A solid ramen place for the area with great toppings from the chashu to the egg. Disappointed that an egg is not included in the bowl but that seems to be standard around Santa Barbara and Goleta. They've gotten pricier over the years but so has everything else. Their Aka Ramen is not really spicy but the flavor is quite good so this is my usual order when I go here. I do think Sachi Ramen has more flavorful broth but Nikka Ramen is much more convenient for me to get to. I actually think that they also have great non-ramen options as well. Their chashu bowl and poke bowl are well priced, filling, and delicious. I recommend getting a poke bowl with a side of chashu. Also, their takeout is extremely well packaged and it's easy to order. A solid option if you don't want to go to the restaurant to eat. read more

Great ramen spot, probably the best in Santa Barbara, definitely from what I've tasted. Their broth is rich, creamy, porky, everything you could want in a tonkatsu broth. Paired with some great quality toppings, and thick egg noodles, delicious. I love how they also have a japanese supermarket you could visit after to shop all sorts of goods from japanese foods to japanese kitchen utensils. Great especially for a place like Santa Barbara where there aren't a lot of options. read more

Nikka Ramen - Spicy Tonkatsu - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Delicious ramen with a cozy ambiance. Tried their curry ramen with pork shoulder and it was so tender, and broth was rich. Their gyoza was also yummy! read more

Nikka Ramen - Curry Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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One of my favorite spots for RAMEN!! Other things I love here are the poke bowl and the spicy tuna cripsy rice. Always great service and always delicious food. I plan to keep coming here as long as I live! read more

Best ramen in the area. I live in San Diego but I crave Nikka whenever I think of ramen! They are consistently good every time I've gone. Their pork shoulder is a must for any ramen bowl you choose - it's so tender and flavorful. My favorite appetizers there are the crispy rice and chicken karaage. They put so much fish on the crispy rice, it's very fulfilling. And the chicken karaage always hits. For ramen, I will usually order the black garlic ramen or tsukemen (with pork shoulder of course) depending on what I'm feeling. One thing you might not expect is that their poke bowls are sooo good - they load it up with so much fish & toppings, and it's so fresh! It's definitely a value deal and I would go there just for the poke. If you're in SB and want some good food for a reasonable price, Nikka should be high on your list. read more

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Best Ramen I've had on the West coast yet! So fresh, perfect portion, simply delicious. So were the shrimp buns! Heaven! I told the super friendly waitress that even their water was the best one I've ever tasted. Beautifully decorated with a wonderful, covered outdoor patio. Will visit every time I visit Santa Barbara - basically a lot read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen - no meat. So delicious - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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nikka ramen has always been there for me. i remember the worst hangover i ever had, where after 12 hours of lying motionless on the couch my roommate ferried me to nikka like an angelic escort to deliver me to salvation. the first sniff of the shiro broth had me hearing the divine trumpets. delicious, fatty, with perfectly braised and tender pork shoulder that would fall apart at the slightest touch. i was cured. 10/10. read more

Nikka Ramen - Shiro - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

My experience here continues to be five stars. I recently tried the sushi and was impressed! It tasted fresh and delicious! The ramen of course was flavorful and i took leftovers home. The three bun appetizer was great! I got it be of each and loved them. There is a little kick to the chicken one. read more

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Very good food! I ordered the Veggie Ramen (miso/soy broth) and it was delicious. The broth was a little tangy which wasn't my favorite, but it was delicious and creamy nonetheless. The portion sizes are massive (with a lot of noodles and toppings, rather than just the broth). My friends ordered the pork belly ramen and spicy ramen- and they said this may have been the best ramen they had. They were also impressed by the generous portions of meat. Service was quick. The place is usually busy but we went about an hour before closing time and did not have to wait. Their indoor seating is nice and cozy. Great portion sizes and taste for the price! Definitely going back. read more

Nikka Ramen - The veggie ramen with soft boiled egg as an additional topping - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Insane food. Super delicious and great service would go back. Ambiance pleasant too!

We had some specific seating needs , the manager and staff were very accommodating. Everyone in my party loved their food. Thank you Nikka Ramen! read more

Nikka Ramen - Tonight's special - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

A perfectly tasty ramen spot in the Santa Barbara / Goleta nearby area. There are a lot of good ramen spots in SB so I was happy to find another one that definitely hits the spot. I was recommended by a friend to try Nikka and it didn't disappoint. On the weekdays they appear to be much less busy so we were able to get seated immediately and the food was on our table within 5 minutes of ordering it. Gotta love that when you're on a quick lunch break. The menu is pretty large and has some fun items. I definitely would love to come back to try their pork belly bowl and ramen burrito! I went with a classic Tonkotsu mild ramen and my friend got the spicy shoyu. We were both very happy with our ramen. It was definitely delicious. I would say a solid 4/5 all day long. The broth just wasn't as rich as other spots I like but i promise you it was still really good. The pork belly was fatty and delicious. Loved the boiled egg and green onions. This spot knows what they are doing and you will leave happy. The restaurant itself was very cool inside, loved all of the black and red accents. Also the open kitchen concept was cool. Staff here are super nice and attentive. Everyone was sweet and our waters were always filled and plates cleaned away quickly. I can see why so many people like the vibes here. The parking can be a little tricky as the spots are small and this shopping center is crowded so just keep that in mind. Overall I'd say - Ambiance/decor: 5/5 Staff/Service: 5/5 Food: 4/5 Price: 5/5 read more

Nikka Ramen - Tonkotsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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I thought the food was good. I had the pork rib ramen and I enjoyed it. I thought the broth was good and the pork rib was really tender and tasty. The service wasn't great. We had to ask three times for a soup spoon. Our server never came around to check on us. Maybe it was just an off day there. Overall I thought the food was good. read more

We went there two days ago. This was not the first time we went. My son had pork shoulder ramen which was ok like before, a bit oily. I decided to try their new item Chirashi since this is considered an authentic Japanese restaurant. However I had diarrhea afterward. Actually when I was eating it, I could tell the sashimi over rice was not fresh, pretty rough not soft as it's supposed to be. I didn't want to return it because I didn't want to be rude. It seemed like when things like this happened, you should voice yourself and not sacrifice yourself. read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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I had the most disgusting shoyu ramen in my life here. Lack of umami and just unpleasant on my tastebuds. Customer service was 2/10. Our waiter never checked in on us, missed an order, and they all were just chit chatting, and on their phones. Except one lady with blonde hair she did her job okay. Unpleasant experience overall and would NEVER waste money here ever again. read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Food was great, busy service made it feel lively and exciting. Appetizers were fresh and ramen came out fast. Great all around!

OG Ramen with Pork shoulder was delicious. Crispy rice with spicy tuna was messy, but finger licking good. Spam Musibi was ginormous and delicious. Service was friendly, helpful, and attentive despite being slammed. Would highly recommended. read more

Nikka Ramen - OG Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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Stopped here on the way home from Santa Barbara. Me and the hubby are always down for ramen. We both got tonkatsu and had their popcorn chicken. That's not the accurate name for it, but it slips my mind. I'll add it in my photos. The chicken was hot and juicy. The ramen was so creamy and decadent. I didn't think I'd finish it because of the size but it was too good not to finish! Our waitress was super helpful. I was feeling a little picky that day and she helped me a lot. She was funny too! The only downside was my pork was bland and I thought since we had the same dish that my husbands was bland too. When I mentioned it at the end of our meal he was surprised and said his was Perfect and very flavorful. So a little inconsistent. If it wasn't so far from home I'd love to go back lol read more

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Summer is our favorite server!!! we love coming here and we love the Ramen options, try the appetizers! It's always a pleasure when we get great service too.!! read more

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Stopped by here on road trip heading north and loved everything we ordered -- I preferred the spicy black garlic with fried spicy egg, thick noodles. The staff is awesome and took care of us with our loads of kids. Liked it so much we stopped by again while heading southbound to see if it was a fluke. Awesome food items once again. read more

I want to write mostly to review their newish omakase experience. Their ramen is great, best in SB area I think but the omakase is what brought me here to yelp. I moved from LA and have been a bit underwhelmed by omakase style sushi in town. Places are either very good, but VERY expensive, or otherwise not a good deal at all. I had a gut feeling I want to write mostly to review their newish omakase experience. Their ramen is great, best in SB area I think but the omakase is what brought me here to yelp. I moved from LA and have been a bit underwhelmed by omakase style sushi in town. Places are either very good, but VERY expensive, or otherwise not a good deal at all. I had a gut feeling this place would be good because the group that does the Nikka businesses are great. The omakase was stellar. At the price point the amount of food was tremendous, but the flavor and freshness were completely on point. My wife and I couldn't pick a favorite bite. The usual suspects were amazing, uni, ikura, toro, miso cod, amaebi of course. But some unexpected dishes really blew me away. A whole fish head shared between us was amazing, each of us getting half a sea bream face. Some of the white fishes like hirame which I don't normally love as much were amazing. The presentation was also very well done. Nikka is a pretty casual spot so expect that for the ambiance, but the staff were actually very attentive and friendly. All in all a 10/10 experience and we will definitely be back. But probably do one of the lighter options! read more

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My friends and I tried the three main ramen broths and all of them were really delicious. The broth was flavorful and the meat was so tender and buttery. One of the best ramens I've had! read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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Good: quick service, easy to get a table, spicy tuna with crispy rice was the best thing I ate while in Santa Barbara. Huge portion of ramen and they offer two kinds of noodles. Not so good: the garlic tonkatsu had a really bitter, smoky flavor that made it really off putting. I didn't end up eating much of it. Ambiance isn't much either. read more

Nikka Ramen - Garlic tonkatsu with pork and added corn - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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Food was amazing! My server Elijah was knowledgeable, funny, and the food arrived perfectly on time. Definitely would come back!

Always great service. The pork shoulder buns are to die for, HIGHLY recommend! The ramen is very filling and good to share with your partner, they even bring out an extra bowl and spoon. I love subbing out the cabbage for corn which they do at no extra cost read more

Found on Yelp. Dog-friendly restaurant. Good ramen, quick service, large portions, reasonable prices. We reached at 6:00 pm on a Wednesday evening and were seated immediately, by the time we were done eating there were a couple of dozen people waiting. read more

After driving from LA and checking into our hotel, we stopped by this restaurant on a Friday night around 7pm. It looked very busy as we approached and we were a bit worried we wouldn't get seating right away since we were feeling ravenous. Luckily, they had two seats at the bar and we were seating and served fairly quickly. We ordered an appetizer and a ramen each: - Chashu pork buns: 5/5 - best I've ever had. Tender meat and flavorful and paired well with the soft pillowy bun - Original Tonkotsu: 5/5 - I believe this is my new favorite ramen in California! The traditional thin noodles were perfectly al dente, the broth rich with pork flavor, and all the toppings made this meal so yummy and filling - Spicy Tonkotsu: my husband enjoyed it and said he gives it 4/5 The service was excellent and fast. Sitting in the bar area was pretty neat since we had a good vantage point of them putting the ramen together. It was popping in the parking lot but we did find parking after a couple minutes of looking. It's a decent sized lot but the shopping center seems pretty popular. Would definitely come back to eat here again! read more

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Really solid and fun spot to go to with friends! I really appreciated the flexibility for a vegan option and always had a nice time here.

I love coming to Nikka Ramen for their poke bowl. Their ramen is delicious but I find myself ordering the poke bowl everything I'm in town for work. You get a choice of white rice or sushi rice and then option of salmon, tuna or both. It's very fresh and filling. I'm not sure but i suspect they are affiliated with Nikka fish market across the street, hence why the poke bowl is so good. read more

When in need of hearty, comforting soul food - this is the spot. Came after a dinner at Bouchon ( a total disappointment) around 8.45 pm - Service was great. Staff is very polite and professional. My husband ordered the spicy thick ramen. Very flavorful, with a good kick of spiciness. It will be one of our to go ramen while in the area. read more

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The place was really nice with cute decor and lighting, and the food came out really fast which was nice. Service was good. I liked that we got hichews at the end lol. I got the tonkotsu black garlic "kuro" ramen with pork belly and thin noodles. The broth was super heavy and oily, and the flavors got kinda boring halfway through. It's not a bad spot for asian food in SB though. read more

Nikka Ramen - black garlic ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

Ramen is ok, too pricey. They charge $3 to put an egg in your $20 bowl. Service also isn't the best. You get checked on maybe once. I'd rather go to Sachi in downtown. read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

I highly recommend Nikka Ramen! This is my daughter's all time favorite restaurant! She absolutely loves the spam masubi and got her best friend to try it and know her best friend loves it! If I could give this restaurant a million stars, I definitely would! read more

I really wanted to like this place because I love ramen, but it just didn't do it for me. The char siu was way too fatty and greasy, making it hard to enjoy. The flavors were completely overpowered by the oiliness, and it was just too salty for my taste. I was hoping for something more balanced and less heavy. That said, it always seems to be packed and is really popular with the college crowd, so maybe it's just not my style. read more

I was looking for asian food in santa barbara and came across this place. We came late on a thursday night but the place was still popping. I got the original tonkosu ramen and pork shoulder and it was flavorful. I liked how the broth wasn't super heavy and the pork shoulder was so tender. It was also great that you get to choose the type of meat and noodles. Overall, I'm not super into ramen but this place was pretty decently good! read more

Nikka Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

One of the best bowls of ramen I've ever had. Meat is cooked perfectly and a good portion, noodles are chewy and broth is rich and delicious. I go every time I'm in the area. Service has always been good and quick. Always have been seated pretty quickly too. read more

I have to say the bun trio was a 10/10 and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for an appetizer. The buns were so soft , the meats were well seasoned and delicious! I wouldn't say the service is the best as the servers rarely check on you after your food is served. They didn't ask our table for any refills and it took some time to get their attention. I got a large poke bowl but it was mostly salad mix and a small portion of salmon. There was a lot going on in regards to toppings and I'm not sure I would get this again. My friends all got ramen and said it was delicious but get the spicy paste in the side it brings out so much flavor! read more

Nikka Ramen - Large Poke Bowl - Ramen Near Me - Goleta, California

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I can say it was good! I was a bit unhappy about not having an eggs in my Tonkotsy ramen. If you want it, order it additionaly. read more

Food: 8/10 The ramen was super flavorful and they offered options to add spice to it. Service: 7/10 They were nice but a little hard to get a hold of since there were so many people there. Ambiance: 9/10 The place is really cute and fits the vibe of ramen super well. read more

Delicious and fast! The pork belly ramen is fantastic. The buns (the trio) was perfect.