In the heart of the noisy Tel Aviv buzz of Nahalat Binyamin, a place where Israeli reality often loses its balance, Men Tenten stands as an anchor of strict Japanese discipline and culinary sanity. Even during the war days, Men Tenten remained open and managed to preserve a Sisyphean ritual of long-simmered broths and perfectly stretched noodles, reminding us that food is not just nourishment, but a sanctuary of calm.
We started with the ramen bowl (NIS 68), and it should be said right away: This is the best ramen in the city. Unlike local versions, which sometimes tend toward excessive sweetness or an overload of fat that weighs down the palate, the broth here – the result of long and meticulous chicken cooking – has endless umami depth while remaining remarkably clean.
The noodles, made according to the chef from 100% Japanese ingredients, show perfect resistance to “shin” (the Japanese version of al dente), and the bamboo shoots provide the essential earthy crunch. The chashu, here in a chicken breast version, is a model of juiciness, and the soft egg is almost a work of art in its precise gelatinous texture.
The secret of the place’s charm became clear when we heard about its origins. The name Men Tenten is no coincidence: Men are ramen noodles; Tenten is meant to roll off the tongue lightly, imitating the harmonious movement of eating.
The owners, according to legend, traveled across Japan until they arrived at a small place on the outskirts of Shinjuku in Tokyo, where they met chef Makoto Okazaki. They managed to convince him to come to Tel Aviv and teach them the secrets of his technique, which includes unique use of soy sauce produced in Niigata in clay barrels and a special water filtration technology.
We continued with yukhoe (NIS 46), a dish for lovers of the raw genre: Finely chopped beef topped with a golden quail egg yolk. The magnificent and aesthetic presentation gives way, once mixed, to a velvety texture in which the gentle sweetness of the sauce converses with the tension between the cold meat and the rich yolk.
The highlight in the fish section is the nigiri mix aburi (NIS 128), six pieces that are a hymn to freshness and technique: Seared salmon belly with ikura, seared yellowtail with miso and black tobiko, and red tuna with yuzu kosho left in its raw and fresh state. The textures range from the buttery richness of the salmon to the citrus sharpness of the yuzu kosho, which cuts through the fish’s richness.
We ended with a minimalistic and fun bite, yaki niku negi (NIS 24), a short skewer of green onion wrapped in rolled butcher’s cut. There is something in the combination of the depth of the charred meat and the sweetness of the roasted onion that distills the essence of Japanese cuisine as a whole – simplicity born from absolute mastery of material and time.
MEN TENTEN, 57 Nahalat Binyamin St., Tel Aviv (not kosher)
Street Food
The Tel Aviv EAT festival returns, bigger than ever (May 11–14, Charles Clore Park). At its center you will find the NINJA ZONE – a 200-square-meter street restaurant based on the brand’s smart home kitchen.
This year’s menu will focus on collaborative pairings between eight of the most prominent food creators online, including Omer Miller and Efrat Lichtenstadt serving crispy chicken, and Yonit Tzukerman and Ruby Michael with a siska on mofletta. In the sweets area, led by online stars Dylan Dror and Avigail Weisman, ice creams and slush drinks will be served, prepared using the new CREAMi and SLUSHi machines. The area will operate during the festival evenings and offer creative dishes at accessible prices.
Hairdresser and viral phenomenon Izik Carsenti, who became a brand thanks to applying pasta, beer, and okra to hair in front of millions of viewers, takes the trend a step further and launches the book The Laboratory of Nature and Beauty (Meteor Publishing).
Carsenti, a former Big Brother contestant and social media star with around 70,000 followers, combines humor and decades of professional knowledge in his videos. Behind the culinary gimmicks lies a method of holistic recipes for hair and skin care based on accessible ingredients. The book comes in a hardcover edition with gold embossing (NIS 99 launch price on the Meteor website).