21605 S. Western Ave.Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 320 7730
I was driving down the 405 freeway this afternoon when suddenly a huge ramen craving came over me. It must have been the Torrance air because as soon as a glanced up at the freeway sign, Western Avenue was only a mile away. That's when I knew I was destined to exit. I've been wanting to check out Men-Bei for quite a while now and this was the perfect opportunity. Located in the same shopping center as Musha, Men-Bei has a similar ambiance to most ramen-ya's you'll find around Southern California, including that loud-mouth Japanese business man who thinks the restaurant should revolve around him.
Shoyu-ramen: At first sip, I frowned. At second sip, I crinkled my forehead. From then on, I was happy. I guess it just caught me off guard. I'm not sure why, but I ended up really enjoying the flavor of the soup. The noodles were also very good. Cooked slightly too long, I still savored the straight, chewy texture. The toppings (egg, spinach, moyashi, chashu, and negi) were just average. The chashu had an interesting sweetness, but this didn't overcome its dryness. Nonetheless, I can't wait to go back and try the dozen other ramen on the menu!
Chahan: It's a good thing I'm not a presentation freak. Otherwise this chahan would have made me go ballistic. Despite the orange tint and the someone-took-everyone's-leftovers-and-put-them-on-my-plate look, this chahan was surprisingly tasty. I wouldn't call it the best (not even close), but it still did the trick and satisfied my hunger.
Is Mrs. Maya still working in there??? Please let me know ASAP. I am coming all the way from Italy to visit her!!!! thanks everybody
ReplyDeleteHello Keizo,
ReplyDeleteI came across your site after looking for a review for Men-Bei's. I tried this place after a co-worker recommended it to me. I ordered the combination shoyu ramen (ramen and fried rice) with extra wonton toppings and gyoza. I frequent Gardena Ramen quite often and comparatively, Men-Bei's ramen base was quite bland (maybe I went on an off day). The noodles had a good chew to them and the chashu was good. The wonton were nothing exceptional, but weren't bad. The gyoza appeared to be handmade and had a green-ish non-standard filling. After a dish of gyoza, I'm still mixed on whether I liked them. The fried rice was nothing to write home about, but it's good if your starving because it's served first. I'm no Ramen expert by any means, but Men-Bei's ramen did not impress me.
This is a great site you have here. Keep up the good works...
Hey Brian,
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out my site! Yes Gardena Ramen definitely has a better soup. I think it was the noodles from men-bei that I really enjoyed. They did have a nice chewiness to them. I agree that the chahan wasn't really that great, but I haven't tried the gyoza yet. I hope to go back there soon, but whenever I'm in Torrance I tend to go somewhere else.