Menya le Nood — Restaurant in Honolulu

Three co-workers and I had lunch at Menya le Nood on May 29. Call us fortuitous because three cars pulled out as we arrived, so we scored a parking space directly in front of the entrance. (There is limited parking in front of the building.)

Three had the Menya Tsukemen ($19.50) while I tried the Salad Tsukemen ($19.50). I was going to order the Menya Salad with Garlic Soft Shell Shrimp ($14) but when at a noodle place, one orders noodles. We shared two plates of gyoza for $6 plate (normally $7.50). We all went with the Black Tonkotsu (savory roasted garlic pork) broth.

This was my first experience with the Salad Tsukemen … It’s a very nice salad (lettuce, tomatoes, bell peppers, green onion and crispy garlic) atop the noodles with a piquant dressing. I almost didn’t need the black tonkotsu sauce. Just kidding; the sauce makes the tsukemen special.

Service was pretty quick, and we were done in just over 30 minutes. My sole quibble was I wanted the broth to be hotter; it was lukewarm at best. This seems to be how they want to serve it because it's always been like this. Other than that, a perfect lunch, especially when one of us paid the entire...

When it first opened, it was my favorite. A year after the quality somehow went down but these past two months things have been picking up and it is my favorite again. I think it’s due to the owners changing hand. Love their black garlic Tsukemen as they use squid ink for the black garlic oil and I will always order extra large noodles to soak up all the awesomeness. The food is on the saltier side and wish the owner should turn it down just a little. The donburi and shrimp bao are on point and out of this world!!! I love the condiments especially the pickle and garlic as they add a nice balance and kick to the Tsukemen. By the way, if the owner could change the interior back to the original decor where all the walls are black that would be ameowwwwwzing. I love how the interior used to look like, more theatrical and appetizing with calligraphy paintings and dosage of red. The white wall they painted over didn’t use a primer so it looks really ghetto and takes away the dining experience. Please paint the walls back to the black vibe as I personally thinks you guys would have the best interior design amongst all ramen...

First of all, this restaurant’s name is interesting, isn’t it?. I came here late at night, with not many options left. However, I was actually glad I came here because their tsukemen was delicious, albeit the broth could be better. The restaurant was clean and cozy. Customer service was great!

The food:

Chicken Kaarage (10/10): This dish was great! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The seasoning was spot on, as well! This is definitely recommended if you are going to get an appetizer to go along with your meal.

Menya Tsukemen (8/10): The noodles were great but the broth has room for improvement. The noodles were mildly chewy and thick in texture. The portion was also reasonably generous! Now, I felt that the broth could be thicker, it was a little watery for my liking. Perhaps their traditional ramen might be better?

Overall, like others have mentioned, this place doesn't make you go, "ok, I want to come back to that restaurant again". Nevertheless, if you are in the area and would like to have tsukemen, then Menya le Nood might be able to satisfy...