(Updated with review from my second trip): This time I ordered the spicy tantanmen. Pretty good! 7/10. Would add a Kotteri (rich) option where you add a lot more sesame paste. The broth was a bit too watery for my liking. The Chashu stands out. Everything else was good but I would really recommend adding menma (bamboo), this is pretty essential.
Still would like to see the back counter be used as an express lunch area with ramen only on the menu, at more reasonable prices. 35 bucks for a ramen lunch is pretty crazy. I’d be here more often if I could walk out of here for under 20.
Service was much better this time.
(Original review follows) As a 20 year resident of Tokyo with 2,000 bowls of ramen slurped, I have to say I was not expecting a whole lot but I was pleased to find this to be a more than passable ramen.
I ordered the Shoyu ramen with scallion topping and Sapporo noodles. (Rye noodles were the default but let’s be real that just makes it a soba. I found it ridiculous that I had to pay to switch the noodles)
Soup: seafood and animal stock, probably chicken and pork. Good dashi and tare combination, making this a rich but not overwhelming soup that was very repeatable. 8/10
Noodle: the Sapporo noodle was fine. I would have preferred chijire style noodles with slightly higher water content but it had a decent chew and most importantly they didn’t overcook the noodles. 6/10
Toppings: the pork belly was the best part. Well cooked, tender, and it was a generous portion. Well done! I’d go easier on the soy and add a touch more sugar and mirin to give it a better salt to sweet ratio but it was fantastic. The egg was executed well, but nothing mind blowing. The kikurage mushrooms, while not traditional, worked. Leek could be slightly thicker cut as it lacked the presence to stand up to the chashu. Can’t believe they charge two dollars for a tablespoon of scallion. It was needed to add more punch to the anemic leek topping, but come one guys, two bucks for this is ridiculous - just throw it in the noodles and stop nickel and diming. Chashu:9/10 Rest of the toppings: 4/10
Service: nonexistent. Waited five minutes just to find a waiter so that I can pay. Do they actually expect a tip? I received my noodles over the counter from the friendly kitchen staff. I left a small tip but this further deteriorated the value factor.
While there was certainly room for improvement, this was good ramen for the US and probably the best I’ve had so far. 30 dollars for a bowl of noodles plus a tip is crazy though. For 20 I’d come on the regular but the value is sadly not there to warrant more than a couple of visits a year.
Thanks for the delicious bowl and hope you guys take this constructively.
How about lunch specials, guys? That’d go a long way toward making a regular customer out of me. Some cold noodles (hiyashi tantanmen, anyone?) would be awesome in the warm months too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Guangcheng Lu
Ramen was decent, will come back to try Donburi
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bon L.
We ate here for lunch on a Thursday. Service is very good. It took a little longer than we expected to get our food but the server was very nice and did a good job checking on us and making recommendations. Our group was in the mood for ramen. We enjoyed the spicy ramen, the vegetarian ramen, and the regular ramen...all were very tasty and filling. We would definitely recommend this restaurant for lunch on a cool, autumn day.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Natalie Fredette
We wandered in just ahead of the dinner rush and luckily snagged 2 seats at the chefs counter which was quite fun to watch the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. They have pork in a majority of their dishes but the ones without were exceptional. Add a fried chicken thigh to the ramen bowls you won't regret it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Steve Andee
It’s mid for a ramen is average nothing to wow about for me! Flavor was lacking and greens don't need to be with ramen soup. Making it bitter. Spicy not spicy
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
steve rea
The food is amazing!! Fresh and flavorful. Healthy and delicious. The service was great. Attentive and knowledgeable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Little Gem Salad
Alex Bohn
This place has super good ramen, love the ginger mule drink too, and the other stuff. My suggestions for improvement are to be open on Sundays and to cut the prices by maybe 10% to be a bit more affordable and also to add that crispy chicken sandwich yal were flexing on IG to the standard menu cuz I did not get to try it and it looked smackin but it was apparently temporary
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
L. Hefner
Coziest spot with the best service and vibes. The food is 5Star…..facts
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Timm Mastos
Just a fantastic experience on a Tuesday evening. Was in town on vacation about a half hour away and nothing was open, and I stumbled on Ramen Gaijin. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was incredible. If i am ever back in this area I will definitely return. 10/10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Reelislander
My husband and I recently spent a long weekend in town and decided to try this place based on our hotel’s recommendation. The atmosphere was fantastic—cozy, welcoming, and perfect for a nice meal. The service, too, was spot-on; our server was attentive and friendly.
We ordered the Spicy TanTanmen, and while it had great potential, I found it a bit on the salty side. The broth wasn’t to my taste. On the flip side, the margarita was delicious and definitely a highlight of our visit.
One thing that caught us off guard was the additional “health surcharge” on our bill. Has anyone else noticed this? It’s a bit unusual, and it left us feeling perplexed.
Overall, while there were some hits and misses, I’d say the vibe and service made it worth checking out. Just keep an eye on the salt levels and those unexpected charges!
The ramen was good and we were served promptly. The staff is friendly and makes sure you have what you need. I look forward to trying their poke bowl next time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
medea mghebrishvili
Not my first time at Ramen Gaijin and definitely not my last! I keep coming back because it’s such an amazing spot with consistently delicious food and fantastic cocktails. Always a great experience❤️🤩🥰🍸🍹🍲🥗
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
R D
The spot in the area for some of the best ramen
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel John
Full disclosure. I am vegetarian so I am only rating the vegetarian ramen. They only have one option with the shiitake broth. To put it mildly, the ramen was very disappointing. Believed the hype train and followed the Michelin guide but this was underwhelming . Lacked flavors, lacked salt. I had to ask for extra spice to make it adequately palatable. They do not belong on the Michelin guide and are clearly resting on past laurels. No idea what the meat flavored broth tasted like so this review is only for vegan/vegetarian.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
Dylan Kwong
The Chasu Donburi is the highlight: sweet, tangy, and deeply umami, with a variety of ingredients and lots of textural contrast.
(Updated with review from my second trip):
This time I ordered the spicy tantanmen. Pretty good! 7/10. Would add a Kotteri (rich) option where you add a lot more sesame paste. The broth was a bit too watery for my liking. The Chashu stands out. Everything else was good but I would really recommend adding menma (bamboo), this is pretty essential.
Still would like to see the back counter be used as an express lunch area with ramen only on the menu, at more reasonable prices. 35 bucks for a ramen lunch is pretty crazy. I’d be here more often if I could walk out of here for under 20.
Service was much better this time.
(Original review follows)
As a 20 year resident of Tokyo with 2,000 bowls of ramen slurped, I have to say I was not expecting a whole lot but I was pleased to find this to be a more than passable ramen.
I ordered the Shoyu ramen with scallion topping and Sapporo noodles. (Rye noodles were the default but let’s be real that just makes it a soba. I found it ridiculous that I had to pay to switch the noodles)
Soup: seafood and animal stock, probably chicken and pork. Good dashi and tare combination, making this a rich but not overwhelming soup that was very repeatable. 8/10
Noodle: the Sapporo noodle was fine. I would have preferred chijire style noodles with slightly higher water content but it had a decent chew and most importantly they didn’t overcook the noodles. 6/10
Toppings: the pork belly was the best part. Well cooked, tender, and it was a generous portion. Well done! I’d go easier on the soy and add a touch more sugar and mirin to give it a better salt to sweet ratio but it was fantastic. The egg was executed well, but nothing mind blowing. The kikurage mushrooms, while not traditional, worked. Leek could be slightly thicker cut as it lacked the presence to stand up to the chashu. Can’t believe they charge two dollars for a tablespoon of scallion. It was needed to add more punch to the anemic leek topping, but come one guys, two bucks for this is ridiculous - just throw it in the noodles and stop nickel and diming.
Chashu:9/10
Rest of the toppings: 4/10
Service: nonexistent. Waited five minutes just to find a waiter so that I can pay. Do they actually expect a tip? I received my noodles over the counter from the friendly kitchen staff. I left a small tip but this further deteriorated the value factor.
While there was certainly room for improvement, this was good ramen for the US and probably the best I’ve had so far. 30 dollars for a bowl of noodles plus a tip is crazy though. For 20 I’d come on the regular but the value is sadly not there to warrant more than a couple of visits a year.
Thanks for the delicious bowl and hope you guys take this constructively.
How about lunch specials, guys? That’d go a long way toward making a regular customer out of me. Some cold noodles (hiyashi tantanmen, anyone?) would be awesome in the warm months too.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Ramen was decent, will come back to try Donburi
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We ate here for lunch on a Thursday.
Service is very good. It took a little longer than we expected to get our food but the server was very nice and did a good job checking on us and making recommendations.
Our group was in the mood for ramen. We enjoyed the spicy ramen, the vegetarian ramen, and the regular ramen...all were very tasty and filling.
We would definitely recommend this restaurant for lunch on a cool, autumn day.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
We wandered in just ahead of the dinner rush and luckily snagged 2 seats at the chefs counter which was quite fun to watch the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. They have pork in a majority of their dishes but the ones without were exceptional. Add a fried chicken thigh to the ramen bowls you won't regret it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s mid for a ramen is average nothing to wow about for me! Flavor was lacking and greens don't need to be with ramen soup. Making it bitter. Spicy not spicy
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
The food is amazing!! Fresh and flavorful. Healthy and delicious. The service was great. Attentive and knowledgeable
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Little Gem Salad
This place has super good ramen, love the ginger mule drink too, and the other stuff. My suggestions for improvement are to be open on Sundays and to cut the prices by maybe 10% to be a bit more affordable and also to add that crispy chicken sandwich yal were flexing on IG to the standard menu cuz I did not get to try it and it looked smackin but it was apparently temporary
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Coziest spot with the best service and vibes. The food is 5Star…..facts
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just a fantastic experience on a Tuesday evening. Was in town on vacation about a half hour away and nothing was open, and I stumbled on Ramen Gaijin. The staff was extremely friendly and the food was incredible. If i am ever back in this area I will definitely return. 10/10
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My husband and I recently spent a long weekend in town and decided to try this place based on our hotel’s recommendation. The atmosphere was fantastic—cozy, welcoming, and perfect for a nice meal. The service, too, was spot-on; our server was attentive and friendly.
We ordered the Spicy TanTanmen, and while it had great potential, I found it a bit on the salty side. The broth wasn’t to my taste. On the flip side, the margarita was delicious and definitely a highlight of our visit.
One thing that caught us off guard was the additional “health surcharge” on our bill. Has anyone else noticed this? It’s a bit unusual, and it left us feeling perplexed.
Overall, while there were some hits and misses, I’d say the vibe and service made it worth checking out. Just keep an eye on the salt levels and those unexpected charges!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The ramen was good and we were served promptly. The staff is friendly and makes sure you have what you need. I look forward to trying their poke bowl next time!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not my first time at Ramen Gaijin and definitely not my last! I keep coming back because it’s such an amazing spot with consistently delicious food and fantastic cocktails. Always a great experience❤️🤩🥰🍸🍹🍲🥗
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
The spot in the area for some of the best ramen
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Full disclosure. I am vegetarian so I am only rating the vegetarian ramen. They only have one option with the shiitake broth. To put it mildly, the ramen was very disappointing. Believed the hype train and followed the Michelin guide but this was underwhelming . Lacked flavors, lacked salt. I had to ask for extra spice to make it adequately palatable. They do not belong on the Michelin guide and are clearly resting on past laurels. No idea what the meat flavored broth tasted like so this review is only for vegan/vegetarian.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 2
The Chasu Donburi is the highlight: sweet, tangy, and deeply umami, with a variety of ingredients and lots of textural contrast.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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