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    Monsta Ramen

    4.5 (290 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:30 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Monsta Ramen Photos

    Business Info

    MONSTA RAMEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Monsta Ramen

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    Pork Cutlet Plate
    Kim D.

    I was pleasantly surprised that the low pricing was not reflected in the quality of the food. We had the pork cutlet plate + a side of curry, spicy black garlic ramen and a chashu ajitima bowl. Everything was tasty and service was so friendly and fast. What I liked most: well made miso soup, the minced pork and garlic in the curry, perfectly cooked soft boiled eggs and very resonable pricing. What could have been better: the cabbage dressing was a tad sweeter than I like and location was a little inconvenient (parking was hard to come by) We'll be back for sure!

    Nats L.

    Have been consistently going here for a bit now, and I still think the food is great for the price! Very affordable menu items that are like more often than not less than $20. Service is always quick and easy. The place itself looks very cozy, and the music is super chill. Will keep coming again!

    Menu
    Ann H.

    This is one of the cheapest places to get a meal in all of San Diego- you can even get a bowl of ramen for like $13. It's a fairly small storefront- can seat maybe a dozen small tables and I've never seen more than 2 staff working at once. With that said, the girl working when I ate here last was very friendly and helpful and made sure our waters were filled. The food is good- nothing to write home about compared to all the other options here on convoy but one of the best affordable places to go.

    Black garlic ramen. It's just ok, bit diluted
    Joann T.

    Pros: Service was great, plenty of parking and the food is on the cheaper side in comparison to other ramen shops. The garlic soy fried chicken was pretty good! Cons: mediocre ramen, I got the black garlic ramen but it tasted diluted and lukewarm. Id describe it as the fast food of ramens (casual and perhaps lower quality)

    Tonkatsu ramen (as is)
    Joy G.

    Very yummy food! QR code ordering or in person. Staff was friendly. It was nice and clean inside.

    Curry for lunch
    Alice M.

    Curry here is so good and huge portions that I came back. I had the chicken cutlet with curry. Then I ordered Gyudonjidon and teriyaki skewers to go. The prices and decent. As for ramen I highly recommend ordering ramen curry. It's not on the menu you have to tell them. I've also had their potato croquettes it's very good it's like a fried mashed potato patty. I highly recommend this for appetizers. The parking is complimentary for 120 minutes.

    Chicken Katsu Curry
    Christopher C.

    This review is for the curry rice only. We ordered the chicken cutlet curry rive and the portion and price was very reasonable at $13. The inside wasn't busy on a Saturday afternoon. The food came out pretty fast and had good flavor. The parking lot here is quite big and is complementary for the first two hours which is a huge plus for the Convoy area.

    Chicken cutlet curry
    Ainsley P.

    Monsta Ramen is my go to spot for Japanese curry! When you enter, it's open seating and there's plenty of to choose from. The staff are friendly and can answer any questions/make adjustments to your order if needed. I always get the chicken cutlet curry with added spices on the side. The chicken cutlet (chicken katsu) is crispy, moist, and fresh. The curry is seasoned well and has beef in it as well. The quality of the food and service is always consistent! They used to serve Hi-Chew at the end of your meal and I noticed recently they don't do it anymore. If possible, please bring that back :) I'm so glad I found this spot last year!

    Black Garlic Ramen
    Christine B.

    This cozy restaurant was what we needed on a cold evening for an affordable bowl of ramen! The server was really kind, & helped us answer questions we had about the menu. The food was priced well & comes out very quickly. * Soy Garlic Chicken Karaage - 8/10 (the chicken itself was pretty juicy. we just thought the breading was too soggy. the sauce did have a yummy soy garlic flavor) * Black Garlic Ramen - 7.5/10 (it was good for the price but the soup was very oily. the soft egg was cooked well & delicious, but we wish they didn't just give a half an egg. the chashu was tender & had a great amount of fattiness. we appreciate the addition of the corn & bamboo shoots. the noodles were just your average ramen noodle, & lacking bounciness. overall, great for the price but average for a ramen)

    Black garlic ramen
    Winny T.

    I can appreciate a good ramen bowl that is very well priced in this economy. This spot advocates for low price and good quality and that is exactly what you get. A bowl of ramen is about $13 or so and that's rare to come by nowadays. I got the black garlic ramen and it was delicious. The portion is pretty much equivalent to your average bowl of ramen. The broth was flavorful and you can definitely taste the garlic. The noodles were chewy and the chashu was mostly lean with a little bit of fat. The egg also tastes like it's been steeped in alcohol which is a plus. I wouldn't say it's the best black garlic ramen I've had but for the price I could say it's definitely worth it for what they give you. The service was also very nice. We were told to sit anywhere we'd like and water was given immediately. It's a great spot for anyone wanting a hearty and reasonably priced meal.

    Tuan N.

    Ordered the tonkatsu curry that had a generous amount of curry and rice. The pork cutlet itself was thick and tender with a crispy breading. Frank(If I remember correctly, brother with the wavy hair) was attentive. Would return for lunch.

    Gyoza & Kurabata Sausages
    Chun M.

    "Scary good prices & quality" is their tagline and Monsta Ramen lives up to it. I was poking around for good ramen places and there were a lot with $18-$20 bowls, but then when Monsta popped up, it was a revelation. $13 regular with a daily Tonkatsu ramen special of $10?? I was sold. We came to this strip mall early for dinner since we were still on East Coast time and Monsta was pretty empty, but by 6pm, it had filled up. Ordering off the QR code menu was a snap, though our very nice server would have readily taken the order. Just over the half glass frosted partition next to our table was the open kitchen where the ramen artisans were slinging their craft. Dishes are prepared fast & served hot. First, our appetizers of Gyoza (5 for $4) & Kurabata Sausages (3 for $3) hit the table and we dived in. Gyoza were crispy crunchy and the sausages had a good snap. The wife's Black Garlic Ramen came out steaming and the garlic aroma was wafting. She said the chew on the ramen noodles was perfect. The cutlet of my Pork Katsu Curry Rice was crispy panko crusted, tender on the inside and perfectly seasoned. The dish looked like a beach scene with the rice beach on an ocean of curry sauce. The curry was all the more tasty with bits of onion & minced pork added for flavor & texture. All told, the bill was $33 and with tax & tip was $42, an amazing value for some awesome food. They really lived up to their motto and no wonder customers come back again & again. Later, I was checking out their Facebook page and the way they care about preparing their food is amazing!

    Curry pork chop
    Fiona N.

    Honestly, the food was really mid. But if u consider the price then it's not that bad. $12 for curry ramen, $12 for pork chop curry and $12 for pork chop rice plate is hard to find in SD. There's several daily lunch specials. We tried $4 gyozas, they were deep Fried not pan fried. Service was good. The server was helpful and the food was quick.

    All day specials

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    4 months ago

    Small place with very friendly service and great curry. The chicken cutlet is always juicy never dry.

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    Page 4 of 8

    Ask the Community - Monsta Ramen

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    I've been wanting to try this restaurant. Let me Tell you…read morethis, I should've tried it sooner. This was such a great experience. Everything was perfect. We went on Friday during lunch at 12. Parking lot was busy but there was parking. Right when we walked in we were greeted and seated. The restaurant layout and the booths are awesome. Reminds me of Japan. The art work is awesome as well, the music choice is great, and I really enjoyed the Curry show that they had playing on TV. Service and Ambiance 5/5 Ok for the Curry. I Ordered a Chicken Cutlet curry with Mozzarella cheese and an egg. The rice is on point!!! The egg was cooked exactly how I like my eggs with the crispy edges and runny yolk. The mozzarella cheese is a must, mix it in with the curry and let it melt . For the curry, wow this is so far the best curry I've ever had. It had a nice sweetness to it but not over powering sweet! Wow! 5/5 The Pork Cutlet Udon was also amazing! Thick and creamy also the pickled ginger is soooo good!

    I have been here a few times now, and honestly, it's been consistently just okay. The chicken…read morekaraage has good flavor, but it could be crispier. The biggest reason I've come back is the atmosphere. The restaurant has a cozy, comfortable vibe that's great for a casual meal. After several visits, I would say it's a decent spot if you are in the area, but not somewhere I would specifically go out of my way for.

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    Curry House Coco Ichibanya

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    Martin was a really good server he came up to us multiple times to check up on us. He was extremely…read moreapproachable.

    I've had Coco Ichibanya so many times in Japan and I'm so happy that we have it here in San Diego…read more The service is great because all the workers are quick to greet, help, and also refilling waters as well without us asking. 5/5 service Went on a Sunday night and the parking lot was full. The server said it would be a 25 minute wait. You have to scan the QR code on the wall to get on the waiting list. The tablet at the front is for take out orders only. Even though we were told 25 minutes we only waited 15 minutes then was called to get seated. Plenty of seats, you're not sitting close to other parties, plenty of walking space and good lighting. I got the Chicken Cutlet Curry with cheese level 4 and normal rice. Chicken was really good and the curry with cheese is a game changer it's a must. The spice level is a nice kick and not spicy to the point you're sweating. 5/5 Please try the Fukujinzuke. It's a must with the curry 5/5 Chicken cutlet Curry udon was also very delicious. The curry broth is a different curry flavor than the rice curry. It was soooo good and you can taste the spices. The udon texture is Al Dente. Even with the chicken cutlet was soaked in the curry soup it was still crispy which is amazing. 5/5

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    EE NAMI Tonkatsu Izakaya

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    I've gone with family a couple times now - my first experience was in August 2025 as walk-in. At…read morethe time, it was a bit cramped, and they could only fit us in if we left before the next reservation at that table (less than an hour). We still had a fantastic time with good food. The following time was last month, and we made reservations this time. They've changed the layout of the restaurant and removed some of the partitions, which made things feel more open and accommodated for more tables. It was just as good and quick and efficient service. We selected the beef tongue appetizer again (delish), and each got a katsu entree - my sister and I got the katsu curry (demolished that) and my BIL got the deluxe katsu, with curry sauce on the side. Would definitely recommend this restaurant!

    EE NAMI is a Japanese restaurant that specialises in Tonkatsu. They have different kinds of Katsu…read moreand I've tried their Deluxe Katsu and Fillet Katsu. Their Fillet Katsu stands out and it's a lean meat but very tender and tasty. Shrimp Katsu and Loin Katsu (more fat) were tender and tasty. You would want to make it a combo to include rice and miso soup. It is a cozy restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seatings. They do allow walk-ins if available but it is best to make a reservation. The staff are very friendly and attentive. You must try this restaurant in San Diego if you crave for high quality Katsu.

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    Casual order-at-the-counter Japanese place that serves dishes like teriyaki chicken, sushi, ramen,…read moreyakisoba, etc. Their menu is massive, and the selection is quite friendly towards those who are new to Japanese food. The specials are a great deal as the portion is massive and enough to share between two people comfortably. If you dine in, most entrees also come with miso soup. The curry chicken katsu was nothing special; the curry was a little lacking in flavor, and I would've appreciated a salad of some sort to add variety and freshness. The macaroni salad is good though. The D2 special is great value and variety. It comes with miso soup, tempura, salad, macaroni salad, and teriyaki chicken on a bed of fried rice. The fried rice has a shockingly good wok flavor, and the teriyaki is quite good. Not a dish that will blow your mind, but definitely hits the spot without breaking the bank. They have some tables outside if you have a dog or prefer to sit there right by the parking lot; your food will still be brought out to you, just let them know when you order.

    One star, and it pains me to write it because we've been a loyal regular customer here for years…read morebut the service has just gone down the hill and the staff was so rude to us. We came in at 7:30 pm and the person at the counter rushed us through our order like we were a nuisance for being there. When the food came out, they brought my 8-year-old son a bowl of raw salmon. We had ordered baked. When I asked them to exchange for baked salmon she refused saying "once it leaves the kitchen, no refunds". I was really startled because the tone and brashness of the refusal was something I have never experienced at any restaurant. I told them I didn't want a refund. I just wanted the baked salmon which I thought we had actually ordered. She still refused but offered to get us a baked salmon plate if we paid for it. To the owner: please take a look at your night staff. Loyal customers shouldn't be treated like a nuisance, and a simple fix shouldn't turn into a standoff over policy.

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    Part of inside (it's about double the size of this)
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    Monsta Ramen - japacurry - Updated August 2026

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