Ramen Restaurants near Menlo Park, CA

“Amazing service. We had lunch there today. I ordered for the table and for one roll to go. When they brought the food the server realized they put two of the rolls in the to go box. And instantly said she’d have them make another for me to eat here and the second one was on the house. They also give free drinks when you dine in. They are wonderfully run!!!!“

“We were visiting from Boston on a family trip and stopped by this restaurant on July 2. The food was absolutely delicious(my top pick is black king but sides are also good, chicken and dumplings), but what made our visit truly unforgettable was the incredible hospitality from one of your staff members.

Unfortunately, we never got his name, but he was a Korean staff member. From the moment we were waiting in line, he noticed our 5yo drawing on the order sheet and kindly interacted with her. Throughout our meal, he kept checking on us and made our whole family feel so welcome.

Before we finished our meal, he came over to let us know that he was heading home for the day. Because of that, we never had the chance to properly thank him, which is something we’ve regretted ever since.

Our trip lasted two weeks, taking us all the way from San Diego to San Francisco, and we visited many wonderful restaurants along the way. Yet, almost a month later, our kids still talk about “the uncle” from this restaurant and keep asking when we can come back. That says more than any review ever could.

If we ever have the opportunity, we’d love to come back just to thank him in person. And if by any chance you’re reading this review—thank you for making our family trip so special. Your kindness left a lasting memory for all of us.

If you ever find yourself visiting Boston, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love the chance to return the kindness you showed our family.“

“Fast friendly service. But you’ll be taking a to-go bag home for sure!! I was stuffed!!“

“First time here. Long line to get in but it moved fairly quickly. Had the Roast beef Aburasoba. Mind-Boggling GOOD! The flavor was out of this world! The service was fantastic!! I can’t wait to go back again!“

“Stopped by Ramen Kowa after an AI workshop nearby, and honestly, it was a cute and easy little dinner stop on California Ave. The menu had a pretty solid variety of ramen, including tonkotsu, spicy miso tonkotsu, shoyu, shio, and miso, along with Japanese comfort foods like karaage and curry.

The restaurant has a casual, slightly izakaya-style vibe, and the outdoor seating was nice for a chill Palo Alto evening. The ramen was good and satisfying overall, although I personally wished the broth had a little more depth and richness, especially for the price. The service was friendly, and everything came out smoothly.

Overall, I’d give it around 3.5 stars. It’s a solid neighborhood ramen spot and a convenient choice if you’re already hanging out around California Ave, but probably not somewhere I’d drive a long distance specifically to visit.

Also, I was so hungry after the workshop that I totally forgot to take pictures of the food—so all I ended up with was a photo of the storefront lol“

“They have their operation down, pat. Good place for ramen. Prices are what you expect for San Mateo.

Update 2026: still the king in the area. They got this super ramen now that is huge! Think large bowl of Pho but with ramen. And it's filling. Delicious!“

“Fantastic ramen full of flavor and rich umami. The garlic tonkatsu broth is my favorite, but you really can't go wrong here. If you're feeling extra hungry, get their combo option that adds a healthy healing of chicken on top of your ramen. For less than $20, it's a fantastic deal.

The restaurant is small, so be prepared to wait during peak hours. The service is fantastic and always friendly.“

“Friendly staff. Fast order.“

“Everything so tasty. Chicken karage and butakakuni tasked so good.“

“Nice place to eat, I only give the food 4 stars because the little differences in their rolls compares to others I've had with the same name just wasn't really for me. I ate them and enjoyed them as best I could and had no issues with them just not the best I've tried of rolls with that name.“

“Known for their hakata noodles or thin ramen noodles, the restaurant boasts the chicken paitan, with only 15 orders a day for the extra. It's a crispy chicken leg served separately and is filled with flavor that I highly recommend.

They also have this new protein ramen that incorporates all kinds of meat with zucchini noodles that I've heard is quite delicious and can't wait to go back and try!

Service is impeccable and the staff are very kind, providing wonderful suggestions.“

“Great Ramen place. It's our family favorite. They have a couple of great vegetarian options and my extended family and friends who are vegetarians loved it. We always have the spicy versions of ramen. We have tried the edamame, and gyoza. Everything we have tried has been great. Great service.“

“We’ve been here twice, but only downstairs, which can get very noisy. Their yakitori is very good. We also tried the mentaiko udon and grilled corn and both were good, too.

There’s a public parking garage behind the restaurant. Parking is free after 6 pm. You can enter the restaurant through the back door.“

“Love their foods, so delicious and fancy will bring my family & friends there again!!“

“Cozy and casual Japanese spot. Great vibes with the Japanese posters and anime theme music playing.

The food is outstanding for such an unassuming spot. Everything is super fresh. We ordered the edamame, a spider roll, chicken karaage, and a tempura bento box.

The Tempura in particular has the perfect light batter and I appreciated all the small side dishes that came with the bento.

We'll definitely be back to try the Japanese curry and ramen.“

“actually an amazing place. HOW IS IT NOT MORE POPULAR.

the food is BOMB. the lady there is so sweet and helped me on a mandarin project freshman year of hs. love her so much. she is bilingual speaking both english and chinese 服务员可以说英文和中文。

the atmosphere is really chill but is still restaurant vibes it’s great for when i want to go with my friends

also SO AFFORDABLE (especially in comparison to the rest of downtown los altos)

WOULD RECOMMEND 1000%“

“Waited approximately one hour to be seated. Spoiker: it was well worth that wait. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen and pork buns. I can't decide which part was better, the noodles or the broth! The pork buns were priced just right at $8 for 2. Some of the best I've had. You are all so lucky to have such a wonderful ramen bar in your community. I am from Maine and will be sure to stop by this establishment every chance I get once I am in town.“

“Wadaya hasn't left my mind yet. I love that the noodles are thicker than Kajiken. It makes for a chewier bite which I prefer. I'd say the taste is similar to Kajiken but maybe the flavor at Kajiken is a bit better. I definitely like the noodles here more. The absolute star of the show is the tiny scoop of rice they give you at the end to mix in with your extra sauce. I wasn't a believer at first until I actually tried it. Best bite ever. Holy.“

“Wow, just had the Chirashi bowl and was expecting average quality fish at best.. only to be pleasantly surprised by some of the freshest and flavorful sashimi I’ve ever had

Will definitely be back! Hope the quality is like this all the time!“

“Picked up gyozas and a couple of rolls including a fried one. Everyone at home loved it. It was ordered on Uber Eats and was done fast on a Sunday afternoon. The staff was also friendly and helpful when we got to the restaurant for pick up. Would recommend“

“Ooo this place is actually really good! Our team stopped over here for lunch and we were all very satisfied with everything. They also had some interesting yuzu alcoholic beverages that I would have loved to try if I were not headed right back into work.. maybe next time when we're back in this area again.“

“New restaurant in what used to be a great hole in the wall breakfast spot. Now it’s “high end” sushi in an old hole in the wall breakfast spot.

Prices are a bit higher than average but quality was standard. The chirashi ($40+) bowl was great with thoughtfully presented flavors but the mango tuna roll ($20+) had a piece of skin/tendon in every bite.

Service was doing the best they could during a busy dinner rush. They forgot one of our rolls entirely and tried to make that up to us.

They included miso soup and salad which I’m not sure is standard as it’s priced out separately in the menu.

Overall the price did not match the service and atmosphere, I understand we are in weird economic times but that made paying $20+ for a roll with chewy bits all the more disappointing.“

“Excellent spicy miso broth, not too spicy, but enough to warm you up by the end of the bowl. There are a lot of options including half noodles.“