Delicious miso pork ramen, I'd recommend adding the scallop add on... Amazing! Appetizers were also delicious, great gyōzas and garlic fries. Good drinks as well! All around a great dining experience and good service. read more

Itani Ramen - Pork miso ramen with the scallop add on... Delicious! - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

From the house fermented chili paste to the drinks and more! I loved the experience and the food. Alex was fantastic at the bar. Looking forward to my next trip back. Going to try to buy that chili paste off em! read more

Flavorless ramen overall. You're probably better off eating that Top Ramen sitting in your pantry. Cheaper and tastier. I wanted to try their Peking Duck Ramen, but unfortunately they were sold out. So I settled with their Miso Pork Ramen, which is described on their menu as having "RICH PORK BROTH." It sounded promising. Sadly, their broth was quite the opposite of rich. It was extremely bland and tasted completely one dimensional. Ramen broth should be rich as promised and also milky you know? On top of their disappointing broth, their pork belly chashu was a little dry. Toppings were boring or in my opinion, did nothing to complement or enhance the ramen bowl. Is it just me, or is spinach with ramen a bit weird? Don't recommend this place whatsoever. read more

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This is a long overdue review that I owe to Itani Ramen, its' staff and the owner. I want to start by saying after my bad experience with the food causing me to go use the restroom several times on my first visit, I have not had an issue since the last time and the many times I have returned. I want to thank the owner for reaching out and trying to make things right. I really appreciate it. I just want to say that the pork, noodles and broth are cooked well to my liking. This is my go to spot for ramen when I am in downtown. Shinmai is great, but this place is more relaxed, with great service, and casual ambiance. I like that I can pay first during lunch and when I am finished I just leave without any hassle. read more

I flew in from San Diego to Oakland for a quick trip and straight from the airport went here for lunch. By the time I got there - I was starving!!! I will say that for being in downtown Oakland there was a lot of street parking close to the restaurant which was huge plus! I ordered the gyoza, pig ears (!?!?!?!) and the Shoyu ramen. You can't really go wrong with gyoza! However, what makes theirs extra special is that there is about 3 bottles (shoyu, rice vinegar, hot oil), at each table and you can make your own gyoza sauce. That was the fun part! So I made my gyoza sauce extra spicy! YUM! I was hesitant to order the pig ears (that's why I placed '!??!?!' next to the pig ears because truthfully it didn't sound appealing but I'm so glad I ordered it! They were so good and seasoned to perfection! Luckily my nephews were there because they helped me eat it or else i would have eaten them all. Since I've been back in San Diego, I've been searching all over Yelp for a ramen place that serves pig ears. I haven't had any luck. So when you decide to visit this ramen place - please order the pig ears - you will not regret it! The Shoyu Ramen was DELICIOUS!!! They are not skimpy with the servings. The egg was cooked perfectly (most ramen places can't perfect the hard boiled egg) and there was another spicy bottle in the table that I used on my ramen and it was sooooo good. At first I thought it was sriracha but it's not! If you like spicy - make sure you use that spicy sauce in your ramen! By the entrance of the restaurant there is a vending machine of different types of ice cream desserts - that was an added bonus. So of course I had to get myself a strawberry mochi ice cream to clean my pallet! The restaurant is really cute and very clean. The staff were friendly too! If you're in Oakland, I recommend you to visit this place! I know I will the next time I visit again! read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

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I ordered the Miso Pork Ramen, no extra toppings. For $13, it's not worth it. There are cheaper options with better quality components. I would NOT recommend their food... but their staff are nice. +1 Star for ambience. Pretty cool setting although there were 1 customer besides us. -1 Noodles were uncooked and clumped together. I wondered how the chef totally missed this basic step if making ramen: cook the noodle until done. -1 Broth was too salty. My first spoon tasted flavorful, but after a few more I didn't want to drink the broth anymore because it was too salty. The bowl looks Japanese, but the flavors were Americanized--which is extra EXTRA salt! Is it as salty as instant ramen? Oh yes. -1 Chashu was okay, not fatty and flavorful like most ramen shops do. This one has more meat with little fat than it should have. Another dark colored meat that was cooked with soy sauce was... very small, hard and dry (ok that didn't sound right). It was as small as my soup spoon, but despite the size the pork's meaty fiber feels tough. It supposed to be juicy... it shows that it was stored for more than 3 days... or a week. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

I feel horrible to rate a place 2 stars but that's the truth. This is how I rate: 3 stars - mediocre non memorable food. Nothing to write home about. 4 stars - some dishes are definitely making me go back. 5 stars - blows my socks off and dream about going back! This place was a 2 because everything I ate was not tasty. *Sloppy gyoza - fried with bonito flakes and some sauce. Tasted like nothing. *Crispy ears - looked good also tasted like nothing. *Veggie ramen - recommended by hostess, broth was weird. I'm a soup person and I usually drink any soup but this ...every spoonful made me hesitate. *Scallop fritter - as an add-on sounded delicious. How can you go wrong with fried seafood. Well the fritter was not cooked through and the batter was still gooey on the inside. Gross! I'm a big eater and usually can put down most food put in front of me. I left barely eating anything: two gyozas (when we ordered 12) and a few pieces pig ears and a couple bites of my ramen. So unlike me. But that's how unappetizing the food was. They helped me pack 90% of my ramen. read more

Really enjoyed the ambience in here. Slightly dimmed lights, walls lined with vibrant Japan city photographs, soft music playing in the background. Everything looked super clean and organized. They also have a small area in the back with a projector. I ordered a chicken katsu donburi mini ($7) and my date ordered a shoyu ramen ($13). The mini came with around 4 pieces of chicken over lettuce and rice in a small bowl. Hated how small the bowl was, couldn't even scoop the rice without food dropping all over the table. The chicken katsu was crispy, but I would have expected more with the price. My date thought his ramen was decent, but could be better for the price as well. He rated it as a 3/5. Great snack, but still hungry for more food. The staff were really nice and enthusiastic. Food came in around 8 minutes. They came by to ask how everything was twice and also picked up the dishes quickly. read more

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Definitely underwhelming bowl of ramen. I went with a few friends after a day of wine tasting in Treasure Island. The staff was super friendly! We were greeted upon entry, the food was brought promptly, and overall they're great. The food on the other hand was not great. Angela and I went with the pork ramen and gyoza. The pork was overlooked by far. The broth was super fishy. Like, gross fishy. The noodles were slightly crunchy. It came with seaweed (which again, I'm not a fan of). The gyoza was probably three star worthy but nothing to write home about. Overall, I'd suggest skipping this ramen spot for another place in Uptown. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

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Stopped by Itani on a Thursday night after a couple drinks across the street at Make Westing. I don't usually go for ramen (just not a huge fan in general), but the convenience was a plus, and the vibe and cleanliness was welcoming. I ordered the Chicken Ramen ($11) upon the recommendation of the girl at the counter, who started by recommending the Veggie Ramen, then the Chicken, the Pork, and then damn near the rest of the menu. Didn't really help narrow it down, but oh well. ;-) The ramen came out in a beautiful bowl with great presentation, but was only lukewarm. The broth wasn't particularly rich or flavorful, and I felt like the portion was fairly small given that it's mostly just a bowl of noodles. Additionally, there was about 1 ounce of chicken in the bowl - one slice of overcooked chicken breast. The location, decor, vibe, and overall aesthetic is very pleasant - great for a date or a light dinner with friends (if not a huge group). With a little more passion and flavor in their entrees, this could be a great spot. Liven things up, increase the noodle serving about 20%, and use grilled chicken thighs with crispy skin in the Chicken Ramen. Just a couple suggestions. :-) All in all - I'd return, but I'm not currently going out of my way. At least there's potential! read more

Meal was boring and was underwhelming. No flavor despite the presentation.Orderd gyoza, ramen, and Kara'age, nothing above average. I was really hungry and only took 3-4 bites of the ramen and left. Staff was great. read more

was pretty expensive...food was slightly below average...the pork was good though...service was slow...but for some reason, i just felt profoundly sad after eating here...i think this restaurant is struggling or maybe the rent is just too high and ruining everything 3/5 read more

I was traveling for work, and decided to grab dinner here before heading to the airport. I walked in with my luggage and all. I was greeted right away, and the entire time I was there the staff was helpful and courteous. I ordered chicken ramen and a really great grapefruit drink. The ramen had a really awesome assortment of ingredients; sliced chicken, red onion, noodles, watercress, spinach, and half of a boiled egg. The broth was a little less flavorful than I'd like, but I added a little soy sauce and it seemed to do the trick. The location itself is accessible, and they had some really good music. Great service, and good ramen, thank you! read more

Itani Ramen - Chicken ramen, and a grapefruit flavored drink recommended by the staff - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Love this place. The pork belly ramen is right on point. And the oxtail is amazing too! It's the perfect cure to a fall cold! read more

Itani Ramen - Pork belly after I've eaten half... sorry forgot to photo before! - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Straight forward eats with great drinks. Great spot for kids. Well located by a lot of bars.

I Ordered the miso pork ramen .The pork wasn't good its has alot of fatty on it . I Has to pick it out and just ate the noodle ... i dont think i will come back . read more

Itani Ramen - Ordered the miso pork ramen today and the pork was all fatty meat. Kinda disappointed (Rich Pork Broth) - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Fantastic ramen, donburi and izakaya bites!seriously affordable sake flights and full bar too. The space and the staff offer an unpretentious, fun, and tasteful experience right in the middle of Uptown. this is a great spot for a dinner date or to dine with your whole family. They also have super cute merch!! Check. Itani. Out. read more

Was excited to try this place since it's rare to find an above average ramen shop in oakland. Therefore I did come in hesitant and with low expectations. We ordered a chicken broth ramen, vegetarian ramen, and pork rinds. The pork rinds I was most excited about since we make homemade pork rinds all the time. And a beer and a beverage. For all of that I think it came to 50$. For that price, I expected the quality of the food and flavor to be good, or decent at least. First, they got my order wrong. It came out surprisingly quick. Like 3 minutes after we ordered The broth tastes, like water with soy sauce... I tried adding seasoning to it but it didn't work. The noodle was so weird, super undercooked, and not even the enjoyable chewy... after literally 2 bites.. I made up my mind, I wasn't going to finish it... as did my friend... and the pork rinds, were that crunchy where you can break your tooth we were debating to just leave or ask for my money back.. As I thought about it, that's 50$ of wasted money... TBH top ramen is much more superb... When I asked for a refund, they were understanding, but she asked "was it the broth?" So that made me feel like I'm not the first nor the last. I would definitely skip pass this place!! read more

I love the ambience of this place. It definitely feels like a mini Tokyo and the layout of this restaurant and how it flows is pretty nice. You'll realize that first you have to order at the counter. Once you order, they will give you a number and your order will be delivered to your table. I came here with 4 other colleagues on a lunch break. I ordered the pork miso ramen and to be honest, I was pretty disappointed. Like all the ingredients and everything in my ramen and the pork was cooked well, but when it came down to the soup...it was pretty salty! This is my second time here thinking I would give it a second chance with a different order this time, but again I found my ramen broth too salty. I wish also that this place had a good variety of ramen to choose from as it was limited. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

The ramen at Itani is something I look forward to throughout the week. The Miso Pork ramen is my favorite and my recommendation. The service comes a bit slowly, but the flavor makes it worth it. read more

No ramen nazis here! Just great soup and sake! I ordered the oxtail ramen with gluten-free noodles and my husband the same with regular noodles. The broth was rich and mine (gluten-free) tasted of more acid. Maybe that was the noodles, but personally I prefer the g-free over the regular. The noodles themselves were very dense, but a nice texture. It just took a little more chewing than my typical ramen experience. As for the sake, solid tasting. We got the least expensive (started with a K) which was a bit more than I like spending on sake, especially for such a casual setting. All around it was a pleasant dining experience. Good ramen, good service and a nice and chill atmosphere for a Wednesday night. read more

Itani Ramen - Oxtail ramen goodness (gluten-free noodles) - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

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The food was okay - very pricey for what it is (average $13 for a ramen). The broth was very salty and tasted very heavily of miso. Cute joint though read more

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Itani Ramen isn't THAT bad for a generic ramen shop. Of course it can't compare it to Ippudo, Marafuku or Mensho but it's not totally worthless. If you are looking for a classy sit down experience then your probably going to Shinmai or The Ramen Shop anyways. This place is a fast and dirty kind of place when you just need some fast food. I'd still come here if I were desperate. Things I liked: The yuzu lemonade The gyoza Asahi on draft The frozen desert vending machine Things I didn't like: Unfortunately the ramen. Mushy noodles aren't my thing. If they could fix that, this place could be really good read more

We had called prior to arriving and asked if we could choose to dine in. Upon arrival, we were denied seating. This was inconvenient.

roasted pig ear - crunchy salmon 3 way - delicious teriyaki salmon, salmon roe was hidden ume margherita - good taste with slight umeboshi flavor, definitely worked better than I thought read more

Extremely disappointed with this place. I had really high hopes. The ramen was ok but $30 before tip for 2 standard ramens is a high price and it better deliver. Ingredients were high quality and presentation was good but it just didn't taste great. The broth was a little too salty (it's supposed to be salty but this wasn't balanced)and lacked flavor overall. We got both the pork and chicken ramens. Pork was better but didn't deliver. Decor was intetesting. Couldn't tell of they are still working on it, but this place has been here a while. Staff were super cool. Music and volume was great. 3rd star was for atmosphere and staff otherwise this is a two star. Will not be motivated to come back unless desperate for ramen and with options in the vicinity that's not likely. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Meh. I came in alone on a first Friday for a decent dinner after a long work week. The place wasn't busy and I was seated at a table immediately. I ordered a mid grade Japanese whiskey, sloppy gyoza, and chicken ramen. The whiskey was great. I really liked the sloppy style pork gyoza but there was a lot of grisly gunk mixed in with the meat. The ramen was JUST ok. I've had much better chicken ramen at Whole Foods. (seriously its good) That's not ideal considering the fact that this is a ramen restaurant. I'll be back to check out the pork ramen. It HAS to be better. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Expensive (about the same as Ramen House) for ordering at counter and not wonderful. Noodles had bite but maybe underdone? Broth was heavy, good, not delicious. I'm not dreaming about it. Really nice staff. I would go if in the area but wouldn't make the trip. read more

Itani Ramen - Peking duck ramen $20 - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

One of the many hip new ramen places in the East Bay, Kyle Itani's eponymous restaurant disappoints a little bit. The interior is typical modern restaurant, exposed everything blah blah you know the deal. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. I was there on the night of a show at the Fox so the line got SUPER long and service suffered. Anyways, for our party we had chicken ramen, veggie ramen, pork ramen, and the salmon donburi. The ramen came out promptly but it took a while for the donburi to come out. The chicken ramen was good, the broth was clear and the pickled tomatoes provided a nice balance. The pork ramen wasn't of the tonkotsu variety but was still a milk type broth that was very heavy, a little too much. Additionally, they ran out of the standard pork belly and subbed it with chasu. The veggie ramen was very thin. the broth was whatever- it didn't have much taste or flavor and was a severe disappointment. Price wasn't too bad, about 2-5 dollars more than I would like to pay for the quality. At least the noodles were good! PS the men's bathroom has a curtain rather than a door . read more

Itani Ramen - Dessert vending machine - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

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Ordered online, shouldn't have. Overpriced garbage. Vegetable ramen was the worst broth I've ever had. Noodles arrived caked together, poor consistency. Inedible. Vegetable potstickers all stuck together. Flavor was okay, but the consistency was like over cooked refried beans. Maybe the items for meat eaters are better, but if this is representative of everything I highly recommend going elsewhere. read more

Thee worst ramen i have ever tried in my life. Horrible nasty MSG filled ramen noodles. Their ox-tail ramen was sooo salty...gave me a stomach ache for hours right after. I literally make better instant ramen / noodles then this place. My wife had the veggie gyoza and it had freezer burns on them. Soooo many great ramen places in the Bay...how do they make such bad ramen and get away with it?? read more

Got the miso pork ramen. Pork belly char siu was decent, broth was decent (maybe a little too much sea weed flavor), but the noodles were hard\undercooked. The pork gyoza were good. read more

Always delicious. Nikkei sushi is super fresh and some of my favorite in the East Bay, the ramen and donburi are consistently top notch and every cocktail we've tried has been wonderful. Really enjoyed the cherry blossom specials earlier this year as a fun deviation from the standard menu. Delivery from Itani was a bright spot during shelter in place and now it's definitely become a go-to spot to treat out-of-town visitors. The sloppy style gyoza will put you on another plane of existence. read more

Service and Ambiance were fine. I got pork miso ramen and broth was good but the noodles were just ok.

Not a bad ramen spot. The waffle fries are really good here with mayo and furake. The ramen noodles here is good, but the pork chasu was basically bacon/pork belly that wasn't as soft and tender as other places I've been too and the broth was eh. They had a good sauce on the table that I added and it was more flavorful. read more

Itani Ramen - Miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

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Trying to find refuge from COVID-19 and while most places were closing early or turning us away, Itani Ramen welcomed us with smiling and accommodating staff. The interior has a great ambiance and it smells great inside! read more

Itani Ramen - Mug of beer - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Itani Ramen isn't the usual ramen eatery. they make their own noodles. menu: starters (appetitzers), ramen, gyoza, mini rice bowls, dessert vending machine. drill: order at front. food brought to u when ready. eats: shio (salt) spring ramen (14) -you choy, bamboo shoot, 2 chashu slices, 1/2 egg, green onions house made noodles starchy, pasty, not al dente -skipped added toppings. what's the point? wouldn't have saved the broth -broth very salty, chashu flavorless, egg runny, -not a fav, wouldn't return for the ramen take outs: -pokie sticks (2.5) with other dessert items available in vending machine to right of door- -tonkotsu is my fav broth, takes more work of course -ramen (noodle) may change of the season, highlighting another prefecture in japan. read more

Let me share with you a terrifying foodie secret that will shake up your foodie world: RAMEN PREFERENCE IS SUBJECTIVE! There are all kinds of ramen made in different ways with different ingredients, different broths, different noodles, all across the world and there are people who like different kinds of ramen! I happen to like the ramen at Itani just fine. It's not the same as Orenchi (my 5 star go-to) but it is a solid bowl of decently tasty ramen for $11. I got the shio pork ramen. Added the soft boiled eggs for $1.50. The eggs are a game changer and turns an otherwise average bowl of ramen into a pretty exceptional one. You get 3 soft boiled egg halves for the $1.50. They are salty, seasoned, soft and delicious and add a lot more dimension to the broth and meat. The shio broth was not fatty or heavy, and neither are their noodles, so it was perfect for a quick lunch meal. I will admit that the house-made noodles were a little too floury/doughey for my taste. I prefer my noodles a bit more springy, but they are still decent soup noodles and go along well with the lighter broth. The broth is not heavily meaty, and there was a lot of salt flavor. The pork slices are thick and more substantial than a lot of chashu slices out there. There are crispy veggies in the bowl too for some contrast in texture. Given the lack of decent reasonably priced ramen on the East Bay (so sad), I'll definitely welcome Itani ramen as a viable spot to satisfy a ramen craving when needed. read more

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The sole star is for the pig's ear appetizer and the spiked lemon drink. The girl at the register that took my order was nice and the order took longer then a to-go order should take. Their menu changes with the season and I ordered their scallop fritter (as both of us are big scallop fans) ramen with the pig's ear app. While waiting, my boyfriend tempted me to order the spiked lemon drink, which was refreshingly good (fresh meyer lemons). I love scallops and in the fritter was not over cooked, but was flavorless. I know it goes with the broth but a little salt on top would bring out the fritter. The biggest let down is the ramen. It had a bitterness that I am unsure where it came from. The spinach possible old Gomae, was mushy and tasted like baby food. I wish it was better as there are a lot of bars around, but it seems better to get the apps and drinks. read more

I really want to love this place as it stays open later than most places in downtown but alas I could not. Whether it's the overpriced canned tea ($3 a can...) to the ramen (the broth actually tastes like gravy). We were super excited to get the gyozas, but the sloppy style was horrible. Admittedly, when you get them grilled the veggies inside are tasty. But do NOT get them fried, it was a pretty rough experience. Would not go back! read more