A West Village gem for Sapporo-style ramen & phenomenal fried chicken [5]. Known for creative cold ramen specials & vegetarian options [7, 9]. Sadly, closed end of Dec due to rent hikes [35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 56, 57].
This West Village Japanese restaurant was a beloved spot known for its authentic Sapporo-style ramen, using noodles from Hokkaido [23]. It offered a variety of ramen, including highly recommended cold ramen specials during the summer and spicy miso vegetarian options [7, 9]. Beyond ramen, their Hokkaido-style fried chicken was also a standout dish [5]. Unfortunately, the restaurant closed its doors at the end of December, with a significant portion of the discussion revolving around the impact of high rents in the area as a contributing factor [35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 43, 46, 56, 57].
This Japanese restaurant specialized in Sapporo-style ramen, utilizing noodles from Hokkaido. It was lauded for its diverse ramen offerings, including cold ramen specials during summer [1, 7], spicy miso vegetarian ramen [9, 23], and Tantanmen [29]. The Hokkaido-style fried chicken was also a frequently mentioned highlight [5, 54]. Unfortunately, there were isolated reports of food poisoning from curry ramen and fried chicken shortly before its closure [55, 56].
"This restaurant was highly recommended for its Sapporo-style ramen, with a particular shout-out for its cold spicy miso ramen during warmer months and its vegetarian spicy miso ramen. The Hokkaido-style fried chicken was also a frequently praised item on the menu."
Customers frequently praised the ramen, with many considering it their favorite in NYC and lamenting its closure [27, 47, 58, 61]. The Hokkaido-style fried chicken also received high marks [5]. However, there were also reports of food poisoning from specific dishes around a year before the closure, though this was not a widely shared sentiment [55, 56].
Important Note
There were isolated reports of food poisoning from specific dishes, such as the curry ramen with ground pork and fried chicken, occurring approximately a year before the restaurant's closure [55, 56].
"Menkoi Sao is listed as a place one might consider for a 'seat of your pants' dining experience, located just west of the main Greenwich Village area."
Positive"In response to a query about ownership, this comment clarified that Menkoi Sao is the same shop but has different owners."
Neutral"A user inquired if Menkoi Sao has the same owners as Menkoi Sato, which they had heard closed."
Neutral"The original poster inquired about recommendations for other cold ramen options, having enjoyed the cold spicy miso from Menkoi Sao."
Positive"Menkoi Sao was included in a list of recommended restaurants."
Positive"Menkoi Sao is listed by the commenter."
Neutral"The commenter frequently visited Menkoi Sao for its vegetarian miso ramen after it reopened during the colder season."
Positive"The spicy vegetarian miso ramen at Menkoi Sao is recommended."
Positive"This commenter recommended Menkoi Sato, indicating it's a place worth trying."
Positive"This commenter recommended trying Toribro on 52nd street if the user enjoys Menkoi Sato."
Neutral"This commenter confirmed Menkoi Sato's plans to reopen in a few months and agreed that their karaage is incredible, recommending it as one of their top choices for ramen shops that also serve great karaage."
Positive"The author mentioned Menkoi Sato is temporarily closed but hopes to reopen soon. They previously enjoyed their ramen and fried rice, but were particularly impressed by the karaage (Hokkaido-style fried chicken), calling it possibly the best they've ever had."
Positive"This user expressed heartbreak over Menkoi Sato's closure, recalling frequent visits before having their first baby."
Negative"This user noted that the original post was updated to indicate the closure might be temporary."
Neutral"The user is looking for places similar to Menkoi Sato that import ingredients from Japan, as Menkoi Sato has recently closed."
Neutral"This user responded to the argument about costs by stating that rent was the reason Grays Papaya closed and provided a link to another closure attributed to rent."
Neutral"This user expressed extreme dismay and disbelief at the news of Menkoi Sato closing."
Negative"This user estimated Menkoi Sato's rent in Greenwich Village to be between $11,000 and $35,000 per month based on market rates."
Neutral"This user estimated labor costs for a restaurant operating 12 hours daily with 8 employees to exceed $80k/month, suggesting it could be higher than rent."
Neutral"This user estimated that a ramen shop with 3-5 employees would likely have rent as the biggest cost, depending on the shop's size and rent price."
Neutral
