Menchanko-tei

Baby its cold outside, and when Mr Freeze threatens, I cannot think of a better respite than a bowl of hot steaming ramen. In midtown Manhattan the best bowl of ramen can be had at Menchanko-tei. Menchanko-tei has been in business for a long time, catering to a mostly Japanese clientele. The noodles are made fresh daily, in three degrees of thickness, from their original recipe. Two varieties of broth are featured, pork based and soy based. Both are slow cooked and are light enough to let the ingredients shine through.

While the menu is quite varied, my first choice is always the hakata ramen. This soup is the perfect example of less is more, the Haydn string quartet of ramen. Into the pork broth are placed the perfectly cooked al dente, ultra thin ramen noodles. They have a slight spring to them, not at all soggy, mushy, or too chewy. These are then topped with flavorful, marinated and slow roasted pork slices, black mushrooms, red ginger and scallions. It is a good size portion for a very fair price of $8.50.

The other variety of soup served is Menchanko (Men=noodles, Chanko=sumo wrestlers stew). Individually cooked and served in a large cast iron bowl (nabe) these soups, or stews, feature soy based broth with thick ramen noodles to which various protein, which might include chicken, head on shrimp, fish balls, tofu, rice cake and vegetables are added. This is a filling meal, as the bowls are quite large.

The other speciality at Menchanko-tei is Oden which dates from the Edo period. Oden is quite hard to find in New York and normally consists of seafood and or vegetables, individually simmered in a kelp based stock. They are generally ordered individually, a few at a time, or left up to the house to decide on 4 or 5, and served with a dab of japanese mustard to enhance the taste of the vegetables, which are fairly plain on their own.

A selection of sake, japanese beer and traditional roasted green tea are available.

Menchanko-tei
43-45 West 55th Street
New York, NY 10019
(between 5th and 6th Avenues)
212 247 1585
Monday-Thursday 11:30-11:30
Friday until 12:30am
Saturday and Sunday until midnight

and

131 East 45th Street
New York, NY 10017
(between Lexington and 3rd Avenues)
Monday-Thursday 11:30-11:30
Friday until midnight
Saturday until 11:00
Sunday until 10:30

Taim falafel and smoothie bar

Taim, which means tasty in Hebrew, opened a few years ago on a quiet back street in the West Village. Owned by Israeli chef Einat Admony and her French husband, Stefan Nafziger, it serves what is consistently the best falafel in New York. This pita sized storefront on Waverly has a few stools and a couple of benches outside to be used during the milder weather.

The falafel are crisp on the exterior and moist inside. They are expertly fried to order in canola oil and come in three flavors (green, harissa and red pepper), but I would highly suggest sticking to the traditional, or green (chickpea, parsley, cilantro and mint). You can get your falafel in a sandwich of warm, super fresh, white or whole wheat pita, or on a platter. The platter is served with israeli salad, tabouli, and hummus with three sauces (s'rug, amba and tahini) and your choice of pita with toasted zahatar spices (an ancient arabic spice mix made traditionally of several sun dried herbs, such as thyme, oregano and marjoram ground with sesame seeds and salt). The sandwich includes hummus, israeli salad, marinated cabbage and tahini sauce. My favorite way to order the sandwich is green on whole wheat with everything, which includes yemini hot sauce (s'rug), amba (fenugreek and pickled mango sauce) and house made pickle slices.

The thing that sets Taim apart is the freshness of every ingredient. The s'rug, made with thai red and jalapeno peppers, cilantro, garlic and oil, is quite hot, while the amba has a nice cool refreshing effect and the pickles add a nice crunch. The result, like a composition of the great Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, is a beautiful layering of texture, color and flavor.

Taim has several fruit smoothies, house made lemonades and iced teas for cold drinks. Mint tea and house made Indian chai are available as hot drink options.

Taim
222 Waverly Place at 7th Ave
New York, NY 10014-2404
(212) 691-1287
Open 11:00am-10:00pm everyday
Cash Only