Disclaimer: I am not the biggest ramen fan since I find that it can be pretty greasy at times, so I don't always enjoy ramen. But yay, this place isn't greasy! I don't feel the need to down some tea after my meal. The place is on the smaller side with limited parking, but the food is worth the wait and the search for parking. Love thr Karakuchi ramen. Just a hint of of spicy. We also got the gyoza which was the flat kind, delicious. You always have the option to order more pork, which some of my friends did, but I was stuff as is. read more

Menya Sandaime - Karakuchi ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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Here are some tips: -Lunchtime tends to get busy so highly advise you to go as soon as they open or around 1-ish. - Bringing a crew? Carpool because they have limited parking on site; however, there are metered street parking -Big portions and reasonably priced menu -They have vegetarian miso -Feeling extra hungry? Order extra noodles for a small fee -Order Gyoza dumplings a little crispy and it's filled with pork -HANDMADE NOODLES daily -Quick table turnover -Love spicy? Order the karakuchi -They take cash, debit,& credit cards -Great customer service -The menu is mostly pork but you can always modify it at least with the ramen. For instance, I ordered the miso ramen with the vegetarian broth and substituted shrimp instead of pork. -It's a small restaurant so wouldn't recommend larger groups as it'll be a little tight. read more

Menya Sandaime - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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Delicious ramen, I ordered the Tsukemen while my sister ordered the Karakuchi and we shared an order of Gyoza. Super filling and it was very flavorful. My sister had a stuffy nose and the spiciness definitely helped her clear her sinuses . Since there were only two of us we were seated fairly quickly. Service was amazing, everyone was so friendly and efficient. It's a very clean restaurant and everything came out so quick. Will love to come back again! read more

Food was literally amazing and service was beyond what I expected I would highly recommend coming here to leave with a full warm belly read more

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I've been here a couple of times with my family and it's always been good; the food and the service are both great. However, today we came and saw there was a van parked outside the restaurant. My boyfriend called to ask if indoor dining was available. The guy on the phone, who sounded like he didn't want to be there, said "yes". Didn't even say "bye" after the phone call was over, just hung up. So we paid for a parking spot on the street and went in, only for the same person who was on the phone to tell us that they were closed. I'm not sure what he gained by lying over the phone but he wasted our time, and money for the parking spot. I'm not even paraphrasing when I say that he said "yes", that's literally all he said when my boyfriend asked if dine-in was available. Honestly don't want to go back if he's working there, customer service gets negative points for just being purposefully obtuse in his response. read more

The ramen at Menya Sandaime is probably the most authentic I've ever had in NJ. My mom and I came here on a Wednesday at around 12:30 (prime lunch time) and were lucky to be seated right away. I say lucky because the establishment is relatively small - there are less than ten tables (for parties of 2) and and a few seats along the bar. But because the food comes out within minutes, the turnaround is also relatively quick, so I imagine that if there had been a wait, it wouldn't have been too long. We both ordered the Karakuchi Ramen, which is the only "Spicy" option on the menu. I've had very spicy ramen at other restaurants, so I have to say that the Karakuchi here was very mild. It was still good - the spice made the broth more flavorful and cut through the thickness a little bit. That's the only thing I'll say about this ramen - because the broth is so thick, I start feeling full halfway through my meal and have trouble finishing the rest of the bowl. But maybe that's just me because I'm a small human. read more

Menya Sandaime - Karakuchi Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

This place is amazing! The rich flavor of the broth, the melt in your mouth pork belly, and the perfectly cooked noodles really are top notch. This has become a special place for my son and I. I recommend this to anyone looking for a delicious meal that warms the body and soul! read more

Menya Sandaime - 2 orders of Miso Ramen and an order of Gyoza - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

Very delicious ramen. I came with a party of 5 for dinner on a Wednesday evening and the place was packed. The restaurant itself is pretty small and cozy and so there was a bit of waiting for the table. However, we were given menus to look at while waiting for the table and ordered with the hostess. Once we were seated, the ramen came within a minute, which is pretty awesome because it was a chilly evening and I was starving. I ordered the Karakuchi ramen, which is basically a spicy tonkotsu broth. I LOVED it. It wasn't too spicy, but definitely enough to give you a good kick. The noodles tasted very fresh and a had a good, slightly bouncy bite to it. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I got an extra order of noodles after finishing the first portion so I can keep on enjoying the noodles and the broth. The pork belly was fatty, melt-in-your-mouth, delicious. Our group also ordered one of each rice bowl (one pork one beef), but they weren't anything too special. Stick with the ramen!!! You won't regret it. At $10.5 a bowl of ramen, I think it's very reasonable and I would get it any day. Food: 5/5 Ambiance: 4.5/5 Service: 4/5 Price: 5/5 Overall: 5/5 read more

Menya Sandaime - Karakuchi ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

The tonkatsu ramen was average. The soup broth was not hot enough and barely covered the ramen. The pork was on the tough side and lacked seasoning. I also ordered the gyoza which were overcooked and fell apart when picked up. No hot water or tea was available. read more

This place is fantastic. I've been coming here for years now. The ramen is delicious and the gyoza awesome. They are opening up new locations. I highly recommend trying them. read more

Noodles are freshly made (there's a guy in a closed off room, making noodles from scratch). Broth was tasty and you can even adjust the amount of salt. Tonkatsu ramen - refreshing broth and the pork was thick. Black Ramen - a Smokey broth, which was new and different from what I'm used to, 2 slices of thick. Gyzo dumpling - was soft, the pork inside the dumpling was tasty. Would I come back? For sure read more

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I bookmarked this ramen joint before any reviews were up and once all the glowing reviews hit I was on my way! Tara W. hit the nail on the head with the description of the broth, charshu, noodles and egg. The tonkotsu ramen is my fav so far. The black ramen had very good flavor with a nice bite. Parking lot in front is small with 1 handicap spot and 1 regular spot. It's in a residential area of Fort Lee so street parking is a better bet. The restaurant is also small with 14 seats at the tables and 7 seats at the bar facing the open kitchen. One problem I had was with how hot the place got. I had to ditch the green tea and stick with the ice water. Once the word is out on this place I can see a line forming fast. Try it out now while its still empty! Tip: No take out here, they are BYOB read more

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My friends have been raving about this place so I decided to come here and try it out. This the best ramen that I ever had in NJ. Yes, I said it. It's better than Santouka at Mitsuwa. Came here on a Thursday night with some of my friends and boyfriend and there was no wait. I tried the Karekuchi Ramen and my boyfriend had the Tonkatsu ramen. I preferred the flavor of my broth over his and he also liked mine better as well. It has a great kick to it. You can also ask for red chili pepper powder and hot oil on the side as well to make it even spicier. The pork in this ramen is to die for, it just melts in your mouth! We also got a few orders of homemade gyoza as appetizers ($5 for 6 pieces) and I'm glad we did because it was SO delicious. Right amount of juiciness and crispy flakiness. Oh, and this place is also BYOB! Even though I did not have to wait for a table, I would still suggest going on a weekday or during non-peak hours. There is probably around 20 seats in this restaurant and I can see this place having a long wait on a weekend. Also, you are probably better off parking on the street because there really isn't much room for parking here. The price is reasonable and the service was great as well. I'll definitely be coming back to this place! read more

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Their to-go ramen (due to covid) is pretty spot on. I usually hate take out soups because it's not as good when it's not fresh, but they are really good with packaging the ramen to go and keep the noodles separate from the soup. In general, this is one of my favorite ramen shops! read more

Food is less than mediocre. Way too salty. Hardly any ramen. Overloaded with cheap vegetables. Broth is not tasty. Thin and watery. Portions are random as some are lacking to the point that the soup and stuff inly reach below half of the tall bowl! Very disappointing. Much better ramen shops out there that offer true broth and ramen, meat and large portions for the same price. Sad. read more

Cute little ramen spot in Fort Lee! Found this place on Yelp since we didn't want to go to the ramen places in Mitsuwa, which we've tried many times. There is a parking area in the back but it only fits 3-4 cars and very difficult to get out. Menus were in a wooden box, how cute! Now for the food! For appetizer, we ordered the fried gyoza, which was so good and juicy. For ramen, I ordered karakuchi (spicy) with extra noodles and chasu and my friend ordered the tonkatsu. Unfortunately they sold out of chasu that night and only had enough for our orders (2 pieces per order of ramen). No biggie because I was so full from the ramen. The egg was perfect! The karakuchi broth wasn't so spicy, so don't be afraid to try it! I added extra spicy powder for mine! My friend enjoyed his tonkatsu, he said it's pretty than the famous Ippudo ramen in NYC. Overall, great food and good service! Would definitely recommend! read more

Menya Sandaime - Karakuchi (spicy) ramen, not too spicy. - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

I wasn't quite sure what to expect here, but when I walked in, I was greeted with an "irrashaimase" which loosely translates to "welcome" in Japanese. After taking a look at the website, I found that this is a ramen chain based in Korea, so most likely the employees picked up some simple Japanese phrases. Menu is also in Japanese with English translations. The ramen here is very good. I prefer this place to Ippudo. No ridiculous wait time, cheaper, and better overall. I ordered the miso ramen, kaedama (extra noodles). The noodles were springy and soft with a good chew. They had absorbed the flavor of the broth very well. Miso ramen came topped with bean sprouts, spinach, lettuce, pork, and a somewhat softboiled, marinated egg. Could've done with less vegetables and more proteins; definitely would have preferred a true softboiled egg. The broth itself was amazingly porky without being too greasy. I would have preferred it a bit saltier, but adding soy sauce fixed that. Also ordered the gyoza. These are handmade fresh and you can definitely tell. They are plump and juicy, finished on the grill for a bit of crunch and charred flavor. Will definitely come back here. read more

Menya Sandaime - Miso ramen kaedama - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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Fast service and good ramen. their gyoza is super good. Friendly service and good food. read more

Menya Sandaime - Miso Ramen and Soyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

Ramen so good , you'd roll your eyes and sigh contently. Its hard to describe the awesomeness of a good bowl of ramen. You'll know it the second the ramen hits your tastebuds. Oh ramen.. you complete me.. I had their Karakuchi ramen. A spicy tonkutsu but without the spicy chili oil. The heat is not the typical Szechuan peppercorn , nor the japapeno burn. Definitely not regular black or white pepper. The burn is 'flavorful'. The ramen itself is Ippudo styles. Skinny but firmer. Long story short, I guess I found my Ippudo substitute. This place gives Ippudo a run for their money. The chashu is a thick slab. Lots of marbling and on my return I would ask them to slice it thinner. I also had their pork rice bowl. Butadon and it was BETTER than the ramen. Could have been the best bowl of butadon I have ever had in my life. So much that, after a mega bowl of ramen.. I ordered 2 servings of Butadon. It addictive good. Its smack yo mama good. Its take a bite, pop your eyes out and punch your buddy good.. And don't forget to bring your own booze.. read more

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Tonkotsu Ramen doesn't get any better, very clean establishment, friendly staff, and entire menu is great. Enter in a bad mood... the Japanese game show music will make you smile. Having been to Japan several times, I can vouch 100% authentic excellent food. read more

This place is legit. Not much parking (do not use the parking lot across because they will ticket/tow your car we were informed). The waiting area can get quite crowded but as other Yelpers have said, it moves fast thankfully. We were seated within 5 mins. Food comes out FAST. Much faster than I thought. The gyoza is good, but definitely a bit too oily for my tastes. Also, it's interesting how they leave the crust on it. Made it seem even more unhealthy. We each got the ramen with the extra spices put in. So it had a nice spicy kick to it. I got extra egg, which the yolk was more runny but it was still really good. I loved the ramen noodles themselves, definitely could taste the difference here. Best noodles I've had. Next time, i think will also add the extra noodles because the bowls LOOK huge but they're not as filling as one would think. Also, I could swear my boyfriend got WAY more food than me in his bowl. He was eating a good 15 mins still after I had finished my bowl and I sat there staring at him for a while. Service was on top of their game at first then by the time we needed our checks, it took a little longer than I'd have liked. Prices are also decent for what you get so I would definitely be here almost weekly if it were closer to my home. My boyfriend actually woke up the following day asking for more ramen. Yup, that's how good this spot is. TIP: BYOB! Trust me, a good beer washes down the ramen so well. read more

Menya Sandaime - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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Best ramen in Fort Lee, NJ, hands down. Their dumplings are best I have ever too. I always order the karakuchi with extra scallions. read more

Outside temp was about 10° that day. Cold breeze blows into the waiting area. TIP: If you want a real warm seat there is a back room seating area with a space heater for the colder month. We got 2 order of the pork Gyoza. Because you def don't want to share these. Even if it does come with 6 lol. Karakuchi Ramen has just the right amount of spice. No need to add anything to this one. I can handle pretty spicy foods but this is palatable to those who don't usually go for spicy foods. *Strongly recommend this one Miso Ramen had a good mild flavor. Not too impressive after tasting the Karakuchi. But all in all a good bowl of ramen for a cold winter day. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. read more

Menya Sandaime - Pork Gyoza -$5.60 DEF order these! - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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Yummm! I finally got the chance to try it after a recommendation from Tara W! I came on a Sunday afternoon. The restaurant is small with limited seating, but the wait is short because it's a pretty quick meal. For a party of 2, we waited for less than 5 minutes before getting seated. Food: Gyoza: the wrapping is very thin, and the filling of pork is pretty juicy. I liked the sauce that came with it which was a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar. Black Ramen: the broth is smoky and salty Karakuchi Ramen: the broth is spicy!! There's a really good kick to this spicy broth. I enjoyed it. However, next time, I would get one of the non-spicy broths and just add the Japanese chili seasoning to make it spicy. The noodles were delicious. Both ramens came with pork belly, half an egg, bean sprouts, spinach and scallions. I asked for my bean sprouts on the side since I don't really like bean sprouts. I enjoyed both broths that we ordered. There wasn't a weird after taste like the broth at Ippudo in NYC. I definitely liked Menya more. Service was excellent. Everyone was friendly. I would return to try the other broths! read more

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After much hesitation I finally tried ramen...... I'VE FALLEN IN LOVE. Can't compare this ramen to anywhere else, but honestly can't imagine much better. After reading other reviews, seems like ramen connoisseurs feel the same. I'm not a huge fan of pork, so I went with the vegetarian miso. Absolutely perfect and would highly recommend! Just needed to add a tiny bit of salt, which I see other yelpers have agreed with. After reading a few recommendations prior to going, I ordered extra noodles. Next time I'll do without. Unless you're starvingggg, it's not necessary. So thankful to have selected here as my first ramen experience. I'll 100% be back (with friends and fam!) read more

Menya Sandaime - Vegetarian Miso. Soooo good! - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

Best Ramen in NJ! Hand-made noodles in the store daily, amazing broth and you can tell that the store owners put in care in every detail from service to product. The place is extremely small, but with fast service, you never have to wait too long because your meal is never more than 10 minutes away. So I have to admit I have a standard ramen that I almost always order because it is my absolute favorite but I have tried all the other ones before. Karikuchi ramen, with extra ramen - comes to about $11+$3 = $14. This is a spicier broth if you don't like a spicy broth maybe consider some of the other classic ones. IF you enjoy spice, this is the ramen for you!! Also, I tend to eat so much noodle so I always get the extra, if you are a fan of noodles/carbohydrates then I recommend you order extra ramen. Also, if you don't know yet you can always order the extra ramen after you finished your noodles and you can just top off your broth with ramen (just like Japan). The ramen comes with two slices of thick cut pork that is fire torched, which gives it this fiery charr grilled flavor and added to the broth gives it a great smokey flavor. The scallions adds a level of spice to the broth and very very nice (but if you don't like it, you can always ask them to withhold it). Gyoza ($6) is absolutely delicious, juicy and the skin is thin and chewy. This dumpling dipped in vinegar which completely balances out the fatty, meaty flavor. Probably one of the better gyoza's that I have tried in New Jersey and I almost always get this when I visit. I have tried the Gyu-don and other rice dishes, they are okay. I would recommend sticking to the various ramen options and the gyoza. Those are the must haves!! Come here frequently! Love it! Highly recommend!! read more

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Cozy Japanese ramen place. Usually this place is very crowded and there is a wait, but when we arrived around 11:20AM on a Saturday, there was no wait. Parking available but spaces are limited. We ordered karacuchi ramen, miso ramen, and gyoza. Honestly, food is not bad but service was mediocre. Gyoza (appetizer) came out way later than ramens and the cook was constantly talking without a mask on, so I was disappointed by the sanitary condition of the restaurant. read more

Menya Sandaime - Miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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Easily one of my top 5 favorite ramen joints! It ain't romantic, boutique or high end location, but is a good place to hang and most importantly to me . . . The ramen is so close to perfect!!!!!!! I come from the Bronx, Jersey City, Harlem, Brooklyn when I want uncompromisingly good ramen. read more

Best ramen in the area hands down. Normally I give a long detailed review. This place does not need it. Everything is great here !!!! It's is amazing !!! Huge portions for the price, and they broths and everything has amazing flavor, their ingredients are super fresh and organic. If you are in the mood for ramen, this is the best place. This place is also BYOB!!!! 4.7 out of 5 Flavor : 4.8 out of 5 Service: 4.7 out of 5 read more

Phenomenal. From the rich tonkatsu broth, rich melt in your mouth pork belly, and the delish umami marianted eggs, this restaurant has been, and will continue to be one of my absolute favorites. Every menu item is delicious, but i am partically fond of the Karakuchi Ramen and the Gyoza, but you really cannot go wrong! Must try if you have not. read more

Menya Sandaime - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

Chatted with my Japanese hair stylist last week, she told me even the owner of Menya Sandaime is Korean, but the chef is Japanese. My hair designer also thinks the Ramen here is really authentic and very good. I can't agree more with her, like I said in my previous review, this is probably by far the best and most authentic Ramen places in NJ area! So..why did I update my review and take 1 star off? I realized even an amazing ramen places like here , they still have " bad soup day" and "bad pork belly day". There are probably 2 or 3 times in my visits I found the broth too salty, and in 1 or 2 times the pork belly was not cooked as tender as they should be. Since I am a regular goer and I always order the same thing, it's very easy for me to tell the differences even it was just slightly different. However, when they make it right, that bowl of ramen is heavenly. I hope they can be more consistent. read more

Menya Sandaime is a small place. I'm not sure how long the wait typically is. But on a Saturday night at around 9, there was no wait! Then again, this is probably because it happened to be pouring (side note - watch out for the huge puddles in the parking lot that are more like ponds!) I ordered the karakuchi ramen, which has a spicy broth. It was a little too spicy for my taste. I'm don't like overly spicy foods because I feel like it covers up the actual flavor of what you're really eating. I also tried the donkotsu ramen, which seems to be the most popular one. I liked this one much better. It was a little salty, but I guess that's what makes ramen broth so good. They have spices on the table that you can add yourself (which tasted like the same ones they used in the karakuchi ramen). So if you are looking for a bit of a kick, use that with the dankest instead of ordering the karakuchi, where you'll probably be chugging water between bites. The noodles tasted similar to the overly hyped Ippudo in NYC. Only this one was about half the price. The noodles also come with 2 pieces of pork. Parts of the char siu were dry and chewy, while other parts were super fatty. So it's a hit or a miss, depending on how you like your pork. Since there seem to be so many other ramen places in Fort Lee, I think i would go try those before I give Menya Sandaime a second try. read more

Menya Sandaime - Karakuchi ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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I was really looking forward to checking this place out. I thought it didn't open until 11:30am on a Saturday but we got there before then and people were already happily eating. The very small restaurant quickly filled up while we were there. I had the miso ramen. It came with a whole bunch of veggies like bean sprouts which I personally enjoyed. I was disappointed that the noodles felt a little over cooked. Maybe they cooked while I was getting through my veggies. I also thought the broth was a bit on the greasier side compared to other ramen places. The service, however, was beyond attentive and efficient. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant but it's very tight and a bit tricky to exit so try to park elsewhere if possible. read more

Menya Sandaime - Miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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...finally decided to post a review for this small Ramen shop. This place got more popular than ever! ...well, good and bad - good for business as more people coming here; but bad thing is waiting time is getting longer, of course. They serve very solid Ramen - good medium noodles, very tasty Chashu and good flavored soup. One wish (been for some time), is for them to offer a little variety on optional topping., especially veggie items. Gyoza is also another nice one to taste - meaty fillings and good texture skin. If I remember correctly, Buta-Don was not this much sweet...wish they use Chashu meat for Buta-Don. Overall, this place has been serving very solid Ramen. read more

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This is becoming one of my favorite ramen spots. The only cons is the limited parking and the wait can sometimes be pretty long since it's a popular spot. Their service is really fast and the people who work there are very nice. We got our ramen at a great time but I'm assuming they forgot to put our gyoza order through. Not only did they profusely apologized, they didn't charge us for it and the also gave us drinks on the house! Great fast service and they really do care that you have a good experience. I got the black ramen- it was flavorful and the noodles were absolutely perfect. My boyfriend got the karakuchi ramen- I had some of his broth and it was SPICY. Their marinated soft boiled eggs are cooked to perfection. read more

Menya Sandaime - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

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So I finally got a chance to give this place a try. I came early for lunch to avoid the crowds. Decor: very nice and clean with a Japanese feel to it. I sat at the bar looking into the kitchen. The cooks are definitely not Japanese. Food: I got the karakuchi ramen and it was great. The broth had just the right amount of spice. I actually didn't like the spinach that was in my ramen. But that's just my personal preference. The noodle had a nice bite to it. The pork was nicely cooked and tasted great. Overall a great ramen dish at a great price. read more

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Awesome ramen space with friendly service! Everything we got was great especially the gyoza. Would definitely recommend this place if you're craving ramen! read more

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My wife, friend and I decided to stop by and try out noodles at Menya Sandaime. My wife got Miso Ramen, my friend got Miso Ramen Vegetarian and I got Ankake Yaki Ramen. These ramen are ok, not great, but ok. My wife complained that her came with only 1 slice of pork, and mine came with too little (non-existant) Shrimp and Calamari. Too many vegetables not enough seafood. We prefer Santouku inside Mitsuwa market by Edgewater. Way better ramen than this place. read more

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Small, efficient, and delicious. This place has limited space and offers a short menu but the homemade ramen simply makes any wait worth it. The service is warm and swift, which makes this a great spot for lunch. I had the Miso Ramen(I believe) and requested it be made spicy. I also requested extra spinach and enjoyed my entire bowl. I would definitely recommend this gem to anyone who appreciates mouthwatering ramen. I look forward to coming back here read more

Menya Sandaime - Ramen Near Me - Fort Lee, New Jersey

Heard a lot of great things about this ramen place so decided to check it out with my friends. I ordered the Karakuchi Ramen, which was decent but definitely smaller quantity of food than other ramen places in the area. You can tell that the gyoza (dumplings) weren't fresh and are frozen dumplings from a store. The food is average.. 3 stars. The reason I'm giving two stars is because of the cook. While we were eating our food at the bar, the young Asian cook who had gloves on was constantly blowing his nose and didn't change his gloves EVER! If we saw him do that before we had received our food, we would've walked out. I'm sure that nasty things happen in every kitchen but atleast I'm not witnessing it while I'm eating. Pretty repulsive and definitely not sanitary. read more