Miyata Menji Ramen Open at gr/eats Old Location

Miyata Menji is the name of a comedian in Japan. This is his ramen shop in America. I’ve been twice now and tried one of each item on the menu, the ramen and the tsukemen. Granted, it’s changing in style by the day according to one of the waitresses since the formula for America is being tweaked, it’s an interesting visit. The ramen is tonkotsu broth but not as white and many others. Yes it’s heavy and oily, and you do see little bits of fat sailing by. There’s tomato and garlic and the pieces of beef are thin yet tasty as if they’ve been barbequed. The serving portion smaller so don’t expect giant USA portions, but it’s plenty.

The tsukemen is what Miyata Menji is known for. In Japan, that’s what they serve, but it’s not like this version. This is a doctored version for America. On my first visit, cabbage and sprinkled cheese on the noodles. This already makes people cringe. The dipping soup is thick with pieces of ground meat and also features tomato and croutons! At first taste you have to draw comparisons to Tsujita (which is location just diagonal), which ultimately is simpler and stronger. Yet if Tsujita had a strange uncle, this is the place. Yes you can serve yourself bread and dip it the sauce too. The tsukemen reminds you that Miyata Menji is a comedian and he’s definitely doing something different. I’ll side with the ramen since it’s more traditional, but if you have that wild streak, try their tsukemen. After you get over the differentness, you might enjoy it.