Waiting can be 30-90 minutes depends on what time you get there. Foods are generally nice although they aren’t authentic japanese ramen. They are fusion style and have several options to choose from. Liked how they serve japanese beer that I haven’t seen before.
Wow. Absolutely fantastic ramen. The wait can be long (there's roughly 20 tables inside) but it was definitely worth it. If you're looking for quality ramen in SF, this is it folks. I could talk about flavor profiles and how each ingredients is cooked just right, but honestly the biggest cue that they're doing something right is that they're the only restaurant in the TL with a 45 minute wait. Hell they're really the only place with a line, period.
Really good experience eating here, soup was really creamy and rich. The selection of ramen is a bit different, would not say it entirely traditional, but a new take on it. The sides were unique and added depth to the ramen experience. Service upon ordering was really quick. Some down sides is that the wait time can be very long, up to 90 mins pending on the group size. It's not a large place, which can feel claustrophobic for some. Price is a tad on the high end for ramen, but well worth it. A definite try for ramen geeks and newbies looking for a yummy meal.
The garlic ramen ? wow ? it blew my mind!!!! You have to do a line when you arrive, cause it is very popular. But the line went fast, we arrived around 6pm and at 6:30 we were already eating. Price and quality are perfectly on balance ⚖️.. very well served
Big line up for big hype! Nice interior with a chill vibe. The unconventional menu items made for a far more stimulating ramen experience than your average ramen place. The corn wings were interesting and worth a try, but I can definitely pass on those in the future. The lamb ramen was good, but the small pieces of onion and ground lamb were difficult to eat due to being so small. Unfortunately most of it ended up at the bottom of the bowl. Still, it was delicious and I enjoyed it. Would definitely go back, but maybe not worth a 20 minute wait.
The first thing you notice when entering Mensho on Geary is how dirty it is. Having been to dozens of ramen establishments in Tokyo, even the seediest ones in Roppongi at 3:00 am were cleaner than Mensho when it opened at 5:00 pm. Very un- Japanese. The noodles. Well, that’s a matter of personal preference. The noodles are thick and curly here at Mensho. They have a really nice chew to it. My preference would be the thin noodles like you would find at an ippudo or Ichiran. But many prefer the thicker noodles. So that does not figure into my review. My primary issue is with the soup, or more specifically with the presentation of the soup. First, they give way too little soup. In our case, and we ordered three bowls, the soup only filled half of the bowl, and we could see the noodles sticking out. It was nothing like the photos where the soup fills 2/3 to 3/4 of the bowl and completely covers the noodles. The main event of a ramen is the soup. And here at Mensho, they were so stingy with the soup that it tainted the overall experience of enjoying the full flavor of the soup on the noodles. Second, the soup was not piping hot. It really should be super hot, nearly to the point of boiling. Instead it was verging on the side of warm. As a result, the whole experience was wrong. It was the incorrect ratio of soup to noodles. Unfortunately, ramen perfection is in the details. And the details were all wrong the day we ate at Mensho in SF. In terms of the soup, it was good. But definitely not great. I would not wait in line for anything more than 10-15 minutes to eat at this restaurant. Anything more will end up disappointing you. Bottom line, Mensho is mediocre as a ramen establishment and should not be awarded any Michelin mention for the branch here in SF even if the main restaurant in Tokyo received a star. Onishi-san should make a trip to SF soon to instill some discipline into his restaurant here in SF so as not to taint his reputation further.
Amazing ramen - so rich in flavor and so tasty! During our 5-day stay in San Francisco we visited this place twice - that's how great it is! Totally worth the wait to get in. However, if you don't feel like waiting in line, just try to visit earlier in the evening. Would definitely miss this ramen!
One of my favorite Ramen chains. As a devourer of garlic, I found the Garlic Knock Out to be actually enough garlic for me. Corn wings were a nice side dish. Limited seating, so get there early on weekends.
I've tried Mensho Tokyo a few times already and each time the food is consistently delicious! Tried a different flavor ramen each visit and still can't decide which is the best; so good. Small indoor dining setup so they ask you kindly if you don't stay too long. They used to take your orders but now they set up a self ordering and checkout system that is efficient, just like the quick service. They also don't take reservations so it's a first come first serve basis. There's usually a long line so expect a wait. But it'll build up an appetite that's definitely worth the wait! With the speedy service, the line moves relatively fast as long as the customers respectfully don't mingle too long.
Line starts at 4:30pm, about 20 seats inside. QR scan to order. Very efficient serving. Paitan is on the salty side. Matcha ramen is kind of unique and generous with the matcha. Definitely worth a try but not too impressive for a revisit soon…