Minca

After going to a friend’s birthday party in the area, some of my friends and I were hungry since there was barely any food at the party. We settled on ramen at Minca. Like most ramen joints, Minca is small in space, with only a few tables and a few seats by their front windows. This obviously caused a line to form for us to wait and be seated. It was a Monday night at around 9:30PM, and our wait for a table was about 25 min at most. I don’t know about other days, but I imagine there is always some sort of wait. Is it worth it to wait more than 30 minutes? In the end I don’t really think so and I’ll explain below.

While I wasn't expecting it to be the same quality of Totto or Ippudo, I was still disappointed by Minca. What I did appreciate is, of course, the authenticity of the ramen atmosphere. Also, having the ability to select the noodle type, ranging from thin, wavy, thick, is great and something not offered at other establishments. Otherwise, my issue was simply taste and presentation. We went with an order of Gyoza (fried dumplings) to share. Gyoza was crispy on the underside but soft on the top. The dumplings were unfortunately stuck and clumped together, placed on the plate upside down, as opposed to being separated before frying. The fact pork buns weren't even an option on their menu was disappointing alone. For ramen, I chose the Spicy Miso Ramen. The broth is what bothered me most, as the spice tasted more like artificial additive versus natural, from scratch ingredients. The wavy noodle, which was recommended, was fine. The pork was probably the best part. All else lacked in taste. The egg is also hard-boiled, but poached is always ideal. I usually finish my bowls of ramen, but I had leftovers. It wasn't terrible, but it certainly wasn't memorable, or perhaps, it wasn't a bowl I'd really want to try again.

Minca didn't live up to any expectation, but I wouldn't tell people not to try this place if they really so desire. I'm not certain it's worth another visit if the wait is more than 30 minutes, but I imagine on a busy night, it could be a lot worse. The place is very small, so you have to be patient while waiting to be seated. I can't say I'd return myself as there are many other ramen joints that serve better ramen at the same price and with the same sort of wait times.

Location:
536 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009

More information at: http://www.newyorkramen.com/