Wow. Let me tell you something. Never in my 45 years of dining experience have I experienced something as surreal as Kitakata ramen. My Server, Samantha, was so quick to respond to every one of my questions and a little blonde girl brought out the most delicious noodles I have ever had! I was a little confused on the menu but Samantha was quick to direct me to Spicy Green Chili and wow oh wow. Amazing choice! I will definetely come here again and I hope Kitakatas attentive servers will serve me well again! read more

My husband and I love this place. The staff is very hard working and busy all the time. They work together as a team. The ramen is out of this world. Yummy in every bite. We live in the Palm Springs area, and plan our out of town vacations near Irvine so we can get ramen. read more

Onaka suita? That's Japanese for: are you hungry? Well, we certainly were, and we wanted something tried, true, and totally tasty. Though our local longstanding location is in Costa Mesa, we were right next to the Irvine location, so in we went! One of the many ramen restaurants in Irvine, but one of the heavy hitters for sure! We came in on a weekday afternoon to enjoy some hearty noodles! For some reason, I find it hard to resist the kara-age here, so one order of that, please! Crispy, slathered in this acidic rich sauce, nanban style. And...guys...they were offering mazemen this particular day, so I couldn't say no! I'm no better than you. I love a dry mixed noodle! Plenty of flavor coming from this guy, and umami is the star! Lot's of savory components come together to make a cohesive bowl that isn't too rich, but just seasoned enough! And they also give you vinegar and chili powder on the side if you need it! Dress it up how you want! And the tonkotsu ramen was no slouch either. When I come here, I always get either this guy or the miso ramen, but I wanted something a little more meaty, so here we are! Take a look at this rich broth. It's made even better by the addition of these veggies! See? A balanced meal...yep! Honestly though, it's a great bowl of ramen, and not as ultra-thick'n'rich if you still wanna be awake after lunch. Yes, it's a chain restaurant, but don't let that fool you! Their level of consistency is elite! Never had a bad bowl here, and we've been coming here since probably 2015! Are you feeling hungry along with the guys? Come try out Kitakata Ramen Ba Nai! Gochisousama deshita! read more

Came here this past Sunday around 1 and it was (not surprisingly) full! We put our name down for 2 and were called back within 10 minutes for a seat at the countertop area. It seemed that there was only one vegan ramen/broth available so that's what I went for. It was a vegan miso ramen. They gave a good amount of ramen and I liked that it was still chewy. The broth was flavorful but maybe a little more sweet than I would've liked. The tofu also soaked up the broth so drew in this sweetness too. The veggies (like shredded carrots and cabbage) weren't my typical favorites for a veggie ramen but they were plentiful and good. The onion chips on top also added a nice flavor and texture difference! read more

I was walking down the shopping center and came across this busy place. The ramen was very good, tried the Jiro-Style Ramen (made it a Deluxe) Rich yet refreshing choice, made sure to throw in some chilli oil, washed it down with a 22oz Sapporo. I'd definitely recommend to others looking for easy/casual setting. Note: Highly recommend for people to reserve before going, there's a good chance you'll be on a waitlist read more

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Great ramen spot that was able to seat us right away at 4:50pm on a Sunday. I like the kids meal, but unfortunately my kids did not like the broth. It was really thick for them. I tried to explain this to the server to see if we could just get plain noodles, but she charged us for that, which I guess makes sense. Service was ok, and my husband devoured his ramen and potstickers! We would come back but now I know the miso broth is too thick for us. The gluten free noodles were good too! read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Rich Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

I've been to this Ramen place a couple times before. I loved all of our visits so far! It's a small to medium restaurant and there aren't that many tables. It's a little tight inside too with the tables located near each other. We came on a Monday during the lunch hour. We originally had plans to eat somewhere else, but it was too long of a wait and we decided to have Ramen instead. I think due to our party of six, it was a little harder to be seated, but it wasn't a big deal. We checked in and we were informed by Justin that it wouldn't take too long for our table to be ready as the other family who was at the larger table was already eating their food. Great! We meandered around in the center and walked inside Daiso and Mitsuwa market and already thinking about where we would be eating next time. We received a text when our table was ready about 30 minutes later. The nice lady who took our order was friendly, sweet, smiling and made us feel welcomed. We all ended up ordering different Ramen bowls, and curry with rice. We also shared the large fried chicken and furikake french fries. I'll have to try that at home next time! Everyone enjoyed their choices. I tried the light Kitakata ramen this time because I usually always get miso or Tonkotsu. The light broth was easier for me to handle and I was able to adjust the spice level with condiments on the table. I also used some of the chili spices from my family members. As usual, the chewy bouncy noodles were enjoyed by everyone. We will be back! read more

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I've been to this location many times and am a huge fan of the food! The past times I've come, the service has been great! On my last visit, the service was extremely disappointing. We were told to just sit in the corner. No one talked to us. When I asked for a straw, it was kinda just thrown at us. More upsetting was when I was ordering, I just asked for a large mentaiko mazemen, which would just be a $1 increase charge. The waiter read it back as a deluxe mazemen which is a $2.50 charge and comes with extra stuff that I didn't really want. I corrected him and he said that the large is a deluxe, which I believe is incorrect based on my past times coming here and ordering the mazemen. I didn't fight him anymore because maybe I was wrong, but it came out and it was in fact the deluxe. Overall, the food was delicious as always. I am sure I will be back again, but it was extremely disappointing and frustrating dining experience. read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Mentaiko Cream Deluxe (Limited Time ONLY) - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

I noticed that the best time to come for dinner so that you don't have to deal with a long with time is around early dinner hours. Also, you should try to join the waitlist through Yelp app before arriving into the parking lot or as you are parking. I learned this after visiting a few times. But if you happened to be stuck in a long wait, there is a nice tea shop two doors down or go get some grocery shopping done at Ralph's. My favorite here is the tsukemen with the dashi shoyu dipping broth. It is so simple but holds a lot of flavor. It is a great place to come solo or as a group. When I come solo, they tend to sit me by the kitchen area and you can see the chefs cook the ramen. read more

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I love noodles and I eat a lot of them. All different kinds. Kitakata is one of my favorites. Noodles have a nice chewiness. Service is always good here. read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Juicy fried chicken - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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interior was cute and service was quick and friendly. i appreciate how laid back it was. the kitakata ramen was decent, 7/10. the noodles were different than what i typically get at a japanese restaurant, slightly thicker and crinkly. if you order this, i definitely recommend getting add-ons otherwise it is rather plain. i added red pepper powder to the broth to taste and it added a bit more warmth which i enjoyed, but it did unfortunately lack the depth of flavor i look for in ramen. i definitely am curious about the other ramen they offer. the chicken karaage surprised me, it was super fresh, crispy, and great portion size! 10/10. overall, would love to come back! read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Juicy Fried Chicken 5pc - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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Good choice for ramen when I don't want to go far. Service is consistent and so is the ramen. My go to is the regular Kitakata ramen and it never fails. So good. read more

Our go-to place for ramen. Never disappoints. Noodles are the perfect chewy texture. Love that we can get on waitlist and our table is ready by the time we got there. Staff are always so nice and accommodating. read more

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We were craving noodle soup and Sup had too long of a wait so we wandered over a few doors down to this place for a warm bowl of ramen. It's a quaint spot with Japanese decor that makes you feel like you could be in Japan. We were seated right away on a Monday evening and the waitress was quick to take our order. Kitakata style ramen is different than others in that the broth is lighter and the noodles are wavy and more slippery. You can request your broth to be more/less salty and noodles more/less firm. They had a seasonal mapo tofu ramen that looked interesting but I played it safe with the Mixed Boiled Vegetable Shio Ramen ($16.25). Their chashu is tender and seasoned very well. The veggies added a nice contrast to the salty chashu and broth. We also shared a 10 piece order of their Juicy Fried Chicken ($16.10). Their chicken pieces are big so it was a lot of food, but the chicken was so crispy and tasty. Kitakata ramen is not as common as other ramen styles so it might not be what you're used to but it's worth trying. read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Mixed Boiled Vegetable Shio Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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Overall a 3.75 star experience. This was my favorite goto location. But ordered my usual - - Toppings: spicy green onions but asked for not that spicy, bean sprouts and napa (all done to perfection) - Ordered their small 5pc karaage appetizer, it was perfection, love how thin and crispy the batter is, their sesame sauce with fresh wedge of lemon really is superb! - Ordered a full order of white rice $3.75 - good portion but kinda pricey. It was not freshly made. It tasted like day old rice or it had been sitting in the rice cooker all day. For the price, pls give me freshly cooked rice! - They obliged me with a free pork bone broth soup. It really did taste like pork bones in hot water. Zero seasoning. It needed something, so I put in some soy sauce, chili oil, a few veggies, and it kinda made it better, but the strong pork bone broth was overwhelming. Not gonna get it next time unless I have some garlic salt seasoning with me or something. Service was pretty solid. They opened at 5pm but alot of the tables were already full, and luckily I was able to get a table. It was busy and crowded with a line waiting. My waitress got me everything I wanted. She was great! read more

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The Aburi chasu bowl with tender seared toro is my top fave dish here. I love that it comes in small and large sizes, so I am not forced to eat the large when I just want something light. I paired this with a bowl of tonkotsu ramen broth (only). Not on the menu but they were gracious enough to grant my request for a reasonable price. My hubs opted for the Furikake fries and the 5-pc Nanban which he truly enjoyed. read more

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ramen is still delicious! i like getting the veggie ramen bc it is filled with a lot of hearty healthy things. i do wish there was a way to get diff portion sizes of noodles. I saw they introduced a kids meal and it looked like the perfect size for someone who is a light eater (me) but its only for kids under 12. the waitress was really nice about telling me i couldnt order it though :') she told me if i wanted something small, i could get a chashu rice, but thats not the same as ramennnnn. so if kita kata is listening, pls let us order a smaller portion of noodles or let us order the kids meal. i would love that so much! (otherwise, ill probably just split a ramen with someone, which actually is cheaper than getting the kids meal...) read more

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Sorry for being one of those obnoxious vegans when coming to a ramen establishment.. but since they do offer vegetarian friendly foods-- it's been an upgrade since trying them a couple years back-- less msg and much more flavor in their broth. I'm sure msg is still present but the previous time, I could feel the inner mummy manifesting from how arid this Magic ingredient performs. I did really want to try their new Mapo tofu noodle.. maybe when I decide to take a cheat day from the vegetarian lifestyle. But those furikake fries were addictive.. and yes I did gosh darn finish every last string of them fried taters. I'd recommend getting on the waitlist before you arrive so you don't have to gawk at my noodle while you wait. read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Creamy Vegan Ramen with an egg - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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I'm a hopeless RAMENatic and Kitakata is my hands down FAV ramen go-to of all time!!! I first tried Kitakata at their OG location in Costa Mesa, so when I heard that they were opening a store near my house in Irvine, I was super stoked! The Irvine store is located in the Heritage Plaza between Culver Dr. and Walnut Ave, near the Ralphs & CVS/Pharmacy. It's a decent sized restaurant with bar & table seating. Japanese decor adorn the walls, giving it a cultural vibe. You can see into the open kitchen, where the cooks & staff prepare your meal. The staff are friendly and attentive. They can get pretty packed (esp. during busy lunch/dinner) hours, so I HIGHLY recommend you check-in ahead on Yelp to get on the waiting list. I usually love ordering the spicy miso ramen, but I sometimes change it up and get the rich miso ramen instead and just add the chili oil & flakes provided at each table). They have the BEST thick, chewy, hand-crinkled ramen noodles. The broth is so rich and packed with flavor and the chashu is marinated & cooked perfectly with the right meat to fatty ratio. Trust me when I say..get an addt'l order of the seasoned egg. It's sooo yums! I also love eating the seasoned tofu as well. My fam always loves sharing the pan-fried gyoza (splurge and go for the 10 piece, because you won't be able to stop eating them) and spicy garlic edamame. The gyoza is pan-fried to perfection and so moist inside. The edamame is super flavorful, with a lil spicy kick. My kiddies go-to is always the Kitakata ramen and hubs orders his fav green chili shio ramen. The quality is consistent every time we eat here, which keeps us coming back. 100% RxFoodie recommend and a MUST TRY, if you haven't already!!! read more

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Kitakata Ramen: 8/10 Service: 8/10 server was friendly and attentive, always made sure drinks were refilled. Aesthetic & Ambiance: 7/10 cute quaint little ramen shop, not a lot of seating. Came here on a Wednesday for lunch so ambiance was a bit more quiet and slow. Pan fried Gyoza: 8/10 fried well without being heavily oiled, and the filling was a flavorful mixture of pork and seasonings. Chashu Ramen: 8/10 chashu pork was tender and flavorful, plenty of noodles and the broth was very tasty. read more

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This has been my family's to go to Japanese ramen. But since last time, the new server was having the attitude issue. This time, I had to wait 5 minutes to order and more then 10 minutes to pay. When I mentioned about the wait, she said there were only two of them and they were busy. But I saw the people around me were getting her attention all the time. I left no tip for the first time in my American life. I won't come back to this place. Fortunately, there are two more stores selling the same menu. read more

Kitakata definitely stands out among other ramen places! Their ramen noodles are so deliciously chewy. Once you have one bite, you understand why there is always a long wait here. I will definitely crave their ramen again. The broth of my Kitakata ramen was flavorful yet light enough that I finished all of it, which I normally never do. They also have gluten-free noodles for our friend. Instead of kaarage chicken, they have juicy fried chicken on their menu. The pieces are larger than kaarage at other restaurants and it really is so juicy inside yet crunchy outside. It comes with a delicious creamy dipping sauce. I love the kids menu here! It comes with a bowl of their ramen noodles with the pork, corn and green onion on the side. It also comes with edamame, a rice ball, and some fried chicken. A very well-rounded meal and all of which my son loved. read more

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I love this ramen spot. The broth is lift and fluffy the noodles are perfect, it's just so good. The chashu app plate is one of my favorite bites. I was sad to find out the boiled gyoza with yuzu sauce are no longer since I moved away. This with always be a spot I stop at when in town. read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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Amazing late night find and the perfect comfort food as the weather gets colder. Lots of parking since it's in a large plaza with grocery stores, restaurants, etc. My group ordered the Shio Green Chili Ramen, Umakara Tan Tan Ramen (oopsies on the phone camera shadow) and the Tsukemen. Soups are robust in flavor and so well balanced, and I never thought to add or make any adjustments because it was already great. Price is worth it since portions are large. We came towards the end of the night and service was kind and fast. Will definitely be coming back to try their rice bowls and maybe lunch sets read more

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Our family enjoyed lunch here. We had a large Jiro-style ramen with miso, tonkatsu ramen, and medium Jiro-style ramen with shoyu. Liked the Jiro-style special. Some broth spilt onto the tray, leaving oil on the spoon. More napkins please. We found the tonkatsu ramen less compelling and it needed more broth. We asked for a top up of the broth, but they said it would be an extra charge and broth without ingredients would make it less interesting. And bring back the mazemen! read more

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We are regular here. It's so sad that one of the waiters here is very mean to us. 1. We have 1 year old and she gave us the broken high chair intentionally. I had to go switched it myself. And she was smiling when I had to switching. Very evil woman. ( she has an acne patch on her face with star shape ) She has so much attitude for no reasons and clearly she doesn't have kids so she doesn't understand safety issues. 2. My husband ordered Charshu without green onion and came with a tons of green onion. That's strike 2. 3. I asked for a check and she ignored us for 10 mins and I had to ask someone else. We ended paying in a front like a fast food service. I will talk to the manager next time about her and I hope she gets fired because I talked to my neighbors and they said the same thing. It's really sad because they have really good food but the service ( specifically her) is terrible and it soured our mood. People come to the restaurant to enjoy the food but she has such a bad attitude because she is not happy in her life. read more

I haven't been here in a while, and stopped by recently to grab some ramen. It looks like they have a few seasonal items right now, and have updated their menu. I got the hot and sour deluxe ramen, fried chicken kaarage, and chashu bun. The fried chicken is still absolutely delicious and super crunchy. The chashu bun is soo flavorful and well balanced. The seasonal ramen itself was okay. I probably should've asked for firmer noodles, but even then, the brough, which is resembles hot and sour soup felt and tasted weird with the noodles. The noodles tasted extra soft in that soup. The flavor of the hot and sour soup was good, and I liked that there were also mushrooms in it. It was nice to try something new, but I think I'll probably stick to one of their classic ramens like the green chili or cold tsukemen next time. The servers here were super friendly, and checked up on our table multiple times. This place is cashless, and you pay and tip with their handheld card reader. The restaurant itself is large and spacious, with Japanese decor. There's a lot a decent sized parking lot for the plaza. read more

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I always enjoy Kitakata when I'm craving some good, simple soup. The Kitakata ramen is my favorite - the noodles are perfectly chewy and the chashu has a subtle but rich soy flavor. I like that the chashu is thinly cut. The broth is nice and light which I love! The gyoza is good too, nice and crispy on the bottom and well steamed all around. I do wish that the gyoza portion size was a little bigger, maybe by a piece or two more. Overall, great spot! :) read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Kitakata Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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I have been to this particular Kitakata Ramen location a few times so far and enjoyed the consistency in food quality. It's too bad there seems to be wide fluctuations in the consistency of customer service quality. My last visit was during a Wednesday evening dinner time. The floor had at least 4 servers running around and the tables were mostly occupied. We were seated at a counter area even though plenty of table booths were available with some having only 2 people sitting in it. It took our server well over 15 minutes to take our order and another 20 minutes for the food to arrive, and additional 30+ minutes of us actually just sitting there and waiting for someone to check us out. At some point, our water ran out, and we needed other items like napkins but not one person stopped by to ask if we needed anything or the food tasted okay or not. By the time I was so fed up waiting for someone to let us just make the payment and leave, a random server who wasn't helping our table finally asked if we needed anything. I told him we have been waiting for someone to take our payment so we could finally pack our food to go and leave. He apologized for nobody helping sooner despite him being one of many who walked right past us several times for 30 minutes and counting. Apparently, our server went on a break and told nobody to check us out or anything. I would give it a 4 for food and 1 for the service. Hence the 2/5 rating. If you have all evening long to sit there and wait for everything, this place is a good one to come eat. The noodles and karaage are made just right and the food is otherwise decent. read more

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Great ramen, service, and comfortable ambiance. They also have great appetizers, including fried chicken, gyozas, and takoyaki. Everything is on point. They also have a bar area for solo diners and open a bit later than most places in Irvine, closing at 10pm. Service has always been good as well. Pro tip: you can adjust the salt level on your ramen here! read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Ramen and gyoza - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

Our family loves ramen and KitaKata is by far our favorite. I love how they do their ramen noodles...I actually don't prefer other types of ramen anymore due to these crinkly noodles. Their gyoza is also *chefs kiss*. Their service is always good, the wait staff is always friendly and quick...especially for how busy they always are when we arrive. Big fan of Kita. 10/10 read more

I had the vegan miso ramen and my friend had the pork ramen. The vegan ramen was delicious and flavorful. Nice portion size for the price and attentive service. Will be back. read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Vegan Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

Service was very fast! The ramen was very simple but very tasteful! We ordered Chashu Ramen & Spicy Miso and we were very impressed with the quality! The broth was very rich. Will definitely come back to try other items! read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Chashu Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came on a Saturday for lunch and there wasn't a wait! Small and cute. I got the spicy tan tan ramen which is different than the typical ramen flavor. To me, like a fusion between Chinese and Japanese broth. Flavor was good if you want to try something different. The noodles were different than traditional ramen. Also had the spicy edamame which had a nice little kick! read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Spicy Tan Tan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

Visited during lunch today. Was seated promptly with no wait during lunch rush. Ordered swiftly within 2 minutes of sitting down. I ordered the vegan miso ramen and was pleasantly surprised. It tasted great And was served within minutes of ordering. Service was excellent, atmosphere was quiet and restaurant was clean and busy. read more

I joined a couple of friends for lunch here last week. It took me longer than I expected to find the place, so I was the last to arrive at the table. The others knew what they wanted to order, but the server hovered over me as I quickly glanced at the menu. I chose the Kitakata Ramen, figuring it was probably the best choice as their namesake ramen. I should have paid attention when my friend asked if I wanted to add anything to my order. I declined and was disappointed that the bowl only contained chashu and a few bamboo shoots (I requested no green onions). Apparently, the Kitakata is more of an a la carte ramen that needed the additional egg or vegetables to complete the dish. If I ever come back, I would order the Tonkotsu Ramen. The others ordered the Hiyashi and the Tsukemen, which both looked better than my ramen. one of the servers was willing to take our group photo. The restaurant is located in a busy shopping center with several eateries, so parking is abundant, but not many open spaces for a weekday lunch. It is also cashless, so be prepared to pay by card. read more

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This was my first time at Kitakata (Saturday Feb 28, 2026). I came with my family (baby too) at 7:15 pm. The food was absolutely delicious. Five stars for the food. My baby even liked the ramen noodles and side of corn. The three star rating is for the service. My family and I were eating, conversing, having a good time when our server Janin brings us our check around 20 min into our dinner. I was perplexed because I thought they were closing early hence why she brought the check early. Mind you we didn't ask for it. She said "here's the check, no rush." We were definitely not rushing, but the entire time Janin and another worker by the name of Kathryn kept looking over at us. So rude. We ended up paying around 8:10 pm. My family member sitting across from me was paying and while he was paying, the screen to leave a tip popped up and Kathryn was even looking over to see what he would be tipping. Ugh rude. We ended up leaving around 8:45 pm. Delicious food, Customer service read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Green Chili Shio Ramen with seasoned egg - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is a special ramen place. It's no wonder that it is a famous ramen shop in japan. The flavor of the ramen is much lighter than a tonkotsu but very flavorful. The spicy tan tan ramen is also so good. The chicken karaage is so perfectly crisp but add the dipping sauce that makes it a little sweet. Yummy. The dumpling are so juicy and the wonton has a little crisp. The garlic in the dumplings add so much more flavor to it and it goes great with the ramen. Dont forget the soy sauce and vinegar. O man. The tako yaki is good too. I can't say enough. The service was quick and friendly. I mean look at this smiling staff of cooks. The ambiance has a great ramen shop feel to it. I highly recommend this place. read more

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First timer! Weeknight dinner. Lots of parking. No wait. Cozy little place with fast service. Friendly staff. Our server, Alice, was very sweet and gave great recommendations. Food came out quick. Affordable pricing for the big portions each bowl consisted of. I had the spicy tan tan ramen and it was so tasty! I was very surprised with the never-ending chunks of pork, and every bite had a great little crunch to it with the scallions and bean sprouts. Even had some left over to take home. Will definitely be back. Til next time! read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Spicy Tan Tan Ramen (with the chili oil on the side) - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California

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I think the food was just okay. The meat on its own was very salty. I had to take them out my ramen because I personally couldn't finish it. Otherwise the service was good read more

Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai - Ramen Near Me - Irvine, California