Local Eats

MENYA RUI

By Mabel Suen

Menya Rui, a from-scratch Japanese noodle shop that opened in April in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park neighborhood, features house-made ramen, tsukemen (dipping noodles) and mazemen (brothless noodles) alongside a selection of appetizers.

The restaurant comes from chef-owner Steven Pursley, who launched popular pop-up Ramen x Rui in 2018 after spending three years honing his skills at ramen shops in his mother’s hometown, Okinawa, as well as in mainland Japan. Pursley also previously moonlighted as a line cook at iNDO in St. Louis.

Menya Rui, which gets its name from the Japanese word for noodle shop (menya) and Pursley’s Japanese name, showcases the evolution of Pursley’s culinary experiences at his first bricksand-mortar eatery.

“It’s been a long journey, and I’m excited to finally put myself out there,” Pursley says. “It’s been well-received so far, and I hope people continue to rock with it.”

Modeled after its Japanese counterparts, the casual walk-in restaurant offers dine-in only service in a cozy, rustic setting outfitted with bamboo ceilings and custom concrete tabletops made locally by AKT Studio STL. Classic Japanese décor embellishes the walls, while the shop’s centerpiece – a noodle machine imported from Japan – can be seen through an interior reclaimed factory window.

The noodles are made with three different flours with varying levels of protein, blended at different ratios to achieve desirable texture and chew. Kansui (lye water), Pursley explains, is the distinguishing ingredient in creating ramen noodles, lending them unique water-resistant properties for signature dishes including his bestselling pork shoyu ramen.

“Before I moved to Japan, I was really stuck on doing tonkotsu-style ramen with an opaque bone broth, but the first shop I worked with did something in a completely different style that I fell in love with – clear chicken soup with rendered back fat floating on top,” Pursley describes. “The sweet aroma mixed with salty soy-flavored broth is very nostalgic and brings back memories of working there.”

Menya Rui’s signature pork shoyu ramen features the aromatic rendered back fat topped with pork shoulder chasyu, menma (bamboo shoots), scallions and nori. Additional noodle soup options include chicken shoyu ramen and tantanmen ramen, which Pursley describes as the Japanese interpretation of Chinese dan dan noodles with chili oil, sesame paste, ground pork, menma, scallions and bean sprouts. Tsukemen, which is made with a thicker, cold-rinsed noodle, comes served with a concentrated scallop aroma dipping broth, topped with pork shoulder chasyu, menma, scallions and nori. Mazemen, which Pursley instructs diners to “mix and eat like Asian pasta,” also uses the thicker noodles. Available in the tantanmen style, they also can be tossed with scallop oil and house shoyu, topped with pork shoulder chasyu, menma, the dried fish powder gyofun, nori and bean sprouts.

Appetizer options include house cucumbers – traditional rice vinegar pickles and a misodressed cucumber – and karaage, or Japanese fried chicken, served with a lemon wedge and KEWPIE Mayonnaise.

Menya Rui, 3453 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, 314.601.3524, facebook.com/menyaruistl