesn’t get a five is the noodles are not quite as good as the joint in Fukuoka. But man, is it ever close.
Normally, I don’t finish the broth with my noodles. Here, I was serious contemplating licking the bottom of my bowel. (Yes, it is that good.)
But the pork ramen is not the only thing that is good here. The Menchanko has a lighter noodle broth, thicker noodles with seafood and vegetables. Wonderful all way around. The tonkatsu was nice and crisp and totally satisfying. The kakuni-​don was one luscious piece of stewed pork served over shredded egg and rice.
The most economical time to come is lunch time where the lunch specials include the kakuni-​don and a hakata style ramen for under $ 10. That my friends, is an awesome deal. Tonkatsu is a better deal during lunch time as well.
The numerous great dishes brought us back here 5 times in a 7 day period. I swear to God, my hubby was waxing poetic about this place as we had our last meal here before boarding the plane. Too bad that we couldn’t give this place a 4.99 stars because I definitely would.