In Tel Aviv, Israel’s Tokyo (but not the capital city), sushi is as popular as sandwiches in Tokyo. Even a Japanese guidebook on Israel explains that “sushi sandwich” is considered one of the main dishes in Israel. So Japanese ramen shouldn’t be a rare occasion. Yet it’s not easy to hit an authentic slurp.
A lantern at the entrance of Men Tenten says “ramen (らーめん) welcome (いらっしゃいませ)” in Japanese.
Men Tenten nailed it. Helmed by Japanese Chef Makoto Okazaki, Men Tenten has been proving to be the only choice for Japanese ramen lovers in Tel Aviv. Men Tenten’s website says “Our noodles are made of 100% Japanese raw materials.” Sounds promising.
Men Tenten’s menu.
Men Tenten’s menu was a full list of Japanese comfort food. Their sushi and gyoza were perfect. Their yukhoe (ユッケ) – beef tartare which is a classic appetizer at Korean Japanese BBQ restaurants in Japan – was interesting: it exhibited some resemblance to Middle Eastern kibbeh nayeh.
Yukhoe.
Salmon nigiri sushi, left, gyoza, right.
Tongara Ramen.
Men Tenten’s signature “Tongara Ramen” was phenomenal. The Tenkaippin-ish creamy broth with pork and chicken was sinfully good. Yes, it was non-kosher. The execution of a rare nitamago egg explained their Japanese-level attention to the dish.
Men Tenten seems to be the only choice in Tel Aviv to eat real ramen. To be fair, I can skip non-ramen dishes here only because their ramen is too good.
A paper bag of chopsticks says “Men Tenten.”
Men Tenten | Nachalat Binyamin 57, Tel Aviv
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