Swift service and hip vibe. This is a great spot with kids with their confluence of noodle dishes, soup broths and chopstick configurations. The waitress was lovely and went out of her way to help make us feel at home. More menu variety including grilled dishes and vegetarian options would be nice but the overall ambience and quality of service make up for it. read more

Ani Ramen House - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

First time visiting this location, and it definitely won't be my last! The ramen was rich and flavorful, the portions were generous, and the staff was incredibly kind and welcoming. Everything from the food to the service made for a great experience. read more

Ani Ramen House - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

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The restaurant was beautifully decorated with cute artsy walls and lights throughout the ceiling, helping create a comfortable cozy atmosphere. Our waitress was very kind, friendly, and had an outstanding personality. She was also super helpful with recommendations. The cucumber starter was tasty and I loved the flavor! For me, double the seasoning would make it even better! I also really enjoyed the shrimp rice bowl. The shrimp was nice and crispy, but I wish it had a bit more seasoning or flavor. Overall, the shrimp and bowl tasted very good, fresh, and I would definitely get it again. The shrimp bao buns were good as well, it just lacked some flavor. A bit more flavor in each dish would easily bring the 4 to a 5. read more

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Food quality and portion are not worth of their price! The waiter knew absolutely nothing about their food. I even felt nauseous after eating. There was a very old and unpleasant smell in the restaurant. read more

Ani Ramen House - Spicy Tonkotsu, Shishito peppers - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Good feel-good food with a great vibe and quick service. Crowded on weekends with many families and more business people and singles during the week. Nice menu. BYOB. read more

No complaints here, great spot for lunch! The pork belly bao buns and the shrimp bao buns are on point, and the spicy miso ramen hits in all the right ways as well! read more

Not good last night, bad smell in restaurant. We sat down but got up and left. Waiter didn't know what smell was. Sorry, we've eaten here often but just couldn't last night. read more

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Food is incredible. The appetizer wings are sweet and crisp. Shrimp ramen great spices. My son loves the Tokyo too.

Ani Ramen surprised me with good tonkotsu broth that was not overly salted or oily and worked well with the fresh noodles, which were correctly al dente. The only thing that was a bit off was that toppings other than the pork belly and greens had to be requested. In Japan and at most American noodle shops, it's pretty standard to have the egg, seaweed, bamboo shoots and/or wood ear mushroom served with the ramen. I'd recommend the pork gyoza as they truly were homemade and pan fried correctly. We'll be back! read more

The service here is what's keeping my review at 5 stars. I made dinner reservations for a friend and I to catch up over ramen, per her request. We arrived a little earlier than expected, about 20 minutes prior to the reservation time. And we were still seated right away! Once we were at our table, we were greeted by an amazing server - Grace who also goes by Gracie. She was phenomenal from start to finish - attentive, polite, knowledgeable of the menu, checked in periodically, everything to make our dining experience both enjoyable and efficient. One thing I've noticed about Ani Ramen (this location and in Summit), they have a lot of young servers, maybe college age - and they are all really good at their job. Which speaks to proper management among other things. Kudos to the team at this Maplewood location. I've been a few times before, and this time was the best of all my experiences so far! The food - I had the shoyu ramen, I substituted the pork for soy-glazed chicken. And it was oh so delicious! The chicken thigh is one of my favorite parts of the bird, it did not disappoint. I also added the 6 minute egg and enoki mushrooms. My friend ordered a ramen bowl, too as well as edamame. It was my first time trying edamame, not really into it - it was just okay. But the aroma was mesmerizing! I think it was some type of garlic on the outside, so aromatic and implored me to finally give it a try. My friend also ordered the shoyu ramen, but she kept the pork and said it was overcooked and mostly fatty. So, we have both had ramen just a little better elsewhere. It's the small details that stick out. Thumbs up on the black garlic oil, though. As always, my only gripe is that so many things that are standing IN a ramen bowl other places, are a-la-carte here. I think it's a bit overpriced and a way to get you to spend more money. I'd drop a star for that, usually, but the service was so impeccable I think that should be reflected in my overall rating. Grace is the best server I've had in a very long time, anywhere. read more

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I love this place. Really don't understand why they don't have a higher rating. Their ramen is always very tasty and plentiful. My favorites are the spicy ramen and the chef's special ramen. They also feature a $ 15 lunch special that includes your choice of ramen and choice of bao buns ( try the pork belly bun) . My only complaint is the hard boiled egg that used to come standard with the soup is now an add on. read more

Ani Ramen House - Spicy Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

I remember eating here a while back and not was good. Decent at best - to be fair, I've only eaten here once and it was a few years back. I can remember the service being quick and the ambiance - standard. read more

Food is amazing per usual from the broth ! To the tender noodles. The ambiance is so clean & nice. There is a couple Ani Ramens but Maplewood is by far my favorite one I've been coming here for yearssss I've tried the other locations but Maplewood is superbbb. I love love love the manager her customer service is what keeps me coming back. read more

Ani Ramen House - Chef's Special is my favorite. - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Really enjoyed the ramen here tonight and had a good experience overall. We ordered the cucumber salad and our ramen bowls. The cucumber salad was very light and fresh. I ordered the spicy miso ramen with a ramen egg and crispy tofu rather than pork. It was delicious and hit the spot - super umami, well flavored broth, perfectly boiled shoyu egg and yummy greens. I loved the consistency of the noodles too. The servers were all friendly and attentive. My friend had the special which was ramen with tempura shrimp and kimchi. For some reason I enjoyed the food here more than the other locations. read more

Ani Ramen House - Japanese Cucumbers - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

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This place is amazing, I am a big fan of ramen and this has been the best place by far. John was our server and he was so helpful and super attentive with everything. The ramen was so good and not over spiced, the whole plate was really well prepared. It has a dim light so it feels very homey and comfortable. We are definitely coming back! read more

We've loved everything we've ordered here over the past year, including the bao buns, edamame, chicken bowl, pork bowl, and ramen. I highly recommend. read more

Ramen is a go to for the winter blues. I do enjoy ani ramen and the base of the broth is yummy. We got pork belly bao buns, I think they are average- the best I have ever had is at cellar 335 in Jersey city so nothing else ever compares. We got the wings, I give them a 7.5 out of 10. They are crispy, nice flavor. And the ramen ofcourse I got the chefs special No. 3 and it did it the spot. I went for a late lunch and it was quiet and nice. The service was good, no one rushed me. Seemed that everyone was on auto pilot due to the weather which is understandable. read more

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Amazing food in an amazing atmosphere! Waiter John was a pleasure and added to the quality of our dining experience.

I've been to Japan 75 times so I'm a bit of a ramen snob. That said, I was very impressed with the "bite" of the noodles, nicely cooked. I had the chef special with an egg which was tasty. We also enjoyed the pork bao buns and the boneless chicken appetizer, both were very good. The staff was attentive and friendly and they gave me a gift certificate when they heard that it was my birthday. We'll be back! read more

I have heard such good things about this place, and even from multiple bloggers in the tri state area. Unfortunately, for meat lovers that stick to chicken.. I would not reconsider ordering chicken from here. The broth and noodles were good, don't get me wrong but the chicken was so hard when I say hard I mean like I couldn't even bite into it! I have no idea what type of chicken they use or what they did to it but that stuff was not edible! I even showed the manager and all he said was let me remake the chicken for you! Not even the whole broth and also, there were barely any pieces of chicken in It. For what they charge, I would want a decent amount of veggies, noodles, and meat. I was really disappointed in my service and really hope that's not the quality of food they give their customers! read more

Ani Ramen House - Chicken ramen - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

The service was so great. The environment and ambiance were nice and comfortable which added to the delicious food. read more

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I tried the ultimate vegan ramen bowl and it was delicious, great broth, yummy tofu, brussel sprouts! Excellent service and a great night out with friends.​ read more

I was really excited to try Ani Ramen! I've never been, but I've had to walk through Ani Ramen in Jersey city when my friend and I did a Sushi By Bou experience and I loved the ambiance in JC. They carry the ambiance throughout each location. Maplewood is just as cool and you can get lost in the walls and zone out while staring at the funky wall paper. I only wish the food was as good or cool as the wallpaper. We ordered spicy miso ramen, chicken karrage, soy glazed bao buns, the glazed chicken wings and were offered the pickled cucumbers as complimentary. The cucumbers were the most flavorful dish we ate, probably because they were the only item required to have salt in the preparation. I was wildly disappointed with the chicken karrage- overly fried and served with the wrong kind of dipping sauce. I would have expected a thicker sauce that could cut through the fry flavor, but unfortunately soy sauce was not the magic trick. The wings were OK, and the sauce it came with worked well with the chicken karrage, we should have asked for more on the side. My favorite part of the chicken bao buns was the spicy Mayo - and I wish there was more of it to go around. And lastly the ramen-- doesn't hold up to NYC standards, the broth was decent, but the noodles and pork belly were lacking in my opinion. I had really wanted to like this place, what a cute little spot close to my childhood home. Unfortunately I'll have to stick with the mom & pop shops from my teenage years and if I'm coming to Maplewood, stick to the Trat, Arturo's, st. James or Coda. read more

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Shanerlyn was an excellent waiter, great quick service. She was really nice. Food came out in less than 5 mins.

This was my first time visiting Ani Ramen at this location, although I have been to the Montclair location a number of times pre-covid. This location has cute outdoor seating in private tents but they were all full the night I came. I ended up sitting inside where they had clear dividers between the tables. I felt pretty safe as they used a digital menu and servers were all wearing masks. I had the chef special ramen which I don't think I've tried before. It was soo good! I would definitely get it again. I loved the noodles and the broth. I also had the pulled pork kimchi buns which were a special but should just be added on the menu. They were amazing and so saucy! I couldn't get enough of the flavor. I also tried some of the chicken wings which are really well seasoned and have a great crisp to them. Can't wait to come back here! read more

If you are a lover of ramen and delicious/bold flavors, then this is the place for you! Ani Ramen is a place that I'd heard of, but never got a chance to try until one day I had a huge craving for ramen; and boy, did it not disappoint! The Chef's Special ramen is a must-try! It is the absolute perfect combination of all things I hold dear: ginger, garlic, onion, lemongrass and pork belly! The pork belly was very tender and the broth was robust. The portion was also a really good size, so I am definitely full afterwards! Since I ordered my meal via takeout, I did not dine in their greenhouses which looked like a perfect outdoor option on a nice evening like tonight. I would definitely recommend checking that out. However, I was really satisfied with takeout since the food was freshly prepared and the packaging was perfect. I appreciated how I didn't lose one drop of my ramen during my journey home! :-) Can't wait to check out Ani Ramen again and try another one of their amazing bowls! read more

Ani Ramen House - Chef's special ramen bowl! - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Me and a friend went to Ani Ramen and it was one of the best we had. I personally had the spicy miso ramen. Not only was the broth flavorful but the meat was so tender that it was falling apart with the chopsticks. The cucumber salad appetizer was refreshing and delicious. My friend got the shoyu ramen with soy-marinated eggs. The eggs boiled perfectly and complemented the ramen. The server was very polite and was open to answer any questions we had about the food. Overall 10/10 experience. read more

Ani Ramen House - Spicy Miso Ramen and Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Maplewood, New Jersey

Outstanding Ramen noodles. As soon as I entered the door I was serviced. I took the food to go but it was extremely fast and accurate. The ambiance and setting of the restaurant was nice cozy and of good taste. The next time, I will dine in. I loved it. read more

Decent ramen. The restaurant is currently operating as AniExpress (with a more limited menu) with a nice little outdoor dining area covered by a tent. I ordered the tsukemen thinking that it would come in a dipping broth (as traditionally served and eaten), but the bowl came out as a soupless ramen with sauce already mixed through the bowl. Still pretty tasty, but I was craving some more liquid/sauce with my noodles. To the restaurant's defense, the menu didn't mention a dipping broth, but every tsukemen I've had before is served that way. I also opted to add an egg and it's such a delicious addition! Unfortunately it comes at an extra charge, but it's worth it for that creamy savory goodness. One comment about the service - we asked our server what the daily special was, and he vaguely commented it was "sort of like shoyu but has an orange color". It seemed very vague and he did not bother to check what it actually was. But later on we asked another waiter and he gave us the exact description, and made it sound so good!! I think it'd be better if the servers are up-to-date, since other customers may have allergies (thankfully we did not!). Overall, an okay experience with decent ramen. If I were to come back, I'd try their more classic bowls next time. read more

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Having frequented the Montclair Ani Ramen location I kind of knew what to expect and this one delivers the same great service and more. What more? Why outdoor seating! Even though the pandemic has turned many restaurants to this option, there is not adequate room at the Montclair location whereas this one has plenty. Spaced tables with a nice tent and prompt service are all on point here. I had the Chef special chicken Ramen, perfect for a damp and cool day. Also a order of soy glazed wings for the table. All as expected very good. Our server was very friendly and made appropriate rounds to the table. The way to order is all via the QR scan on the menus. Order and pay all in one go so there is little interaction with the server until the food comes out. Outdoor seating or Take out your choice. Beyond the prices being a bit on the high side, Ani Ramen is a great addition to this area. read more

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Updating review - not sure why I gave this place 5 stars. Ramen is good, not great. I never really crave Ani Ramen, but service is excellent. read more

foods great, service could've been a tad bit better but maybe it was just an off day for them. definitely don't skip the karrage boa buns

The whole crew of workers were terrible at this place. They were rude, almost like we were bothering them for being there. They were not warm, not accommodating and rushing. And rap music the whole time in a place that serves Japanese food? I didn't expect that. The food was subpar, didn't taste like ramen, but processed soup. The bao buns were good at least. read more

Food: 4/5. Flavor and umami is there. Pretty big bowl of ramen for what you get. The bao buns are good. Chicken kaarage is average. I have been here a couple of times and the ramen doesn't disappoint. Me and my friends do not recommend the rice bowls. They're subpar. This is a ramen place. Go for the ramen. Service: I mainly order out but the two times I dined in, the servers were attentive and friendly. Didn't have trouble getting service or refills or anything. I had no issues. Ambiance: The music is very low so it is easy to talk and hear people at your table. The place is not that big but the high ceilings make the place feel and look more spacious. Good choice for a casual lunch/dinner with family/friends. read more

2nd time to an Ani Ramen in as many weeks. The food is excellent, hence the quick return. Ramen, elevated. Delicious flavor combos, seasoning, etc. Dinner for 3 included 3 bowls of Ramen, a double order of wings and an order of edamame for under $100. A little high for Ramen, but still reasonable, given the portion sizes, food quality, etc. The pacing of this meal was a little off. Our edamame came quite quickly, followed by wings a short wait after, followed by the Ramen arriving while we were still mid-app. Didn't love that they were taking plates away while we were still eating. The meal felt rushed, and the servers felt quite intrusive. Didn't love this location as much as the Summit location, though the food consistency was on point. Did appreciate the wet naps that we got here which we did not get in Summit. Saved me a trip to the men's room as I was able to clean up right after those wings. Parking can be a little tricky due to the rules around the train station. After 6 is much easier. Right in Maplewood village. read more

Very slow service but was with the wait. So happy to find this place by accident after leaving the salon. Worth a walk in and great, not overwhelming menu. Will be going back for sure. read more

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The food was absolutely delectable! We had a nice spread of food and it was all delicious! I ordered the bone broth pho and it was so creamy...I did add the soft boiled egg. The flavor profiles were on point! The shishito peppers were cooked to perfection and there was a few spicy ones mixed in. The bao buns were cooked to perfection; my favorite was the one with kimchi. I highly highly recommend this place! Staff was super accommodating to our very large party. read more

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50min wait time. I ordered ahead. Even after informing order was not confirmed and being assure 5min I wait another 20. Never again

I go here when I want something different for dinner. Service is nice and friendly. Food is great. I always get the chef's special with extra veggies. I also like the veggie bao buns. read more

Darn forgot to write this one up and just realized it thanks to a reminder. One of my clients picked me up a Ramen while I was working on a project for them. As I had the Ramen from the other jersey location I knew that this one would not disappoint and it didn't!! It was so good, I didn't even charge the client for the work I did. read more