Cha Menya is a must-try if you love ramen and want to try some interesting broth options. Though it is located in the outskirts of Queens in Little Neck, Cha Menya is definitely worth the trek as they have great appetizers and ramen options that are hard to get elsewhere in Queens like tsukemen and their green tea ramens (matcha and hojicha). They even have a wagyu ramen, which is a rarity even at ramen shops in Manhattan.
The appetizers I tried were the karaage and the fried enoki mushrooms, as I have heard good things about both. The karaage came out piping hot, which was great as the batter was still crispy on the outside while the chicken was still juicy and tender on the inside. With a bit of citrus after squeezing the lemon slice, the karaage was the perfect start to my meal as it was savory and flavorful. The spicy mayo dipping sauce was a great complement as well since it added a little bit of heat. The fried enoki mushrooms were something I had never had before, but they were excellent, as they were light and crispy! A lemon is also provided if you wanted to add some citrus to it.
I also had the tsukemen, which is a dipping ramen, where the noodles and other ingredients are provided separately from the broth. First thing I noticed is the excellent presentation, as the toppings were stacked on top of the noodles, which looked so appetizing. The tsukemen broth looked mesmerizing, as I can just tell how savory the pork broth was. A nice sprinkle of black pepper was added on top as well for some more flavor. The staff told me that the broth was a bit salty, hence why the ramen was meant for dipping, and though it was a bit too salty, it was really flavorful and worked perfectly with the noodles and toppings.
The noodles were still springy and chewy, as they were perfect for slurping along with the pork broth. I never had spinach in my ramen, but that and the green onions provide a nice crunch in comparison to the softer egg and pork. The ajitama egg was amazing, as it was a perfect soft-boiled egg that had plenty of flavor and worked great with the broth. The pork cha siu was absolutely divine, as the pork had the perfect proportion of meat and fat, which was practically glistening and it definitely had a lot of umami in there. Dipping both the egg and pork into the broth practically made for an umami bomb that I did not want to miss out on!
The hospitality was top-notch as well, as the staff made sure we got everything we needed and graciously poured water throughout our meal even without us asking. She even brought out some homemade spicy pepper topping in case we wanted to add some heat to our ramen. Considering how many diners there were and the small number of staff, I was thoroughly impressed at how we got everything we ordered so fresh and in a timely manner.
Cha Menya is a hidden gem in the far east of Queens and if you are a ramen aficionado, this is definitely a must-try. I will definitely be coming back to try the other ramen options and hopefully the wagyu as well someday! The food was excellent and the service was top-notch as well. read more