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On a cold Bay Area evening we were craving something hot, so we stopped by this ramen shop. Upon entering, it's a small mom-and-pop spot with warm lighting, just a few tables, and that cozy, steamy-window feel you want on a chilly night. Our Eats Included: Takoyaki (3/5) Premium Black Garlic Pork Tonkatsu (4/5) Black Garlic Miso Ramen (4.5/5) We started with the takoyaki. It was a bit too doughy and the squid was small but still tasty overall. Both ramen bowls arrived piping hot with a smooth, rich broth. The broth was delicious, but a little too salty, and I expected more garlic flavor given the name. Between the two, I preferred the Black Garlic Miso it was the most balanced of the bunch. As a garlic lover, I did really enjoy the roasted garlic on top, it provided a sweet creamy topping.
We walked in Friday around 7:15pm and was seated right away. I ordered the Garlic pork miso ramen. Very good, flavorful broth and chewy noodles. The Chasu was a bit tough though. If you can look past the not so good Chasu, then this place is ok. Casual place. We parked at another establishments parking lot adjacent to the restaurant.
We were greeted and seated right away. It's a small, cozy restaurant with great background music that creates a warm atmosphere. The service was fast and attentive. We ordered two ramen dishes, and both were rich, flavorful, and prepared exactly the way we requested. A great spot for a satisfying bowl of ramen!
This place has been viral so I checked it out. I went on a weekday a bit before noon and we got seated immediately. As noon roams around, the place is packed with people and some people are even waiting outside for a seat. The place is small but very comfortable. I had high expectation because the place was recommended. The ramen, however, was decently mediocre. The noodles are fine, the flavor of the broth is nothing too surprising. The pork was delicious though, it was smoky and tender. The price is quite decent as well.
This review is overdue. I've been going to Ramen Dojo for several years now. it is either my number one or number two favorite Ramen places in San Mateo. The pork garlic broth is exceptional. The shrimp wonton and chicken. Banjiban are my favorite flavors. The noodles have the perfect amount of chew. It is always served with a couple of roasted garlic cloves, which add a level of flavor to the meal. It's small so I always try to get there early to get a table and not have to wait. Highly recommended.
Ambiance: A small ramen shop that reminds you of every shop new shop opening in 2010 Service: one server so it took awhile but overall fast for being one person Food: Solid ramen. It's nothing to write home about. This bowl of ramen had the flavors you look for in a garlic pork ramen, but just lacked depth. The toppings were on the smaller side too. Also the ramen is quite small so if you were looking to be full, i recommend getting more noodles
Had a good experience at Ramen Dojo. I ordered the garlic pork ramen, medium spicy, and added extra soft shell crab. Overall, the taste was really good and flavorful. Just a small note -the "medium spicy" level wasn't very spicy, so if you like real heat, you might want to go higher. Also, the soup portion felt a little light. I personally wish they gave a bit more broth. Other than that, solid ramen and worth trying.
Everything went well! While my daughter and I were waiting, we were a few minutes early, we checked out the menu that was posted on the outside. Within those few minutes we decided on what to order. Thankfully, they let us in, because it was cold and windy out! Food was 10/10! Soft shell crab ramen with the garlic pork base; despite the 1 quail egg (I wish there were a few more - 5 is ideal), it was so very good! Chicken karaage ramen with garlic pork base; the chicken pieces were bigger than expected. Tip: The lemon water was really fresh. I'd definitely go back!
Got invited by my kidws and their friend to have ramen at one of their favorite places! Thanks for the invite! We came in and were lucky to grab the last table - I was worried that the wait would be super long because of how busy they wre, but after ordering, my sake came immediately, and our ramen came out in 10-15 minutes! And it was delicious! Everyone ordered extra pork because it is just that good! I was so happy to be included with the big kids, and thoroughly enjoyed the food, the waitstaff, the efficiency, and the company!
This place is small (probably 24 customers max), but turnaround was fairly quick, and the food was very tasty. There's a clipboard hanging on the door for signups. For a first timer like me, it's not very noticeable...I walked right past it. When the food arrived, my first thought was that the portions aren't very big, but it was filling enough for me and my wife. The only negative comment I have is the open doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. I was able to see the chef preparing the food (with his bare hands), then wiping his hands on a rag on his workstation. And I saw him put his hand in his pocket. Also, in order for customers to get to the restroom, they need to walk right through the chef's workstation.
A cosy, no-nonsense ramen spot with no wait times and fast service. Their broth, noodles and pork were tasty. The wait staff are very blunt and direct but not rude. I look forward to returning.
This is one of the coziest ramen spots I've been to in San Mateo, perfect for a cold winter night. The interior has limited seating, having a mom and pops feel to it. Got the premium tonkotsu with a soft shell crab added. The soup came out piping hot, and the broth was rich without being too heavy. There was only one very friendly lady serving the entire dining room, but she's surprisingly attentive to all and very efficient. Will definitely be back in the near future!
I heard so much about this place for a while and got the chance to come here on monday for late lunch. I ordered a stew pork belly ramen -- Mild spicy and (House garlic pork) and the broth and noodles were really good! However I felt that the pork belly flavor didn't really go that well with the broth. Overall, it's a really good ramen spot in San Mateo!
My colleague heard about a new ramen joint and suggested coming by for lunch! The location is apparently where the original Santa Ramen was! Garlic Pork Ramen - Mild Spicy - $8.95 - Soup was delicious, although very fatty. It reminds me of Bun Bo Hue, but Japanese style! ;) - Ramen was perfect Al Dente - Pork was good...although could have been more tender Service was friendly from an Asian lady. The under-pad from the carpet was very thick, thus making it really comfy to walk on. The tables were really close together...so much that I could eat off of my neighbor! Note: Minimum charge of $8.95/person. Restroom's are inside the kitchen... read more
4 years ago
I came here half an hour after they opened and they already have about 10 customers, that says something about the place. I've been wanting to try it and I heard they get busy and even have a long waiting time. I did not get disappointed! The broth was soooo good. I got the regular pork broth and now I wonder how the garlic pork broth is just gonna taste. I added corn, stewed pork belly and an egg for an overkill. I will definitely come back here. read more
Yes yes..... They are so much better than Santa Ramen!!! I was pleasantly surprised that my own neighborhood have a little ramen restaurant that is ooooo sooo good. It is tuck away from downtown San Mateo but if you yelp it, you will be able to find it. Boy will you be so delighted that you did. I ordered the spicy soy sauce ramen. It was spicy and so good. I am so coming back here for more. The services are prompt and your ramen comes out quick and hot. Just the way I like it. They are slightly pricey compared with other ramen restaurant but the prompt services, parking is good and the noodle is made al dente, it is so worth it. read more
Sorry but for me its all HYPE!! I've been too many ramen places and this place is straight up nothin worth talking about. Its good but not the best ramen in the bay area, there are other better ones. I came here with super high expectation since everyone loves this place and always recommend it but nahhhh.... $10.75 for one bowl. Steep! I mean if I was famous as them, I'd hiked up the price too. Service is pretty good, once they take the order outside you sit down and food comes swiftly after. read more
I used to live two blocks away from Orenchi Ramen in Sunnyvale. It was a blessing at first, but after I moved to the Peninsula it felt like the worst break up of my life. No other ramen spot came close to the OG noodle bae. However, on a fateful Friday last week, the ramen gods granted me the courage to brave the lines at Ramen Dojo, and wow...I was such a fool for not stopping by much sooner. Without getting too Chef's Table on you all, it just seemed like every ingredient or flavor was assembled in that bowl for a reason. We've all had those bowls of ramen where they're packed with the familiar ingredients we know and love, but the taste just never comes together, and you never seem to get that perfect bite (or slurp). At Ramen Dojo, the perfectly chewy noodles, marbled chasu, and flavor-packed broth all come together to deliver umami with every slurp. Definition of how keeping it simple sometimes wins out. I know the lines can get long, but if you are ever in the area, Ramen Dojo is a MUST! read more
Best ramen in NorCal...seriously! I absolutely love coming here for my ramen fix. There's nothing like it anywhere else. In terms of broth flavors, you can choose soy sauce, garlic pork, or soy bean. Get the garlic pork! It's delicious with rich flavors. I had the garlic pork flavor with extra quail eggs and corn toppings. Each bowl of ramen was $11.75. They have fifteen different toppings available ranging from $1.00 - $4.95. If you're planning to catch some ramen before lunch, get here EARLY! This place opens at 11:30am. We arrived at 10:50am, and there were already 4 separate parties ahead of us. By 11:15am, there was a line wrapping around the corner. I usually wait outside 30 mins before opening to guarantee entry as the first batch of customers. It's not pleasant being the second batch as you have already waited for the place to open on top of waiting for the first batch of customers to finish eating. Sometimes they have a clipboard outside. On other occasions, they send the server to go around the line and write down our orders in chronological order. There is street parking. I haven't had a problem finding a spot. There are plenty on both sides of the street. I will definitely be returning for more when I'm back in the bay area! read more
7 years ago
Ramen Dojo is always going to be my top 5 go to ramen place! The flavors of this ramen place is superb, one can really taste the difference. It's so rich that one would never question if they've just had the best ramen or what. The ingredients incorporated with the bowl works well with the flavors and also, the meat is so soft and it's charred well. The meat flavor is nothing like any ramen places. The price for this ramen is also worth it. Although the only thing that would be a bomber about this visit would be the wait. It's such a small place that the wait can be between 15 minutes up to 2 hours depending on the time and day. You'll know once you've had an amazing bowl in Ramen Dojo. read more
Delicious ramen, but not the best I've ever had? We waited in the cold for about 30 minutes, and while I'd say it was worth the wait. I don't think it was super mind blowing. For the price and all the ingredients in the ramen, it's very reasonable so I liked that aspect. I was unimpressed by the appetizers, especially the fried tofu, it tasted very bland even with the dipping sauce. The takoyaki was pretty good though, even after we took it home for leftovers and microwaved it the next day. There was a good amount of tako in there and the dough-y texture wasn't overwhelming. As for the ramen, they don't give you a lot of broth which is a bummer. I'm usually a broth person especially if it's cold outside, but I really enjoyed all the ground pork in the bowl. I ordered the pork broth with no spice, and really enjoyed it. The presentation was lovely, and I finished all of the noodles. It doesn't seem like they have very many options for broth besides the three, and the ramen is comparable to Ramen Parlor down the street, which I've also had. We came with a friend who was a pretty strict vegetarian, but they were nice enough to make a noodle bowl without the pork broth, so they can be accommodating despite their broth not being vegetarian. It's in the fine print as well. read more
12 years ago
I've been looking for good ramen and while this was a good bowl of ramen, it's still not exactly what I am looking for. I am looking for creamy (but not sickeningly so) tonkotsu broths that have a good amount of spice, with soft noodles and pork that melts in your mouth. The noodles weren't bad (on the firm side). The broth.... Well it was good and spicy but I still think it's missing something, some pizzazz. I think it was still not rich enough for me. The pork was terrible though. It was a bit tough and didn't have flavor. My friend agreed that my pieces were a bit tough. I found this unacceptable. $10.75 for a bowl of ramen. read more
13 years ago
Spicy Garlic Pork flavor, $9.50 - comes with: roasted pork (2 pieces), fried whole garlic, Kikurage mushroom, green chives, quail egg (one), and chicken gravy (cooked ground chicken, chopped shiitake mushroom, chopped ginger, sesame oil, and shredded red pepper). Went with Mild Spicy and extra topping of corn ($1.00). Orders are made outside, while you're waiting in line, before you're even seated. Came here about 20 minutes before opening for dinner, and I was about 3rd in line. By the time it opened, the line had grown about 2 buildings down. It's crazy. There's hardly any space inside for seating. It can seat maybe 2 large groups plus 4-5 small groups, including the bar. The food arrived about 5-10 minutes after being seated. One of the waitresses mumbles the name of the order in a very low voice so it was nearly impossible to hear her. The food itself was delicious. The fatty meat of course tastes good, but also, the noodles are nice and chewy, broth is full of flavor but a little too spicy for my enjoyment, and the corn was a great suggestion to add (thanks Yelpers!). The quail egg was cute and all, but I'd rather have a full-sized chicken egg please. Great meal, but only worth waiting if you're within sight of the front, not if it's a super long wait (aka down the block and around the corner and in the next city - kidding! sorta......). read more
Ramen dojo, you impress me with: your wait (even before your restaurant opens), the simple menu that's so easy to go through, the absolutely delicious spicy garlic pork broth, the chewy-ness of your noodles, the additional things you can add onto your ramen, the fact that you don't give a regular egg, but a quail egg to top off the ramen. Excellent. ALMOST as good as the dinky japanese ramen place I went to in Hong Kong. You're as close as I got to finding one here. Although next time, I would like mine more spicy! The mild spicy was barely spicy. Thank you Kristen T. and her family/cousins for finally bringing me here! read more
If I had just one meal left before I died, and I was asked what I wanted to go out on, I would answer in a heartbeat Ramen Dojo's spicy garlic pork ramen. I'm not exaggerating when I say that this is my favorite meal in the world. I have stood in line for hours through freezing rain and scorching heat to eat here. I used to time my drive and work schedule so that I could show up precisely at 5pm exactly 30 minutes before they open so that I could be sure I would make it in the first seating. I am not even ashamed to say that a few years ago I convinced my brother that we should move to San Mateo simply because it was the best scene for ramen in the bay area. What a wonderful year that was. Normally, I would go into the details of the food I ordered at this point in my review. However, I'm not done describing all of the ways that I love this place yet so stay with me here. Ramen is my favorite food. Ramen Dojo is the best ramen I have ever had, and I've had every noted ramen in the bay area, in LA, in Hawaii, I've even been to Ippuro and a few others in New York. None of them hold a candle to Dojo. I don't give out 5 stars to very many places. I reserve that distinction for places that I consider to be best in class in one category or another. Those that do get a 5 from me are great places that I like and respect in a lot of ways. However, there is only one place that I wish I could give greater than a 5 star rating to and it is Ramen Dojo. It has a special place in my heart, and stands above all others in my mind. Ok, on to the food. Spicy garlic pork ramen. This is what I order, this is what everyone else orders, this is what you will order. Don't question it, just do it. The broth is amazing. Rich in garlic and pork, you can actually see the flavor particles rising to the surface along with the garlic oil. The pork slices are tender and delicious. The quail egg and the chicken egg are perfectly soft and tasty. The strings of chili, the garlic cloves, the nori are all great additions. The chicken curry that gets poured on top is simply to die for. At this point, I'm losing the ability to put words to my thoughts because simply thinking about this meal conjures an emotional response. Do yourself a favor and go try Dojo, you won't regret it. Get there early too because if you wait until they open, it's already too late to get seated without a 45+ minute wait. read more
The wait? ....pretty long. Shortest wait time is 30 minutes but it could reach up to an hour and 15 during dinner time. Oh you know, it's like waiting to ride a ride at Disneyland, no biggie! The place?...really small. Maximum capacity is 24 persons. There's a list out by the door, run to it and write your name on that thing asap. The faster you do so, the faster you will get seated. I'm just kidding, don't run. That's just weird. The food?....REALLY GOOD. The broth is amazing, if I could bottle this and take it to go to go I would, but unfortunately you can't to go anything here. I choose the mild garlic pork broth and it was pure savory goodness. My tastebuds happily danced like synchronized swimmers. The broth comes in three levels of spiciness (mild, spicy, extra spicy) and of course a non-spicy option. Each bowl comes with two pieces of fried pork, 4 quail eggs, mushrooms, and chives. You can add more onto your ramen if you please. I choose to add an egg and some roasted seaweed. Overall, this iity biity ramen place is definitely worth the wait....and I hate waiting so that says a lot. read more
I'm sorry, but this place was TOO OVER HYPED for me. My sis and bro in law came here before they opened and a line was forming already. This was at 10:45 am. As the line started to grow, my expectations started to become more higher. When it was time to open, I was anxiously waiting to get seated and finally try the Ramen. Our orders were taken before we entered the restaurant to avoid a longer wait. When we were seated the line was still going out the door. I ordered the bitter & spicy Ramen with extra noodles. Since we ordered outside, our Ramen didn't take long to prepare. The Ramen was served piping hot. The pork slices were a little dry. The soup base was creamy, but not really spicy for me. The egg yolk was cooked well done. I'm use to having the yolk runny. Noodle-wise, it was chewy and had a nice texture. I can now say that I've been to the Dojo. Unfortunately, the Dojo was only OK for me. I'll come back only if I was in the area craving Ramen. I've bowed out to the sensei! read more
After hearing so many great things i just had to make time to come here. And i finally did. There's always a line no doubt and with Espedus Brizallian steak house open for lunch i got very impatient waiting for 45 minutes in line. but i held it out. The have a nice method where they take your order first and then seat you. That way shortly after the seating from your long wait you can eat quickly (by then you'll be starving anyways). The lunch menu were small with mostly ramen and toppings and a few appetizers and drink. I got a Shoyu Ramen with bamboo as topping and my friend ordered the garlic pork. Though the bowls looks small it's actually very filling. Each bowl comes with standard an quail egg, ground chicken, two pieces of pork, chives two roasted garlic bulb and seaweed. Best thing is you can choose the how spicy you want it. I'll admit the broth to the ramen were very flavorful and the noodles were nice hot and chewy. But i didn't exactly see the hype of it. The first bite was the best, then the next few was just ok. The Shoyu was strong and salty how it was supposed to be but the garlic pork was had too much garlic flavor and it kind of became bitter. The flavors were very mixed and eventually i just couldn't tell what i was eating anymore. Eventually my mouth became very greasy from the broth because the broth was very rich and i had to drink lots of water. I've had Ramen better in LA and S.F. It's a good place and it's decent pricing but i guess i was disappointed because i thought it was exceptionally and out of the ordinary good. I even heard the Japanese guy next table to me say it was so great either(and he was from japan) In the end the broth just became too greasy. Maybe next time i'll try dinner because they have a nice appetizer list i want to try. read more
10 years ago
A little disappointed.... Showed up at Ramen dojo last night... still quite a wait to be seated. Excited cuz it's been years since I've been here. Was seated and oh.. they've raised prices from $9.75 to $11.75 (noted on the bottom every customer must spend at least $11.75). Each add on varies from $1.50 to $2.95. A bowl comes with 2 pieces pork, mushrooms, chives, 1 quail egg, and roasted garlic. They were out of Soy flavor when we got there so I got the garlic pork flavor with added corn and one chicken egg (the ramen bowl used to come with a runny soft boiled egg), medium spicy. Our orders weren't that complicated but out of our 5 bowls only 2 came out somewhat correct. Mine was missing the corn, 1 had bamboo shoots but wasn't extra spicy, and 1 that was supposed to be mild had the extra spicy broth. The extra spicy wasn't as spicy as I thought we all still added chilli flakes to try to get more of a spicy. The egg.... just a hard boiled egg cut in half kinda a disappointment since I've been dreaming about that soft boiled egg from ramen dojo. Also.. the other bowls came out with a good amount of broth... where as mine looked like it didn't have enough I couldn't even mix in all the stuff into the broth and noodles cuz there just wasn't enough and when i tried to do that, half the noodles were sticking out, my broth also didn't come out hot it was a luke warm. The mild/medium spice didn't taste like it had spice at all. Overall it's not a bad bowl of ramen, but for $12+ dollars it's okay and I've had better. I understand the hike price from a few years ago when the bowl seemed a better quality but I probably won't be waiting an hour in line to pay these prices for this type of ramen again. Also note... there are no take out orders. read more
They close at 2pm for lunch. Do not show up at 1:20pm. We barely were able to eat - were the 2nd to last table to be sat, and they were counting the number of broth servings left about 8 groups on the wait before us! Worth the 40 minute wait? Yes. Would I do it again? Likely not. Checked this off the ramen list, tried it, had a good bowl of ramen, will keep searching for my Ippudo of the west coast (so far Maru Ichi in Mountain View comes closest). They ONLY had the garlic pork broth left - ran out of soy sauce while we were waiting. Were out of miso before we even got there. If I were to try one thing, that *would* be the garlic pork, but it would've been nice to try another one. Total bill incl tax/tip for 2 bowls (each with plenty of toppings) = $36. Enough to feed three of us. ON THE BROTH: THE "MILD" IS PRETTY SPICY!! Even for a legit Asian restaurant, I would call it more of a medium. But overall the garlic pork is amazing; I love the ground pork pieces in it! I think it's mixed with steamed egg, which remind me of my childhood. ON THE TOPPINGS: I really liked the roasted pork, whole fried garlic (as a garlic lover!), quail eggs, & seaweed. Just note the normal bowl DOES come with roasted pork & quail eggs - these toppings will just give you extra, which is a good idea if you're sharing. ON THE NOODLES: If I'm being a noodle snob.. not the best. Not made fresh. Round, curly, fairly thick and kind of glutinous, reminds me of those old school packets of instant ramen. It's really in the noodles where Maru Ichi really wins out. Bowl #1 - 4 stars Flavor: Garlic Pork Spicy: Mild Toppings: Roasted pork, Nappa cabbage & shitake mushroom, Fried Whole Garlic, Quail eggs pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ramen-dojo-san-mateo?select=HX8swZZCn3NWfCd8UChyUw#HX8swZZCn3NWfCd8UChyUw Bowl #2 - 4 stars Flavor: Garlic Pork Spicy: Mild Toppings: Corn, Seaweed, Green Chives pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ramen-dojo-san-mateo?select=HX8swZZCn3NWfCd8UChyUw#N1nT7_cdpdrFQiSPk6h91Q Menu: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/ramen-dojo-san-mateo?select=sSXMxMfFcD-9CWK7-To_gQ#sSXMxMfFcD-9CWK7-To_gQ read more
14 years ago
I wish Ramen Dojo was a real dojo so that I could enroll myself to study the fine art of ramen and how they make it so scrumptiously. On our never-ending hunt for ramen, the boyfriend and I couldn't pass up the chance to try Ramen Dojo when we constantly see people spilling out of the doorway waiting for their own opportunity to slurp the noodles. We waited about 30 minutes on a Friday night (although it was Valentine's Day, so maybe there were less people; ramen isn't fancy-schmancy-Valentiney, after all), and we knew exactly what we wanted after staring at and drooling over the menu outside. We each ordered the garlic pork ramen, mild for me and extra spicy for him, along with the fried chicken wings for an appetizer. If there were ramen gods, I imagine that this is what they would create. The broth was perfectly seasoned and had a good enough kick for me with mild spice. The pork broth was so flavorful and can get a bit salty towards the end, just like real tonkotsu does. As tasty as it is, I wouldn't recommend drinking the rest of the broth at the end of your meal. The noodles were cooked beautifully and slightly chewy, not too mushy and not too tough. I find it interesting that they give quail eggs instead of regular chicken eggs for their toppings (although you can add in a chicken egg, or a variety of other toppings, for an additional charge). Bottom line: I went in with a hunger for good ramen, and I came out with a satisfied and full belly. Ramen adventure success! P.S. -- Apparently, they are doing so well that they opened a second ramen shop (literally) around the corner called Ramen Parlor. Didn't get a chance to check it out, but I just might after this delicious venture. read more
Garlic pork broth. Mild spicy. That's how I like it. This is the first place where I saw a broth that was anywhere close to garlic pork broth. Just that idea was thrilling, because in my mind's tastebuds, it tasted amazing. And it was, it really was. My friends and I came here on a weekend and got in line before the place even opened. You heard that right. There was a line before the place even OPENED. Ramen Dojo opens at 11:30; we got there at 11am and were second in line. This is important especially if you have a larger group (we had 6 people). If you get here earlier enough, then you can be in the first group that makes it in the door. I felt bad for the people who got here just a bit later and ended up having to wait to be in the second group. If you don't have much of a spice tolerance, I recommend mild spicy, because even mild spicy has a good amount of heat. The noodles are chewy egg noodles, my favorite kind, and there was a perfect amount of ingredients (chasu, green onion, etc.) though you can add in more stuff if you'd like (Definitely want to try the spicy roe next time). I LOVED the flavor of the broth, and it was just the right amount saltiness and oiliness. Service is fast, professional, and friendly. While we were in line, an employee came out to pass out menus and take our orders before we were let in. Our ramen was out within 15-20 min and everyone was happily chewing and slurping away. The area is small, which is way getting here early is essential. There's lots of street parking available in the area. The menu is simple, with not a lot of other dishes (because the focus is on the ramen, duh!) and reasonably priced. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Ramen Dojo and would love to come back soon. read more
4 years ago
Waited 20min in line at 6:30pm on a Monday. Five groups ahead of us on the list, but the line zoomed by. Be prepared to order before it's your turn. There are no vegetarian ramens, your entire party must be present before seating, and there's a $13 minimum per person (which is easy since the ramen itself is over that). We got: -soft shell crab appetizer: great sharing for two -takoyaki: really fresh and delicious, loved this -garlic pork ramen medium spicy -garlic pork ramen extra spicy: not that spicy at all -ramen extras: Napa and Shiitake, egg, extra noodle order to share My first time at Ramen Dojo! I thought the broth was less porky and more mushroomy-umami, but not overwhelming. Consistency was between thin and thick. Noodle portion was generous and the standard wavy ramen noodle. Solid chashu. I prefer the broth at Orenchi honestly. A bit thicker, richer, more salty. read more
14 years ago
San Mateo is known for ramen restaurants. I've been in San Mateo so many times and I have finally tried ramen! I heard from my friends and family that Ramen Dojo is the best ramen in San Mateo so I checked out this ramen place first! When we went half hour before it even opened, the line was around the corner! Oh goodness! Luckily, we made the first round into the restaurant so we wouldn't have to wait another 20 minutes or so for seats! They took orders before the restaurant even opened and I got their Spicy Garlic Pork Ramen! RAMEN - They pack so many ingredients in their ramen bowl! Besides ramen, it was topped with slices of green onions, garlic flavored pork, bamboo shoots, lettuce, garlic bulbs, shitake mushrooms, quail egg, and saffron! The presentation and ingredients of their ramen orders are definitely unique! In terms of flavor of their broth and noodles, it was above average and not the best I have tried yet! AMBIANCE - Cozy layout. To head to the bathroom, you have to go through the kitchen. I'm pretty disturbed about that - going through the kitchen, where they make your food, in order to get to the bathroom... SERVICE - They want you in and out, FAST because of the long line of customers waiting outside! I felt rushed just by looking at the hungry-eyed customers - sometimes glancing over at your table to see if you are done yet. Their policy for every person who dines in is that each person has to order about $9.50 worth of order, which is basically equivalent to a ramen order because they don't want you to hog the seat! FINAL SAY - Ramen is above average and the best in San Mateo. Uncomfortable dining experience, but definitely worth the wait to come and check it out to see how your taste buds like them noodles! read more
People say that Daikokuya and/or Shin Sen Gumi are the ramen places of SoCal. If Ramen Dojo is the ramen place of NorCal, then SoCal ramen still trumps NorCal ramen by far. Nevertheless, Ramen Dojo is still really good. The menu is very detailed and specific with what they added in to their broth. The broth is very flavorful, but not as rich and savory as the SoCal places I've tried. The three levels of spicy is a huge plus for me though. If you love spicy but still want to enjoy the broth's flavors, I suggest getting the mild spicy because it gives the perfect amount of kick to it My bf and I both chose the garlic pork flavor! I personally love the grounded chicken bits in the chicken gravy broth but the pork isn't as tender as I had hoped. There is a bit of a wait during dinner rush hour but they move really fast and get their customers in and out fast. They give you menus ahead of time before you gets eyes and take your orders ahead of time too so by the time you get seated, you're not waiting as long for the food to arrive. Pros: -Takoyaki was amazing!! Served really hot with a light, sharp crisp on the outside and the soft, fluffy inside with octopus bits in it -very friendly customer service -cleans tables and gets their customers seated fast -can order ahead of time to speed things up -love their thick ramen noodles (almost like tsukemen noodles) -sesame oil in the broth is yummy!! -red, stringy things in the ramen..don't know what it was but I liked it :) Cons: -very small hole-in-the-wall -broth isn't savory or rich -pork isn't as tender -tables are very cramped and close to each other inside -hard to find parking Residential parking is kind of easy to find within a few blocks vicinity of the restaurant! read more
I've heard so much of this hype all the way down here in So Cal, so when I went up to visit I REALLY wanted to check this place out. Got the Garlic Pork Flavor and added some quail eggs in there (nice touch!). Also had some of their chicken wings... Their chicken wings sucked. 4 tiny pieces and one lemon and it just wasn't very good. However, the Ramen was pretty good. I can understand what the rave is about! But I will say there are much better ramen joints I've tried. I think this place gets bonus cause of the novelty: The way the bowls are built, placement of the food items in your bowl, ie - successful presentation (yes, this stuff ABSOLUTELY matters). Very good place. I pretty much devoured my bowl. Get it spicy. Get there early cause the line will start real quick and once it does, you can easily be waiting for a while. read more
If you are looking for an authentic Japanese ramen place, this is the one. It's more expensive than Ajisen Ramen, but worth the price. I like to add Bamboo shoots into my Garlic Pork soup base. I doubted about my Japanese tasting talent so I took a couple of good Japanese judges to try and all of them gave thumbs up. It must be good then ! The portion is quite big. If you're not very hungry, one order of ramen bowl is good enough (unless you are 250 lbs glorila, you can order something else like boiled pot stickers) The problem is that sometimes you have to wait in line and it can take up to 30 minutes. The restaurant doesn't take reservation and take out dinning. I've had quite good experience and never go wrong if you take someone to visit in town for lunch. The price has been updated to 13.50 $ for the basic ++ My recomendation: Garlic Pork Soup Base + Medium Spicy + Bamboo Shoot ~ 15$ (compared to Ajisen at~10$). Crowded during weekend. read more
I've been craving noodle soup all week due to the rain and super cold weather. So my husband and I came here after work on a Friday. There's only street parking, so we were lucky enough to snag a spot close by. We were excited due to the crazy high reviews and also the high ratings given by my yelp elite friends. We got here around 7:30pm and only waited 15mins. PRO TIP: After 8pm, it's starts freeing up and basically no wait. The both of us got the spicy garlic pork broth with the original toppings; medium spicy. It was pretty disappointing because the broth is a bit watery and was lacking depth. The chashu was a bit tough. Unfortunately, you can't really taste the freshness of the garlic broth because they only drop in a couple of the fried garlics. So you only really taste the garlic when you eat it. I was envisioning fresh pressed garlic into the broth. This was not the case. The only good thing is the chicken wings. But instead of coming out first as an appetizer, it came out after our noodles. So at this point, we had a dilemma. Eat the chicken while it's fresh and hot or eat the noodles first.... we ended up eating some of our noodles and then stopping to eat the chicken to ensure that we experience it when it's pipping hot. read more
Came here on a Friday night around 8:45 PM, and ended up waiting 30+ min to get seated. I was surprised at how many people were still waiting so late at night for dinner. After about 10 min of waiting, the waitress came out and hung a sign saying they were out of the garlic pork, which is what I wanted to try. I ended up ordering the soybean broth extra spicy with corn. Unfortunately I wasn't too impressed by the ramen because the broth wasn't very flavorful and it definitely wasn't spicy enough for me. I liked the chewiness of the noodles, but they were a little thicker than what I prefer. I don't have any plans on returning any time soon since there are so many better restaurants in San Mateo, but I might go back to try the garlic pork only if there's no line for it. My favorite ramen place is still Ramen Halu in San Jose, especially with their thin noodles. read more
Good thing I got here 30 minutes prior to opening for dinner since there was already a line beginning to form. Lucky for us, we were third in line. They are very good at getting you in and out. I almost felt rushed, but could understand considering the line that was wrapping around the building. Since I knew I couldn't stomach ramen and an appetizer, I stuck to just the ramen. I got the popular garlic broth, which was pretty good. I'm not sure if I am just picky or have ridiculous expectations...maybe I'm just not a ramen connoisseur. However, I did not understand the hype. The ramen was just ok- nothing to go crazy about. I felt very lethargic after eating it. Perhaps too much MSG? Anyways I am glad I got to finally try it, but I do not thing it is worth waiting in line for. Tips/Notes: 1. Get here AT LEAST 30 minutes before it opens. 2. Unlike Orenchi's, there is no wait list readily available, so you have to secure your spot in line. 3. The minimum order per person is $9.50 (the same price for the ramen). 4. The place is VERY cozy so prepare to cozy up to your neighbor. 5. The regular spicy is not spicy at all. If you like something with more of a kick, get the extra spicy and then add some pepper. 6. None of their ramen is vegetarian. read more
Finally got a table at Ramen Dojo after our second attempt at eating at the restaurant, and when we finally tried this highly acclaimed ramen, we thought it was just... ok. My wife and I first tried to visit Ramen Dojo about 2 months ago on a Sunday night. I picked her up from the airport around 8pm and we know that Ramen Dojo closes around 9-915pm. We got there around 8:25pm and they said "Sorry, we can't serve you anymore. No more broth." We were soooooo sad. But we vowed to come back. Fast forward 2 months to last Sunday. We were golfing with friends/coworkers in San Mateo and it was around 630pm and we were trying to figure out where to go have dinner. My wife, buddy, and I decided to go try out Ramen Dojo, and we hoped and prayed that we would be able to try the ramen this second time around. Another person in our golf group jokingly said "Good luck getting a table for dinner hahaha!" We chuckled back not knowing that she was going to be absolutely right. The 3 of us got to Ramen Dojo and we saw a sea of people standing outside the joint. We got to the front door and saw that there were 22 parties ahead of us. We started scratching our heads trying to decide if we should stay or go somewhere else. Anyway, we put our names down and waited to see how quickly they would be able to go through the list, given how small the restaurant is! I still can't believe how small of space they have to work with there! Anyway, they had a pretty good system in place, and most parties were in and out pretty quickly. Our wait was about 45 minutes long, which wasn't bad. It did give us a lot of time to look through the menu and decide exactly what we wanted in our ramen and what appetizers we wanted to order. When we finally got seated, we ordered the following: 1) Takoyaki for ~$5-6 - rate a 4/5: their takoyaki was pretty good! It came with 6 pieces and had onion strings and sauce on top. The takoyaki was really fresh and I even burned my mouth a little bit! 2) Fried oysters for $5-6 - rate a 5/5: the fried oysters were excellent as well! Served with a katsu sauce, these oysters were fresh and really yummy. Would definitely order again! 3) Ramen with garlic pork broth (mild spice) for $10.75 w/ extra chashu (2 extra pieces for $1.75), corn on the side ($1.25) roasted seaweed (5 pieces for $1.50), and chicken egg (extra $1.50) - rate a 3/5: As you can tell, the add-ons make the ramen a $17-$18 bowl of soup... what the heck?! No bowl of soup should cost that much, right?? As for the ramen itself, it was just ok. Nothing earth shattering or mind blowing. I ordered mine mild but asked for extra chili powder to add because it wasn't spicy enough for me. Ramen Dojo is known for its spicy ramen, so next time I will get the next step up from Mild Spice level. Anyway, for 3 people, with 3 bowls of ramen and extra add-ons, two appetizers, and 3 Cokes, we ended up spending $80 including tax and tip for 3 people. Pretty pricey ramen outing if you ask me. Aside from the fact that it was pricey, I thought the taste was good, but not great. Worth the wait?! Hmmmm, not sure. Try again at some point? Probably, but maybe only after I win big money at the poker tables. :P read more
It's worth the wait. After eating recently at its sister shop, Santa Ramen, the comparison between the two was even more stark: Ramen Dojo is just offers a superior overall product, and it's easy to see why the lines are so much longer here. I got the garlic pork ramen, regular spicy, with an added egg. The spiciness adds such a different level of flavor and kick to the ramen. I liked how the noodles were cooked al dente so that they'd be a little chewy as they sat in the hot broth. This was so good after waiting for an hour in the cold! The only thing I wish they'd do differently is serve soft boiled egg with the ramen! They do have a egg you can add on as a topping that's something of a cross between a hard boiled egg and a soft-boiled egg. It lacks the unappealing chalky texture of a hard boiled egg, but doesn't have the lovely runniness of a soft boiled egg. Still, this is just a topping that I happen to personally love, and although I wish Ramen Dojo would just go all in with a soft-boiled egg instead of this imperfect hybrid, it didn't detract too much from the actual ramen and I still prefer it to a hard boiled egg. Believe the hype. This place is way better than the over-hyped, small-portioned Orenchi Ramen! read more
12 years ago
The wait is about an hour or so, but it's totally worth it. The staff is SUPER efficient with getting customers seated, serving food (WOW SO FAST!!), and cleaning up the tables. We had the takoyaki to share, then I ordered the Garlic Pork Flavored Ramen with Regular Spice. I think the ramen used to be $9.75 but the prices increased to around $10.25. The ramen comes with roasted pork, fried whole garlic, Kikurage mushrooms, green chives, quail egg, and chicken gravy. Words cannot describe how good this ramen is. The noodles are thicker than most ramen places, and the combination of flavors is absolutely perfect. If you are a fan of spicy, I would still recommend Regular Spice for the first time as the menu suggests so you can experience more of the natural flavors. There are so many options to customize your ramen with add-ins as well. I love this place, and I'm totally coming back for more! read more
Saturday night wait began at 6:15 which had 50 persons ahead of us that resulted in a one hour wait. The two start review is not because of the line. Why you should slurp it up +'s: + The handmade noodles are chewy, elastic and the stellar component of the ramen bowl + The chashu slices are incredible. Flavorful with just the right amount of fat + The mushrooms and ground pork are other notable components Why you should pass the slurp -'s: - Garlic pork broth, mild spicy had exactly what it says but was mediocre at best. I prefer my broth to have a creamy texture and this was not so. - Quail egg is a novelty. It was my first bite into the bowl and it unfortunately was cooked well done. - For an extra $1.25 I added the chicken egg. It was a hardboiled egg. It should be soft boiled with some seasoning. - The gyoza appetizer was $2.95 for three pieces. They tasted like the ones I can get from Trader Joe but they come in a bag of 20+ for less than $2.95. - Don't add chives. They load up the chives in 2 inch strips. Who eats chives like that in a bowl? - A lettuce leaf supplanted the standard nori sheet. I'm all for innovation but having a leaf in my bowl didn't cut it. Overall I am holding Ramen Dojo to other standards set by Orecnchi in Santa Clara and Kotetsu also in Santa Clara. Ramen Dojo did not compare because the components of its ramen did not come together as a whole. I don't mind waiting in line for a good bowl of ramen. Unfortunately my experience was lackluster. read more
More info about Ramen Dojo
805 S B St
San Mateo, CA 94401
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(650) 401-6568
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Ask the Community - Ramen Dojo
Do you serve vegan ramen?
I would suggest just giving them a call when they're open. They have miso broth as an option, which in theory should be vegan, but not sure about their prep methods and also the default toppings involve pork.
Can I make reservations?
No, you can't make reservations. To-go orders also need to be placed in person.
Do they use MSG in any foods?
Do they noodle and soup contain egg or milk?
They do come with eggs but you can ask to have it taken out. Milk, I'm not sure..I wouldn't think so
How's the wait on weekends evenings?
I haven't been there on weekends/evenings. But lunch is insane. So I would think over an hour wait and I suggest you go 30 mins before it opens and start lining up. It's a tiny place.
Is it really a 35 out of 100 for heath score?
Nah.i think ppl try to key it on the DL so less ppl will go there.
Is it possible to get gluten free ramen here?
I don't think so. They didn't give an option to change to gluten-free noodles.
Is this restaurant good for vegetarians?
Nope. They expressly state on the menu that "ramen is not vegetarian".
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