We enjoyed the food here. We had takoyaki, seafood ramen, and braised pork belly over rice. Everything was flavorful. Service was good, but tables were dirty after customers left. We live on the other side of town and with all the Japanese/ramen places in town, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to eat here. But if I'm out this way, I'd totally revisit. read more

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absolutely delicious. definitely returning. i was told to check out Umaido next since that is the original spot. read more

Hajime - Tonkotsu Ramen (rich) - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Parking - The restaurant is in a bigger plaza with a Publix, movie theatre, etc. so definitely plenty of parking. Ambience - A bit on the darker/moody side, but I liked it and they have various types of seating available. Service - The host was great, but our server kept forgetting us/walking past us, so we had to keep getting his attention. Food - This place was good, but I could not get into the ramen due to the veggie broth they use. It is homemade and has a pungent smell that was more offputting than other veggie broths I have had; however, the Goma Kyuri (pictured) and the Spicy Tuna roll (not pictured) were incredible! read more

Hajime - Goma Kyuri: Cucumbers seasonsed with sesame seeds, chili oil, and cayenne - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Hopeless ramen and super slow service. I have had a marathon of craving ramen lately and never tried this place before and thought I'd give it a shot since my go-to place is closed on Monday's. Really wish I went elsewhere. Looked like only one person was working in the back and there was one server on-site. He was dragging his feet to get to every customer, including a larger party. There wasn't an exorbitant amount of customers so I didn't understand the sloth-like movement. Took my ramen 30 mins to come and it was extremely lackluster and overly spicy. I ordered the kimchi ramen with fried chicken and the chicken was meh. I only ate 1 out of the 3 pieces and forced the rest of the ramen down my throat. The broth was okay, had a strange sour taste to it but that could've been with all the toppings. This place seems to be a hit or miss based on the reviews below. Obviously a miss for me. Not sure if I'd come back here based on my experience. read more

My favorite ramen spot in Atlanta and just a few blocks from my house. We usually get the miso or tonkatsu ramen, add extra chashu and I add noodles again (so leave some broth) it's like I'm eating 2 bowls of ramen. read more

Tucked away at the corder of the plaza, you may have a hard time finding Hajime if it's your first time. We arrived early on a Friday night and there was plenty of seating. Our server was attentive and friendly. That's always a plus for me. Looking to test out how spicy their ramen is, I ordered the ultra spicy level 3 ramen and my date ordered the honey miso ramen. The broth was okay for me as I typically like it a bit thicker. It was spicy but very bearable for someone who consistently eats spicy food. The nice thing was that my ultra spicy ramen already comes with their spicy red noodles, which was fun to try. I do think the honey miso broth was more enjoyable for me due to it's flavorfulness and thicker broth. Being a ramen lover and someone who has a bigger appetite than me, my date ordered an extra serving of noodles for his bowl. He got the spicy red noodles for this additional serving. The lesson we learned is that the spicy ramen really worked better in the spicy broth and soaked up more spiciness as a result of it. So we both agreed it didn't fit as well in the honey miso soup base and it would have been better to have gotten an extra order of regular ramen to go with the honey miso broth. read more

Hajime - Spicy ramen - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Have been coming for 4 years. Great broths, great rice bowls, and great noodles. Very rich flavors and scrumptious scrummy toppings. Lots of different dishes to try. Overall quality took a dip over pandemic but has since recovered. Chef is a cool guy. read more

Came here for a second time and ordered the Tori Karaage Don. The food was great the karage was hot and crispy. The rice was perfect and I also ordered a side of their homemade kimchi which was great too. We'll definitely be one of my go to lunch spots! read more

Hajime - Tori ramen - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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best service and food I've ever had. Also wonderful people and environment and gives the traditional and environmental feeling. Best ramen ever!!!!! :) read more

In a very short time, i've been to Hajime on three separate occasions, and each time I left I was very satisfied! The crazy thing is we've lived within minutes of Hajime for 7 months and only recently discovered this place! For our latest visit, there was a group of 4 of us, and we were seated quickly. Staff were (and always have been) super helpful, both on suggestions and with any allergies at the table regarding what to try or what to remove from the dish. We ordered the following for the last visit: Steamed Edamame ($4) Honey Miso Ramen ($11) Tonkotsu Ramen ($11) Yaki Gyoza ($7) Hirata Bun ($3) Karage Bun ($5) I also used the yelp check in deal to get a free topping for my ramen. I ordered their Kakuni topping ($3 without a check in deal) The Steamed edamame came out first and these are pretty standard. Well seasoned, steamed nicely and really fresh. If you like edamame, you know what you have in this. Yaki Gyoza came out next and were shared between four of us. Yaki Gyoza are steamed pork dumplings with mushroom, onions, scallions and their gyoza sauce. Sadly I tried this at the end of the evening when it was cold, so this was just okay to me. Everyone else seemed to really enjoy them though. This was my least favorite dish. Both the Hirata and Karage buns came out after the ramen, but they were a welcome addition. The Karage bun is fried chicken with spicy mayo and a sweet sauce. Guys the chicken was NICE! I was definitely a fan of this. The Hirata bun is a pulled pork bun with onion, mayo and scallions. This bun was also really good with a nice sauce and tender meat. Both buns were a hit for me. Finally the ramen...I ordered this evening the Honey miso, but I have ordered their tonkotsu and spicy ramen. I love the broth here, including the honey miso, which I thought would be off puttingly sweet. No, it was just faint enough to take the salty edge off. Very nice, guys! The portion sizes are pretty good with these bowls, and they actually do listen to you if you ask to have something removed due to allergies or personal taste. The add on Kakuni topping was nice and had nice flavor, but I really don't know that I would have paid $3 to add it on. Still, very nice that they're yelp friendly and accept this deal. Definitely redeem this and tell them when you're ordering that you want to use the deal! While I was happy with all of their sides, here's the thing...The edamame came out and less than 5 minutes later the ramen hit the table. I'm not saying to not order any sides. What I am saying is if you order something to hold you over until the main course shows, don't...because they get their ramen out to you FAST! Located in the shopping center anchored by publix, Hajime has shared parking, and while the parking near hajime can be a challenge to find spots, you will never be without a parking spot. You just may have to walk a bit. Multiple exits are here on either Cheshire bridge road or Lindberg, so you wont have a problem getting out. I've been pleasantly surprised with Hajime, love the customer service and enjoy the food. I already know i'll be back for lunch, for dinner, and all meals in between. If you're in the area, it may be worth your time! read more

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Kani No Ebi Maki: shrimp rolled in cucumber slices with an amazing spicy mayo. So good in fact, that my friends are currently singing a song about it. Ramen: The pork belly was absolutely fantastic on all of the ramens. We had a Level 1, a Spicy Miso, and a Tonkotsu. Each had a different flavor but all equally delicious. Tonkotsu was definitely the least spicy, but still very good. Dessert: Mochi, so cute, so good. Easy for sharing. Roll Cake, smaller and not as easy to share. The roll cake was really rich and creamy. Surprise: Heated toilet was a great and unexpected perk. My, our Waitress, was a sweet angel even though we were very hungry and indecisive. Overall, a great place to meet up with friends or go solo. And, the noodles are homemade. Since the restaurant is in a large shopping center, parking is ample. Go! Seriously! read more

Hajime - Mochi and Cake Roll! - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Best ramen closest to where I live. My wife and I usually get the tonkotsu ramen and order of takoyaki. The broth is rich and not so thick, which I like. We also introduced this ramen to our two-year son, and he loves it too. As for me and my family - we are fans of Hajime. read more

Food was not food, service was rude. I ordered take out and was laughed at for my order. Paid prior and when it was time to pick up for they lost my ticket and had to ask the chef again if he hasn't forgotten anything. Cold and dry krab salad. First and last time going. read more

Ehh I went in on a Monday and usually the broth is always consistent, in your face undeniable flavor .. however it was not the case this time. When I received my ultra spicy lvl3 the spice was there but the flavor was extremely lacking. I hope this was just a 1 day thing bc it was watery and just plain gross. After telling my waitress she didn't really give any suggestions but I remember that they give out the "Tare" base sauce and with that it helped A LOT. I honestly always rave about the ramen here and at Umaido so I'll give it another shot of course but I was shocked during this visit. Will update soon. read more

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I haven't walked out of a restaurant in a long time. Between the terrible service and the cleanliness issues we felt we just had to leave. Chef was rude and every single thing in the restaurant is sticky. Should've turned around right when we walked in. I've been going to this place since it opened and this was the last time. It's sad to watch a place suffer like this read more

I decided to check out Hajime one day for lunch and was pretty impressed with the food! I ordered the Tonkatsu ramen, and they also had a lunch special for only $3. You get a rice dish and side of edamame with your ramen. I was really impressed with the ramen, as was my sister with hers. The broth was very tasty and not too salty, cooked to perfect temperature, plenty of toppings, and great portion size. You can also pay a small additional price for more noodles. I also got a free topping with my ramen with my Yelp check in! The edamame was a great side addition , but the rice dish wasn't so good. I forgot what meat it was, but it just tasted like fried batter for the most part. There wasn't much meat in it, and it was just like I was eating something crunchy. But for $3, not bad at all for getting rice and edamame as well. My issue that resulted in the 3 stars, however, is that our server definitely brought our food to the wrong table initially. I watched her bring it to another table, come back to that table after the customers said it wasn't theirs after a few minutes, then she proceeded to bring it to my table. Although they didn't eat my food, I still don't think that's proper food service etiquette to bring a dish to the wrong table then still serve it to the correct customer. She also didn't say a word to me about it, choosing to ignore the situation as if I didn't see it happen. It's not like me to cause a scene or embarrass anyone, and I had to get going soon, so I didn't say anything and just ate my food. Other than that slight issue, I was very happy with my lunch! read more

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I have to tip my hat to my dental hygienist who recommended Hajime to me. Hajime: as rewarding as a cavity-free visit to the dentist! After mulling it over, I decided to the get the honey miso ramen ($11). This was pretty filling. The broth is "Umaido original tonkotsu" with added honey miso paste, along with pork belly, corn, bean sprouts, seaweed, a hardboiled egg, scallions, peanut oil, and sesame. The broth and fresh noodles were spot-on. Not too rich or salty. Excellent! It appeared there was a slight mix-up with our order since the appetizers showed up as we were finishing up our bowls. Oh well. The side dishes and appetizers seemed like more of an afterthought; the ramen really is the star here. The teriyaki chicken ($8) was a huge portion though; it looked more like a main than a side. The octopus cucumber salad ($4) was fine, with a respectable amount of cephalopod slices given the cost, but I thought the dressing was on the weak side. The decor is pretty spartan and industrial. I think the only decorations I saw were empty sake bottles propped up against the wall. Parking was easy in the strip mall that also houses Publix and Tara Cinemas. Now that fall is here and winter is around the corner, I predict I'll be making many Hajime trips soon, for sure. Oh, don't forget to use the Yelp check-in offer for a free additional topping! read more

Liked/ Liked/ Liked /Liked /Liked /Liked /Liked /Liked /Liked Dumplings were great, the waitress accidently ordered two for another table and offered these to us! Which was the best and a meal saver for me. Open kitchen style ( You can see the chef's preparing your meal) Asked for garlic and got a cool garlic press and a couple of cloves. Really Neat Disliked * Disliked * Disliked * Disliked * Disliked * Disliked * Disliked * The Tonkashu Ramen, not flavorful or really traditional at all. I've never felt the urge to add things to the Ramen for flavor because it's supposed to be so rich, however I was really trying to find something that would bring all that hearty Ramen flavor into my dish and I didn't find it. I did see they had some kind of "Rich Broth" add on, but it was my first time at the restaurant, so in hind-sight, maybe I should've looked into that. read more

What many including myself consider to be the best ramen noodle restaurant in metro Atlanta, Umaido, has opened an ITP (inside the perimeter) location in the Publix shopping center at Cheshire Bridge and Lavista, not far from I-85. It's called Hajime (the Japanese word for "begin") and it opened March 9, 2016. Those of us who are fans of Umaido and do not live in Gwinnett County can rejoice because we no longer have to make the hike up to Suwanee to enjoy their ramen. Hajime is pretty much exactly the same as Umaido, down to the menu and recipes. I guess the question we should be asking is why didn't it come sooner? At the time of writing this review, Hajime is still less than a month old, but it's already become popular. At times, it got very busy during our group's visit last Thursday night and I saw several groups enter and have to wait. My friends who have visited on other days have had to wait too. Compared to Umaido, this place is still trying to get on its feet. The tonkotsu ramen I had was good, but noticeably saltier than the ones I've had at Umaido. The restaurants' owner, Lee Kim, and his son Alex, the floor manager, are currently working at this location, training staff, and tweaking things. Once they get everything "stabilized," I'm sure Hajime will be like the well-oiled machine that Umaido has been for years. Like Umaido, Hajime's noodles are made in-house. Their noodle-making machine is on display and the kitchen is open as well. Several seats in the dining room have a nice view into the kitchen and you can watch the chefs cook and finish off bowls of ramen (some ingredients with a blowtorch). I guesstimate the space can seat 60-70 customers comfortably. Similar to other popular ramen restaurants such as Ippudo, Hajime has communal seating along with regular tables. The clean, open-space, unfinished interior is similar to Umaido -- concrete floors, exposed ductwork, bright lights. There's a bar with three big TVs and Japanese pop music plays in the background. Casual atmosphere. Hajime offers 10 different kinds of ramen priced at $10-13 per bowl. Most bowls come with everything you need, but if you want to add more stuff, toppings are available for $2-3 each. Each type of ramen on the menu has suggested toppings. You can make your soup extra rich for $1. If you've finished your noodles and want more, you can order extra noodles for just $1.50 so long as you have enough soup leftover to accommodate the "refill." In Japan, this is known as kae-dama (替え玉). Most of Hajime's ramen utilizes tonkotsu soup which is pork bone-based. Varieties of tonkotsu ramen offered include regular tonkotsu, spicy tonkotsu (at various levels of intensity), honey miso, spicy miso, soy milk, tori (chicken broth mixed in), seafood, and cabbage. The non-tonkotsu ramen are wasabi shoyu, made from a seafood and soy sauce-based soup, and mild curry, made from a chicken-based curry. Our table ordered the regular tonkotsu ramen ($10) which comes with slices of roasted pork (char siu), tree ear (wood ear) fungus, garlic oil, bean sprouts, a seasoned soft-boiled egg, scallions, and sesame; honey miso ramen ($10) which is made with honey soy bean paste and comes with roasted pork, sweet corn, seaweed, bean sprouts, a seasoned soft-boiled egg, peanut oil, and scallions; and cabbage ramen ($13) which is bonito-flavored (Japanese fish flakes) and comes with lots of cabbage, roasted pork, garlic-mayo, gyofun (mackerel powder), and scallions. The bowls looked great and we enjoyed everything. I normally order extra rich soup at Umaido, so I ordered the tonkotsu ramen here with rich soup. Rich soup is just that - a thicker, heartier, fattier, and creamier soup. It has more collagen in it. In general, I thought the ramen was good. The semi-chewy noodles were delectable (I think these scratch-made noodles are actually the best thing about Umaido/Hajime); the broths were robust, savory, and full of flavor; and the toppings were fresh and tasty. I recommend adding mentaiko (spicy cod roe / tiny fish eggs, $3) and menma (seasoned bamboo shoots, $2). I think they're delicious additions. Mentaiko is served on the side. Also, to add even more flavor to your ramen, ask for a bottle of shichimi which is a Japanese ground red chili pepper spice mix. At Umaido, they offer complimentary kimchi upon request and raw garlic cloves with individual garlic presses if you want to make your ramen nice and garlicky. I'm not sure if they offer those here. Other suggestions: Takoyaki ($6) - grilled octopus balls topped with Japanese mayo and bonito, six balls come per order; and goma kyuri ($5) - a whole cucumber seasoned with sesame oil sauce and red pepper powder, served sliced. Refreshing. Attentive, friendly service. Shout-out to Mr. Kim, Alex, and Mimi! I love that we have all these authentic ramen options in town now (Raku, Wagaya, Ginya, Hajime). Hajime has definitely made a fan out of me and I look forward to return visits. read more

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I have only been to ramen places a couple of times, but I liked Hajime! I saw on the website that they work closely with the chef of Umaido in designing the concept and the food. I have been to Umaido before and the noodle tasted similar to them. This location is kind of hidden in the back behind Rain. You won't be able to see it from the Publix or the Pet Supplies store. But if you go towards the movie theater, you'll see it. I got a chicken broth with japanese fried chicken and I also started with a crab salad. The crab salad was amazing! It tasted fresh and not too spicy. My ramen was pretty great too. It had fried onions, chives, and a boiled egg with it. I would not recommend getting the japanese fried chicken topping though because the outside gets soggy and it's not worth it. My friends got a Level II Ultra Spicy Ramen and a I think Level I tonkatsu with pork. The pork tastes amazing!! And the Ultra Spicy Level II wasn't as spicy as it sounded. I think if I did a do-over, I would get one of the ramens that have pork and a thicker noodle. I definitely want to try this place again. The decor is a little plain, but maybe that's part of their concept. And the service is really friendly. It was cool to see all the different types of people who came to try the ramen on their second day of opening. read more

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Tonkotsu ramen + rich broth: I did not order spicy. Very good noodles, solid charshu, almost-hard boiled egg, rich if a tad salty broth. This is a solid version of tonkotsu. I'd have preferred the egg to be more on the soft-boiled side and maybe have more nori in the bowl, but the noodles and richness are right up there. Really nice open space with many tables and seating options. Quiet - no obnoxious music playing. Good service - menu delivered immediately, and my order was taken within a couple of minutes. Ramen came out in short order. Plenty of parking as long as the Tara Theater and Original Pancake House aren't hogging all the spaces. Overall, I'd put Hajime in the top tier of Atlanta metro ramen joints. Maybe right below Umaido and Wagaya. Given their location, it may become my go-to place for ramen (Umaido is a trek; Wagaya and Raku require dealing with a lot of traffic). read more

Hajime - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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The last time I had my hair cut at Junko Hair Studio, I was told by Junko there is going to be a new ramen place Hajime opening behind Tara cinema. Needless to say, I was excited. I am a ramen lover. When I went to do some research, I found out Hajime is by the same owner at Umaido. People who know me knows I am not crazy about the Tonkotsu ramen at Umaido. Still, I am eager to try and give this place a try. So today I heard Hajime has already opened. Yippee, so we made plans to go there for dinner. The whole experience went downhill right after we stepped through the door. We ordered ebi gyoza (prawn gyoza), Tonkotsu ramen and chasyu don (chopped bbq pork with rice). After a reasonable time, the Tonkotsu ramen and chasyu don came out. Tonkotsu ramen - thank goodness it was not drowning in a thick thick layer of oil like those at Umaido. The broth is too peppery. Chasyu Don - the meat was dry and coarse. Completely different from what I had at Umaido. I may not like the ramen at Umaido, but the chasyu don over there was amazing. Then after we all had our Tonkotsu ramen, I planned to take my extra Chaysu don home. It was not good but I did not want to waste it. Silly me, I even ordered the large one. I will come back to something shocking later. The ebi or prawn gyoza - we never receive that item. We waited for this appetizer for a very long time. It was ridiculous for an appetizer to not even out before everything else. We asked for it once, the male server said it would be out. Unless someone tells me the kitchen needs to go out and buy some prawns to make those ebi gyoza, there is no excuse why it took that long for the gyoza to be out. Finally enough is enough, we decided to cancel the gyoza, asked for a box (for my chasyu don, I only took one spoonful) and a check. Now the shocking part........ There is No to go box here. What??? I don't understand. The server said again the restaurant does not provide any to go box. By this time I was very upset, not sure it showed on the outside. By this time, my initial 1 star ratings for Hajime has gone to a zero (can't give a zero so I have to put a one star here). What a turn of event, from 3 (after I tried the Tonkotsu ramen and the lack of hospitality) to a 2 (subpar Chaysu Don) to a 1 (no ebi gyoza). What kind of restaurant does not provide a to-go box? When the check came, one of us asked the server again what he meant by there is no to go box. The server said the restaurant does not provide to go box so there is no "food contamination". That's bull crap!! I never heard of that. Even fine restaurants provide to go box. If the restaurant has no to go box at this time, just explain but don't give me this "insulting my intelligence" sort of crap. Yes I am angry, I never get so angry inside after leaving a Japanese restaurant. You can bet I will not be going there again. Service stinks! Among all Japanese restaurants I have been, the service here is non existence and our server was like a robot. I think I would have preferred a robot better. read more

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Kani salad: fresh crab! Light and fresh, with some spicy mayo. Tonkatsu ramen. Al dente noodles. Broth not as thick and creamy as I'd like but I got the most basic version. May upgrade for a bit more. Tori ramen with karaage. Get the fried chicken separately. It'll get soggy. Ramen-level 2 spicy. I would say this is an accurate rating of spicy. My tongue burned but it wasn't painful. Amount was appropriate. Presentation was beautiful. Protein- pork had a nice grilled fragrance to it. It was tender. This was the best part of the ramen. Good price range. Service is attentive. Ambiance is simple yet tasteful. Parking is plentiful. read more

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Came here on a Friday during lent because they have a seafood ramen option! Service: 5/5 Really great. They greet you when you walk in and your main server makes sure that you have everything you need. If it's busy, other servers will check up on you and fill your drinks and give you napkins! Price: 3/5 I think that the food is pricy. They have ramen ranging from $10-$13. The seafood ramen I had was $13. The don's come in either regular or large sizes. One of the people I was with got a regular don that was $6 and it came in such a small bowl. Almost like an appetizer. You couldn't be full from that small order. Food: 3.5/5 The broth and the seafood for my ramen was super good! The broth was half seafood and half pork based so it was very rich and flavorful. It didn't have that fishy taste that I know a lot of people don't like. The ramen comes with shrimp, scallop, and squid. The shrimp were delicious, they were crispy (it comes with the shell on which I ate anyways) and big, the scallop was perfectly cooked. What I didn't like about the ramen were the noodles, the little broth, and the scallions. The noodles were a weird texture, almost mushy. The scallions were just overbearing because there was so much of it and there wasn't enough soup to fill my bowl. Overall, I would like to stop by again to try their honey miso ramen. The pork belly that comes with it looks amazing! read more

Hajime - Seafood ramen - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I love this place. I love that I can walk to this place I love that they have kale noodles that are just really noodles with kale in them and not noodles made out of kale, I love that then have a spice level from 1 to 100 - 23 is pretty flaming, but perfect. I love that if you check in on here you can get a free topping - yep! The gyoza are really good. They make everything there, The service is really good. I have had a lot of the different flavors of the broth - but not the chicken - can't eat it. Everything is good. They have a great sake selection they have a frequent slurpers card, I eat here a lot, you should too read more

Hajime - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

This was the most bomb food I've had in a while. Comforting, spicy, DELICIOUS. My mouth is literally watering thinking about the soup. It's soup season. Highly recommend asking to make it spicy. You can get different versions of broth from what I remember. read more

Hajime - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Really good ramen!!! The service was excellent. The server gave pretty good suggestions & helped spice up my ramen bowl. * For starters I had the shrimp dumplings & shrimp bun (not sure what it's called). The shrimp dumplings were really good!!! The shrimp bun resembles an Asian taco. The shrimp is fried and served with a cucumber and special sauce. Pretty good. * The Ultra Spicy Lv 2 was amazing!!! So much flavor & plenty of food. Just enough spice so your nose runs a little, definitely won't be trying the Lv 3. The broth was really good and flavorful. Almost tried the rich broth, but the regular broth was great. The bowl consists of seaweed, scallions, a hard boiled egg (it was boiled a little hard), bean sprouts, roasted pork & a whole bunch of spices. The spicy noodles were good as well. They didn't add too much spice. * Overall great experience. Definitely coming back to try more ramen!!! read more

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I've come here twice and have enjoyed the food both times. The first time was on a Friday at around 12:30pm and most of the tables one side of the restaurant had customers. This time was on a Monday at 12:30pm and there were only 2 other tables being used. There's plenty of parking around as it's in a big plaza. This is a sister restaurant to Umaido which my boyfriend goes to quite often. I've never been but he says it is the same menu and tastes the exact same. I had the spicy miso ramen which does have a bit of a kick to it. They use fresh bean sprouts and allow them to cook in the broth so they have a fresher taste compared to at other places. The pork chashu was standard but my boyfriend got a piece that was completely fat which was disappointing. My egg wasn't completely hard boiled but it did not have a runny center which was also sad. The noodles are really good and don't really soak up the broth too much. I think it's the collagen that they use to make the noodles. The service was very pleasant both times. The waitresses are very friendly and attentive. I will probably come back in the future to try the other types of ramen! read more

Hajime - Spicy Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My favorite ramen spot in town! And I've lived in NYC. I highly recommend the seafood ramen WITH extra topping of pork belly! Their spicy levels 1-3 go from approachable to the right level of hot. Try the takoyaki! It's the perfect appetizer! read more

Hajime - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I ate at Umaido long before I became a foodie so I've been trying to make another visit since it's supposedly the #1 ramen in Atlanta. So I was thrilled that Hajime opened, which is the sister restaurant to Umaido and I didn't have to make the long drive to Swanee. Well, after our visit, I'm sticking to my first impression of Umaido... it isn't good. It's actually pretty sad that we would put it on a pedastool... My theory that Atlanta just doesn't have a legitimate awesome ramen still remains as well. So, to the details... Hajime is located next to the Tara theatre. Small like most ramen shops but super bare in decor. That might he because it's only been couple of weeks since their grand opening. Oh, just a personal opinion, but the lined anime drawing on the bathroom doors are very tacky. Service was fine but was suggested to order an appetizer since the ramen will take long. Good thing we didn't, because it came out in minutes and we were already not super hungry. Broth is mediocre, pork is not tender, and noodle texture was the worst! Maybe it's still working out some of the kinks of opening, but the noodles tasted grainy where they haven't been fully cooked. The luke warm soup base didn't help cook it either. Thank goodness the extra noodles that we ordered were only $1.50 because I barely ate any noodles. When it comes to ramen, noodles and soup makes up 90% and the toppings make the rest. When all fails you, you are left disappointed... especially since I really wanted to like the place. On top of it, I've been super adventurous and been trying out all the new restaurants but had poor experiences that I think I'll stick to the classic places that I know are good for a while. I'm gonna lose hope in Atlanta restaurants if I continue on this path... read more

Hajime - Donkatsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

My friends and I came to try the ramen here around 6:30p on a Sunday. It wasn't super packed when we got here but it did start to get busy later on. We were seated at one of the large sharing tables. My friends like the ultra spicy ramen. Even though it says ultra spicy, my friends say it's actually not as spicy as you'd think. I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen since that's the most basic ramen option (~$11). You can pay more for extra toppings or rich broth. The tonkotsu ramen had chashu, green onions, bean sprouts, and an egg. I thought the soup and the noodles were pretty good. The texture of the noodles matters to me a lot so I appreciate that Hajime's ramen noodles aren't the typical store bought yellow egg noodles (bleh). It was cooked so that it was still a little chewy. Yum! Although the ramen noodles are a little more pricey ($11-15), it's pretty good ramen and the service was great. I'd like to come back and try something else on the menu next time! read more

Hajime - Tonkotsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I'm not sure why this place does not have better reviews, but I enjoyed my visit overall. We came here on a Friday night with a party of 6. There was no wait, so we were seated right away. As we were dining some new diners trickled in as well but it was never packed. First thing that caught my eye was that they made noodles on site! Brownie points for them! Not a lot of places do that, even the authentic ones; most of them contract it out to a noodle maker. Since they make it on site, you can swap out regular noodles with spinach noodles or spicy noodles. For my visit, I went with the spicy miso ramen. If you check in, you also get an extra topping so I went with spicy cod roe. Overall, my ramen was pretty tasty. The noodles definitely latched on to the broth which made it savory. Mine wasn't spicy enough so I asked for their chili oil. My friends ordered the regular tonkotsu ramen and the spicy tonkotsu. I tasted my friend's broth and thought the spicy tonkotsu was more flavorful, so I wish I ordered that one instead. $1.50 bottled Asahi and Kirin! What more can you ask for? read more

Hajime - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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The food is always great here and the Ramen is fantastic! The servers are all attractive and professional. I went by today and they would not serve me because they were having a health inspection. This is a poor reason to turn away customers, but usually it's a great place to go. read more

Super cheap considering the portion sizes, so great for college students. Service was slow. The ramen is pretty average, but the curry with pork katsu is my go to. Good place if you're craving Japanese food as they have a variety of apps and sides. read more

two stars because 2/6 guests actually enjoyed their food. the staff were totally incapable of taking orders, being kind or answering questions about the menu. the restaurant is unable to inform you of allergies present in the food even though everything including the broth is made in house. the vegetarian meals include pork and you can take the pork off for free but it is a $3 up charge to add tofu. multiple items from our order were forgotten and when asked we were told they were closing in 10min so they couldn't help us. They then kicked is out. this was at 8:20pm and according to their hours they would be open for another hour. 4/6 of us hated our food but sucked it up. for the folks who did like it, they will not be coming back to eat in person. truly disgusting experience read more

FOOD: I ordered the Ultra Spicy Ramen Level 1. It wasn't all that spicy, but good flavor. A couple of my friends complained theirs weren't spicy/flavored enough so I think I picked a good one. SERVICE: Friendly guy, reasonably attentive. Good, can't complain. AMBIANCE: Simple, pretty relaxed. Good for groups. OVERALL: Would come back being that it's ITP and pretty good. read more

Hajime - Ultra Spicy Ramen ($12) Level 1 - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Casual spot for ramen located in a strip mall. Compared to the other ramen shops on yelp, this place has a lower rating so my expectations are lower so I was pleasantly surprised. Both times that I've been here, we were seated right away. They have set ramen bowls but they are really flexible about letting you swap out things you don't like. We've tried the tonkatsu, honey miso, and the tori (chicken broth) ramen bowls. They are all good. The chicken broth ramen bowl does not come with meat so you have to add it. It comes with an egg, kale, and some other veggies so it was a nice mix otherwise. Both the tonkatsu and miso come with chasu and various veggie toppings. The ramen itself is probably not as good as Jinya but still good for its value and no wait. Their meats and toppings are also very good, better than lots of other ramen places where they give you a thin slice of fat (meat). I really liked their broth because it was not too salty so people that like very flavorful foods might find their broth too plain. Service is really good. Our server anticipated everything we needed and got it before we even asked for it. I recommend this place if you just want some ramen without hype or a crazy wait. read more

Hajime is my favorite ramen shop in Atlanta. Portions are solid, the restaurant is clean, and the meal is delicious. First off, parking isn't an issue usually, but on a busier night you may have to use larger lot. But you'll always be able to find a spot with relative ease. I've been to Hajime quite a few times now. On lighter nights you get seated quickly and are attended to well. On busier nights, it can take awhile to be seated and you may feel forgotten at times, depending on how experienced your server is. One very important thing to note is that Hajime seems to have a high turnover rate. I've eaten here at least 15 times and I almost never see the same employees when I go in. This can be good or bad, as the ramen always tastes slightly different (for better or worse). With that said, I've never left unsatisfied. The servers are usually very young, but always polite and courteous. The food: I've tried several of their dishes, but my favorite, by far, is their ultra spicy ramen. Level one is enjoyable, level 2 is spicy, and level 3 will alter the pressure in your ears--it's got some major kick! I usually get level two, and it has a fantastic mix of Chashu, egg, noodles (freshly made there every day), onion, leek, seaweed. It is the perfect dish, and it's what keeps me coming back. Ask for the extras--garlic, sesame seeds, chili oil, etc. They really add to the dish and are free of charge. The prices: its worth it if you love ramen. Otherwise, it's little overpriced. Ramen shouldn't be a very expensive dish. And so $11-$12 may be a little much. But if you really love ramen, this won't be a big deal to you. There are also dishes that aren't on the menu that they will work with you on, which is nice. For example, Teriyaki Chicken (which is delicious, by the way). Overall, Hajime should provide the best bang for your buck for ramen here in Atlanta in terms of portion, service, taste, and price. Highly recommended! Update: Hajime's still got it! Tried a new dish tonight and took some new pictures. While Hajime's staff seem to turn over frequently, their quality stays the same. Service was amazing this this time, and it was slightly busy. Tonight we tried the Shisito, which are basically flash fried green peppers with a small pile of salt. Beware, this little dish is full of surprises. Some of the peppers won't be spicy, while others are hotter than hell. If you get a spice one, it will be hotter than the level three spicy ramen. Update 2: Hajime struck out today for the first time. The ramen broth base was as great as it's always been, but they seem to have be using a new cut of pork for the chashu--one that doesn't have marbled, tender pork meat, but rather, pure gelatinous fat. Some may enjoy this, but it was definitely a turn-off for me. I'm docking a star until next time (hopefully). read more

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So happy another legit ramen restaurant opened ITP. Hajime is in the same plaza as Tara movie theater, Publix, and Original Pancake House, but it's hidden in the back of the plaza just past Rain. The menu is almost identical menu to Umaido's. The staff was super friendly and the service was quick at lunch time. I had the honey miso ramen ($10) with the #3 lunch set for an extra $3 which came with tori karaage don (japanese fried chicken) over rice and edamame (they were out of salad). Honey Miso Ramen: very good, huge slices of flavorful pork, rich broth, perfect soft boiled egg. I know a lot of reviewers had mentioned that their ramen was salty, but I thought the broth had a great depth and flavor. I don't know if the chefs took the feedback into account or I have salty tastes... Tori Karaage Don (japanese fried chicken): moist, flavorful and crunchy fried chicken Will definitely come back for the ramen when I'm short on time and can't drive all the way to Shoya! read more

Hajime - Honey Miso Ramen: huge slices of flavorful pork, flavorful broth, perfect soft boiled egg - Ramen Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Ordered takeout of 2 Extra Spicy Ramen spice level 4 and 6 (one with rich broth and one without), a sushi box (salmon), added toppings of kakuni and shrimp, and extra noodles. The sushi was not very good. The fish was very small and the rice was hard (either over-chilled/old). For $5 I guess it's worth it, but I would probably just order it as a snack, while not expecting much. The Ramen level 6 was painful spicy. I was brought down by my own hubris. The rich broth was worth it, although I find it a little greedy to charge extra for a better broth. Level 4 was good for people who really like spicy. The major spicy pain came from the vapors when slurping the noodles. The spice level of the noodles themselves were not apparent. Due to the spice level, I was unable to really ascertain the taste of the soup itself. It's hard to be delicious when you're just overpoweringly spicy. For the added toppings, the kakuni was great. Definitely recommend it. Flavorful and cooked nicely (the skin still had some hairs on it, but I didn't really mind). The shrimps, I would probably pass on next time. They were just fried prawns (headless), no batter or anything really interesting. The extra noodles were also worth it, because there was more broth than anticipated. I came right when the order was ready, so everything was nice and hot. The sushi was packed on top of the ramen, which made it a little warm, so I would definitely ask for it to be packed separately to keep it from sitting on the soup for too long and spoiling. read more