In Japanese, “men” means noodles and “Ya” means house, so Menya means “noodle house” (hence the name, Menya Ramen). But there’s more to the story of Menya Ramen House, a new restaurant in Metuchen, than a clever name; one that involves three self-professed “corporate hacks” with families and full-time jobs.
Co-owner Ryan Park, along with Michael Ko and Kevin Yoon, just want to serve quality ramen. But Park has no restaurant background, and neither does Ko; Yoon, however, has previously owned a Korean Tapas restaurant in Bergen County. Despite their lack of experience, Menya Ramen House is finding fast success; thanks in part to the team’s extensive training from a Japanese chef who currently serves as an advisor to Menya.
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Chasing a Dream
“We think opening during the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise,” Park says. “There’s something to be said about being entrepreneurial and following the atypical path in pursuit of something that you enjoy.”
“We’ve learned a lot about ourselves in the short time since we’ve been open; what we like, dislike, what motivates us,” Park adds. “The experience has really allowed us to be more true to ourselves. That’s something we wouldn’t/haven’t experienced while at corporate. And working with partners/buddies with similar goals has added positively to the experience.”
Menya Ramen House is an 850-square-foot space that seats 25 indoors. (There is no outdoor seating.) “We tried to provide a simple, modern theme to our interior design,” Park explains. As for the location, Park’s work colleagues live in Metuchen. “I saw Metuchen’s downtown and proximity to the train station and decided pretty quickly to set up shop,” Park says.
The Menu at Menya Ramen House
Menya Ramen House rotates their bowls every week or so to offer variety. Bestsellers so far include their spicy miso tonkotsu ramen; thick noodles with pork bone broth and miso paste topped with roasted pork, scallion, onion, corn, and homemade spicy oil. The tonkotsu ramen is also popular, as is the Shio ramen; chicken broth with salt tare, thin noodles, roasted pork, scallions, onions, bamboo shoots, fried ginger, and garlic chips.
They also offer vegan bowls, like the vegan kimchi miso ramen made with vegetable broth. One special dish, the Spirit Lifter (veggie broth with curry-flavored tomato sauce), is for dine-in guests only. Click here to see the full menu.
For dessert, Menya Ramen House serves mochi ice cream from Mochidoki’s in New York City. The flavors include matcha, strawberry, and espresso. Meanwhile, vegan choices include lychee, mango, chocolate, and passionfruit.
You can visit Menya Ramen House at 399 Main Street in Metuchen. For more info, click here to visit their website, or you can click here to give them a call.
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Menya Ramen FAQs
Yes (and they strongly recommend you call ahead)
No (but they hope to have gluten-free noodles soon).
They have vegan bowls, yes.
Menya Ramen does offer takeout, yes.
Yes
No
No (but this is coming soon)
All Photos: © Menya Ramen House
