I love eating ramen and consider myself a ramen snob. Itani ramen is a good spot to be if you're craving ramen in Oakland. I ordered Itani signature ramen bowl according to our server's recommendation and I found the soup to be a little too salty for my taste. Also the broth is not a thick as would like it to. Great customer service I would say. read more

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

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We popped in here randomly after getting off of 19th st BART... really loving their black bean miso veggie ramen! Al dente noodles in a broth thats chock full of asparagus, lotus, bean sprouts and spinach... its a hearty meal of both carbs and vitamins. They do a good job at being more of a casual joint, offering happy hour specials and non-traditional items, rather than an "authentic" ramen shop. You order at the front. We came in right before the dinner time rush, so it was a bit quiet... but instead of just sitting around, the staff got me water and checked in on us to make sure everything was ok. I appreciate being appreciated. read more

It's an order-at-counter ramen restaurant. The environment and location is good. The reason I won't go back again is that I usually expect the taste in such places to be superb since there isn't much service. However the ramen is too salty and hard, the pork is too heavy/fatty, the tempura's batter is way too thick, the gyozas feel like frozen dumplings... the only thing we ordered that I liked was the edamame. read more

I give it 3 stars for food and overall 2 stars taking into account the service. The food was average. I've had WAY better ramen in the bay and probably won't ever go back to Itani for that exact reason. There's places in Oakland and San Francisco's that are much better. Their appetizers are great but ramen is average or below. My chicken was really dry and if you don't get the veggie ramen the broth has a fish undertone. The service was pretty bad. We had to flag someone down both to order food and to get the check because after sitting there for 30+ minutes of clearly not eating no one was coming our way to ask if we needed anything or wanted the check. Overall, it wasn't terrible, but I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

I tried Itani on caviar and was very disappointed. The sloppy pot stickers were good, but the ramen was NASTY and very small for the price. Not only was size an issue, taste was too. Too salty, underdone noodles (and I like mine aldente but this was ridiculous) and the "pork belly chashu" was only fat, zero meat even by pork belly standards, with very little vegetables. I'll stick with Sobo ramen from now on. read more

Perfect place to get your ramen on! The food was super tasty. I had the chicken based ramen and veggie gyoza, he had pork ramen. We both scarfed down our meal! It was high quality, very quick service and now it's one of our places we will be sure to revisit. Price point was reasonable. read more

I ordered the Veggie Miso Ramen. 5- on Service. Fast and attentive. 4- on Ambience. Cool space. A little dark for lunch time. 3- on taste. Bitter and the soup was only luke warm. 2- on packaging. I ordered it to go so I cld eat half immediately and half later. I'm likely not their target audience for take-out but it was annoying in that the soup was in one container and the ramen/veggies were in another. I had to find another bowl in order to actually eat it. Maybe they don't want stuff to get soggy or something but it seemed wasteful and inconvenient to have the two in separate containers. read more

Really glad this ramen shop is a quick walk from my house. They also have a great happy hour and sushi is very fresh. Highly recommend all the sushi rolls read more

Having grown up in LA. I have a hard time finding good ramen in the bay area. Itani Ramen wasn't too bad. Not LA worthy but better than what friends warned me. Takeaway: the ramen here is simple and home-y. I can't stand how many places in the bay area that try to pass off paper thin slices of meat and very few toppings. I ordered the chicken ramen and trust me: THEY DID NOT SKIMP ON PORTIONS. Every bite had ground chicken and veggies. The food is no frills and comforting. It would be perfect for a rainy afternoon. I love the staff. I especially love how they educate/promote their housemade shichimi and house sauce. I don't think a lot of people know what shichimi in ramen is, so it was awesome the cashier was teaching us about it in a friendly way. I did not feel pressured at all to buy it, he just suggested if we're open to it, to try it! The Japanese in me says "YES! Thanks for sharing Japanese culture dude!" read more

So a little mixed but overall- meh. The pros - Very friendly service That egg was bomb Veggie option Pork was legit (according to the super picky hubs) The cons - Noodles had a strange flavor Broth flavor was lacking Gyoza was mushy Conclusion - Overpriced ramen for unknowing food people. If you actually like ramen don't waste your money. If you just want a cool atmosphere and aren't a food snob, go for it read more

Not great. Had the chicken corn ramen and the entire dish was disturbingly cold ... noodles were cold too which was really sad . No one likes to eat a lukewarm bowl of ramen. Will not be back. read more

One of my absolute favorite dine out ramen spots right now. Great food, fast service and open late!! The staff is honestly what keeps me coming back. They're always super friendly and personable. I love the Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls and the Buttered Mushroom ramen!! The shiitake broth really hits the spot every time. And who can turn down $9 cocktails?! Never disappointed and am only ever bummed to say goodbye. read more

Itani is one of my favorites! Awesome atmosphere with super friendly staff and fast service! I personally like the veggie ramen MMMMMMMHM! I take all the spicy oils and sauces I can add and go to town, SLURP! I usually also have a beer and some gyoza with my ramen and MAN!, does it hit the spot! They're also playing great music whenever Im there. Highly recommend! read more

I got the pork miso ramen, and it was some of the worst ramen I've had. - noodles were horribly undercooked and stuck together, It was like eating a mix of flour and glue. - broth tasted basically like salt The shivering noodles were pretty tasty, as was the gyoza. It's quite expensive for what they're serving and the ramen is simply shameful, especially for a place that has Ramen in its name. read more

Stellar experience here. I had their oxtail ramen in shoyu broth with addition of chashu pork. I can report that the holy trinity of noodle, broth, and chashu were in heavenly harmony. The noodle had the perfect degree of chewiness. The broth somehow combined flavor with lightness. No unpleasant after-taste. The chashu again was a fantastic combo of lean with fat. Felt and taste great in the mouth. No complaints with the half egg. I much enjoyed the potato pieces, spinach, and sesame seeds that populated the bowl. The pulled oxtail added further complexity and richness. My only caveat, I informed the chef, to attention the slightly high salt level of the oxtail. The decor is fun. Check out the lantern-lit back room! read more

Itani Ramen - Oxtail Ramen with added chashu--simply marvelous! - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

It's bad when I can't even finish my bowl of ramen. Ordered the shio ramen and for $12, the portion size was small, the broth lacked flavor, and the noodles had a bitter taste. Disappointed. read more

Eh, it's ok. I've been here a couple times now and there's something missing about the ramen. Most recently, I got the tonkotsu and the noodles were good but the broth was so salty that I couldn't even drink it afterwards. The staff is nice, the location is convenient, but there are probably better ramen places around. read more

We stopped by after drinks around the corner. This spot was tasty with nice service. We were able to get a table for five of us because we managed to beat a small rush. The beer and cocktail selection is pretty good, and the furikake garlic fries were lovely for sharing! I love anything with furikake. My dining partner partner and I shared the tuna tataki and the salmon three ways rice bowl (grilled, sashimi, roe). Alert: brown rice. My not Japanese partner ended using a spoon for it. LOL. Anyway, it was all pretty tasty and it was more than enough food. read more

Itani Ramen - Salmon rice bowl three ways - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

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We were craving ramen and being Labor Day other shops were closed. We didn't like the fish broth. It didn't have that fat content you expect from ramen broth. The broth felt very one dimensional and a bit disappointing. Much better if you add some vinegar... Just a weird feeling eating miso pork ramen with a fish broth. It didn't give you that ramenness you crave for. The noodles and meat were pretty good. The pork was fatty but just didn't pair well with the soup. Maybe the broth was a personal preference. read more

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

My family went for a late dinner after finding that Rudy's was closed at 9:30 pm. Cold Cali, Miso Pork Ramen, Veggie Ramen, Veggie Gyoza, Pork Gyoza served "sloppy", 2 Chicken Katsus, 2 Sapporo beer pints, and a soda. $75 without tip. $90 with. Miso Pork Ramen gets 4.5 stars. With a little chili and miso paste, it was PERFECT. Tender Ramen had a nice bite to it, and was in a rich soup base. There were +/- 3 pieces of pork, which felt lame. I liked that I could taste pork in the broth, though. It also had half a nicely cooked egg (solid white with translucent yolk), seaweed, and green onions. Cold Cali noodles were also needing a kick. After proper fixing up with the table's plethora of sauces, they were almost perfect. Just needed lime and more "real" pieces of protein (it was all shredded to oblivion). 4 Stars. Not too happy with the Veggie Ramen, as it was a little bland and slightly fishy. Did like the tender lotus root, which added great texture. The noodles, too, were cooked to a perfect bite. 3 Stars. Sloppy pork gyoza rocked! 4 Stars. So, so savory. And crispy. Couldn't tell the many toppings apart, but they worked toward a fatty, umami flavor. All the additions made the gyoza a little dry; we ended up dousing the dumplings in miso paste. But that's why it's there, right? My dinner-mate ordered Katsu right away, and when it got to the table, I saw that I'd NEED my own. It was clearly well fried but still juicy. The coating was a deep brown and smelled uniquely toasted. Didn't love the sauce it came with, as it was too sweet and viscous. I couldn't pass on it, and certainly not for $3! You get a full, thin breast. 4.5 Stars. Too much food for us to finish. We took home much of the Pork Ramen, a whole order of Katsu, and some Veggie Gyoza. Finished the Cali Noodles and Pork Gyoza but left the Veggie Ramen broth. read more

Waitress: "$39 and (some change)...." Me: "wait what?..." Stopped in here for lunch on a Saturday with my significant. Ramen, a delicious early lunch idea thats not too costly, right? I got a couple bowls of ramen, a soda, and some gyoza. Now look, I was a travelling engineer for little under 4 years, and have been to more ramen houses than I'll ever care to admit. I've never paid 40 dollars for 2 bowls of soup, a drink, and a side ever. But maybe thats just me? The food was...ok. The "wow" factor or the "holy shit this is amazing" feels were not actively present. While the food is freshly prepared, and the service is decent, I really feel like I should have gotten something else. I will re-visit again to confirm my initial review. I've found that sometimes, some restaurants DO deserve a second chance. The atmosphere is hip/trendy modern, and a cool place to go on date 1 or 3. It also looks and smells relatively "fresh". I can't stand it when a restaurant is smells musky, damp, or riddled with cleaner. It's close to the Fox, and a bunch of bars. My hopes is on my second visit I am pleasantly surprised. For now, I'd prefer to ramen someplace else. read more

I came here for restaurant week with a couple friends. I ordered the veggie gyoza and the ground chicken ramen. I thought ground chicken sounded weird, but I didn't listen to myself. It was. I thought the flavor was good, but I wouldn't order this dish again there. I think the dish would have been better with strips of chicken. The meat became a mushy mess floating on the bowl. My friends liked their ramen's so I wouldn't give this place lower than a 3 and the service was excellent. I would probably give them another try. read more

Wandered in after a long installation looking for a bowl of comfort. FOUND THAT!!! Went for the Miso Pork Ramen ($13) and lived for every slurp! Got a little wistful as I neared the bottom of the bowl... Yeah... I'mma have to be back regularly... read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Our walking food tour of 6 guys through downtown Oakland began here. We let the staff know ahead of time regarding our intentions, and they were completely cool with it. Awesome. Not every restaurant would be pleased to seat 6 guys who order only 3 of the following dishes: Pork gyoza sloppy style- Crispy fried gyoza topped with a bit of aioli, scallions, and chili peppers- hard to go wrong. Good stuff. Chicken ramen- Broth was substantive but not overly rich. Perfect for a brisk afternoon in the Bay. Wait staff gave us 6 separate bowls to split this single bowl of ramen- kudos! Pork ears- Deep fried- through and through- basically like bacon fried to a crisp, with an even porkier flavor. Really really good. Whenever I'm back in these parts, I'll definitely stop by this place again. Onto the next stop.... read more

Appealing food presentation, nice restaurant decor, and attentive service. However, food wasn't that great. Ramen broth was bland. Gyoza was forgettable. read more

I really wanted to like Itani but it was just another mediocre and overpriced place in the bay. The ramen is subpar and very salty. The shochu cocktail served in the hollowed out grapefruit looks nothing like the pics on Instagram (I know, call me naive). I went in around 5 pm but the grapefruit "cup" looked like it was reused a few times or was cut up very early in the morning and not fresh looking at all. The only thing Itani has got going is the cool space and the big screen in the back. It's in such a great location (close to The Fox) but I sadly will not be getting my pre or post concert meal here. read more

Update: Dine in is now waited on so basically you wait longer to order. Unfortunately their prices were already very high and a dollar or two tip was ok but 20% tip for the same experience makes it unaffordable for a regular lunch spot. To go is the only option now. Also the owner/manager seems to be the only one that knows there is a mini side salad so its hit or miss if I can actually order what I want. read more

Tried the pork miso ramen. Broth was too salty and masked the really great pork flavor. They give quite a bit more pork belly than most Japanese ramen places, so it justifies the price for me. But really, the saltiness of the broth was a tad disappointing. Noodles were bit undercooked when they arrived in the bowl, had to let them sit a little bit before I dug in. I'll be in the area often to maybe review other menu items, but the ramen for me was nothing too special. read more

Came here for the first time and had the veggie ramen. It was tasty. The service was friendly and efficient and the design of the restaurant is very modern and sleek. I've had better ramen and I wish they had more variety than 3(ish) ramens on their menu, but I am excited to return. read more

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

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Overrated and over priced. The Airport priced type of the Ramen is plain. Portion is small. cost $12+ - $16 each bowl. The fried dumplings are small and cost $12 for 10 little ones. i mean little !!! There are many better Ramen places out there. read more

This place is super conveniently located across the street from the Fox Theater, which was a perfect place to eat before the concert we were headed to. Staff was extremely friendly and regularly checked in on us (we were seated all alone in the backroom, which was great! I've been forgotten about before in a backroom, but I saw the staff's heads poke in every few minutes to make sure we had what we needed, but we were mostly left alone - win-win!). We weren't super hungry, so got a bowl of miso ramen and the furikake fries to split. The fries were incredible and so unique in flavour; the ones we didn't finish at the restaurant we actually tucked into a napkin and brought them into the concert with us. My fiance wanted the miso ramen (I generally prefer tonkatsu more), but it was delicious, and I really appreciated the portion size. If we were hungrier, the bowl would have been the perfect amount for one person, without seeming like it was way too much food, which I always feel bad for wasting. That said, price was a little steep for the amount of food. I don't mind paying $14 a perfect-sized ramen, but that might be a different story for people with heartier appetites. I don't count it as a ding, but a little disappointed that takoyaki wasn't on the menu as well. Overall, satisfied, would come back again if we were in the area. read more

I keep getting roped into eating at Itani Ramen for various reasons. I think it is safe to say at this point that I am not really a fan of it. The biggest problem is that their ramen broth was thin and bland enough the first time I ate here that I haven't ordered their ramen since then. Because of this, I have tried several of their other items, and I am rarely impressed due to how bland the food has been. The one item that has become a go-to every time I get roped into eating here is the Negi Chashu Donburi, which I actually like. read more

So I rarely ever give 5 stars right off the bat but I need to for Itani. We recently moved to Oakland and we had been trying to try Itani out because it's right across the street from us. We came here after I had an especially hard Monday at work where I was crying in my car so we knew Ramen is what would make my soul happy. We ordered the pork gyoza as the appetizer and we both ended up getting the ox tail ramen. I had never seen a gyoza guide before and now so don't think I'll ever eat my gyoza in any other way. These pork gyoza were so amazing. My boyfriend is an eater and eats a lot and he's eaten at god knows how many ramen places and his exact words were "this is the best gyoza I've eaten in the entire Bay Area". My ox tail ramen was amazing. The ox tail was cooked so well that it was literally falling apart. The broth had SO much flavor that even when I was full I kept going at the broth. I think it's really cute that their dessert is a vending machine with different snacks and sweets. I really like the atmosphere in here too and I never felt rushed. We got there relatively earlyish and it just spoke volumes of how quickly it was starting to fill up and how people were waiting to eat here. read more

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Visited Itani Ramen with a group of my friends on a Saturday evening for dinner. Everything hit the spot on this cold Saturday. The space is quite large and the setting casual. You order at a counter, but then are served by a friendly wait staff. The ramen was fantastic. The broth was flavorful and the noodles were superb. We ordered a few appetizers as well - the highlight being the gyoza. Definitely will be my go-to when I'm in the area. read more

I stopped here during a trip to Berkeley and found this to be one of the best ramen places I've ever been to. I usually like my ramen spicy, so they were able to accommodate me by adding in a little spice to the usual miso soup. On top of that, the service was swift and excellent and more than I needed during a casual visit for lunch. Awesome place. (I visited this place just for a contest to win outside lands tickets however Itani is actually superb and surprising with their quality of food)--I'd go back. read more

This place used to be much better. I usually order the sushi and recently it has gotten so expensive and the sushi was very disappointing. They charged $30 for hamachi nigiri, spicy tuna hand roll and hamachi hand roll. The rolls were really light on fish and not well made. I won't be going here again. read more

Great service and amazingly delicious food I would go there again I suggest it for everyone else

Inedible noodles. I really hope they improve but I had to walk out after 1 bite. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen noodles aren't supposed to be like this... - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is ok! Stumbled here because every other ramen place was closed on a Tuesday night. Ordered the fries and miso pork ramen. Everything was ok. Ramen was a bit too salty for me (and I'm used to salty foods). Service was average. Hate the seating, uncomfortable chairs, small table. Clean bathroom. Probably would only come back late at night but def not regularly. Parking could be a hassle. read more

Itani Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Oakland, California

Itani Ramen is just okay. I've been here a couple of times and even got the miso pork ramen at Outside Lands, where they didn't even put the pork in. And no, there was no line and this was in the morning so I'm not sure how that happened. The last time I was at Itani, I had to get the miso pork ramen again and I wasn't that impressed. The pieces of pork were pretty fatty. The Sloppy Stickers are probably the best thing I've had here and the Crispy Pig Ear were okay. Itani Ramen is an option for late night food in the Uptown/Downtown area. read more

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