I don't want to leave this review because it's already hard to get a seat on a short lunch break, but it's without a doubt the best lunch spot with reasonable pricing in the area. read more

Wow! I've been here a few times now and everything is always so fresh, hot, and flavorful. Consistently! My go to is the seafood ramen w chili oil (I'd recommend adding chili oil to their broths), as well as the crispy shrimp tempura. An entree w a warm sake hits the spot perfectly! The service is stellar and quick and the hours are perfect for lunch or dinner. I suggest getting there fast as you definitely won't be the only one. read more

Hotaru - Tempura / - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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I had high expectations, sadly the flavors (& spice) were lacking. I was super bummed. The service was good but...we definitely need extra chili oil and black pepper to get flavor in our soups. We went right at 5pm when it opened and all of us felt their dishes were pretty bland. My sister who doesn't like spicy or super flavorful foods liked her shrimp tempura udon though. Honestly, I was expecting more. I wish I would've loved it but didn't. I got the Tonkotsu with spice (didn't taste spicy at all). My hubby liked his Ton-Ton pork ramen. My friend got the Spicy Champon and it was NOT spicy at all. Not sure I'd recommend as our experience was lacking overall. At least they were great about refilling our waters and lots of free parking. I enjoyed the fresh small salad that came with our Ramen, but charging extra for the chili oil was a disappointment as my ramen really needed something extra. Better luck next time. read more

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Plenty of parking! It was pretty crowded when we arrived so we had a feeling it would be good. I ordered the Tonkotsu and my husband got the Shoyu. I personally preferred the flavor of the Tonkotsu. The noodles were perfect texture and I loved the corn too! Service was pretty busy but were able to give us extra napkins when we were able to get their attention. There is a restroom in the back. Would definitely come back as it was perfect noodle soup for cold weather! read more

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If you're on the hunt for a reliable Japanese comfort-meal, Hotaru is a standout in Novi. Despite its smaller size, there was a steady flow of customers, which is always a good sign. I was seated quickly and my food arrived quickly. I ordered the Chick-Chick Ramen. It was a huge portion, delicious, and came with a house salad with ginger dressing. The staff were friendly and the service was efficient. I am looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Consistent, delicious, quick service and generous portion sizes. Next time I will visit for lunch so I can get a katsu bento box read more

Hotaru - Bulgogi Don - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

Great dinner spot! My girlfriend always raves that this is the best ramen in the area. I got the shrimp tempura and it was amazing. My only complaint is that they don't offer non meat based broths- I am pescatarian and can't participate in this love for the ramen- which looks amazing! The menu offers little else for non meat eaters. But the service was very quick and kind and the restaurant is cozy. The menu is also adorable with the illustrated pictures of the menu options. read more

Hotaru - Shrimp tempura - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

YUM. Hotaru has the best ramen in Novi. My sister and I came on a Friday evening around 6pm and it was packed! They have a waitlist system where you write your name and number and they call you when your table is ready. We only waited about 10 minutes when our table was ready. The service here is so sweet and efficient, always welcoming you in and saying goodbye when you leave. Ambiance is cozy and intimate. They give you a small salad with your ramen that's delicious and keeps you munching while you wait for your ramen (which came quickly!). The ramen is so delicious, I enjoyed the spicy seafood ramen for the first time and will be ordering it again! Portions are perfect. I love to recommend this place to anyone in the area. read more

Hotaru - Spicy Seafood Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

We stopped by for lunch on a Monday after landing at DTW on our way home to GR. The lunch specials here are amazing. Sometimes lunch specials mean portions are smaller than dinner -'it did not feel that way here! So much delicious food included in the bulgogi bento box and my spouse got the ramen combo lunch and did not feel like his ramen was too small. We loved the ginger salad dressing, the fried foods were perfection! Bulgogi was tender and flavorful. The staff were so friendly and kind! They even brought out a children's bowl for my toddler! No changing table in the bathroom but ample space to change a baby or use the little dresser as a makeshift table. We will definitely be back when in the area. read more

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For sure one of the best ramen places in metro Detroit! Lots of ramen and entree options, solid ginger salad and miso soup. The chicken curry and chicken ramen were amazing. The chicken ramen has a creamier and rich broth usually associated with pork based broths. I was surprised at how good the chicken broth was. We were pleased with the service as well, the food came quick and we were checked on multiple times during the meal. It was busy but there were still a few tables open on a Saturday for dinner. Both servers we had were super nice, one of cooks in the back yelled thank you every time a table left. They seem to genuinely care about the experience. read more

Hotaru - Chicken curry - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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This is small place but very clean. The staff is nice and friendly. We had the gyoza they were good but have had better. The skin was very nice and crisp that was the best part the pork inside was ok it needed something. We also had the Chick-Chick Ramen and Champon Ramen. The Chick-Chick was very good the broth was amazing. The Champon was humongous it was very hot and epic which I really liked the seafood was cooked well. I would have preferred the better scallops than the ones in it were minuscule and I didn't like I had to the tails off the shrimp in the soup. The salad was good the dressing was great. read more

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I just want to update my review based on my recent visit that this time the ramen wasn't as good as it seemed the first time. It was okay, it was lacking flavor. I even got the chili oil to make it spicy and the oil was not really spicy at all either. So I don't recommend adding the oil. Their chicken katsu curry is delicious though! And the service is always very nice. read more

Hotaru - Chicken katsu curry and the Chick chick ramen - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

Cute little place with amazing Ramen! We had been searching for a new Ramen place and Hotaru is it!!! Delicious broth and the service is very good too. read more

Found Hotaru while visiting the area on a cold snowy day. The menu is simple and the service was very nice. Lots of seating and the restaurant is clean. We had potato crochets and ramen. The food was delicious and came out quickly. read more

Every time we go to Hotaru it's a great experience. The lunch menu has bento boxes and mini ramens which is very unique and it's the perfect amount of food for a quick work lunch break. Everything is well prepared and the service is always excellent. We keep coming back every month so that should tell you enough about the quality. read more

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Best ramen I've had in Michigan so far. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and the broth was rich, flavorful, and buttery. This flavor was something I had not tasted in over 10 years.. it reminded me of a ramen restaurant I loved going to with my grandma in China when I was a kid. I also had a taste of the Asari Ramen, which was also delicious. The clams tasted fresh and the broth wasn't overpowering, it complimented the dish well. The service was also excellent, the waiters were very considerate. The space is decorated well, I find the artwork really cute! read more

Hotaru - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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Was in the area and am grateful that Yelp & Yelpers led me to this DELICIOUS spot. From now on, if I'm craving ramen, I will make the drive to Hotaru. It's that legit! We had the: *Agedashi - if you haven't had agedashi tofu before, it's awesome and so simple. Lightly fried soft tofu in a dashi sauce. Theirs was lovely! *Shoyu Ramen (soy sauced-based chicken broth with Chashu pork, vegetables, fish cake, and egg) - Probably the best bowl of ramen I've had in Michigan. The shoyu broth was perfectly balanced. The ramen noodles were cooked to the perfect texture (slightly al dente/QQ). The veggies it came with was corn, bean sprout, which is pretty standard so nothing too different. I asked for extra chashu which was a $3 upcharge - pretty reasonable! *Pork Katsu Curry (deep fried breaded pork with beef curry over rice) - Tasty, but not as special as the shoyu ramen was! Love how quick, efficient the servers were. Also, lots of people were ordering the champong ramen so I'll have to come back to try that! read more

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The food was fresh and delicious. The restaurant was packed with people but didn't have to wait for a table. Definitely will be coming back! read more

Hotaru - Chicken katsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

Had the curry, ramen, and veggie croquette. All were fantastic! Croquette was a delight. Curry had great flavor, and serving size was insane. read more

Haven't had ramen in ages when I decided to drop in to Hotaru. Servers quickly seated me and brought water and a menu. They were pretty busy but the servers were moving and quickly! The menu offered a wide variety of Ramen choices, appetizers, a drinks. I ended up going either the spicy miso ramen and it was delicious! The ginger salad was tasty as well. I'm always fighting for my life trying to use chopsticks but I'm slowly getting better so it wasn't too much of a struggle with the ramen. Pretty solid spot! read more

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4.3 (Food) 4.5 (Service) 4.4 (Overall) Definitely much better overall food quality and service with the new ownership. Adding to the spots to come regularly every 2 weeks or so. read more

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Tasty Japanese spot for a good and convenient workday lunch! Located in a relatively unassuming business strip (with other Asian restaurants and a Jet's Pizza), I was able to get in and out in about a half hour. Service was very attentive! Lunch menu is sleek and features many choices of ramen, udon, bentos, curries, appetizers, and lunch special combos. I got the number 6 lunch special for $16 with a mini Tonkotsu ramen, 3 pieces gyoza, mini tuna mayo don (rice bowl), and house salad (with the typical ginger dressing). The ramen was good! Tasty broth and noodles. I would agree it is indeed a "mini", with one slice of pork, jammy egg (well executed), a sprinkle of bean sprouts/corn/green onion for veggies, and a decorative fish cake. Still plenty filling for lunch! I would suggest though that if you know what you want here, get the full size. The combos are good to try a few things! Gyoza was crispy and deep fried. Good but nothing super special. Salad was also good. The mini tuna don surprised me - probably user error on my end but I was expecting raw tuna. It is actually more like canned tuna mixed with mayo, sauces, and something crunchy (water chestnut maybe?). Wasn't bad but I didn't love it. The rice base was good (temp, flavor, texture). Next time I come I would probably get a standalone ramen or udon! Or if I'm feeling like a combo again, probably the udon and mini curry rice. read more

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Best tea and curry rice very nice experience and very well an excellent service I will be coming back

This is one of my favorite places for ramen! I've tried a couple of places, and I always come back to this one when I crave ramen! The service is friendly and quick, and the ambiance is relaxed and cozy. The place is a little small, but I've never had to wait for a table before. I definitely recommend it!! read more

Hotaru - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

A great ramen spot for a quick and yummy bite! This place has some of the best broth. The chick chick ramen is my go to! Add a side of chili oil to give it a kick! Only downside for me is the smaller size of the restaurant and they don't offer fountain drinks. The service is great though and the servers are always very friendly. They are great at pre bussing tables so you don't have a bunch of dishes in front of you, which is nice considering the smaller table sizes. read more

Terrible I ordered take out they forgot the meat in my ramen and didn't give me my shrimp tempura. I called them over 10 times no answer

Ambiance was cozy, food needed little more seasoning, service not sure if I went by end of the end, if they weren't interested or done for the day, felt little rude of how she spoke. Food quality was excellent, had taken spicy chicken over rice read more

We were looking for some quick eats but good. Didn't want day food but wanted or food fast. Hotaru is a Japanese restaurant that offers some authentic Japanese food. The menu has ramen choices galore which looked amazing. We chose the spicy pork don (rice bowl) with a chicken karrage (fried chicken tender pieces) on the side. The don was a healthy amount and dictated leftovers. The karrage was nice and crispy and tasty. The place was filled with families and the dining area was vibrant. The noise levels were very tolerant where you can carry on a conversation without having to yell. The service was great or as great as you can expect from a Japanese restaurant. read more

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Nice and simple ambiance. Good customer service. They checked on us to refill water frequently. I felt as A bit pricey for dinner time. Lunch times menus looked more reasonable and a good deal so I wanna try come during lunch next time. But portion size was big. Seafood chanpon noodle was delicious which has a lot of vegetables and fresh seafoods. read more

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Service was excellent. Our water was refilled often. The food was excellent. I had the #4 which was thinly sliced beef. I loved it! My friend has the spicy pork. I will definitely eat here again! read more

My sister & I went to Hotaru on a chilly Friday night. She ordered miso ramen, and I had ramen with pork. I loved the little fish cakes; they were so pretty! I like miso, but I actually preferred my broth to the one my sister had. We both thought the soup was good, but that the ramen itself wasn't anything special. I appreciated the idea of the egg, but it just wasn't cooked enough for me; I know that most people like soft eggs and runny yolks, but I just can't eat it that way. We both liked the simple salad of lettuce and ginger dressing. read more

Hotaru - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

The chicken katsu curry and pork katsu curry are both delicious. The portions are so large that I always get two meals out of it. I've eaten both katsu curries in the restaurant and ordered it to-go - they package everything immaculately! The miso soup is flavorful and the gyoza is pan fried and crispy. Not a huge fan of the dressing they use for the salads, though. The restaurant is always clean and the wait staff is courteous and prompt. This has become one of my favorite spots! read more

I have tried so many ramen places. Every time I come here I leave looking forward to the next time I can come. This place is the BEST.

This is a really adorable Japanese restaurant with such a great modern aesthetic. After shopping at the nearby mall, we decided on Hotaru and we were not disappointed! We got the pork katsu in demi-glace and chik chik ramen. The portion sizes are huge! I love the amount of pork katsu to plate ratio. The katsu itself was crispy flavorful and all around delicious. I had never had demi-glace before but I'm not sure if I'm a fan. It felt a little bit too sweet for my liking and would've preferred either curry or possibly a Worcestershire-based sauce instead. The sides were okay and felt like a lot less care was given to those aspects. Overall, a decent delicious plate. I only had a taste of the ramen but the broth tasted light and flavorful, the toppings were great, and the katsu in it was a great complement. Service was fast and friendly. read more

Hotaru - Pork Katsu with Demi-glace - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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Food is fire Service is gas Prices are great Workers are nice read more

Was fortunate to enjoy lunch at Hotaru. The variety of lunch options was robust but not overwhelming. The staff were so attentive and friendly, which always makes the experience better. The lunch set came very quick despite being a full house of hungry people. I really want to visit again and try another lunch set or stop by for dinner. Highly recommend read more

Delicious!! Some friends and I went in specifically for their lunch specials and it did not disappoint. The prices were reasonable, the lunch special portions were filling, and you get to try a little bit of everything. I would highly recommend grabbing lunch here. The service was a touch slow but to be expected in the middle of a lunch rush, the place was packed (and for good reason)- just be aware if you're on a time crunch! Overall, would eat here again! read more

Hotaru - Bento Box and Tuna Lunch Combo - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

Very neat japanese restaurant vibes! I loved the tonton ramen! The tonkatsu was very crispy and nice! Just know if you ask for spice in your ramen you will be charged 1 extra dollar! Service was excellent and the servers were extremely nice! read more

Hotaru - Menu - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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Decent Japanese food that satisfied the craving with friendly service. We came on a Saturday night, and it was decently full. The Tonkatsu ramen was the highlight of the show (5/5). The broth was super savory and full of flavor! The Pork katsu curry was alright (3/5), would recommend getting something else. Overall had a great time and would return. Worth a trip! read more

Hotaru - Tonkatsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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This review is reserved for Hotaru's Tonkotsu ramen!! One of the most flavorful broth in Michigan, one slurp and you'll be transported back to those ramen joint in Tokyo! The ramen was el dente, the shashu was tender and melted in my mouth (wish they were a bit more but oh well). Crunchy corn, beansprout was just right, soft boiled egg was a nice touch. Often time the tonkotsu broth around here are either 1) too watery and flavorless, or 2) watery but very salty, or3) super oily. Well my friends in MI, Hotaru's tonkotsu broth is neither of those and it's truly an amalgamation of umami and simple joy in your tummy. It's not overly oily yet has so many complex flavors, you'll want to tip the bowl and drink all of the broth after the ramen is gone! Don't wait, get your ramen head over there right now :) The squid karaage was decent, would try other apps next time. On the side note, I also ordered another tonkatsu ramen and chicken katsu curry rice to-go. It was packaged well and the curry rice was quite delicious as well. Service was good, staff was polite and the ambience is clean and serene. It's also right next to a quaint used book store which was fun to look through afterward. read more

Hotaru - Tonkatsu ramen--the broth is worth the trip - Ramen Near Me - Novi, Michigan

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