Listen up, here's the move if you're coming here for ramen: get the chicken paitan ramen and skip the tonkotsu deluxe. No idea why, but while the broth for the tonkotsu was fine, it didn't transfer to the noodles at all so the total effect was it lacking flavor. My partner had the chicken paitan and I ended up wishing I'd gotten that instead.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Pre M
Use to LOVE this place even though just had one vegetarian option however today we found 2-3 small stones in our food. When we showed it to the server,she took it and later when asked about it she said she threw it away. At the same time the manager came and when explained said sorry once and started giving reasons as to why it might have been there. I can’t see myself going in back there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Mark Tashima
2/24/2025
Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen 152 Castro St Mountain View, CA 94041
I went there for a solo lunch on a Monday around 12:30. There was ample parking in the city free parking structure behind the restaurant. The layout is long and narrow with a contemporary chair and table setup. There is some bar seating at the front, which I chose.
I ordered the Pork Cutlet Curry at the spicy level. My food was brought to me shortly and consisted of a gravy boat of curry sauce, a green salad topped with macaroni salad and corn, pickles, rice and the sliced breaded pork (tonkatsu). The curry sauce was not spicy but there was a condiment dish with cayenne pepper which I dumped in the sauce to take it to the level I wanted. The cutlet was thick and uniform in thickness with a golden brown crispy coating. It was moist and a little chewy but okay by me.
Flavors were good, service was fast and attentive. A good value and repeatable for the curry.
Parking: City parking structure behind the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pork Cutlet Curry
Tejaswini Nama
Food was good. Ambience was okay. Went on a weekend, was very busy and loud. If you’re looking for good ramen quick bite eat and get out then it’s a nice place. If you looking to stay there hangout for a bit with frnds the surroundings can be pretty loud. It gets pretty busy you can get in line on yelp on you phone based on when your reaching.
All in all, the food tastes good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Prithviraj Deshmukh
10/10 ramen, large portions, very tasty, small menu but options for all types
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Special Tonkotsu Ramen
Alittlemango
The atmosphere was good but the food was overpriced and was sub par in flavor and size.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
M
The food is trash. Deluxe only got more noodle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Pauline Cheng
Take out - ramen was well packaged, broth was delicious and nice topping options.
I ordered the vegetable ramen. It has egg in it. I did not make any modifications to the bowl. I chose the spice level to be medium, but later found it to be low for the spice level I wanted - chili condiment to the rescue!! The broth was delicious. The spinach noodles (talk healthy) are great; bowl is laden with peppers, cherry tomatoes, arugula and onions. The tofu and egg gave me a protein rich dinner. Everything in the bowl was contributing perfectly to the unique whole ramen bowl. Hubby ordered spicy chicken paita deluxe ramen, which he enjoyed Lychee shochu was an interesting cocktail, but probably not the right drink to go with ramen.
Vegetarian options: The vegetable ramen has egg in it, but can be eliminated on request
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Vegetarian Ramen
Andy Cho
Special tonkotsu ramen. I’m not a fan of curly noodle so taken off 1 star. Spicy level (spicy) was actually really spicy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
mili mondal
We recently visited this place, and while overall it was a ok experience, I personally feel they could benefit from adding more fiber-rich ingredients to their ramen. Also, be cautious when choosing the spice level— the medium spice was much spicier than expected! My husband and I both regretted not opting for the mild spice level. The best part, though, was that they offer gluten-free noodles $3 extra…
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Sohrab H
Uniqueness: Exceptional curry and well-executed chicken dishes Wait Time: [x][x][x][ ][ ] (Can get busy with a waitlist during peak hours) Food Quality: [x][x][x][x][ ] Service: [x][x][x][x][x] Setting: [x][x][x][x][ ] Cost: [x][x][x][x][ ]
First visit? Fantastic. Second visit? Still good, but a little off. The ramen here is rich, flavorful, and well-executed, but the spiced chicken had an overpowering cinnamon flavor this time. Most people seem to love it, but for me, the seasoning was too intense and threw off the balance of the dish.
That said, their curry is absolutely amazing—aromatic, creamy, and packed with deep, layered flavors. It’s easily one of the best things on the menu and something I’d come back for without hesitation.
Service is always friendly and efficient, but depending on the time, there can be a wait. If you’re patient, though, it’s worth it. Next time, I’ll be skipping the spiced chicken but will definitely be back for that curry.
Excellent ramen on Castro.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Listen up, here's the move if you're coming here for ramen: get the chicken paitan ramen and skip the tonkotsu deluxe. No idea why, but while the broth for the tonkotsu was fine, it didn't transfer to the noodles at all so the total effect was it lacking flavor. My partner had the chicken paitan and I ended up wishing I'd gotten that instead.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Use to LOVE this place even though just had one vegetarian option however today we found 2-3 small stones in our food.
When we showed it to the server,she took it and later when asked about it she said she threw it away. At the same time the manager came and when explained said sorry once and started giving reasons as to why it might have been there.
I can’t see myself going in back there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
2/24/2025
Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen
152 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
I went there for a solo lunch on a Monday around 12:30. There was ample parking in the city free parking structure behind the restaurant. The layout is long and narrow with a contemporary chair and table setup. There is some bar seating at the front, which I chose.
I ordered the Pork Cutlet Curry at the spicy level. My food was brought to me shortly and consisted of a gravy boat of curry sauce, a green salad topped with macaroni salad and corn, pickles, rice and the sliced breaded pork (tonkatsu). The curry sauce was not spicy but there was a condiment dish with cayenne pepper which I dumped in the sauce to take it to the level I wanted. The cutlet was thick and uniform in thickness with a golden brown crispy coating. It was moist and a little chewy but okay by me.
Flavors were good, service was fast and attentive. A good value and repeatable for the curry.
Parking: City parking structure behind the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Pork Cutlet Curry
Food was good. Ambience was okay. Went on a weekend, was very busy and loud. If you’re looking for good ramen quick bite eat and get out then it’s a nice place. If you looking to stay there hangout for a bit with frnds the surroundings can be pretty loud. It gets pretty busy you can get in line on yelp on you phone based on when your reaching.
All in all, the food tastes good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
10/10 ramen, large portions, very tasty, small menu but options for all types
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Special Tonkotsu Ramen
The atmosphere was good but the food was overpriced and was sub par in flavor and size.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
The food is trash. Deluxe only got more noodle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Take out - ramen was well packaged, broth was delicious and nice topping options.
Food: 4
Recommended dishes: Special Tonkotsu Ramen
My go-to ramen spot in Mountain View!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Vegetarian Ramen
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent service! The Ramen was great, Karaage was above average. Ambience is very cozy. Ideal for a hot winter meal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Juicy Japenese Fried Chicken, Chicken Paitan, Vegetarian Ramen
I ordered the vegetable ramen. It has egg in it. I did not make any modifications to the bowl. I chose the spice level to be medium, but later found it to be low for the spice level I wanted - chili condiment to the rescue!! The broth was delicious. The spinach noodles (talk healthy) are great; bowl is laden with peppers, cherry tomatoes, arugula and onions. The tofu and egg gave me a protein rich dinner. Everything in the bowl was contributing perfectly to the unique whole ramen bowl.
Hubby ordered spicy chicken paita deluxe ramen, which he enjoyed
Lychee shochu was an interesting cocktail, but probably not the right drink to go with ramen.
Vegetarian options: The vegetable ramen has egg in it, but can be eliminated on request
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Vegetarian Ramen
Special tonkotsu ramen.
I’m not a fan of curly noodle so taken off 1 star.
Spicy level (spicy) was actually really spicy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We recently visited this place, and while overall it was a ok experience, I personally feel they could benefit from adding more fiber-rich ingredients to their ramen. Also, be cautious when choosing the spice level— the medium spice was much spicier than expected! My husband and I both regretted not opting for the mild spice level. The best part, though, was that they offer gluten-free noodles $3 extra…
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Uniqueness: Exceptional curry and well-executed chicken dishes
Wait Time: [x][x][x][ ][ ] (Can get busy with a waitlist during peak hours)
Food Quality: [x][x][x][x][ ]
Service: [x][x][x][x][x]
Setting: [x][x][x][x][ ]
Cost: [x][x][x][x][ ]
First visit? Fantastic. Second visit? Still good, but a little off. The ramen here is rich, flavorful, and well-executed, but the spiced chicken had an overpowering cinnamon flavor this time. Most people seem to love it, but for me, the seasoning was too intense and threw off the balance of the dish.
That said, their curry is absolutely amazing—aromatic, creamy, and packed with deep, layered flavors. It’s easily one of the best things on the menu and something I’d come back for without hesitation.
Service is always friendly and efficient, but depending on the time, there can be a wait. If you’re patient, though, it’s worth it. Next time, I’ll be skipping the spiced chicken but will definitely be back for that curry.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soft Boiled Egg, Karaage Chicken
Loading...