Been going here for years, and it still (on balance) continues to be the best Ramen in SD…read more And for reasons I cannot explain, this location continues to be better than the Mira Mesa location, I don't think they make the most exciting noodles, soup, or toppings; yet somehow as a whole package, I think it just WORKS. Ambiance and service are both great, but you're here for Ramen, and it's the best.

I have been going to Menya for a long time and today may have been my last day. The Ramen itself…read more(broth and noodles) was good but.... Now you need to pay to add an egg to the bowl. Every place I go to get ramen it comes with an egg. It is not an option you need to pay extra for. The great egg famine of last year is over and eggs are back to normal prices. Why the upcharge for something that should just come with the ramen? Suffice it to say I did not opt in to the upcharge of adding a egg to my ramen. When I got my ramen to my surprise there was just a single, very thinly sliced, sad looking little piece of pork loin floating on the surface. There used to be 2-3 slices, just like every other ramen place in Kearny Mesa gives you. So absent the egg and just the single, sad piece of pork floating on top, there really wasn't much in the bowl of soup, just broth, noodles, some scallions, whatever those thin purple colored things are (sorry don't know what they are called), and of course the tiny piece of pork. For $17? Are all the things that used to come standard in a bowl of ramen now an up charge? Do I now have to pay extra for the egg the missing 1-2 pieces of pork that used to come in the bowl? I guess so. I know it is just not me, but why not just charge more for the freaking bowl of soup instead of making everything an upcharge? Menya needs to know there are a million ramen places in the area and nickel and dime'ing your customers is a terrible strategy. I also noticed that today the place was not busy and I generally no longer see a crowd outside waiting to be seated. I wonder if its do to the shinkflation happing here. It was a good run but I guess I am back to Tajima as my go to.

Ive been coming here for years. Love it here. Staff supper…read moreawesome and friendly. It is small inside but nice and simple. We always get the TONKOTSU RAMEN . I add the broccolini and order it with no spinach. But you can leave the spinach if you'd like. The broth is creamy and smooth and you can choose thick or thin noodles. lately I've been going at night with my daughter when she gets out of work. After a long day it's nice sipping some ramen and hanging out.

The crispy rice with spicy tuna was easily my favorite. The combination of crispy rice, tuna,…read moreavocado, and eel sauce was ‍ The ramen was good, but the broth didn't have enough depth to compete with some of San Diego's ramen heavy hitters. Noodles are great and homemade. The real standout? The pork belly bowl! This place might need to be known for its pork belly more than its ramen ‍ Overall: 8.5/10 Worth the hype!

Five stars. Possibly six. BESHOCK Ramen appears to be serving some kind of emotionally…read moredestabilizing joy broth. I went here with my daughter, thinking we were just having dinner. A normal meal. A casual San Diego ramen situation. Incorrect. What actually happened was that my child experienced a culinary event so powerful it rearranged her internal belief system. She took one bite and immediately declared it her "favorite meal ever" and "the best sushi on earth," which is impressive because those are two separate categories of food, but honestly I respect the conviction. At that moment, she became a tiny ramen prophet. A noodle evangelist. A sushi sommelier of chaos. I was no longer her father. I was merely the adult with a wallet and transportation. The ramen was fantastic. The sushi was fresh. The whole place had that magical "we actually care about what we are doing" energy, which is increasingly rare in a world held together by parking apps and spiritual fatigue. Then, as if the first visit had not already altered the timeline, my daughter made me go back the next day. Not requested. Not suggested. Made. There was no negotiation. She had tasted the mountain and demanded we return to the temple. So we did. And it was still excellent. BESHOCK is now officially part of our family lore. Somewhere between "remember that time we saw the ocean" and "remember when your daughter discovered ramen and briefly became a food critic possessed by a joyful sea dragon." Highly recommend. Bring your children only if you are emotionally prepared for them to ask to come back immediately.

This spot is our neighborhood go to! I'd say we stop in at least every other week and every single…read moretime it hits the spot. We are typically sat and served right away, and inside is very cute and clean. A bowl of their ramen will never do you wrong and we are a sucker for their appetizers as well. The spicy garlic edamame is a must, as well as the spicy tuna crispy rice. They also have an array of delicious and special sakes, great for a night of sampling and enjoying.

Location is good Design and concept is very good…read moreThe food was excellent, the ramen was good, the takoyaki is missing a bit of flavor but otherwise good. We went around nearly 9 pm The lady who is behind the glass Was soooo noisy, the click clacking of the rectangle stainless steel containers was catching an attention. Very difficult to concentrate and enjoy your food. I'm wondering if she hates her job, cause it lasted about 20 mins. Eating in the restaurant is a part of where people relax and alleviate the stress that people are experiencing. It is to enjoy the food that was served. This restaurant should educate their employee and discuss standard of practice. However the service was excellent. Our server was attentive and excellent. I recommend the place. As the food was very good.

I don't normally write bad reviews, but I was honestly astounded by the service here. We waited…read moreabout 30 minutes for a table at 10 PM, which wasn't a huge issue. However, after we were seated, it took another 15 minutes just to get water and place our order. After ordering, we waited an entire hour for our first food items, which were just fries and chicken. Then we waited another 10 minutes for the gyozas, followed by another 10 minute wait between each of the next two dishes. The table next to us was seated before us but didn't even get to order until about 45 minutes after they sat down. Meanwhile, we could see staff talking and laughing by the bar while customers were waiting. Not once did our server acknowledge the wait time, apologize, or even check in with us about it. By the time our main entrée finally came out, we had already been there for about an hour and a half and it was 12:30 AM, with the restaurant about to close. We were so tired and hungry that we just asked for a to go box, threw the entrée in, and left. The food may have been good, but unfortunately, the service completely ruined the experience. The lack of communication and acknowledgment of the incredibly long wait was especially disappointing.

Food and service were exceptional as always. Chicken paitan DX is my go to. I always think it…read moreis a duck dish because it is so rich.

The food and service was amazing at this restaurant. I had Jocelyn who was so helpful when…read moreselecting a sake for my dinner! 100% recommend this location.

Fantastic ramen and an all-around great experience! The broth was rich and flavorful, the noodles…read morewere perfectly cooked, and everything tasted fresh and authentic. The appetizers were delicious too. What really made our visit exceptional was our server, Yuri K. She was incredibly friendly, attentive, and welcoming. She checked on us at just the right times, made great recommendations, and made us feel genuinely cared for throughout the meal. Her outstanding service turned a great dinner into an unforgettable one. We'll definitely be back, and we hope to be seated in Yuri K.'s section again. Highly recommend!

I think this is a michelin recognized ramen restaurant, so I've been wanting to try to for a while…read morenow and so glad I got the chance to! This was the best smelling ramen I've ever had. I actually don't know what they put in there to get it to smell like that but it tingled all my senses wow. I got the butter & corn shoyu ramen with egg and mushrooms and it was insanely delicious. Very very tasty and noodle firmness was good. Highly recommend!! Portion size was super filling as well. I want to come back to try their other options! I came on a monday evening, and we were able to get seated right away :)

My Pahtner, our son, and our son's pahtner had a planned outing watching Ridley Scott's movie The…read moreDog Stars. After finishing the entertaining and riveting apocalyptic movie, we weren't sure where we were going to eat for dinner because our first restaurant choice Ramen Nagi closed at 9pm. My son's pahtner mentioned that the Ramen Nagi in San Jose had a last seating of 9pm, so we walked briskly to the restaurant and I learned that as long as you're in line before the closing time of 9pm, you'll get served. Three of the four members in our party talked glowingly about Ramen Nagi, so I was excited to grub here for the first time. After eating their Original King ramen, the chicken karaage, the gyoza, and receiving quality customer service, I wholeheartedly concur with my family's positive reviews and understand now why the restaurant was packed at closing time and why Ramen Nagi is highly rated with 4.4 stars and 738 reviews. Ramen Nagi is located within the shops of the University Towne Center (UTC) La Jolla mall. The restaurant is located towards the west end of the mall where you'll find Raised by Wolves, new spot Chef Fei, it's across from Katsuya Ko and Alo, and it's next door to Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. Parking is paid parking at the mall, but the first hour is free. There's bright indoor seating and minimally lit umbrella covered outdoor seating. Being the foodie that I am, I prefer indoor seating, so that the lighting would be conducive to seeing the food and taking pics. Look for the banners with Japanese verbiage and a large red lantern in front of Ramen Nagi. Adjacent to the outdoor seating, there's a water feature that gives off relaxing vibes. The customer service from all of the staff we interacted with was outstanding and is probably why it's such a popular eatery. To be completely transparent, I'm not a fan of having to make my food selections on the provided sheet of paper while waiting in line. I don't know if that's normal SOP and maybe it was because we were one of the last diners and they just wanted to speed along the process. I'd rather take my time, peruse their menu, and order what I desire. Luckily for me, my Pahtner had eaten at Ramen Nagi, so I just trusted her choices with a personalized deviation. What I ordered, through my wife's recommendations, was the following: Original King ramen flavor, normal strength of salt, normal richness in oil, normal garlic, chashu pork, green onions for vegetable, #4 for my spiciness, normal thin noodles, tamago (egg), and for appetizers, chicken karaage and gyoza. I felt rushed to pick my selections. For my spice level, #4 made me sweat, so be cautious when choosing spiciness unless you can handle a lot of spice. I really enjoyed the taste of the broth and the components I chose, but the chashu was not as tender as I would have liked. The ramen was a satisfying bowl that I consumed delightfully. Make sure to order both the chicken karaage and gyoza. The karaage was succulent, tasty, and would have eaten well with white rice. The gyoza was unique as it came out not looking like the dumplings I'm accustomed to. It came out flat and covered in a crunchy texture. That too was memorable and yummy. My family and I had quality time enjoying The Dog Stars and dining at Ramen Nagi. I understand now why my family recommended eating here and now I recommend everyone try out this delish ramen restaurant.

Our Date night done right by this cozy noodle shop. We went with the black garlic ramen (that…read moretonkotsu mayu broth is no joke with that deep, rich, and almost squid ink from the burnt garlic oil) topped with a perfectly jammy soft-boiled egg, tender chashu, wood ear mushroom, scallions, and crispy garlic bits. The broth had that long-simmered pork bone depth without being overly heavy, and the garlic oil gave it a smoky, almost umami-bomb finish plus a touch of seafood with that 燻 and 鮮. We also grabbed an extra chashu plate on the side which melts in our mouth, lightly charred at the edges. The space has a fun, energetic izakaya vibe exposed brick, big fabric noren banners hanging from the ceiling (the "Universal Noodle Creator" branding is a nice touch), and an open kitchen where you can watch the cooks in action. It gets loud and communal, which made for a lively date night rather than a quiet one good to know going in. Service was quick, water and shichimi/pepper grinders were on the table, and the seating (bench-style, close quarters) has the casual ramen-shop energy. It's just missing Naruto walking into this shop. If you like bold, funky, garlicky tonkotsu broths, this is a must-try. Will be back for the other flavors on the wall menu. This place doesn't do take out but takes your order as you wait in line. You can order the takeout after you sit and pack the food yourself.

Harumama Ramen + Sushi in Little Italy delivered another stellar five-star dining experience! From…read morethe moment you walk into this lively spot on Columbia Street, the fun, welcoming ambiance and efficient, friendly service set the stage for a great meal. The highlight was easily the ramen. Served steaming hot, the rich, savory broth was packed with incredible depth and layered flavors. It came generously loaded with fresh toppings, including sweet corn, bamboo shoots, scallions, and roasted Brussels sprouts that added a fantastic charred texture to every bite. Resting right over the bowl on a wire rack was a perfectly fried, golden-crisp katsu cutlet. Keeping it elevated off the broth was a brilliant touch, ensuring the panko coating stayed wonderfully crunchy until the very last bite. Between the vibrant atmosphere, attentive staff, and thoughtfully presented, delicious food, Harumama continues to prove why it's a must-visit destination in Little Italy. Highly recommended!

Love this place Service was exceptional and the menu has…read moreeverything if you are craving some Japanese Ramen sushi baos and more Great concept

Absolutely enjoyed this restaurant! It is located in a small plaza with limited parking. We came…read morearound 9 and waited about 20 mins before we were able to get a table. We ordered drinks first. Their green tea was soooo delicious! I also enjoyed their alcohol options. Each dish is sooo delicious and definitely worth the money! A must get here is definitely the tuna carpaccio!! it's soooooo good! We ended ordering it twice. There were still a good amount of people when we finished. A lot of people catching up. Vibes were great!

I appreciate that it was opened late because we were looking for something to eat at 9:30pm!…read more The food itself wasn't anything special, but since we were craving Japanese food, it hit the spot. I got the lobster roll, but tbh it just tasted like an elevated california roll. The menu also said there was caviar but it was just masago...

Underbelly is a super cool spot and the ambiance inside is beautiful. It took a minute to get sat…read moreon a Friday evening and parking was very difficult. We sat upstairs, the stairs are so cool and upstairs is cute but small/packed. The neon lights created a really interesting and unique atmosphere for a ramen spot. The vegetarian ramen I got was really good and so was the chili edemame. The buns are also so soft and pillowy.

Overall, I thought the ramen was ok, pretty standard for tonkotsu. We ordered the Underbelly Ramen…read morewith pork belly and the Adobada Pork Ramen. Both were flavorful, though I found the broth a bit saltier than I prefer. It was enjoyable, but nothing that really stood out or made me want to come back specifically for it. The ambiance has a trendy, nightlife vibe, with dim lighting and a lively atmosphere. Seating is open window facing the downtown streets so it can get pretty noisy and chilly, especially in the evening.