I love ramen, and friends have been encouraging me to go with them to various places around Calgary. This was a great experience. Fast and friendly service, the server was willing to give advice, and my tonkatsu ramen was great. That pickled red ginger was a bit daring for me since I never like pickled ginger in anything, but it’s standard to the dishes so I tried it and wow, it adds a nice occasional zing that never overpowered the rest of the dish. The egg was cooked perfectly, and the appetisers were delicious. Menyayi is worth trying a few tines for ramen lovers.
This little spot in Kensington reminds me exactly of when I went to Tokyo, Japan. From the bowls you're food is served in to the soft Japanese music playing in the background. Menyati serves a small but simple menu to please anyone who walks in. There main dishes consist of a variety of udon, ramen, and donburi. I ordered the beef udon and my bf ordered the chicken teriyaki don (comes with miso soup), and the serving we're enough for you to finish and feel full. The large windows and natural light gives a more open concept and a calm and relaxing environment to the small restaurant. The staff were very kind and polite, always available to serve us or answer a question we had. The restaurant was also very clean and food was well priced for the portion and quality.
I recommend this place for:
Food, price, atmosphere, and service
I had a chance to visit Menyatai multiple times and honestly I can say say it has one of the best Ramen and service in Calgary. The food was always excellent every time I have been and the service was very friendly yet very efficient. I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone! It’s a great place for a date night or even a casual night with your friends!
I would recommend this place for they delicious curry udon, tempura udon, grilled eel don. Curry broth is rich if you prefer, tempura was crispy and not oily, big pieces of delicious grilled eel and comes with miso soup. Beef udon was a bit too sweet to me. But if you are a big eater, get ready that udon noodle portion is quite small. I liked seaweed salad, too. Spinach salad was a bit too salty as they put too much topping seasoning in my opinion. Home made sesame cheese cake is smooth and suits Asian people’s taste as it’s not as sweet as western desert. For ramen, I still prefer Muku, better broth, slightly better noodle texture.
one of my personal favorites in Calgary, the chashu here is more fatty ,much like pork belly. Although as default you only get one piece of chashu,its quite big in comparison to some other places. The tonkotsu is rich,milky and flavourful. I find the spicy tonkotsu the best. The egg isn't marinated ,and not soft boiled most of the times ,but I prefer the broth at menyatai over other ramen places. Their chashu don is really good too !
The ramen here is delicious. I particularly love the curry ramen - it is fairly mild, but so flavourful. There is plenty of variety to the toppings (corn, bamboo, etc) and the pork slices tend to be smaller than at some other ramen places, but the ramen is very well balanced. If you're a big eater, order extra pork.
Delicious ramen. This was my go-to place before I discovered Ikemen.
The noodles are toothsome, and the miso broth is nice and flavourful. The portions are probably the biggest in Kensington and you get a ton of toppings. The only thing I don't like about this place is how spicy they make it! I've gotten spicy miso ramen from Menyatai a number of times over the last 5 years and it's gotten progressively spicier. The last time I went I almost couldn't finish-- my body was in so much pain from all the chili. It was still delicious, but next time I'll definitely ask them for the chili paste on the side!
It's been a year since I've been here and I don't quite remember the ramen here. I think it was OK by Calgary standards but that's about that. I remember really liking the Ika Geso though. The onigiri was also a nice touch but it didn't taste as good as the ones I got in Japan 7-11, Family Mart, or Lawson's. Would I come back? Sure thing, but not until I've tried all of the other ramen places I haven't tried in Calgary first!
I went here with my cousin for a lunch visit. We had the spicy miso, miso, and onigiri. All were amazing, and we will be returning! Flavour, texture, aroma. Fantastic.
Menyatai started my ramen addiction, I'll tell you that.
It's a super cozy restaurant with a bright and casual environment, perfect for lunch with friends or less intimidating date nights.
I love the springy-ness of the noodles and the rich flavours they provide, with my favourite ramen being the Tonkotsu Ramen. The prices are incredibly reasonable since it is worth the portions given.
Awesome tasting! Service was fast and friendly, will be back very soon. Had the udon and friend had the ramen, both great flavours and came out super hot and fresh! Don't forget to get the gyoza, they are the real deal!!
My buddy Asian Persuasion recommended Menyatai to me. She hasn’t been in a year but she told me the ramen is good. My husband L and I decided to check it out Friday evening. He ordered the Miso Ramen ($11.99), I ordered the Spicy Tonkatsu ($12.99) and we shared a seaweed salad ($4.50). L meant to order the seaweed salad but he mistakenly ordered the wakame sunomomo salad. The whole time we were eating this I was thinking what the heck – this is the weirdest version of seaweed salad ever. Two minutes after we ordered the wakame sunomomo, we received our ramen. I wish the servers and cooks would time the appetizers and mains a bit better.
This is one of my favourite ramen restaurants. Their flavours are a bit more mild than other ramen places, which suits me just fine. I always get the tonkotsu ramen and it never disappoints. The noodles are always a nice, chewy consistency, and the broth is always savoury and flavourful. Service is always quick and friendly. Love this place!
Wait staff were polite and friendly, food was great, and would definitely return and recommend. Tonkotsu ramen was delicious, and my husband loved the shoyu ramen. Also had the gyoza- delicious!
Great place. Excellent soups, dons and sides. Definitely one of my top ramen picks in the city. My love for this place began with its original management about 4-5 years ago, and since the management has changed hands. The interior was updated to accommodate more people and looks great! However I feel nostalgia of the cozy plastic tables and pink chairs. And although I miss the old staff, the new staff is great aswell, very accommodating and fast. The food is unchanged as it consistently delivers a soulful bowl of ramen.
Had the spicy tonkotsu. Best hangover food ever. A generous and tasty hunk of pork. Service was average. The restaurant is tiny and it was awkward to squeeze past other guests (I'm not a big person other).
Was very good with quick friendly service, just thought the spice wasn't blended into the broth like others I have had. Nevertheless definitely worth a stop.
We loved this place !!!!! Absolutely delicious ramen ! I had the spicy egoma ramen, the broth was delicious as were all the accompaniments: egg, pork, corn, seaweed, bamboo shoots, green onion and sprouts (I think I remembered them all). We also tried the onigiri which was delicious, I have always wanted to try the ones from Japanese 7-11! Just makes me want to travel to Japan even more ! We also tried the gyoza. Which was delicious. And the spicy miso ramen. We will be back for sure !
First impression walking in: very clean and organized with lots of lighting. I was greeted and given a menu immediately. The service alone was great. We started with the seaweed salad and Ika geso (fried squid). The salad was pretty standard, nothing special. However the fried squid was cooked perfectly and very well seasoned. For ramen, I ordered the tongkotsu spicy egoma. It was super rich and not too spicy. Great flavour and the pork was very tender. However, I wish the egg was soft boiled! Great experience with very few flaws. Highly reccomend giving this place a try!
Dropped in at lunchtime for a bowl of ramen and some takoyaki (TY). The space looked basic, bright and clean. Basic noodle shop decor.
Food arrive within 10 minutes of ordering (like!). The TY's came with a pile of bonito flakes, dancing to the heat of the takoyakis. Mesmerizing. TY's were crispy outside with a soft batter and tender tako bits. Yum!
The noodles arrive shortly after the TY's were finished.
Had the tonkatsu shoyu ramen. Came with white flavourful pork broth. The ramen had good chewy, bouncy texture, probably has good dose of alkali. It was topped with loads of corn, sprouts, green onion and shredded black fungus. The char shiu was unique in that it has grill marks and slightly smoky flavour. Wife had the teriyaki beef udon, slightly smaller bowl. Good teriyaki flavour, lots of beef.
Service was fast, efficient and friendly.
I'll return to try other items on the menu.
Pretty good Japanese noodle shop run by Korean owners & staff.
Delicious food & fast service! Perhaps it was just the perfect timing, however food was served quickly! Staff are very friendly! The food is very filling, but not a gross heavy full (if that makes any sense haha) Definitely recommended for those sick days or in fact any day!
While in Calgary I had to get my Ramen fix and I always try to visit a new place everyone time I come. The place is small, less then 50 seats but it does not feel cramped. Our server was very polite and courteous.
I always get Takoyaki whenever I can and some assorted tempura to pick at. Takoyaki was very crunchy but soft on the inside with good amounts of octopus bits. My girlfriend got their Beef Teri Don Bowl with no veggies. Good amount of rice to meat ratio and not too heavy on Teriyaki sauce. I got their Tonkotsu Ramen. Portion size for $12 is spot on. Noodles were cooked perfectly and held their chew throughout. The broth though was stunning. Very smooth with the porkiness being mellowed out. I could drink cups of this stuff. I would have preferred my egg to be a little more under/runny but it was sitting under my hot broth before I finally grabbed it. My piece of pork was melt in your mouth delicious. Overall nice little place to get your Ramen fix.
Food and service are both good. We had ramen and the noodle are not soggy like some other Japanese restaurant and they don't have to give you dry garlic slices or chili powder to enhance the taste because the soup already quite tasty. Ingredients are fresh an MSG usage is low because we didn't feel dry mouth afterward. If you like ramen you must try this restaurant.
I really enjoyed the Spicy Tonkatsu ramen, it was the perfect amount of pork flavour and spice. But there was only one small piece of pork that came with the bowl. If you are a cha shu lover, I would suggest adding more for an additional cost. Overall price was decent and ramen was delicious.
Decent quality of ramen for CAD 13. The broth was tasty and the noodles were tender, unlike some restaurants tend to overcook the noodles and making it soggy. The ramen at this restaurant had improved since 2 years ago as I was not impressed when I tried out the first time. The reno of the restaurant is modern as it's more like a ramen bar style instead of a traditional Japanese restaurant.
I normally go to Muku for Ramen. First time went to this place, ramen is average. But the donburi is quite tasty. The portion is pretty large.
Kensington is definitely the home of Ramen in Calgary - at least, the most Ramen places in one area is deinitely here - and menyatai ranks close to the top! The seven sizes are generous as are the toppings and even with add in most bowls end up around 15$ which is decent for Calgary. Their pork is tender and the eggs are perfectly done - and I like that the broth isn't too heavy.
Fresh and crispy Tenpura was the best. The nooddle of ramen was nicely chewy but the soup was salty. Yakiudon has plenty of ingredients and not bad.
Menyatai is probably one of the better ramen places in Calgary. I ordered the spicy tonkatsu ramen which had a rich broth, with lots of toppings like corn, bean sprouts, seaweed, etc. I really liked how they didn't hold back on these toppings which definitely add more to the dish. The noodles were quite good and not soggy or overcooked. The ramen was really good, but I found the appetizers not too special. We ordered the takoyaki and the fried squid tentacles. Presentation wise they weren't particularly great but it was probably due to how busy the kitchen was. Taste wise nothing too special either. Next time I'll probably stick to just the ramen or maybe try another appetizer.
BriGuy28ca Food Reviews
+5
A little taste of Japan right in Calgary. If the food doesn't wow you, the service will!! The menu accommodates all pallets, while providing a traditional and non-tradition experience. Please be sure to check this restaurant out today. You won't be disappointed.
i love this place, i work in kensigton, and it is my go to hot spot. They are super friendly over the phone. My favorite is the gyoza... mmmmmmm yummy. i wish i could eat this for every meal of the day!!!! people writing anything bad obviously dont respect quality japanese cuisine
I stopped by Menyatai a few minutes after it opened. I was greeted at the door with a friendly hi and smile. There is no yelling of Japanese greeting here which is okay me. The place was almost full with one table and the bar left. I sat at the bar. The servers there all seemed very nice and attentive, and the place is very small but modern.
The place doesn't solely sell ramen. They had the typical Japanese appetizers, tempura, udon, and Don (rice bowls), but no sushi. Judging from all the people around me, everyone ordered ramen. The service here is great but getting the food takes time. I noticed it did takes a while to get food, but I wasn't in hurry to be anywhere, and they come out in groups. My order, I saw, came out at the same time as two other tables. All the waiting was made up for how delicious the ramen was.
Great little restaurant! The ramen is really tasty and the broth is the star. I really dislike corn in my ramen and the first time I forgot to ask for it out in my Spicy Miso Ramen, but everything else in the bowl was great! Second time I had the Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen and also tried my boyfriends choice of Egoma Ramen. Both excellent choices if you like rich and spicy. Service is solid as well.
Love their ramen!!! So tasty and the broth is like heaven! From miso broth to curry broth, it's all yumminess! Perfect for cold nights here in calgary. The place is quite small but cozy, limited seating so you need to wait but the service is fast. Will sure be visiting this place soon 👍🏼
Cute little restaurant with decent food!
The only thing I don't like about is that the servers keep talking to each other loudly all the time. Could be better with right managing.
The ramen servings are adequate for their price. The onigiri and takoyaki are fantastic. The tempura is superb. Would actually go back for ramen numnums. 4.5/5
The food was delicious with thicker broth that tastes more authentic! The appetizers were mediocre but the entrees were definitely worth it. The prices are a little on the high side and because the restaurant has limited seating, quite a bit of a wait was needed. The staff were all very friendly and managed quite well during the busy evening dinner rush.
my go to place for japanese ramen. i order from the tonkotsu grp. i rarely order fr other menu items. if i am extra hungry, i will also get a negi meshi set to go with my ramen.
This place is clean, I will def go back to try other items on the menu when the mood struck me
Been to many different Ramen places in Calgary and by far this is one of my favorite. The food tastes clean and the service was very fast. The restaurant itself is a bit cramped but does it really matter when the food tastes great?!
This place was amazing. We got there a little after 8:30 and had to wait a little. Even after we were sat, they were still sitting people. Service was prompt. Their noodles were a bit chewy but it made for great leftovers. I love how their bowl comes with the soft boiled eggs already as some places they have to be added on. I had the Extra BBQ Pork Ramen with spicy perilla seeds which was absolutely delicious!
Have not stopped by here since they opened! The line was out the door, but they're pretty speedy about it. Just leave your name at the front. We ordered the shumai (Shrimp dumplings) because we were just really hungry. They reminded me of the ones you get from T & T which isn't a bad thing. I got the Shoyu Ramen and John got the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen. My broth was super clean and wasn't salty, which I was worried about. Loved the sous vide egg and bamboo shoots. Texture of the noodles weren't bad either. John's broth was so good! Absolutely loved it. The downside to this was the ONE slice of pork where it seems everywhere else is more generous with the meat.
I like this small cozy restaurant. This is a perfect place for a date, not so much for a big group because the place is quite small and it can get pretty busy during lunch/dinner time. The staff is always very friendly and they have an awesome service. Their chasiu rice bowl is really good, give it a try if you still haven't. I like the tonkatsu ramen the best (both normal and spicy), the broth is really good and the amount of noodles is perfect. I definitely recommend this place.
Delicious Ramen. Pork was barbecued and tasted really good. The service is awesome, I ordered Ramen to go with green tea ice cream. They packed my ice cream in a box full of ice and even apologized for not having dried ice! They went out of their way to make me happy and I will definitely go back.
Great food, nice and clean. Think I caught the server on a off night, didn't make eye contact with us at all and was borderline curt with us.
I've been here many times for ramen. Almost my favourite in town. You have many choices of ramen and appetizers. I will definitely recommend my friends to go there.
Great little spot. Super authentic, pretty decent prices (especially for Kensington.) Nice range of food and drink options. It's probably your best bet for noodles in the area.
This place is great! Been here a few times and tried nearly every ramen dish. They are all amazing, you really can not go wrong. On my most recent visit I had the beef udon which was also delicious. The broth was very tasty but I think the udon is store bought.
Service here is very good. It's a bit small though so you may want to make a reservation or go early in the evening.
Nothing too special, but definitely good for a cold day!
Average ramen at best. Definitely my favorite in Calgary, but I've had way better outside of Calgary.
Very reasonably price, cute atmosphere, and staff make a real effort to make sure you're happy. Very much recommend.
By far the best ramen in Calgary. Muku has gone downhill lately and Menyatai has stepped up to take its place as King! Be sure to order extra pork as the standard bowl only comes with 1 slice and you'll definitely want more.
Such a cute little restaurant! They get really busy on the weekends so be sure to get there early if you don't want to starve yourself. There is a decent variety of soup bases!
This ramen shop is small and tables fill up fast, so I recommend coming here right when it opens. I came here with a few friends and ordered the spicy egoma ramen with the negi meshi set. It was incredibly filling and the spicy ramen was delicious with a good amount of toppings. We also got takoyaki and assorted tempura, which were both fresh and tasty. The tempura had a beautiful color, nice presentation and wasn't greasy. Highly recommend this place if you're craving ramen.
My brother wanted to get Japanese ramen and my friends told me to go here. We got spicy tonkatsu ramen and spicy miso ramenu. They were both good but we liked the tonkatsu before better. The miso one tasted alot like the instant noodles. The food came out very fast and the servers were very nice. I really liked it and will come back!
One of the better ramen places in Calgary. The noodles are chewy and good, portions are pretty big. I love the way the meat is cooked for the ramen. The only downside is that sometimes the broth is way too salty. It's been kind of a hit or miss for me; some days it's great and not so awesome on others. But it's the place I go to if I want ramen because like I said, one of the better places in town..
The best ramen place in Calgary so far, it's such a cute and colourful little place. Love the atmosphere, service is great and ramen is delicious!
I've always heard great things about Menyatai and decided to finally check it out. Got the spicy miso ramen and the spinach gomae, and both dishes were delicious. The BBQ pork had a great char which added an abundance of flavour! Ramen noodles were thin but still had a nice chewy texture. I like!
Korean-owned ramen restaurant I think. But I'm impressed. It's pretty good and can put some other place to shame. Generous toppings compared to some other places. I usually get the spicy pirella seed soup. If looking into other broths, I have other places I'd prefer though.
Menyatai is our go-to place when we want to celebrate finishing our tests, midterms and etc.. Ramen is our reward and of course we want a good one. Tonkotsu Shoyu was my fave and I also love their Takoyaki. What I love most is their Cha-shu! Everytime I order ramen, I'd always order a side of Cha-shu. Can't get enough of it. Sometimes I would order their Cha-shu don for to-go with extra cha-shu of course. I love the ambiance too, it's cute and cozy and they got friendly staff. Obviously been here a few times, and definitely will be back for more.
Came here with our baby and had a good experience. We lucked out and arrived right when they opened. Thankfully as the restaurant is small and the line up formed quickly.
The ramen that we ordered was flavourful and delicious. Not the caliber that you get on Robson in Van but good for Calgary and I would definitely dine here again.
The gyozas we ordered were ok but I don't think I would reorder them next time as they were a bit oily and lack lustre.
The one thing that stuck out about Menyatai was their overall friendliness to their clients and especially towards our toddler. They made sure she had her own plates, cutlery and cup which were all adorable mini sized and cute. We brought our own clip on seat which was good as there were other babies in the restaurant and they had exhausted all the high chairs.
We will be back to eat here soon.
Menyatai's is a small restaurant so this place is definitely not a good spot for groups larger than four. I have been here a handful of times and the service is alright, depending on how busy they are it can get a bit chaotic. The ramen here has a good, clean broth and noodles and the meat they use is definitely on the leaner side for a healthier bowl. It still has delicious seared flavour, but if you're someone who enjoys your traditionally fatty pork meats, this place may not be your first choice. This place definitely offers a healthier spin on traditional ramen with less overly "rich" flavours and fatty meats/oil - it's more guilt free of a bowl!
The broth was delicious, probably one of the best I have ever had. The noodles weren't my favourite but they were good. I only with that the pork belly wasn't so lean..give me the fat. All in all pretty good ramen.
Great little gem in Kensington. If you want an authentic ramen noodle shop, Menyatai gets it right.
Atmosphere is similar to a Japanese shop, down to the decor and small size. Don't get scared if you haven't eaten with a giant wooden spoon before, it's easy! Price is comparable to other Canadian ramen shops. You won't find the ticket machines here though, but it seems that North America is not progressive enough to adopt that system just yet.
The food itself is great. Flavorful broth, fresh vegetables, and good noodles. My only complaint would be the grade of pork that is being used (but I may just be splitting hairs at this point). If you enjoy Japanese cuisine (specifically soup), I would recommend Menyatai.
Recommended dishes:
-Crispy Shumai (appetizer)
-Spicy Tonkotsu
-Extra BBQ Pork Ramen
To the person who wrote a bad review about how this restaurant wouldn't let them put in an order at 9PM: the hours have changed and this is stated at the restaurant, not sure about online. They are 5-9 now for the evening. Your review was just ignorant and unnecessary lol.
Great service. The place is spotless too. Lots of udon and ramen options with a variety of broths. Fantastic presentation and variety of veggies in the tonkatsu ramen. Pork was great but there should be more than 1 piece, maybe 2-3 (bump up the price of you have to).
Fantastic! I went to Menyayai on an early saturday afternoon. It suprisingly wasnt as busy as I thought it might be and we were glad to grab a table right away. The service was quick and friendly. The food exceeded my expectations even though my expectations were high. My starter was the crispy shumai which was awesome and for my ramen I ordered the Tonkotsu with extra bbq pork and it was amazing. I definitely reccomend getting the extra pork for a couple dollars as a standard order only has one piece and you will want more than one piece. Cant wait to go back.
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Great service, nice atmosphere. I love the clean, modern look of Menyatai's decor. Service is attentive and really friendly. The noodles are slightly chewy like I like them, and since Shikiji changed their noodles from curly and thin to slightly thicker, softer, and non-curly, I think I'll be coming to Menyatai more often. You should probably order extra toppings at Menyatai since each bowl only comes with one slice of pork and small amount of veggies. Pork isn't as fatty and soft as I like, but it's still softer than it looks. The egg is done perfectly. Soups are lighter, less flavorful, and not as oily as Shikiji's so it depends on what you like. I ordered my tonkotsu ramen along with the onigiri which was flavored really nicely and lots of fun to eat. The tonkotsu broth was not as flavorful as I would like, but it was still very good. Also had the age gyoza which was crispy on the outside and tasted great. Also tried the crispy shumai which wasn't as crispy as expected, and not very flavorful. Will definitely return.
Walked by this restau a few times and I finally decided to give it a go. It was busy and the food and staff were great. My soup wasn't as spicy as I wanted it but I'm sure next time I can ask for it to be spicier. I would go back for sure!
Best beef yakiudon i've ever had (portion is a bit little to me)
Should hire more servers for dinner time, we wait for almost 10mins to get the order but the food came out quickly. Will be back for another try
What a lovely place we discovered today. The food was delicious,and reasonably priced. I will definitely be telling my friends!
The quality used to be better, but I feel like it has gone down. Not bad overall, I wouldn’t mind coming here again.
A simple Japanese restaurant, small and well priced menu. My favorite is the gyoza, beef udon noodles, shrimp tempura, and beef Teri don. I have been going here for over a year!
Check out my Instagram food page @yyc.foodadventures for food photos!
Nice to place to have a ramen. Appetizer are so good we tried seaweed, shumai, tempura and oysters. Decent serving for the price, love the mickey shape bowl for kids:). Meat on soup were bit small per order so I'll recommend on meat add-ons. We'll come back for sure.
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