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It is great to have a ramen place near me that gives off a different vibe and flavor than the others. It was the soft opening, and so they served only ramen and yakitori. The ramen came in 3 soup bases including; Miso, Pork, and Soy Sauce. For my first visit, I chose the pork soup base with medium spiciness. Each bowl comes with the standard stuff you’d find in ramen, with the option of adding extra servings of each topping. My bowl came with noodles, pork, spinach leaves, seaweed, bamboo shoots, a soft boiled egg, and I believe a soft shell crab. I wish I had enough discipline to take a picture of the ramen when it quickly arrived, but it looked real tasty and instincts kicked in. The broth had a rich, full pork taste, without being as thick as other ramen places. I found it to be quite refreshing. The chashu was tender and mild, which mixed well with the saltiness from the crab. It was the first time I had that kind of crab in ramen, and I definitely enjoyed it. The noodles were cooked well for maximum slurpage. I completely devoured my bowl. The soup at Ramen O is lighter than other places, yet it still manages to be flavorful. It is a great alternative if you are looking to eat ramen and not feel as heavy or bloated. The staff was friendly and prompt. I like to drink a lot of water, and the waitress was quick to refill my glass. That was very much appreciated. The atmosphere was relaxed and homely and the lighting was intimate. There was enough seating for a few small groups, with an area for larger parties. The restaurant was clearly a work-in-progress. I look forward to the official opening. I will definitely try the yakitori next time.

• Kasai Ramen – Menu with Prices – 218 Walton St, Syracuse
• Ibendoo ramen – Menu with Prices – 3405 Commercial St SE suit 150, Salem
• Akira Ramen & Izakaya Menu with Prices 3731 Boston St, Baltimore
• Yume Wo Katare – Menu with Prices – 1923 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge
• Gan Shan West Menu with Prices 285 Haywood Rd, Asheville
• Ichigoh Ramen Lounge – Menu with Prices – 2724 Commerce St, Dallas
• Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Menu with Prices – 100 Legacy Dr Ste 110, Plano
• Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai – Irvine – Menu with Prices – 14370 Culver Dr SUITE C, Irvine
• Kumai Ramen – Menu with Prices – 3875 Venture Dr Suite A2, Duluth
• Santouka Ramen – Menu with Prices – 665 Paularino Ave, Costa Mesa
• Silverlake Ramen – Menu with Prices – 1319 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica
• Mian Noodle House – Menu with Prices – 1005 Princess Anne St, Fredericksburg

Kasai Ramen – Menu with Prices – 218 Walton St, Syracuse

I visited Kasai Ramen for lunch on a Saturday a few months after the restaurant first opened. I ordered the vegetable ramen, and the spicy miso and citrus tofu as add-ins. The soup was bountiful and flavorful. Fast forward to lunch on a Monday in April 2019â?¦ I ordered the same soup with the same add-ins but replaced the noodles with rice noodles. The broth was flavorless and fattyâ??it tasted like gravy master and water, and there was about one-eighth inch of oil swimming on top of the broth. I wonder if the vegetables and citrus tofu were grilled in a lot of oil, before being added to the broth. Also, there were barely any rice noodles. My friend said the steam bun with chicken she ordered was good. But I think she was being polite about the ramen (because I had raved about the restaurant). She ordered the pork ramen and after she started eating it, she ordered a flavor shot and then didnâ??t finish the soup. On this visit, we also ordered the fingerling potatoes with kimchi for an appetizer, which were flavorful, but the potatoes tasted a little overcooked and slightly cloying. The service was pretty good for a slow Monday lunch, but the server completely forgot my drink order, and I did push it. I will not be returning to Kasai Ramen.

Ibendoo ramen – Menu with Prices – 3405 Commercial St SE suit 150, Salem

2.5 stars Firstly, I have high expectations for ramen. I am willing to try most places as I would like to support restaurants in the area. However, I am disappointed in the portion sizes compared to the prices. I’m originally from LA, so ramen options are abundant. Ibendoo is lucky they’re basically the only ramen here in Salem. BF and I tried their short rib appetizer. DO NOT ORDER IT. I swear to you it’s only 1 piece of short rib cut into 4-5 pieces, and you have the audacity to charge $6? I legit laughed as soon as the waitress put it on the table cause I could not believe that’s what they serve. I tried their dipping ramen. This is were I am torn, the broth was AMAZING and so flavorful. But, again…the portion sizes of everything is ridiculous for the price. How are you going to give me a paper thin cut of pork belly with my bowl of ramen? Pork belly isn’t that expensive, I feel like you can be a bit more generous with the portions on it. I like corn in my ramen (so, sue me) but $1 for a teaspoon of canned corn? Honestly, you’re better off sneaking in your own ingredients from home to add to your bowl. My BF ordered the Kimchi ramen and I thought it was ok as the kimchi pretty much covered all the flavors of anything else. Overall, I felt underwhelmed and unsatisfied. Not sure if I’m willing to go back to try it again without feeling ripped off. I’d rather drive up to Portland or even wait til I go back to LA for the holidays for some hearty ramen.

Akira Ramen & Izakaya Menu with Prices 3731 Boston St, Baltimore

Wouldn’t call this the best ramen joint in Baltimore, but is definitely the runner up and a nice addition to the canton area. I ordered the Akira volcano spicy ramen – The broth was pretty good but it wasn’t spicy enough for my taste, the noodles were crunchier than I usually go for but you can order different types of ramen noodles with your broth if you want a smoother texture. My bf got the regular akira ramen (nonspicy) which tasted pretty good. All in all, the broth is good and hits the spot, especially on a cold day. Moving onto the staple of a ramen bowl…The pork belly. At first bite, it was SO PIGGY; you could taste the blatant pork taste to it that it was very off-putting after a few bites. We sat at the bar and saw how they made the ramen and garnished it – It was cool that they torched the pork belly for an added crispy effect but was a waste because I really couldn’t stomach eating it because of the previously mentioned strong porky taste to it. The flavor of the broth was good, not great – not too salty, hearty, but could use some extra spice, especially in the spicier options and was overall filling but felt that their portion sizes were a tad bit smaller than the other ramen places in Baltimore (kippo, dooby’s, mi & yu…just to name a few). The presentation is Beautiful and the garnishing was absolutely perfect (probably the best out of all the ramen places) and really love the vibes going on in the restaurant – very modern yet keeping the traditional touch of a Japanese ramen spot. Note that the space inside is pretty small – there’s plenty of bar seating but not much space for larger groups. Overall, don’t think I’d go out of my way to come here unless I’m already in the canton area as my favorite ramen spot in Fells will always have a place in my heart and honestly can’t be beat. Also they don’t have donburi here!! Bummer! But this is a great addition if you ever have the late night ramen munchies. I’d love to see how they refine their recipe / menu as they continue to grow in the city and always happy to see more asian food places opening up!

Yume Wo Katare – Menu with Prices – 1923 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge

Yume is SO SO SO good. Probably one of my top places on my recommendation list if someone were to ask me where to get a bowl of noodles in the Boston area. Both Yume Wo Katare and Yume Ga Arukara are located steps from Porter Square. After heading out of the Porter Square T Station, head to the right past the Dunkin Donuts and you’ll probably spot a line for this place. This place is DEFINITELY POPULAR so get here Early Early Early if you don’t want to wait. The restaurant is small, seating maybe only 18 people or so at a time so large groups is not recommended as you will get split up if you want to get seated fast. However, everything is pretty fast here in the restaurant so once you are greeted inside, paid, and seated, your bowl of ramen will arrive at your table within 5 minutes time. The thing about this place is that if you’re waiting, you’ll be waiting outside in line. Typically if there is a good group of people lined outside, you could be waiting 30+ minutes. And yes, that’s even on a cold day so bring a jacket! The people are very friendly and nice as this is not your typical ramen place because they encourage you to share your dreams after you finish eating. They explain how their restaurant works prior to being escorted inside the restaurant. There is usually only one option with a variety of how much noodles and meat you want. I never order more meat or more noodles as the typical regular serving is usually pretty heavy and makes me leaving full. The bowl of ramen will fill you up and it’s rich with broth, fresh noodles, and the pork which is so so good. The only thing is that this place makes me feel bloated after eating due to how rich everything is. After eating, you will be asked if you want to share your dream with the rest of the restuarant (yeah you have the option to decline if you don’t want to). then they will grade you on how you did in terms of finishing your food, either “good job,” “almost,” or “perfect.” Overall, definitely a good experience and a great place to eat. Highly encourage you to make a trip here if you can and enjoy the Yume experience.

Gan Shan West Menu with Prices 285 Haywood Rd, Asheville

We went horse back riding on a nice sunny day. As we were on our way to visiting craft brewery the weather started to deteriorate and became cloudy and cold. So our plans changed from visiting craft brewery to a restaurant that served hot and spicy ramen. We looked at some reviews on Yelp and found Gan Shan West to be the best among all the other options. We ordered one tradition pork ramen with miso soup and one order of their special spicy beef ramen with a big chunk of bamboo. I am a huge fan of pork ramen and I have had pork ramen in many places. This one was a little bland, I would have liked it to be a little more spicier. So I had to add additional spicy paste to make it spicier. But I was still a little disappointed, nevertheless their spicy beef ramen was delicious and flavorful. The bamboo chunk added nice texture to it. I have seen bamboo shoots but this was my first time seeing a huge chunk of bamboo. Bamboo has many medicinal properties so definitely try this out. Pricing is equivalent to other ramen places. It could range anywhere from $13 to $15. Ambiance is nice. They also have veggie option. Also, they have paid parking spaces on the street if you’re planning to drive. 4 stars because I was a little disappointed by pork ramen. Otherwise, it was a perfect late evening lunch on a cloudy and gloomy day.

Ichigoh Ramen Lounge – Menu with Prices – 2724 Commerce St, Dallas

This is a pretty decent ramen place! They have a different take on ramen compared to other places in Dallas since Ichigoh has a chicken broth and soupless ramen options. Kisetsu no kinoko butter: 5/5 really unique flavors and wonderful taste with the sauce complementing the mushrooms Spicy Soboro Shoyu: 2/5 it wasn’t spicy at all, which was disappointing. It might be a little spicy for those with a more sensitive taste, but I didn’t even taste a small kick. It seemed really oily, the noodles were very mediocre, and the meat wasn’t particularly noteworthy. I wouldn’t get it again. Niboshi shoyu: 3/5 decent broth, noodles were average. Not great but not bad Yuzu shio: 4/5 this broth was very light and refreshing. This was definitely my favorite out of the ramens! I personally prefer pork over chicken, but the broth in this was much better than the ramen with pork. It’s quite a unique flavor! I think if I came here again, I would want to try the soupless ramen. I still would prefer wabi house or other ramen places in Dallas first though. But it’s a godspot if you’re looking for a place in Deep Ellum! The service here is very attentive, and there’s a nice ambiance here. One thing is that the big sign still says tanoshii ramen, but just know that you’re at the right place for Ichigoh!

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka – Menu with Prices – 100 Legacy Dr Ste 110, Plano

First time having Hokkaido Ramen Santouka and it was a great experience! One of my mother’s friend recommended that we go up to Plano to visit one of their favorite ramen places. I don’t really have any plans for summer vacation before school starts again, but maybe I should make visiting the Mitsuwa Marketplace food court more often. Growing up in Dallas, there was a lack of ramen places in general nevertheless a great one. Thankfully my father is half Japanese and half white so he would always make a great bowl of ramen at home. Many things have changed since I was a child and I’m glad Dallas and its surrounding area have places like Santouka available to them. My mother and I visited this past Monday at an off time and had a pleasant experience. It was our first time and the two female employees were friendly. They recommended the salt ramen so that was what I got. I couldn’t help but notice the mentaiko rice bowl on display right next to the cash register so I had to get the combo. Don’t get the large ramen bowl unless you are hungry. I was too greedy and instantly regretted it. The salt ramen itself was delicious. It wasn’t too greasy compared to traditional tonkotsu ramen, but just as flavorful. The broth was perfectly balanced and all the toppings were all great. The chasu slices were thick and delicious. It doesn’t melt in your mouth, but was satisfying.The noodles had a great consistency. I did notice that the noodle strands themselves were pretty short compared to other places so you don’t really need to slurp them. My only gripe about the ramen was the egg. I do prefer the egg not to be hardboiled, but I respect the restaurant’s choice on making it the way they prefer it. However I didn’t think the egg marinated long enough. The marinade in the bowl that came with the egg was flavorful, but the egg itself was a little bland. If the egg was soaked a little longer the bowl of ramen would be perfect. The mentaiko rice bowl was phenomenal! I grew up eating this and not many places offer this dish. Traditionally mentaiko rice bowls are simple and let the ingredients speak for themselves. The one at Santouka has a Japanese style egg salad underneath the mentaiko and it was delicious. I think it takes away from the mentaiko itself because of how rich the egg salad was, but if you ate the two separately with the rice and nori, it was heavenly. The restaurant itself is in a cafeteria area inside Mitsuwa Marketplace and it was clean when I went. I can imagine this place being a nightmare to eat at during the weekends, but for a Monday night, it was clean and empty. Remember to clean up after yourself! Maybe I’m used to the prices of ramen in New York around my university, but $15 for a large bowl of ramen AND a mentaiko rice bowl is a great deal. I would definitely come back and try Santouka’s other offerings.

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai – Irvine – Menu with Prices – 14370 Culver Dr SUITE C, Irvine

2 stars for the service. 5 stars for the food. Let’s start with the bad. Came in for dinner and ordered their karaage for the appetizer and the Kitakata Ramen with Egg with extra soup and noodle. We saw the server deliver what seems to be our order to the table in front of us. The table seemed confused and the order sat on their table. Assuming I’m wrong, I just kept my mouth shut and waited. Our chicken arrived and we enjoyed it while waiting for our bowl of ramen. I continued to stare at the bowl at the table in front of us until a server came and confirmed with the other table that they did not order three bowls of ramen. I watched the servers huddle to figure out who’s order they missed until they realized it was ours. Our food was probably sitting there for at least 15 minutes until they finally placed it on our table. They explained that they had to remake our extra broth and noodles since they got cold. We asked to have the ramen remade too, stating it got brought out to the wrong table at first. The server denied it until I explained to her I watched the entire thing go down. The last thing I ever want is a server lying to me. I’ve been on the other side and it’s not that hard to own up to your mistakes. We are willing to wait for our food too. I didn’t mind that our order had to be remade, I’d rather have it fresh rather than stale, sitting at a table. I would assume that Kitakata would want to serve their ramen in the best condition possible. I was surprised they would reserve a bowl that sat at another table then lie to a customer about it. Because of that, -3 stars. The good: The ramen holds up. Their shoyu broth is light but packed with flavor. The hard noodles are perfectly cooked, a balance between chewy, bouncy and soft. The soft boil egg is lightly marinated. The pork is a good balance between fatty and meaty. For the spice lover, definitely get green chilli paste on the side. As the other reviews mentioned, their fried chicken is to die for. They’re crunchy and juicy. The meat is tender and the dipping sauce was a perfect addition. Overall, I would come back to Kitakata for food but I’m not sure if I would venture to this one just from the bad experience I had with the servers.

Kumai Ramen – Menu with Prices – 3875 Venture Dr Suite A2, Duluth

Kumai Ramen is located inside of the Jusgo Supermarket off of Venture Drive. It’s on the backside of the upper level food court. There’s plenty of seating and it’s super clean. After you order they give you a little buzzer to let you know when the food is ready. I’ve been there atleast 5 times now and each time it never disappoints. I’ve had the tonkatsu Ramen, garlic tonkatsu Ramen, vegetable Ramen, teriyaki beef and eel bowl and the takoyaki snack. All of it is good and packed with flavor. The portions are huge for the price and they definitely get you full. The Ramen noodles have a great consistency and the broth is rich with flavor. The pork melts in your mouth and I always save it for last. I also love the salted egg that comes in the bowl. To be honest I have no complaints. I tried takoyaki for the first time here and it was amazing. I try not to get it every single time I come but knowing how good it is it’s hard not to! If you’re looking for great Ramen and friendly customer service this is the place to try!

Santouka Ramen – Menu with Prices – 665 Paularino Ave, Costa Mesa

This ramen spot is located inside of Mitsuwa Marketplace and the parking situation is horrendous on Monday (national holiday). There were so many cars waiting for cars to leave their parking spots and people milling about. Even the parking structure was full. Inside the marketplace, the food court is packed. They have many restaurants, offering sushi, ramen, udon, and more. There are tables and bar seating that were all full, so make sure you secure a table while waiting for your food. Also, they are CASH ONLY. At Hokkaido Ramen, they have 2 main menus: the Ramen menu and the Combination menu. The Ramen menu consists of 4 different soup flavors (Salt, Soy Sauce, Miso, and Spicy Miso) and 3 different ramen styles (Regular, Char Siu (extra pork), and Toroniku (pork cheek)). On the Combination menu, they have the same 4 soup flavors and 6 different combos (comes with rice bowl, ramen & flavored egg). Combo A is the Negi Rice Bowl (green onions, radish sprouts, tofu, bonito, seaweed), Combo B is the Sake & Ikura Rice Bowl (grilled salmon, salmon roe, radish sprouts), Combo C is the Natto Rice Bowl (fermented soy beans, green onions), Combo D is the Char Siu Rice Bowl (char siu, green onions, sesame seeds), Combo E is white rice, and Combo F is the Mentaiko Rice Bowl (spicy cod roe & egg salad). They also offer all the rice bowls as side dishes. Prices depend on the size you order (S, M, L) and the type of combo or soup flavor. What’s nice is that pretty much all the restaurants here have their menu items on display. Santouka is no exception. This is really convenient for comparing portion sizes and what looks appetizing and what doesn’t. We ordered 1 Spicy Miso ramen (medium), 1 D Combo (Spicy Miso ramen + Char Siu rice bowl), 1 F Combo (Spicy Miso ramen + Mentaiko rice bowl), 1 Sake & Ikura Rice Bowl (side dish), and 1 Soy Sauce ramen (medium). Food took about around 30 minutes to arrive. Ramen itself was very delicious. I didn’t think it was spicy at all and although we all ordered medium sizes, it was very filling. Broth is rich, flavorful, and creamy. The char siu is good and tender, but not the best I’ve had (try the perfectly juicy and tender char siu at HiroNori in Irvine). And they give you 2 thin pieces. The rice bowls look small, but are quite a lot, especially if you have ramen as well. They’re all pretty tasty and definitely worth the price if you purchase as a combo. TL;DR: If you’re looking for a good ramen spot with great broth and noodles that overall, hits the spot, come to Santouka. Prices are fair ($10-15 for ramen, $13-17 for combos) and they take cash only. Keep in mind how crowded it gets at Mitsuwa and be expected to wait a while.

Silverlake Ramen – Menu with Prices – 1319 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica

I RARELY enjoy Ramen. I am a die hard fan of Pho. This is THE FIRST ramen place that I’ve ever been completely satisfied. I’ve tried multiple ramen places such as shin sen gumi, and they would always let me down. The booths have been tasting like nothing but salt, and the meat portions aren’t great. But Silverlake Ramen on the other hand, blew all of them out of the water. The atmosphere is great on the third street promenade. The beautiful music, scenery, and people! The broth is a bit thicker, creamy, and FULL of flavor. The medium spicy Blaze hit the spot. The pork slices were nice and thick, they gave a hefty amount of noodles. I didn’t even have to put any extra sauces/seasonings in it! It’s the first ramen places that left me full, warm, and with a huge smile on my face. 5 stars, would definitely recommend and come back.

Mian Noodle House – Menu with Prices – 1005 Princess Anne St, Fredericksburg

I was really craving some GOOD ramen yesterday….just moved to Fxbrg from Richmond (lots of options for good noodles there – favorite being Foo Dog). Back to the point – Mian is cute on the inside, cool menu concept too. However, our to-go food was *so* underwhelming. I had the curry broth ramen with pork belly. The broth flavor was decent as were the noodles…but the meat was meh, as were the rest of the ingredients. They should throw some interesting veggies in there for a $13 bowl (I was told I could only choose one veg?) We also ordered the teriyaki chicken bowl which was just awful…the meat was creepy and the whole thing was very boring. Unimpressed.