Menya-Gumi

I stopped by to try their ramen and ended up liking the Tebasaki wings appetizer more. The Tebasaki chicken wings were fried just right and had a tasty sweet and savory crunchy coating. The ramen was good too. The chintan shio broth was clean and light with a Hong Kong-influenced flavor. The marinated egg is a nice bonus. Based on the quality of what I had here, I’ll definitely check out their dim sum menu next time.

Superb ramen in a casual dining spot. I’m writing this as someone who stayed in Japan and hunted for good ramen while I was there. Had their Tori Paitan Ramen; rich bone broth with actual marinated bamboo shoots and melt in your mouth pork belly. The egg was perfect too. A perfect bowl of ramen. Super underrated and super value for money. Work of an artisan for sure.

This is the best Japanese/Asian restaurant. The food is true quality, so authentic like nothing I’ve ever had. We’ve been there a couple times and it never disappoints, always excellent and especially fresh. Can’t recommend enough. The service is great, our servers have been very kind. The atmosphere is very cozy and calm, with sophisticated vibes. The owner is very professional and welcoming, you can tell he puts his heart and soul into the restaurant . Pictured is a salmon dish , I Believe was called Ochazuke. It was a special that day. My favorite part of it was the rice pearls, which I’ve never had. The salmon was cooked to perfection. Also, the restaurant is very clean. The bathroom is spotless. They maintain everything very well. Overall excellent experience, cant recommend enough!

GREAT ramen! SUPER flavorful and a solid price. The chef puts a lot of care into each detail, from the pork, the noodles, and of course the egg. This is my good-to spot in New Haven. Looking forward to my next visit.

Wow!! I didn't have much expectation of this place but the Hong Kong style noodles blew us away!! The fresh noodles are extremely bouncy, chewy, and al dente. My family from Hong Kong really approved of the flavor and quality of the noodles with both spicy and plain beef. Chicken karaage and ramen were good as well but not as big of a standout compared to the items from the Hong Kong style menu. Will definitely be back to try the watercress dumpling noodle soup as that is a true HK classic. Portions were just right - not too big or small and easily filling for dinner. Broth slightly on the saltier side but not terrible, still tasted great!

Very good! Not super fancy but not like bad causal. It’s comfortable and cozy. We dined in and out waitress was very kind! Very attentive and always had a smile on her face. Food was very good! I had the Hong Kong noodles and who i went with had the regular ramen noodles. My Hong Kong ones were spicy but very good! It was a very good spice that definitely added to the flavor. The Ramen they got the soy one and it was also very good! Definitely recommend and will be going back for sure !

This was a random find for an out-of-town couple, and it turned out to be a wonderful discovery. The atmosphere was warm, and the server welcomed us to seat ourselves before quickly providing menus, water, and taking the first part of our order. We sampled a few items from their Dim Sum menu, including the Golden Black Phoenix Bun (Egg Custard), Spicy Pork Soup Dumpling, Philly Cheesesteak Steamed Bun, and Garlic Pork Ribs. Each dish was delicious, but the standout was undoubtedly the Spicy Pork Soup Dumplings. Spicy Pork Soup Dumpling: These dumplings were a perfect balance of spice and savory flavors, with tender, well-seasoned pork nestled inside a delicate wrapper. The flavorful broth inside was bold and warming, making each bite a comforting delight. Golden Black Phoenix Bun (Egg Custard): A close second, this dish featured soft, black buns filled with a luxuriously golden smooth and subtly sweet egg custard that melted in your mouth. Philly Cheesesteak Steamed Bun: A unique fusion offering, these buns captured the essence of a classic Philly cheesesteak with tender, flavorful beef and a hint of melted cheese, all wrapped in a pillowy steamed bun. For our main courses, we tried the Tori Paitan and the Spicy Braised Beef Tossed Wonton Noodle. The Spicy Pork Soup Dumplings stole the show, followed closely by the Golden Black Phoenix Bun and the Philly Cheesesteak Steamed Bun. Overall, this was a fantastic dining experience, and we highly recommend giving these dishes a try and we will definitely be back.

food was good. But they charged $3 for a couple of spoons chili sauce. When I asked for a bit vinegar with my buns, I was refused and told vinegar is only for soup dumplings.

Visited Menya Gumi for lunch and overall, it was a pretty solid experience. We were quickly acknowledged once we entered. It's a smaller spot with a variety of table and booths. Our server was attentive throughout, but food came out a bit slower than we had anticipated, especially for a lunch. We ordered the spicy pork dumplings were definitely a highlight -- packed with flavor and had just the right amount of heat. However, I was disappointed by the crab pork soup dumplings. They didn't really have any noticeable crab flavor, which was a bummer how much we enjoyed the spicy pork. The Shoyu chintan ramen was good -- rich broth, firm but not hard noodles, and it comes with a good portion of protein and vegetables. I did like all the additional toppings to choose from, so you can really customize your bowl. We opted for an extra egg since we were sharing. I was a bit taken back when the server mentioned there would be a $3 upcharge for chili oil when most Asian restaurants offer that as a free table condiment, especially when they came out with a teeny tiny container of it.

I tried the soup dumplings, ramen, and katsu sandwich with Menya Gumi on a busy Friday night. Food aside, the restaurant was crazy busy and very chaotic. There were only three servers and many people were not receiving their orders, water refills, and checks as needed. The servers were all stressed and the environment wasn't welcoming. I hope this establishment can provide more workers on shift to create a better experience for all involved. The food was all pretty solid. I eat a lot of Asian food and found this to be pretty on par with a lot of Asian restaurants in the U.S.- a bit too salty, lacking vegetables, and still pretty palatable. I don't have any qualms with the food, but doubt I'll be back due to the environment.

Just a short walking distance to Yale university, Menya Gumi offers a flavorful traditional ramen. The menu strikes a balance between authenticity and creativity offering four different broths, toppings with noodle and rice options to suit different palettes. The shio and shoyu chintan ramen were delicious. The aromatic shoyu is paired with fresh springy noodles that perfectly soak up the broth. The shoyu is topped with a soft-boiled egg, tender pork belly, bamboo shoots, seaweed, scallions and sliced mushrooms which are meticulously prepared to enhance the overall visionary experience. I was not a huge fan of the Kara-age as I felt the seasoning on the chicken was average and the chicken was a little on the dry side. The ambiance is cozy and inviting, with a super friendly staff who are happy to make recommendations. Service is efficient, the portions are generous, and everything is reasonably priced. You will leave here full and satisfied. Beware! Street parking is limited.

I'm typically not a fan of ramen but I actually liked the ramen here! The restaurant is located in downtown New Haven and it's pretty spacious inside! Great for dinner or a late night snack. Everyone was super nice! Our waiter was also super attentive and friendly. I didn't love the seaweed and egg but the broth was flavorful and they included a generous amount of chicken.

We decided to try the food here for the very first time and we liked it. Very welcoming, not anything fancy but cozy environment for sure. It reminded us a Korean style eatery. Friendly staff who were attentive even though it was pretty busy during lunch time. We ordered and food was served relatively quickly. Since this was our first time we ordered a couple of different dishes. During the ordering, there was a bit of miscommunication regarding an order of an entree which I thought was a dumpling soup but in fact it wasn't. It was dumplings that had a bit of a both in them but the waiter didn't explain that part. No big deal I ordered another dish that was plenty filling. Bathroom was clean and only issue there was hardly any street parking. Food was great and would definitely recommend.

Loved the vegan tomato yasai ramen from here! The tomato itself is so uniquely flavored, pickled and slightly sweet. The sauteed cabbage, noodles, broth also perfect. Yum!!

Pretty mid ramen spot. There is a better one in New Haven, but even that one is not the best. I got the shoyu ramen and my partner got the shio ramen and he said his was pretty bland. Mine was also lacking in flavor. The egg and pork chashu were good though! If you really need your ramen fixing, I would go here otherwise, you could get better somewhere else. They also have a variety of other asian foods likes wonton noodle soup, chicken katsu sandos, and dim sum (interesting array of different asian cuisines).

After going to Japan for a month I feel pretty confident in my opinion of what is good Ramen... This place has it figured out! Such a savory and delicious broth, perfectly cooked egg, and the pork was just the kind of good that makes you close your eyes and moan when you eat it.

My friends and I stopped by here for lunch during our roadtrip. I absolutely loved the crab and pork soup dumplings, wish they came with more. I will say that the wait time for food was a little longer than expected, and I also got the garlic pork ribs which were okay but not worth the money in my opinion.

The proprietors are Cantonese and their Chinese food is really excellent. We ordered their braised beef with noodles, chicken & chives dumplings and chive pancakes, which turned out to be even larger dumplings. For their ramen, they use a medium thick noodle in a chicken broth, so if this is not your preference, you might want to give their ramen a pass. Their Japanese style soft-boiled eggs were very well made - with a consistently gelatinous yolk.

Best Ramen in State! Owner/Chef is obsessed with ramen and you can taste it in the care and creativity. Casual place that consistently serves up great food. He is like Karaage chicken and gyoza are some the best around. Must stop if passing through or in search great ramen.

I had time for a quick dinner before catching my train, so alas queueing at one of the popular pizza restaurants was not quite an option this time. I walked around the downtown area a bit (in conjunction with searching online) for some solid options, and came across this generally well-received Japanese (?) restaurant. I hesitate with that characterisation because while I fully expected Japanese food like ramen and sandos, I was rather nonplussed when one page of the menus the server gave me was a list of dim sum dishes (...) The restaurant is pretty spacious and clean, and when I stopped by there were only a handful of other tables in use. I ordered a katsu sando and the egg custard buns, and both came out pretty quickly. The katsu sando was very unexpectedly tasty. The katsu was tender and really crispy, and the shredded lettuce was fresh and crunchy, and complemented the oilier cutlet really well. I think the sauce was a bit too heavy and easily made the bread a bit too soggy / oily. The egg custard buns were pretty average; the bun part was rather bland and there wasn't a lot of filling in each bun (although the actual filling itself was not bad). New Haven is probably not where one goes for good Asian food, so given the circumstances this was not bad at all. The price point was definitely on the higher side (why were these three tiny buns $10 before tax/tip?), but I think if I had just stuck with the sando or one of the few ramen options, it wouldn't have been too bad.

It is a good place overall. I was surprised that the restaurant has a good selection of Hong Kong food. I had beef noodles soup and it was good. I really liked their milk tea. Service was decent and the place was very clean and modern. Good spot overall. I wish it were a more authentic Hong Kong restaurant with more HK options though.

Eating at other establishments will now be a disappointment in comparison to the quality of food here at Menya Gumi. As someone who loves this type of cuisine and cooks a lot of it at home, I can't imagine myself going anywhere else. The food and drinks were delicious and transported me to my time in Sapporo. The owner is very kind, knowledgeable, and fosters an inviting and intimate ambience in the restaurant. I couldn't recommend this dining experience more, you have to come and experience this for yourself!

Food was Soso. It is a pseudo-Japanese cum HK fast food place run by I think a couple of Cantonese people. The servers was super friendly (because I am Cantonese from HK). However it's not Japanese food. I was dragged there by my son who knows nothing about Japanese food.

Had the shoyu chicken ramen here on a Tuesday night. It was pretty quiet. Seatings are comfortable. I was very intrigued in the Cantonese menu that they offered. They have the canto beef brisket or wonton noodles. Anyhow, I went with their Japanese ramen and I can honestly say it was average. Average in the flavor, broth was light but bland. Shittake mushrooms were great and they are generous with the amount of mushrooms. Pork was not tender... I tried biting on them and they were chewy. I didn't even get it. Noodles are at best Sun noodles. The ramen soft boiled egg was spot on! That was the best in this dish! Pork katsu sundo was not great either. Overly toasted bread. I have had sundo in Japan... they usually are soft milk bread. Pork katsu was dry!

Ordered through ubereats. I figured food would arrive cold, not a problem, but the smell? That Ramen tasted so bad, not one of us ate our food. Three orders of Ramen and another order of brisket noodles and all of them, one hundred and something dollars right down the drain. I would NOT recommend this place. The broth smelled so bad! Service was also sooooo slow (no, not the pick up part, but the prep part!) All in all, they have a lot to learn from other Ramen places, they need a class or two.

My first experience at menya gumi was great. The food was spectacular. I will be back for it for sure. My server answered all my questions and made wonderful suggestions. I got the veggie curry 10/10 on flavors portion and price. Ambience is fine. Not a date night spot but good for friends or solo lunch or dinner. They have nice sakes and a good drink menu too!

Such a cute small intimate place. Great ramen that was full of flavor. I'll definitely come back when I visit again

I returned back to this place, not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised. This time I ordered the Tori Paitan which is essentially a tonkotsu broth but with a chicken base instead. I thoroughly enjoy the rich creaminess of the broth which definitely had that deep umami taste. My favorite part of the meal besides the broth was the actual noodles which had a great chew to them. Definitely order the Ramen instead of the Sandos. This place is usually chill, came in on a Sunday during lunchtime and it was not really busy or crowded, which was relaxing. My brother had the Karaage Don which he thoroughly enjoyed, and his favorite part was the sauce at the bottom. I'm not too sure if it was broth, but I tasted it and it was very flavorful. As always, the chicken is always hot and fresh.

Pretty good ramen! Tori Paitan ($17) The shio chicken ramen is terrific in its two main components: hearty broth and perfectly springy thick wavy noodles. The toppings were strong. Sauteed cabbage and bean sprouts is a fun accompaniment! The batch I had was a little oversalted for my taste in the context of such savory broth. The bamboo sprouts were a bit tough. The singleton pork belly slice was hearty but a little over-charred and somewhat lonely. The egg was nicely marinated! Very softly boiled. Spacious, with nice service.

Really enjoyed this little restaurant in the center of it all in New Haven. Walking distance to Yale and the train station. Tried the seafood ramen "Nagasaki Style". Nice texture to the noodles. I'm always a sucker for any soup with mussels in it. Also had a crab and pork soup dumpling that was a beautiful little flavor bomb. Try the Japanese beers. Nice variety. Next time I want to try one of their sandos (sandwiches). Saw another table order the egg salad sando. Looked really good. Wish I had taken photos. I was too busy eating and slurping. Yum! Service was helpful and friendly. Interior is simple clean lines. Love the open kitchen and the chance to watch the action.

I've been going to this spot for over three years. It is consistently a wonderful experience. They have specials they switch up very often. The service is great. Overall a great local spot for ramen and dim sum.

Very unassuming and surprisingly good food, one of my favorite places for ramen but also had limited time foods that are always worth trying, staff is great and quick, the area is always clean and quiet and very nice to sit in

In the midst of ramen joints popping up on every block these days. Menya Gumi sets the bar well above the rest. For years now when I stop in New Haven for work, Menya Gumi is one of my staples for lunch. My goto is the Shoyu Chintan. Now what separates them from the rest is the depth of flavor in the broth. From the chewy bouncy noodles, to the shiitake, charsu and egg. Everything is seasoned perfectly. Most recently I tried their HK tossed noodles with giant wontons. Let me say that It felt like I was transported back to Hong Kong. Again, most places miss on the broth. There is usually some kind of dried fish/ seafood flavor in the broth. Most places taste like msg flavored chicken broth with no depth of flavors. Theirs was light, and extremely flavorful. Don't get me started on the wontons! Perfect ratio of pork to shrimp and the texture was on spot on. The noodles were perfectly cooked. The chili oil was so good I bought a tub of it on the way out! Again, something simple as chili oil, most places it's just oil and chili flakes. There is much more that goes into a good chili oil. I normally don't praise many businesses. But Menya gumi is a place where the owner definitely pays attention to every detail of flavor and ingredient's that they use while respecting the origins of the dishes.

Arrival Upon arrival we were immediately greeted and seated. Waiter came out moments later with menus and water. Great service of the bat; very little waiting. Ordering This time I would go with the Karage Don, a hearty serving of rice, shredded cabbage, pickled cucumber and most importantly fried chicken. Highly recommended. I'd also recommend their Tori Paitan. Their ramen is among the best in the city. Waiting/Ambiance The wait was fairly short as the restaurant wasn't too busy. While waiting, we got an opportunity to take in the ambience of the restaurant. The design is minimal and the establishment is clean. Japanese music was playing throughout our visit which I enjoyed however the sound quality of the speaker sounded pretty bad below what you except from a restaurant. I'd recommend getting a new speaker and slightly reducing the volume. Food Shortly after ordering the food arrived. Freshly fried chicken atop rice served with a side of mayonnaise and a lemon wedge. Great presentation, good flavor not much else you can ask for. This visit I had water, but I've had boba here before. The bobas okay but not to die for. Price At $16 I'd say the meal was fairly priced as the serving size was large but definitely nothing to ride home about. Great experience as always will be back.

This is a small, cute, clean, friendly place for lunch. Our server was Justin; really nice. Ordered: Chicken soup dumplings, shrimp chive dumplings, pork ribs, chicken ramen, ebi mayo tempura. Everything was fresh & came to the table piping hot. Definitely recommend checking it out.

What makes menus gumi amazing? Consistency - it hits the same every single time. Innovation and quality- the crab they use for their soup dumplings is so fresh and so tasty, the soup is so flavorful. Creative and authentic drinks, fantastic ramen, and just an overall awesome vibe. Also, my toddler is OBSESSED with with the karaage chicken. 10/10

What a great spot for ramen in New Haven! We've always heard great things about Menya-Gumi and weren't disappointed. You can tell everything is made fresh in-house, especially with the gyoza because it was packed full of pork! We really enjoyed the shoyu chintan ramen, and I thought the egg sando was like a perfect marriage between scrambled eggs and grilled cheese. The karaage don bowl was tasty too, and it was nice that they had boba tea and cocktails here too. Friendly staff and all of the food came out quickly, and the restaurant was very clean.

Came here for dinner for 2 without a reservation on a weekday night and was seated right away. Decor and ambiance inside is practical but clean. Service is also very good. We got the Ebi Mayo to start. It was 4/5 - good, cooked through, maybe a bit too much on the greasy side. For ramen, we got the shoyu chintan and the tori paitan. The Shoyu chintain broth was so clean and deep - really tasty chicken broth. Noodles were cooked to a great doneness - not too soggy. It was delicious and filling without being too heavy. The Tori Paitain was also good but incredibly rich, perhaps a bit too much. We both agreed we would not be able to finish an entire bowl by ourselves. Would definitely recommend for a good bowl of ramen in New Haven!

Menya-Gumi is a family-owned Japanese restaurant specializing in modern Japanese comfort food, often called "washoku." The name Menya-Gumi translates to men (noodle) ya (house) gumi (group). The infusion of Japanese cuisine into American culture at Menya-Gumi is one to note about it; all things miso, koji everything, and dashi-made, Menya-Gumi is certainly some of the best Japanese-inspired food I've had in Connecticut. I was just in Japan three months ago, and Menya-Gumi's katsu-don, with its tender, fried pork cutlet, is close enough to what I've had. The shoyu chintan, with its torched pork belly and crisp exterior floating on that medicinal broth beside an ajitama, deserves a Michelin bib for its presentation alone. That fluffy egg sando on simple white bread, smeared with Kewpie, is excellent. It reminded me of the late-night convenience store food (considered high quality in Japan) my friends and I would eat after a night in Tokyo. The backstory of the owner of Menya-Gumi is also highly inspiring and admirable. Extremely glad that they managed to stay afloat during the pandemic, despite the opening being in March 2020. Highly recommend! 10/10.

Food: 4/5 ‍ Drinks: 3/5 Services: 5/5 Atmosphere: 4/5 Pricing: reasonable Overall: 4/5 I went here with my family when I first moved to CT few months ago and tbh we were pretty surprised by the quality of the ramen. I would say that the broth is a little salty to my taste but overall the noodle and cha shu are pretty delicious. We also ordered karaage chicken which was okay in my opinion. The boba was mediocre but it got the job done. Afterall it is a ramen place not a boba shop. However, I gave them an extra point because the server was excellent. She was the only one working but she provided amazing service to my party and other customers. I would come back to try their other dishes.

Came here with my wife after craving some ramen. The seating was very awkward because it consists of long tables with single seats, so you gotta squeeze past people to sit down. The menu left more to be desired, seemed bare...So my wife and I ordered something that's seemed straight forward, Gyoza to share and the basic Shoyu Ramen. The Gyoza came out with this red sauce that was weirdly spicy. My wife and I only kept using it because the Gyoza had ZERO Flavor. The Ramen was...ok. I lived in Japan for years and this Shoyu Ramen was similar but didn't really hit the spot. I can't put my finger on it, maybe it was too much ground pepper or the meat was too charred but it just didn't hit... I am writing this later, as I still crave ramen. I will try this again, and see if things change in the future.

We came here during happy hour and ordered a few items from the happy hour list. The gyoza wasn't our favorite, but karaage was delicious. It was juicy but also crispy and the Japanese mayo on the side went perfectly with it. As for the ramen, it was great. Egg was marinated to perfection and the broth had a lot of flavor. Service was great and the place was cute inside. We will be coming back for sure to try out other things on the menu!

The interior is a very young and modern take on ramen restaurants. It reminds me of ramen e-cafés in the Bay Area. The price point is just a tad high for the quality of the ramen. The broths are okay but lack a deeper richness seen in more authentic ramen restaurants. Unfortunately they don't have any sauces/condiments that you can manually add to your bowl to augment the flavor. Overall a very neutral experience. I probably won't return, but could see why people like the restaurant. For me it didn't have egregious negatives, its faults lie with a lack of positives.

In Spring 2021, I acknowledged a hole in my Foodie Game -- Ramen. Sure, as a struggling student long ago, I had eaten super cheap, unadorned, grocery store-packaged, ramen, but I had only had RAMEN once. And I had no idea what I was doing when I ordered that time. I did a little research. I learned that, although there are endless variations of ramen, traditionally, there are four basic types of ramen: Tonkotsu (pork bone based broth), Miso (made with a soy paste based tare), Shoyu (soy sauce based tare) and Shio (salt based tare). Using Yelp, I identified some of the best ramen restaurants near my home in Newington, CT. My goal, was to try one of the four basic ramen types from four different restaurants. I had little trouble finding Tonkotsu, Shoyu and Miso ramen. But that Shio patch, proved elusive. On Sunday, I was walking down Orange Street in New Haven, when I passed Menya-Gumi (M-G). They had a menu in the window. I theoretically had other lunch plans, but when I saw that M-G had Shio Ramen, and that they had a 4.5 Yelp Star rating, I changed my plans on the spot. I have to note at the outset, that I've always assumed that Shio Ramen, which I understand to be the oldest and most fundamental Ramen type, would be my least favorite. In my experience, the original version of something is rarely the best. And also, the fact that so many great Ramen Restaurants don't even serve Shio Ramen, was not a good sign. I have to tell you. I was . . . absolutely correct. Shio ramen was my least favorite broth of the four basic ramen types. But that has nothing to do with the work of Menya-Gumi. I thought that M-G executed a basic form of ramen broth at as high a level as one could do. Although M-G's broth was certainly an elevated version, Shio broth appears to be the closest broth relative of that packaged ramen you can buy at the grocery store. The broth was good, but for me, nowhere near as good as the other three types. M-G worked wonders with this Shio Ramen though. The menma was acidic in a way that really complimented the broth. The chicken chashu was perfect in appearance, texture, flavor and thickness. The egg was wondrous. The egg "white" was different hues of brown, and the yolk was peak runny. The spinach and nori provided color, texture and a good slightly bitter flavor. The noodles were terrific. The Menya-Gumi space was very cool. Service was friendly and efficient. I highly recommend Menya-Gumi, but you do you with the order. Five Stars

Great service great fresh authentic quality food! Stopped in for a quick lunch and was greatly surprised. cool classic / new age set up with plenty of Japanese whisky's to choose from

The food here is not particularly impressive. Mecha's broth has a better flavor, and their ramen falls short of the quality offered by other restaurants in the area. Mecha in New Haven, Mama Chow in Westport, and Eat Noodle in Bridgeport are all much better options. I suggest you save your money and patronize one of those restaurants instead. The service here is inconsistent. This is my second and final visit. However, if you're intoxicated or high and simply need a quick bite to eat, this might be the ideal place.

The food is wonderful, the portions are substantial, the service is on point, and we got here from the train station so we didn't have to wrangle our with street parking. Ramen in NH sure is pricey though!

We love ramen and always seek out a ramen spot when we visit cold weather. I will give this place the benefit of the doubt as we did arrive only one hour prior to closing. The server wasn't the most friendly but I'm ok with that if the food is good. The ramen was decent but left a lot to be desired. In my bowl the spinach tasted like they didn't defrost it all the way, it still had some actual ice in it and my egg (we both ordered two because it's our favorite part) was very tasty but unfortunately had a very cold center. The pork belly tasted great but I've never had ramen that only had one small single piece of protein. If I were local I may consider giving it a second shot, however I'm in town for a short time and this was our one chance. You never get a second chance to make a first impression and unfortunately this one wasn't great.

We were lured in with their unique Japanese-style egg sando's that reminded us of ones back in Japan. Not the type that you find in the 7 Eleven stores, but sort of like those eggs that you cut down the middle and oozes out, just not as runny. We were not disappointed! While it is a bit pricey, we would certainly pay that price again for that egg sando because it was made perfectly. The bread was toasty and buttery. The egg was made with just enough firmness, while having the traditional Japanese egg texture. It came in a set of 3. They had a pork version which was not dry at all, flavorful but you kind of feel like you can get a pork katsu and put it in a sandwich yourself which is why I feel that it was a bit more worthwhile to get the egg version. Ramen flavor was very good too! Noodles were nice and chewy, broth was just right and not too salty, egg perfectly cooked to it's runny state, veggies were well peppery seasoned. You don't feel like they're nickel and diming you for all these add ins. They also had a small selection of unique imported Japanese beer. Ambiance & Service: very clean and a simple look and feel to the store. The owner was our server and was very friendly. He spoke about his venture and how he came around to starting the restaurant. You can see his passion for hospitality!

We came here for a quick lunch before we explored New Haven. We decided on this place because my wife loves Japanese egg sandwiches. We got the egg sando and the Kara-age. The egg sandwich was delicious. It was perfectly toasted with a thin layer of possible mayonnaise and another sauce of the top piece of toast. I loved the Kara-age. They fried the dark meat for this appetizer. It was surprisingly filling if you are eating it alone. Portion was a really good size. It was fried perfectly and wasn't dry.

food here is absolutely delicious, their staff and service is great too, nice people, and the interior and vibe of the place is nice and cozy, they definitely have some of the best japanese curry i've ever eaten. The katsu sando and karaage are also a must when you go here, even if you decide to order takeout the food is still hot and fresh

Broth: 4.5/5 Noodles: 4/5 Toppings: 4.75/5 Portion size: 5/5 Appetizers: 4.5/5 I was excited to try Menya Gumi during a day trip to New Haven. Overall I enjoyed what I had and would probably come back if I found myself in the area again. We went on a Saturday for dinner ~6:20pm. There was no wait but the restaurant did slowly fill up as the dinner hour continued. As others have said, the service is a bit non-standard when you first walk in (nobody greets you; they just tell you to sit wherever). They also have a rather aggressive sign in all caps that says that looking at the kitchen won't make the food come out faster -- it made me feel self-conscious about looking at the kitchen even though it was right in front of me. That being said, once we got seated the service was quick and smooth. We got two appetizers. The karaage ($10) was solid -- it had a crispy exterior and tender interior. I would have wanted slightly more flavor -- maybe some ginger/garlic flavor or some saltiness. Overall not my favorite karaage ever, but still good. The tebasaki wings ($11) were also good. These had good flavor reminiscent of Bonchon soy garlic wings. I was glad they weren't too sweet. They had a good crunchy texture and were quite large. Overall very solid ramen appetizers. I got the shoyu chintan ramen ($16). The broth is quite good -- well-balanced, not too salty, with good chicken broth flavor. The noodles were your standard packaged yellow wavy noodles. Mine were clumped up in a few places but otherwise good. The ramen had a lot of toppings -- for $16, this is pretty generous given what I'm used to. The toppings were all quite tasty. One thing I noticed was that everything was cut quite thick (or not cut) -- the bamboo was given in thick chunks, the shiitake mushrooms were cut pretty thickly, the pork belly was a thick slab, and the egg was not cut in half. As a result you get a lot of toppings, which I'm not complaining about, but I think it could've been even better if the toppings were sliced a bit. Overall I enjoyed my experience and certainly came out of it very full. Good flavors and plentiful toppings. I would come back. I definitely want to try some of their sandos next time!

My go-to place for ramen and sandos! Their chicken- and veggie-based broths are a great alternative to other spots. Favorites: Shoyu Chintan, Tori Paitan, Katsu Sando, Egg Sando

Pretty good ramen place. Gyoza was juicy & flavorful, both chewy and crispy. Ramen was decently flavored. Parking on the street was pretty easy but most spaces are an hour limit & costs about $1 plus fees.

Perfection. Fast and friendly service and DELICIOUS food. Run don't walk to dine here. The pork gyoza were the best I have had- well stuffed with pork lots of meat and beautifully crispy on the outside. The yuzu ramen was on special when we went and I found the flavor so unique and delectable. Added bonus clean bathrooms. Also I always love an open kitchen when dining. Makes for great ambiance and the opportunity to sneak a peak at what's going on behind the scenes. Too bad I live in NYC or I would be back tomorrow.

The Katsu sando is out of this world. The katsu is thick and juicy, the bread well-grilled, and the shredded cabbage crispy. The shoyu ramen is nice too.

Menya-Gumi is an understated little neighborhood joint that keeps luring us back. Relatively simple menu, and everything we've tried so far is solid. The ramen broths offered are of a lighter variety (as opposed to the tonkatsu and miso broths you may find elsewhere), but they are still plenty flavorful without maxing out my daily sodium limit in an instant. Plus, they know how to cook the noodles right! Great QQ texture every time. Favorites so far: 1) Tori Paitan Ramen (the broth is almost creamy, plus it has extra veggies for a nice balance) 2) Shoyu Chintan Ramen (again with the veggies, love the fresh shiitake) 3) Egg Sando (how is it so fluffy??) 4) Katsu Sando (tasty and surprisingly filling) When you're looking for a sando or bowl of ramen with an elevated, homemade feel, this place hits the spot.