Minca & Kuboya - the unfriendly friendlies Part One

They are next to each other, on E 5th between Avenues A and B

Minca Ramen Factory and Kuboya (536 E 5th Street b/w Ave A & B)

Part One

Minca and Kuboya share the same DNA.  According to word on the street (a la my waitress at Minca), apparently the proprietor of Kuboya used to work at Minca, honed his skills there, and when he left he was said to have told the folks at Minca that he would take over the space next door, and would open a "different" concept.  When Kuboya opened, lo and behold, in an act of betrayal, out came another Ramen joint.

Me, my Crackberry, and an American Spirit in my right hand

Must be something about the Japanese culture.  I still recall the many trips to Japan that I took when I was a child.  The people there were just über polite and always nice.  And facing such acts of betrayal and defiance, I was surprised that the proprietors of Minca actually could co-exist with their new competitor next door, and no violence ensued.  If you throw in a couple of Italians something might have burnt down "by accident" already.

Well, back to Ramen.  And let's start with the master, Minca Ramen Factory.

I was meeting my buddy Steve at this place and by the time I got there I was starving, and not to mention pretty liquored up after stops at Lani Kai and Theater Bar without eating much lunch.

A nice bowl of Ramen was what the doctor would prescribe....especially when more libation would ensue.  Ramen is just this perfect food before and post drinking.  In this case, I'm doing a little bit of both, as I just finished drinking, but would start again after slurping down another bowl of goodness.  Steve himself was a bit of a ramen virgin himself, and boy was he in for a moment of discovery.  To make it more festive, we decided to order some sake instead of my customary glass of ice cold Japanese lager.

MINCA RAMEN FACTORY - Pork Broth Thick Noodles w/Roasted Garlic Broth (B+)

Minca Ramen Factory - Pork Broth with thick Wavy Noodles

Okay - full disclosure:  let me say that I might be slightly biased to their favor this time around, because Sake to me for sure would make better reviews.  That said, the heavy drinking aside, Minca does put out a solid product.

Their signature broth is a rich, thick pork-based, Tonkotsu type broth.  In my case, flavored with roasted garlic.  This bowl of liquid was quite smooth, creamy, rich, and yet balanced.  Saltiness was kept in check and flavorful throughout.  Let me say that this balance in flavor was also evident with their neighbor, Kuboya.  That said, Kuboya's was a little bit more nuanced (more on dat on Part Two).  That extra milkiness (which made Ippudo's an "A" bowl), was not as evident.

Toppings include 2 piece charshu, scallions, 1/2 boiled egg (hard center), sea weed, bamboo shoots, nori.  The egg, with its brown exterior, seemed to have been boiled or seasoned in a marinade of sorts.  Good flavor.  Had it been a soft center, even better.

Once of their shticks here is a choice of noodles.  Not sure what I should have I asked for my server's (the tipster) suggestion and she picked the thick wavy noodles for me.  They were thick of course, wavy like dried ramen, and they were a little glassy, but a bit on the chewy side.  Good but not great.

I don't recall tasting much flavor from the charshu.

Steve's Kimchi Ramen - a bowl full of joy

As for condiments, they offer white pepper, torigashi, and spicy ma-yu.  The latter two were used with much effect in my bowl.  I do like the spicy ma-yu option, and in some places they had taken this art to the next level where they would sell you a small ramekin of their precious, secret recipe red oil for a couple of bucks (check out my upcoming review on Kuboya).

Steve wanted some extra kick, so he opted for the Kimchi Ramen, which comes in a bigger bowl and had corn and mushrooms as additional toppings.  It looked awesome but I didn't have a chance to taste it.  Steve did say it was spicy.  Since he "cleaned house," I was quite sure he had thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

and did he embraced the culture!  well done!

Again, the score might have been inflated, but with good friends, cold sake, and ramen, it was hard to not have a great time.  So a "B+" awarded more so for the experience, than just the strength of their bowl of ramen.  Regardless, good job Minca.

Afterwards, we went for beer and Jameson's, and the party continued.....






NEXT:  Part 2 - KUBOYA