“The namesake sushi, eighty-eight roll,was great and nicely presented with poke pieces on top. The regular rolls: spider, Philly, and Negihama had chewy seaweed (not a crispy bite) wrap and not as fun and tasty. The agedashi tofu was nice and the hot sake was generous. They were busy so they couldn't always check when we needed water or additional ginger to add flavor to sushi.“
“Vegetarian options: Our usual items arethe Sushi Taco from the chef'specialsOshinko, Tempura and Sweet potato rolls.Kid-friendliness: Down to earth place, there were 6 elementary school kids at three different tables. All happy and moving around.“
“Absolutely amazing experience! My husband and friend came here on a rainy Saturday and had to wait a bit. Once we were seated we were greeted pretty quickly by Helen who was super friendly and knowledgeable. All of our food was super hot, fresh, and delicious! I would recommend this place !!!!!“
“In the quest for Vegan/Vegetarian Ramen, we discovered another intriguing Ramen spot. This is a newly opened location in San Jose West. We ordered Miso Ramen and Stir Fry Ramen. The Miso Ramen is standard but perfectly hits the right notes. The Stir Fry Ramen is a novel type that we tried, loaded with cabbage, stir-fried veggies, and a delicious veggie broth. Personally, I enjoy cabbage and stir-fried dishes, so I loved this variation. Our server provided spice options like chili oil, Nanami Togarashi, and house-made chili paste, each increasing in spiciness. All of them were excellent at their respective spice levels. Overall, we had an awesome bowl of Ramen for dinner. Other intriguing options available include curry ramen and chilled hiyashi ramen. Regarding the ambience and seating, it's ordinary, and they have limited seating outside.“
“Ramen Hajime in Santa Clara is a hidden gem serving up some of the best ramen I've ever had. The flavors were incredible, the portions generous, and the service friendly. However, there's a big caveat: be prepared to wait. My party of two WAITED FOR AN HOUR, and you can see how long others have been waiting too. They only hold your table for 5 minutes after it's ready, so be prompt!Here's the breakdown:The Wait: Brutal. We waited an hour on a Friday night, and it wasn't uncommon to see others waiting just as long.The Food: WORTH IT!!! The Chicken Karaage was a delightful appetizer - juicy, crispy chicken with a tangy-creamy sauce. The star of the show, of course, was the ramen. I had the Kiwami Tonkotsu, a creamy pork broth with perfectly cooked noodles, melt-in-your-mouth chashu pork, and a touch of lime for a refreshing twist. My partner enjoyed the Kiwami Spicy Miso, a spicy miso broth with thicker noodles and a good kick. Both broths were incredibly flavorful, and the portions were enough to satisfy even the hungriest ramen enthusiast.The Menu: Their menu consists of signature ramen selection that is priced a bit higher (~$3) than their basic ramen selection. They also have vegan options and build your own option. The menu also includes a bunch of appetizers, desserts, and beverages (alcoholic and non alcoholic)The Service: Despite the long line, the service was fast and friendly. Our server was attentive and refilled our waters without us needing to ask. However, be aware that they place your bill halfway through your meal, which might feel a bit rushed.The Ambiance: Cozy and intimate. The space is small, so be prepared for close quarters.The Price: A steal! The ramen is very reasonably priced, especially for the Bay Area.The Parking: Ample. The restaurant is located in a strip mall with plenty of parking but not much to do while you wait.The Takeaway: Absolutely delicious ramen, but the wait time can be killer. Go right when they open to avoid the crowds. If you can handle the wait, Ramen Hajime is definitely worth a try. If you're short on time, you might want to consider another option.“
“Overall an enjoyable Ramen experience. The ramen joint is no-frills with a few types of ramen offerings and add-ons such as Chicken Karage and Gyoza. Their red king ramen has a great balance of spice, garlic, and umami flavours in the broth - of course, you can adjust many aspects of your dish based on your liking. The only con is that they always have long lines, and there is no waiting system so you have to stand in front of the shop, rain or shine. However, lines do move fast enough that it feels worth the wait.“
“Small place with about 6 tables. We went for lunch on Sunday and there was a short wait. You order at the counter and food is brought to your table, water and hot tea are available to serve yourself. WOW! The rolls are HUGE and very reasonably priced for the size. I love the menu with a large variety of rolls, sauces and combinations to try. Most importantly the fish was fresh and everything we ordered was delicious. I definitely recommend the Phoenix roll. This is not close to home for me, but I'll go out of my way to come here for my sushi fix.“
“Amazing ox tail udon. Very tender. I added a poached egg to it. Broth clean and not salty. We also had chicken karaage and fried whole squid, which was also tender and flavorful. If you are into udon, this is the place to get something that is different from the others. This place gets busy so it's a good idea to get there at opening.“
“Food was unexpectedly good at such price, the curry beef udon and black garlic ramen were both extremely rich in ingredients; was probably a special offer but we were also given two small plates of fried rice which was also in high quality. Would definitely come back again.“
“Fabulous broth in these dishes! Delightful, we stopped after seeing the evening cherry blossoms at Hakone Garden; perfect cap to the evening. ???Dietary restrictions: I eat GF and had always thought of ramen places as being about the wheat noodles? No, no: it's all about the rich broths, and you can find rice plates or order with no noodles. I went for an appetizer seafood soup with a side of rice and side of kim chi and that made a perfect meal.“
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“We went in for a late lunch on Saturday. We weren't sure if this was more of a drinking place or restaurant.I had the chicken bowl and my wife had the chicken plate. We are split on our opinions of this place. I liked the food, but she felt it was too "fusion" and not authentic.The one thing we did agree upon was about the fact there's no paper menu. You have to order with your smartphone aged scanning a QR code. We love tech, but this was poorly implemented. It gets confused if two people look at the menu simultaneously on their own phones. Somehow, it lost our order and we had to wait much longer to get our food. Service was generally slow. But the prices were very reasonable for the quantity of food.The atmosphere is young and trendy. Walls are covered in kpop idols, giving it a gen-z vibe. We felt a little out of place.“
“While queuing, a staff member presents a menu to introduce the variety of noodles available, such as thick or thin noodles, whether to add green onions, choose a rich or light broth, whether to add a soft-boiled egg, etc., making your selection more convenient and efficient. The decor is very Japanese, and the staff attire is also in a Japanese style, with food being served quickly.“
“This place is great! I feel like enjoyed it even more than the Santa Clara location?! I pretty much stick to the to the tonkatsu ramen (I prefer thin noodles), the broth is creamy and deeply flavorful, the charshu is delicious, I kind feel like I could take or leave the spinach but it’s nice and fresh. The crispy chicken (Karaage) is bomb.The ONLY reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because I’ve had mixed experiences picking up…insert minor rant: They follow some of the requests in the order, but often miss things I’ve paid extra for, last time it was corn and garlic, this time it was charshu and garlic. I caught the garlic and asked for one and the guy helping me first looked in my bag, then checked my receipt while saying “did you order garlic”, and didn’t apologize when he saw I had. I felt like he thought I was trying scam them, when they’re the ones that made the mistake. I asked if I could have 2, given that it’s free in the restaurant and I had missed out last time (though I didn’t mention that, didn’t seem necessary), but he refused. The missing charshu was just a bummer too. Neither are a huge deal, but just takes away from the experience a little, will stick to dining in going forward.“
“My wife and I are particular about our ramen. We love the shoyu ramen broth but like to get the toppings from the vegetarian ramen. The owner Baron was nice enough to modify the menu for us. This is a great spot, I highly recommend it whether you're sitting out on the patio or inside. Thanks Baron!“
“Came here on a rainy Saturday evening for dinner. There were quite a few patrons, but no wait since there were open tables.The “prefer English” option for the QR menu was nicely done. Everything was translated (as opposed to Taiwan Bistro’s QR system where all the menu items are still in Chinese and only the in-app functions like “order now” are in English).We would skip the woodear mushrooms next time; these were a little too spicy, sharp and tangy for our liking. I got the clear beef noodle with rice noodle, which was tasty. The highlight was the pan fried soup bun. Lots of soup and a lovely crusty bottom!We would come here again!“
“Best gluten free vegetarian ramen I’ve ever had! 3rd time I’ve been here since I don’t live near by and it never disappoints! Great flavors, spicy is just perfect! The soft boiled egg is perfection! Love this place! Everything so fresh! Yum!?“