Yummy! Good Ramen, good service and lots of seating!…read more Service was very friendly and food came out quick! Nice soft music playing restaurant was cute lots of seating options. Ramen was tasty! The kaarage was kinda like chicken nuggets, different than we normally have but still yummy. Will be back when in the area!

Five Stars -- A Must‑Try in Downtown Salem!…read more My wife and I stopped by Akai Ramen yesterday, and this spot absolutely delivered. We ordered the shrimp fried rice, hot gemai tea, cucumbers, fresh salad, and the seafood ramen -- every single dish came out flavorful, balanced, and clearly made with care. The portions were generous, and the prices were surprisingly reasonable for the quality. The service was immaculate from start to finish. Friendly, attentive, and genuinely welcoming -- the kind of hospitality that makes you want to come back before you've even left. The decor is clean and modern with plenty of seating, creating a relaxed atmosphere perfect for a date, a family meal, or a quick bite. Yes, you do have to pay for parking in downtown Salem, but once you're inside, the food, the vibe, and the service make it more than worth it. If you're anywhere near Salem, I highly recommend stopping by. Akai Ramen is doing everything right -- great food, great people, great experience. Five stars all day.

Excellent ramen here! Server person was a very nice, and…read morehelpful. Restaurant was clean and well appointed. I've eaten a lot of ramen in Japan as well as in Western US, and mark of a good ramen is an empty ramen bowl at the end. My Shredded Char Siu Ramen bowl was completely empty

Didn't even remember to take a picture, I practically inhaled my ramen! I got the veggie and it was…read moregenuinely phenomenal. Low key casual setting, super friendly staff made us feel right at home. I will definitely be back!

Marty R. Local Guide·31 reviews·16 photos…read morea minute ago New Dine in | Lunch | $30-40 After leaving California a little over 3 years ago, and moving to the central Oregon coastal area. Finding foods that had flavor was a real struggle, we tried all the recommended top dollar seafood and steak places. They were over priced with nice locations, but not what we were looking for that great flavors that would bring us back for more. Then we finally gave Noodle Cafe a try. It's been maybe 1.5 years since we met Lisa the wonderful owner and first time since we moved here that we started really enjoying eating out again. The food here is always the freshest of ingredients, with flavors that is unmatched and delicious that makes us eat here 4-6 times a month. A lot of places in Oregon that you dine in at can leave you with buyers remorse, my wife can honestly say that is never the case while dining at Noodle Cafe. I promise you if you've never tried it, you will not be let down.

Delicious food and so many different choices. Lisa, the owner is so sweet and engaging…read more We ordered different dishes. Ramen which my kids enjoyed. I had the red curry which tasted pretty good. We shared the chicken fried rice which was tasty. We had a few other dishes that were flavorful. To sum up our experience - it was definitely a lot of food, fresh and tasty. Also, the Noodle Cafe is probably one of the best Asian restaurants in the area.

Food is amazing, love all the options. Prices are really great as well! Small-ish building so…read moresomewhat limited seating, however really charming & welcoming

Surprisingly crowded for lunch on a Thursday! We ordered spice ramen with wontons and extra…read moreveggies. We also, ordered spicy chicken broccoli (note rice is an extra $1.50.....). All in all both our meals were good but both were a bit too salty. I will come back and order more ramens to test them out. Side note: The air conditioning was on and it was COLD inside!

Update tried more and had delicious Poke Bowl great service and modern ambiance. Tried the potatoes…read moreCriquettes which were super yummy.

3 words: Ramen. Was. Amazing. Love love love! The waitress was super sweet, provided great service…read moreand the ambiance was very calm and welcoming. We will definitely be back to try more of their menu options!

Friendly staff, and the food was so tasty. The spice level was perfect for what we requested. Next…read moreI'll have to have a drink. Everything was great , would for sure go back!

This place was crazy good. The Ramen was so flavorful and mine had spice in it that was amazing. I…read morehad pork in it and it fell apart as soon as my spoon touched it. I finished every drop even poured the last of the broth in my spoon so I do look like a complete loser drinking out of the bowl. The man serving us was a little quirky with very colorful hair but had energy for days. Loved everything about this place.

To be honest, this place probably deserves closer to three stars, but I didn't quite have the heart…read moreto rate it that low. I know firsthand how challenging it can be for small business owners--especially immigrant-owned businesses. That said, there were several shortcomings that affected our experience. The issues started when ordering. There were two vegetarians in our group, and while many of the ramen dishes listed an option to add vegetables, I wanted to confirm whether the broth itself was vegetarian. Unfortunately, our server repeatedly said she didn't know and didn't offer to check with the kitchen. One ramen listed a miso broth, which is typically vegetarian, but when I asked about that specifically, I received the same response. To be safe, we ordered the clearly labeled vegetarian ramen, while my husband ordered the miso ramen. His dish arrived almost immediately, while the rest of us waited at least 15 minutes longer. When his ramen was delivered, there was no explanation or indication that ours was coming shortly. He tried to eat slowly so we could eat together, but he was nearly finished by the time our bowls arrived. One other small but noticeable issue: it was around Christmas, and the holiday music playlist was extremely limited. We heard the same songs rotate four times, which became a bit distracting. My advice would be to invest more in server training, especially around menu knowledge, and perhaps update the music playlist. With some improvements in service and attention to detail, this place could be much better.

Good food great service Ordered the tonkatsu ramen and it…read moreabsolutely delicious, the broth was perfect my ordered the lio wein with the teriyaki chicken and it was fantastic, we ate out food and it delicious. The host paisley was very nice with great .customer service the ambience is right on it.we definitely come back for some good food. 5 star all over

So good!!! Quickly served. Flavor was outstanding! Must stop spot for the best Ramen. Crowded but…read moreworth it!

Really enjoyed Ramen Ryoma! The shio broth was light, refreshing, and super flavorful. The pork…read morechashu was tender and nicely marinated, and the noodles had a great bounce. The egg was a little salty for me and didn't have too much of a strong flavor, but a good cook on it. Staff were very quick and friendly. The restaurant is small, but it seems like tables turn over pretty quickly, so I wouldn't expect too long of a wait. It was pretty hot when we went and it seemed like there was only a portable AC available. But you're there for ramen so you'll be warm either way!

Raman and chicken karaage are good. service and vibe is perfect. I recommend everyone can come to…read morehave meal.

The service and food here were amazing!! Juan E provided good service and made the dining…read moreexperience great.

Able to eat in patio with dog. Busy by the end but waiter kept his end up. Rolls were fresh and…read moretasty as was the sake. Miso soup was on point as was tempura. Would come back!!

Food 2/5 Service 4/5…read moreAmbiance 2/5 It's all right, if you're in town to meet up/ catch up with your college kiddo.