By Celine Macura

Along with the many new restaurants opening in town, Great Neck welcomes TeiNei Ya Ramen, its newest Japanese addition. Situated on South Middle Neck Rd, the quaint storefront invites new customers to try their spin on the traditional Asian cuisine.
Walking into the cozy restaurant, you’re greeted by friendly staff and ambient music. The tables are clean,modern, and equipped with both chopsticks and forks, perfect for those less savvy with Asian cutlery. The ramen bowls also come with wide spoons, so you can enjoy both the broth and noodles at the same time.
I’m not very familiar with ramen dishes, but I wasn’t disappointed with the flavor and quality of my meal. I was afraid to order anything too adventurous, so I settled on the Tainei Ya , which consists of noodles, broth, pork, scallion, and dried seaweed. My dinner companion however, feasted on the Tainei Ya Spicy, which was much more exotic and savory. Lucky for him, the bowl was big enough for two spoons.
While ramen originated in China, it’s often considered a Japanese dish. The quick-cooking noodles are served in a broth with meat, spices, and dried seaweed. Some entrees include boiled egg and bamboo shoots as well. For picky eaters, you can add and exclude extras to your liking. Although they offer several ramen dishes, they are not the only type of dish on the menu. In addition, they serve plenty of hot plates, cold dishes, salads, and sushi. Joining the quickly growing craze, they also offer customers bubble teas, japanese sodas, and other japanese drinks hard to come by in American based restaurants.
The restaurant lets you dine in, pick up, or order on GrubHub to your location. However, they have yet to put their menu on the now popular UberEats.
My advice? Make sure you come to Teinei Ya with a big appetite; the portions are large enough to feed at least two. Don’t worry, you can always bring the leftovers home for later; ramen is the perfect late-night comfort food.