this ramen shop is perfect for a rainy day ! we got the black garlic tonkotsu ramen and miso ramen, which were both so delicious. we were also excited that we could sub chashu for shrimp and tofu (without additional costs), and the onsen egg was so yum, soft in the inside and so flavorful ! read more

It was my first time here and honestly I was really glad I came here. It was definitely worth it for me and my daughter. The service was great, fast and very delicious!! read more

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This is a very cute ramen place nearby quite a few fun shops. They put a lot of effort into the decor and it makes for a fun eat. The takoyaki was the star. Nicely crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. I'm usually not a fan but this one made me want more. The tonkatsu ramen was better than expected based on the reviews. The noodles had a good chew, but the broth was lighter, not greasy, and maybe not simmered or as ingredient full as other places. I would consider this almost like a fast ramen place. Good to scratch the itch while you're in the area, but if you're looking for something more authentic this is probably not your place. The service seems to be that you can order at your table but if there's extra hands they will take your order by iPad. read more

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The space itself is pretty vibey. You order through a QR code which is convenient. The ramen itself, the flavors were really good. We had the Spicy Miso. It was spicy, but the broth came out a little over lukewarm, the chicken katsu was over fried and had a burnt flavor and the chicken was dry and chewy. My wife had a clump of noodles in her ramen. They served it quick which was nice. Overall, not bad, but not in awe and wouldn't come back read more

I did not enjoy this email at all, the broth had the right spice level but it was missing some seasonings. The iced green tea needed one more scoop of sweetener. But the art.... baby they did such an amazing job on the over all art of this place. I walked in and was instantly filled with joy at how animated the space was. I do not understand the hype read more

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Consider this your review things other than ramen at Ikimono. For whatever reason I wasn't feeling ramen that day though by the sound of slurping from everyone around me it wouldn't have been a bad choice. I love steamed dumplings of all sorts so I went for the pork and chive. They were really tender and flavorful. With a delicate exterior. Also go karagge (sp?) chicken which if they don't change their oil often or fry it at the right temp will taste stale and greasy. But these were perfection. So good! The location is so perfect. Surrounded by lots of other places to eat but this feels easy and accessible. They've been there for years! read more

Ikimono Ramen - Steamed Pork Dumpling (6pcs) - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This is a cute place that opened where I believe there used to be a Boxer Ramen. It has a mom & pop feel, one person doing all the front of house. They have a good variety of ramen soup flavors. I got the black garlic tonkotsu. It did not have much black garlic flavor, but otherwise, broth is pretty good--rich and not too salty. They use the thinner straight type noodle, and you get A LOT of noodles, more than anywhere else I've ever been! I like that corn is automatically included, it was nice and sweet. I also like that they add wakame seaweed, in addition to nori. We also got the salt and pepper wings--I was expecting Chinese-style salt & pepper flavor, as in black pepper. However, this one uses a spicy pepper--it looked like there were Sichuan peppers in it, but it wasn't super spicy, there was just a good kick I wasn't expecting! On their Yelp page, they say free edamame with every ramen order. We didn't get any and I didn't ask about it. However, they did have cute branded water bottles at the counter that are $5 or free with $30 purchase, which we met, so I got one, which was a fun surprise. The bottles say "free unlimited edamame" on them! read more

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This was our first time in Oregon, and after landing, we were eager to find a great spot to eat. We chose this ramen shop based on its reviews and overall vibe. Atmosphere & Service: The setting is cozy and charming--small, but not uncomfortably so. There was only one front-of-house staff member working, who was friendly but didn't offer much guidance on the menu. Since we weren't familiar with their specific offerings, we ordered what we typically get at ramen spots back home in Arizona. Appetizers: The chicken nuggets had decent seasoning but seemed like standard frozen ones you'd find from a fast-food supplier. However, the dipping sauce elevated them. The gyoza was solid--nothing extraordinary, but well-prepared. Ramen: Visually, the ramen was beautiful, but the flavors didn't match its presentation. The broth lacked depth, salt, umami, and the proper fat content that gives ramen its signature richness. The pork belly was not properly prepared--it had an unexpected BBQ-like flavor, and the fat wasn't fully rendered, making it chewy instead of meltingly tender. The noodles were bland, and there were no additional condiments or seasonings offered other than soy sauce. I had to add a fair amount just to bring some umami to the bowl. The black garlic, which is usually my go-to at ramen spots, was practically undetectable. Other Concerns: One off-putting issue was the ice water, which had visible floating particles from an unknown source. Final Thoughts: It's a cute place with aesthetically pleasing dishes, but it's clear that some corners are being cut when it comes to ingredient quality and preparation. I'm hoping to move to the PNW and would love to give this place another try in the future once they refine their recipes and execution. Would I recommend it? Possibly--for the ambiance and presentation. But if you're seeking truly flavorful, well-executed ramen, this spot may need some improvement first. read more

Ikimono Ramen - Black Garlic Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I ordered a Tonkotsu Ramen ($15USD) on this rainy night. The ramen was flavourful and worth the price. The pork was fresh and so, SO good. I wanted more. The broth was packed with flavour and comfort. There was so much I couldn't eat it all. Staff was very friendly. I highly recommend this spot. It's perfect to keep you warm and for a reasonable price. You won't be disappointed. read more

Ikimono Ramen - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This was the first time I was too concerned to eat a soft boiled egg with my ramen. It was almost like a grey color and the yolk looked bad. If you're new to the area or to sit-down ramen, I would recommend ramen ryoma or aiko ramen. Yes, the aesthetic is mostly nice here, but the focus is clearly not the food. read more

Quirky ramen and Japanese comfort food hideaway on Harvey Milk. What a great place to duck into on a rainy afternoon after perusing the stacks at nearby Powell's or crates at Everyday Music! We've been a few times now and Ikimono has consistently delivered with solid Tonkatsu bowls and delightfully crisp and tender chicken katsu. It's a fun place that doesn't take itself too seriously but offers some seriously good flavors. Great for kids/teens. Keep an eye out for their combo meal deals. 4.25 stars). read more

Finally got to try this new ramen spot! It's located in the little building with a bunch of other businesses across from Powell's Books downtown. Service was great. Our server took our order quickly & checked on us to make sure our water was always filled & such. It's a cute little ramen spot with unique decor. Ordered the spicy pork & shrimp wontons & they were delish! Definitely recommend trying them if you're looking for something different than your go to chicken karaage or the XLB. Both are popular options there. I got the tonkotsu shoyu and my fiancé got the black garlic tonkotsu shoyu! Both were yummy & the portions were huge! More than any other place we've had so far. The toppings were so good. The ramen egg was packed with flavor & well marinated. While it was yummy, I knocked a star because the broth while not bad, was lacking in depth for me compared to other places I've had. But I would love to return & try other flavors they offer. The black garlic was yummy too. Very garlicky! We also got a free order of edamame since we ordered ramen which we loved & ate all of! Overall, a good ramen spot! Worth the try! But not the best bowl of ramen I've ever had. read more

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Portland ramen scene is on the rise and Ikimono is a great addition to it. To be frank, the photos of their food didn't excite me at first but I'm sososo glad I checked them out cause their ramens are legit! Portion is generous with tons of well-cooked thin noodles and toppings like wakame, bamboo shoot, and sweet corns. They all work so well together. I got the Tonkotsu Ramen with Black Garlic and it's the perfect balance of creamy and savory (my partner's Tonkotsu Shoyu was a little too salty for our liking) so I would totally recommend it. It came with a gooey ramen egg and three slices of meaty chashu as well. We also split an order of the Karaage which was very good. Crunchy on the outside but juicy and soft on the inside. You get complimentary warm edamames with the meal too so that's cool. Staffs were very efficient and friendly. For the price and portion, this was an amazing spot for ramen. So centrally located and clean inside too. 10/10 read more

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Visiting Portland and was looking for a quick Ramen stop. Nice and quiet. Friendly staff. Quick services. Ramen was great! read more

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On a rather cloudy and brisk mid morning walking around the Pearl District in downtown Portland I was craving a hot bowl of ramen to warm my throat and tummy. So glad to search thru Yelp and find Ikimono Ramen only 0.2 mile walk from the famous Powell Book store. I had my little dog with me at the time and was praying they had outside tables and chairs. Unfortunately they did not but they were gracious enough to still let me bring her inside. The Black Garlic Tonkatsu Ramen is soooo good, the pork was tender and full of flavor and the egg was hard-boiled perfectly. I sipped the entire bowl of umami rich broth spiked with the rich taste of black garlics. Accompanied by a side of Chicken Karaage shared with my daughter - it was a delightful and warmly receptive Sunday Brunch meal. read more

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Nice cute little ramen spot. The service was great, very attentive and happy to help. The food was good including the salt and pepper wings. I could have done with more salt and pepper though. I had the black garlic tonkatsu and I wish it had more garlic. I didn't taste or see any. read more

Large portions. Great service. The recipes and ingredients were not as good as I was expecting. I probably would not go back, unfortunately. read more

I ordered their katsu bowl, and stir fried beef noodles. Both had no flavor at all. Katsu is usually served with tonkatsu sauce, they have sweet and sour sauce in a packet. Broccoli on the side has no seasoning at all. Very disappointing. Takoyaki was also a disappointment. Mushy and crammed in a to go box. They used a little tonkatsu sauce on the takoyaki but not the tonkatsu bowl? Wth. Don't eat here read more

It's a pretty solid place to get a bowl of ramen to fill you up. They also have some sides that you can order with your ramen. We ordered the karaage and soup dumplings. The karaage was magnificent and perfectly cooked. The soup dumplings were ok. It could've been more juicier. The Black Garlic Tonkatsu Shoyu Ramen had a good flavor to it. There were plenty of noodles that I could barely finish it. The server was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Overall, cool spot in Downtown to check out. read more

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Ramen is always welcome in downtown Portland, especially when there are few other places to buy within a 5-minute walk of Union Way. The space is bright, airy, and quirky. The staff does a great job at making the inside unique, and I especially like the tall wall of light art. When you enter, be sure to walk over to the bar to get seated or to order takeaway. The team will have recommendations for you, but, the menu is the perfect size to make this an easy experience. After ordering, you will be surprised by how quickly the ramen is prepared. God bless. I took my first order as takeaway, returning to my home with it. The ramen did not transport as well as I would have liked, so I would definitely recommend eating it right away by staying at the restaurant. I can;t wait to return. read more

If you're looking for a nice ramen place with fast service and amazing aesthetic look no further then Ikimono. Along with the location being in a little street mall it also has amazing interior. We ordered 3 bowls and ramen and in less than 10 our food arrived hot and ready. The broth was super rich and tasty and the noodles were so amazing. Definitely a place worthy to try out! read more

I hate to leave negative reviews, but I came here based on all of the positive reviews and it definitely didn't meet expectations. We had: - black garlic tonkatsu ramen - spicy miso ramen The black garlic tonkatsu was watery, extremely bland. The spicy miso had a nice spice level but was otherwise pretty flavorless. I subbed katsu chicken for the chashu and the katsu was overcooked and bone dry. Service was terrible. No one came to check on us, no checking back in after the food was ordered. The table next to us had a child with them and the server didn't come by to them at all. The parent went to the cashier to ask if they ordered up front and they said, no someone will come to you, but literally no one ever did. We left about 15 minutes after they arrived and they still had not been checked on, gotten water, or had their order taken. There were only two other tables dining at that time, so it wasn't because they were bogged down with orders. read more

Pros: Friendly Staff Big portions Cons: Lack of flavor- bland soups (we tried spicy miso, mala ramen, and black garlic) We sampled a lot of their appetizers and our favorite was the xiao long soup dumplings, unfortunately the dumplings had much more flavor than the actual ramens we got. The chicken wings were very flavorful as well! The Mala ramen had a thick layer of oil on top. All the ramen soups were very bland, tasted watered down. Not rich in flavor if you're used to bold flavors, this isn't your spot. The staff was nice and friendly but we won't return for ramen. If we came back, we'd just order the dumplings! read more

Newest Ramen spot located at entrance to the Union Way pod of shops - a must go for oversized giant bowls with very generous portions, many broth bases and extras to choose from for the Ramen heads - they are a couple days out from getting their beer/sake approval and when they do it will be the it place for slurps and sips in Pearl Plenty of appetizers to choose from including Chashu Pork Buns, Gyoza, Dumplings etc Super cute decor - Instagram worthy interior and food - friendly staff - don't miss read more

Ikimono Ramen - Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We wanted to try this place based off the reviews. It was not good. Pork tasted bad bad. Noodles tasted like spaghetti noodles and the broth tasted like it had been watered down to add volume. The miso soup also tasted like it had a bottle of soy sauce in it. Just really all of it lacked flavor across the board. read more

This is a cute little spot in the Union Way complex off Burnside across from Powell Books (although the ramen place is on the opposite end facing Harvey Milk). The decor is fun and feels like kawaii vibes, and the menu is definitely more interesting that most ramen places that just offers ramen and maybe gyoza. At Ikimono they even have chicken karaage (fried chicken) or xiao long bao (soup noodles). There's also a variety of the main event, the ramen, from tonkotsu to tan tan mein to even ma la, the Chinese tingling spice broth. I tried the XLB and while it was nice that they offer this, it wasn't necessarily amazing, but what do you expect from a ramen spot? For the ramen itself, I tried the black garlic tonkotsu shoyu ramen. It looked beautiful coming to the table, and it was good and tasty. The broth lacked a bit of body that you would associate with creamy tonkotsu, and the noodles felt a bit overcooked although it is a generous amount (the bowl is deep so it almost felt like endless noodles). I also felt the cha shu, or pork slices, were thin and not super tender like I've had at other spots. Still, it's a convenient spot and the service is friendly (they give you free edamame snacks right now). read more

Ikimono Ramen - black garlic tonkotsu shoyu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Yummy veggie (vegan) ramen, veggie gyoza, seaweed salad, & free edemame for opening recently (door says first 100 customers but it's like 2-3 months in so it seems they're keeping it for now) Haven't seen a review of anything vegan here yet so I'm here to let you know it's delicious! Ramen's not too salty, has bean curd outside part of inari nigiri sushi as the tofu (so it's sweeter than usual tofu), bamboo, corn, seaweed, lots of noods. Broth is flavorful, not clear, it's yummy but not certain what the base is. It's what i'd want from ramen but not particularly complex. Gyoza was yummy, served w chili oil. Edemame melts in ur mouth, salty. Seaweed salad's what you'd expect (perfect, flawless, outstanding, incredible). Big portions, not v expensive ($38 for 2 ramen, gyoza, seaweed salad. free edemame w/refills). Cute lil place (small, maybe 10 tables? not too busy but it was a weekday). Fun wall art and some neon signs. Waitstaff was nice and attentive Basically was what you'd expect/hope for from a casual ramen place. Would come back for sure :) read more

Ikimono Ramen - neon wall art - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Wonderful place ! Very friendly ... The waiter gave Me a complimentary hot tea cup with their address on it . Limited , no nonsense menu . Had the veggie bowl ... read more

You know that one Ramen spot, near your home, that hits all the right spots every time? That's Ikimono! No matter what anyone says, or images you see on the interwebs, you have to try this place first-hand. Simple, delicious menu. Been twice in the last 30 days, and I'll go there again before March is over. This review will be incomplete until I try everything...more to come. Only 4 stars to leave room for the possibility that Portland has better, otherwise 5. read more

Great little place to stop and grab a bite. Came in on a whim but was surprised by the atmosphere. Food was amazing and the service was excellent. Only downside is the place is a bit small, not recommended if you have a big party. During rush hours I'd usually have to wait 10-20 minutes for a seat. If you're a small group I'd definitely recommend this cozy place. read more

Ikimono Ramen - Tan Tan Ramen Takoyaki (6pcs) - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

good portions, & food was amazing!!! staff was friendly if you're visiting portland, this is a must to try! (: read more

Ikimono Ramen - Spicy Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I ordered the black garlic tonkotsu shoyu ramen. The broth was super flavorful and everything tasted fresh. The Ambiance was decent and cozy but nothing to write home about. Service was the standard service but not bad. I recommend this place! read more

Small restaurant, great food! Due to the limited seating, there is a chance that you'll have to wait and there's not a lot of space to wait inside, just a heads up! We were able to get seats at the bar immediately, which the stools aren't terribly comfortable, but work for a quick lunch! I had the black garlic ramen and soup dumplings and both were tasty. The only thing I wish they had was black vinegar for the soup dumplings. They were served with spicy chili oil instead! read more

Ikimono Ramen - Black Garlic Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Recently visited Ikimono ramen and the new owners have made a difference in the food, service, and just overall better. The staff are friendly, quick, and make you feel welcome. Food was super delicious!!!! 100% recommend!!! read more

AMAZING ramen, great ambiance, friendly staff! Prices are very reasonable. Cozy place with cute and photo-worthy decorations. Perfect on a cold and rainy day. Well within walking distance (and next door) to various local stores. They are giving out free, cute little water bottles so be sure to come here and grab yours now. Congratulations to the owners on their soft opening! read more

Ikimono Ramen - Bar area - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The pork tasted like it was marinated in bourbon, but not in a good way. It had really off flavors. I was sick for a day after eating there. The staff were friendly, though. read more

Idk what all these people yappin' about, went here and had the Tonkotsu and an order of gyoza. Food looked decent. My real issue was the lack of flavor. Soup stock was super bland, noodles overcooked to the point of mush. Three razor thin slices of pork. Gyoza pork tasted bland aswell, no salt flavor, no garlic chive flavor, just bland pork. The sauce they give with it looked really promising, but once again bland, it literally tastes like oil, nothing else. It has all these little bits and what looked like spices of some sort in it, but it had literally no flavor. Y'all really must be used to Nissan Top Ramen, cause to give this place a 4.5 star review is crazy. read more

Really good ramen and good portions as well ! Very flavorful. The chicken karaage was delicious with the spicy mayo. Definitely recommend ! Staff was friendly ! read more

Ikimono Ramen - Spicy Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Cool little ramen joint, perfect place for an overcast day meal. Ramen was delicious and they even serve you edamame while you wait for your ramen. Only wish they had more options with no pork broth but would easily go back for seconds while visiting Portland. read more

Ikimono Ramen - Shrimp ramen - Ramen Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great ramen, good service, decent prices, and really cold beer. Easy layup for a late evening fix.