I wanted to try this place just to find another favorite ramen house besides Jinya but I was disappointed with the outcome. No one welcomes you when you walk in like at Jinya's and no friendly faces to greet you either. It's a solemn walk up to the register to stare at the menu written on a chalk board for a minute or two before placing your order. The place was dead and eerily quiet for a Wednesday night. Jinya would be busy and bustling even on a Wednesday night. Our order consisted of chicken karaage, one spicy miso with added pork belly and one spicy miso with no add-ons. Food was brought out fast due to the fact that the place was dead. We asked for ketchup with our chicken and was given a nasty look by the one waitress who was there. No sorry or anything. Just a quick no and a nasty look. Here's a tip, chicken and ketchup do go hand and hand. It's a staple item in restaurants, come on! The chicken karaage wasn't anything special. I can get the same quality at a typical boba place like Tap House or Kim's Teahouse with ketchup and a level of spice. The broth was spicy enough and tasty but the bowl as a whole was sorely below Jinya's quality. It looked cheap compared to Jinya's. Corn, ground beef, half of a five minute egg. Come on now, half of an egg? It screams cheap in comparison to Jinya who gives you a whole egg without costing you anything extra. Cutting cost this way to lower overhead cost is not the answer. I rather pay a little more for quality then pay average and get something below par. Overall, I'm unimpressed by the staff and sorely disappointed by a bowl of cheapness. This place won't be getting my business a second time and I will refer my friends elsewhere. Btw, did you guys know that Jinya is opening a new location in Sugarland soon? See you guys there! read more

See all

I've been to many ramen places and had so many different ramen. I came and got the "Tonkotsu" Ramen; Hakata style, grilled pork belly, wood ear, scallions, bamboo shoots, black garlic oil, and 5-minute egg. It was good, but eating the ramen didn't give me the wow this is amazing factor. I can tell you it doesn't taste bad. It just didn't hit my stomach in the right spot. Maybe, the chef didn't have his/her A game, the day I went. If you just want your ramen fix, then you can get that here. read more

Good, solid place. I love the zen-like interior and lack of fluff. The wait staff were attentive and not over bearing. The music was chill-out ambiance at a low level and helped lend to a nice atmosphere. Curiously, some items are scratched off their menu, which is too bad as I wanted to try more. But, the Tonkatsu Ramen was just fine for me. True, it's al dente, but while some complain here, I see it as being consistent and good. The broth flavor was very good. i asked for spicy and it was just right -- not too overbearing. The 5-minute egg was a delight flavored with miso. The pork fell apart, which is a great sign. My buddy ordered Sesame Cold noodles and appeared to really enjoy it as he ate every last bit and is quite the foodie. He also noted the seaweed salad was consistent as most places. It's not the cat's meow, but it's far better than the negative spew I've seen. I'll go back. read more

Ramen Jin - Tonkatsu at Ramen Jin. - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Awesome tonkotsu ramen! It's order at the counter and it comes out quick and hot. Also loved the kimchi and pork belly bun. Would show pics, but we inhaled it all, so you will see empty dishes. Will definitely come back. My husband and I both got the tonkotsu ramen, and our friend got the spicy miso, all delicious. Empty plate used to contain a pork belly bun. Also love the water pitcher at the table, never have to wait for refills. read more

Ramen Jin - Empty ramen dishes haha - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

More like Youtube Ramen than the real deal, but it's still really good stuff! I have a very hard time reviewing this place, even though I've been here more than enough times to recognize the entrees from a distance. On one hand I think it is really cool that all the different ingredients are prepared to make a dish that is adored by only college students. Then there is a more sophisticated techniques being applied like the partly boiled egg, or the flame tattooed pork slices. Ofcourse you have to have friends and keep them happy. But maybe the buffets have ruined their perspective, and the idea of Japaneses "Sushi" loaded with cream cheese. They just dont get it, or the idea of having a job, dogs are friendly and there fore lovely, cheese doesnt have to be in every meal. But this isnt their review, and I'm a huge fan of the Ramen Jin. It's not traditional, it will never be confused to the traditional soba, and that is all ok. The effort and style is what makes this traditional Japanese, not the tattoos or blue hair on the employees. read more

See all

Ramen is tasty but it's not consistent. One day I was craving for ramen so I came to this place. The soup was too greasy for me. I threw up everything after eating. Yet, I gave them another chance. I came back today and the soup was beyond my expectation. It was awesome, even better than Tiger DenI'm so satisfied I like their spicy miso btw read more

Ramen Jin - Spicy miso. Ask for more chili sauce, it'll taste much better - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Second time here. Order at register get a number sit down. Place smelled like bathroom cleaner which grossed me out. Clean bathroom though I guess. Anyway, can't order ramen to go just FYI. I ordered the spicy miso ramen. It tasted different then other ones I've had. Not bad. The noodles were really good. The thing was it was not spicy. At all. The matcha waffle was actually a plain waffle with this bitter matcha ice cream on top. The red bean paste made it good and not as bitter. It wasn't a sweet sweet dessert which was good. Service was good. Oh no soda fountains. You buy canned drinks or get water in a glass pitcher. Not much on the menu either except for the 4 different ramens and the appetizers and "mini" rice bowls. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

My first time ever visit n it only gained three stars from me on 1/27/15. My miso ramen came within 4 minutes to me. The smell was inviting, the presentation was nice, the soup was tasty but the ramen was not well done. I found I had difficult time to chow the half hard ramen while I tried to enjoy the taste. No to go policy in order to keep the quality of ramen is not a convenience policy but not a bad idea. I will be back to try others。 read more

Ramen Jin - Miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

I went to many Ramen place in my life. here, with 100% confidence I can say this Ramen Jin place get the award for being the worst Ramen place I ever been to. The Tonkotsu broth is water, you can't tell it has flavor or not, its literally dipping noodle in to warm water. You can not say this is qualify as Ramen it self. Chasyu was also flavorless, I guess you cannot say this restaurant is "bad" because it doesn't even have flavor to begin with. read more

Good price. Decent ramen. Tonkotsu ramen was really good, especially the chasu meat (love it), and the 5-min egg! I love love love the beef rice bowl, tender, juicy and flavorful meat! The tempura fish cake was a little bit salty, though. Also, it was kind of hard to look for the shop since there is no sign whatsoever, we have to walk by and look in each shop to find. ~$60 for 3 bowls of ramen, tempura fish cake, chicken karaage, beef rice bowl, takoyaki, mochi platter. Nice place read more

Ramen Jin - Tonkotsu ramen. Chicken karaage, beef rice bowl, tempura fish cake - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Based on the recommendations, I ended up trying the miso ramen. I felt like crying after one taste. It was the best ramen I've ever tasted!!! I've tried two other places' miso ramen but it wasn't as great as the one here!! The egg was perfectly cooked and ughhh I l9ve the saltiness of it. Maybe its a bit too salty but I love it!!! My salt intake is really high by the way, so I think not everyone would like it. If I must say, the atmosphere was so relaxing. I love the woods theme with red for a touch of warmth. I would definitely come here again!!! read more

Ramen Jin - Miso ramen! - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Small quaint place, loved the Ramen! We also got the Tempura king mushrooms, a little on the salty side. The waitress was Awesome, however the cashier is poor enough to ensure I won't come back if he is working. We walked up asking questions as we had never been here before - he huffed and was annoyed by it. I had to literally ask him to break the Ramen part of the menu down for us since there aren't any descriptions, which irritated him even more. read more

See all

Ramen Tonkotsu come to me! I love this spot. Great tasting ramen and it is about $3 less than other joints. Broth is rich and the pork is juicy. Menu is pretty small but not a big deal to me since I come to this spot for one thing. Go try Ya bowl! read more

I typically come here when my other Ramen place is packed. Awesome place, awesome Ramen. They only have pork broth. They also run out of items before the night is over. I have visited twice and on one occasion they were out of garlic chips and the 2nd night they were out of karaage. I wish they had more additional toppings to select from, but over all, a nice spot! Apple flavored soda is the best! Tips: There is no waitress. Water pitchers can be requested with small cups. Soup spoons, chopsticks, cayenne, garlic powder and salt are all on the table. Come with your phone charged, no outlets visible! LOL read more

Ramen Jin - Sesame Noodles Served cold with no broth and carrits, cucumbers sesame dressing and a 5 minute egg. - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Tried this place for the first time and it was amazing! I had the miso ramen, my husband had the tonkotsu ramen and we ended it with a matcha waffle. Service was fast and friendly. The place itself is nice and the price is right. Try it, you'll like it. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

So it's lunch time and everyone is headed out, I tag along and wonder if we are going to get more lemon chicken like last week. Nope, it's Raman day. We all pull into this shopping center and park in front of this shady little place. We walk in and I'm thinking that this has potential. We all walk up and order, I see some sort of Pork Belly role, of course I have to order 2 of those. I also order some bowel I can't pronounce but the register lady was super nice and got my gist. We all sit down and soon enough all the food starts showing up. I have to say it was pretty good. Those Pork Belly roles were fantastic. I mean I could have eaten 12 of those things. The bowel was good, the Chicken appetizer things were good as was the pot stickers. So yes all in all it was night and day difference from my last ramen experience here in Houston. No Orange Fanta so no extra star by default. Super nice staff and just a solid place to take in lunch. read more

See all

Was recommended from one of my relative, so decided to stopped by with my entire family of 10 to give them a try. This place have No signage on the front, you have to look at the door numbers, I drove by twice and expecting a front sign but their is nothing, not even an open sign. Arrived Monday for lunch around 1:05pm, stood at the entrance, saw a lady cleaning the tables but no warm greeting at all, until I found out this is actually like a fast food service at the cashier and the runner will run your food to the table, so approach to the cashier and start ordering, soon after I found out they run out all green onion, then the pork belly was only 2 left? We had 10 ramen and some side dishes. Tonkatsu ramen - soup base was ok, noodle cook right, the pork was very flavorful but only 2 slices. (probably they running out too) Gyoza - chicken and pork was good. Pork belly - not amaze me, the entire bun and pork belly taste blend, too much crush peanut is over power the dish. After the meal, we decided to order all their dessert, but again they run out all dessert except mochi? Lol. I'm asking myself why at lunch time they already run out 40% of their small menu? And they don't even have a signage up front? No open sign? Are they running out business soon? After I discovered they only open lunch on Monday and close for dinner, that's explain why they run out most of the stuff, but still can't explain why no signage? Overall, is a good place to try the Tonkatsu Ramen, but don't expect any service, is more like a self serving place. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

I'm a fan. I've been going here since they opened and I've witnessed their growing pains and evolution as a ramen place. Overall, I've always been happy with my bowl of noodles and I wouldn't mind coming back again and again. During my most recent visit, I opted for the sesame noodles which had just the right amount of sauce and extras to make me crave it again. One unique item that I love here are their tempura appetizers which are dusted with that tart and tangy plum powder that many Asians will find comforting and familiar. I've always got Ramen Jin in my pocket as a reliable option especially for lunch in the area. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

This was a very nifty and cozy little place with good hearty ramen! Service was fast and friendly as well. Spring Rolls - crisp outside and yummy inside. Just the way they should be! Tonkatsu ramen - Good hearty broth and pork. Only complaint would be all amount of meat and it was extremely fatty. Bamboo shoots tasted a little funny. Not like the last times I've eaten ramen elsewhere but it might be me. Otherwise it was very tasty! Garlic sausage - Crisp outside and tangy inside. Had a sesame seed or soy flavor to it. I couldn't quite place it but it was not lacking flavor by any means. Husband devoured it and threw leftovers in his ramen! Pork buns - We didn't get to try since they were sold out by 4pm on a Saturday! Just FYI for the bun eaters. Meal wasn't perfect but the broth, atmosphere and fast service made up for it! I'd really rate it 3 1/2 stars. I'd try it again if I was in the area and needed some comfort ramen. read more

Ramen Jin - Spring rolls - tasty and crisp! - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

Ramen Jin is definitely not the best ramen in Houston, but it does have some redeeming qualities. I enjoyed the flavorful spicy miso broth with its surprisingly strong kick. The egg (included with the ramen, something that is not always be the case in this city) was well-marinated with a good, custard-y yolk. Additionally, there was no wait during peak dinner time, a pretty rare find for a ramen-ya. I was most disappointed by the mushy, overcooked noodles. Also, the tonkotsu broth was heavy but bland, although the chashu was good. The ramen here is definitely not worth the drive out to Westchase, but for a no-wait ramen fix for people who happen to be in the area, Ramen Jin is adequate. read more

Ramen Jin - Spicy miso ramen - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

I recently went here since my friend wanted ramen at Tiger Den but they are closed on Mondays. Much better and more flavorful than the last time I went here. Glad to see that the broth is much richer. Choices for condiments is still lacking though. It's limited to Japanese chili powder and hot chili oil. Some toasted or ground sesame or sesame oil options would be great. I still don't like the choice of noodles they have. It's too big for my tastes. We had the miso and the shoyu and a fried fish cakes. Fish cakes were nice and salted. We also ordered the macha and waffles dessert, which they bring out when you're done. Just let them know when you're about to be done and it will come 5 min later. The waffles taste like Leggo my eggo and the ice cream was too icy like over frozen. The red bean in it was a good touch though. Overall, a better experience then I've had before here. Now I'll put it back on my list of options if I feel like ramen not too far from my house. The water needs more ice. Each order should come with a full egg instead of a half. Service is nice and friendly. Good parking options and nice decor. read more

Been watching a homie go faithfully with his girl so I decided to try it with mine lol. Walked in around 12 noon on a random Tuesday and there was no line.. place was full tho since it was work lunch time. Walked to the counter & was greeted promptly. Menu was explained slightly .. there were 4 ramen options, I chose the spicy miso.. food came out hot but not too hot. It was definitely flavorful ..ground pork, scallops, corn, half a boiled egg were a few of the ingredients amongst others. Music is pretty diverse but hearing Purple Stuff & Big Moe rapping with that Houston lingo tough in the background was the icing on the cake for my visit haha. Let me know that there are definitely some Southwest Alief Texas asians back there curating the playlist a bit. Overall, I enjoyed my time. Definitely recommend checking it out for a random lunch visit! read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

We moved from Los Angeles almost 18 years ago and we miss the food terribly. One particular chain we miss is Yoshinoya. Their gyudon was comfort food and Ramen Jin was just what we needed to fill that void. Ramen Jin's gyudon is sweet and savory. Their rice soaks up the sauce perfectly. The only minor inconvenience is the portion size. We're fat and one plate wasn't enough. Other than that, the staff is really nice! read more

Intimate, casual restaurant with excellent food and very welcoming staff. We called to see if we could bring a party of 10 to celebrate my daughters birthday. They were very accommodating and provided great service to our party. We really enjoyed the tonkotsu ramen, the gyoza, and the chicken karaage (great spices!). Everything was great. We also love Jinya ramen, but this is a great alternative and also less expensive which is a big plus. John was particularly nice and we appreciated his vibe. read more

Delicious broth in the ramen, but very disappointing noodles. I really think they used spaghetti. It could have been so much better with authentic noodles. I will say that the staff are very friendly and helpful. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Wow they did it again! This restaurant continues to amaze with great quality and customer service. I love the all wood interior and Edison bulb lighting. They added a new garlic sausage to the menu I tried tonight as well. It's an awesome mix of flavors. But as far as ramen is concerned they do it right. Traditional broth in my tonkatsu that I always order extra spicy along with the delicious Pork belly and egg has me giving them 5/5. Thanks for keeping it real Ramen Jin, I'll be back Will read more

Ramen Jin - Tonkatsu Shoyu, extra spicy - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came here for a quick meal during our business trip. We shared takoyaki octopus balls and I ordered spicy miso ramen with extra chili oil. Overall, very good service and good food. read more

Ramen Jin - Takoyaki - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

The tonkostu ramen with spicy paste was delicious! Quiet and nice atmosphere and very friendly staff.

I cant wait to write down my review of this wonderful place even it is gonna open until this thursday. i am very happy i have a chance to try this place on monday before they grand opening. i am a huge fan of ramen, here is what i want and what i expect. it is located on westheimer in the same plaza with whole food market. really easy to find out where it is.when you walk in this ramen restaurant, you will be happy with there environment. looks clean nice and comfortable. i already show up the pics you can check it out. let s start talking about their food which is the most important part. cuz they are not grand opening, they dont have everything on the menu. but tonkotsu ramen is available, starters are available. thats enough. haha, we got gua boa and tonkotsu ramen. gua boa is like "Bao"but "gua boa" is Taiwanese name and only have one flavor. it comes with sour cabbage and pork belly and some special sauce. that is the original bao, or you can say it is "bao's father" :) the bun is little sweet hot and soft. your stomach will be happy with sour cabbage, its sour and little sweet, very awesome. my friend never try gua boa before i order one for her, she cant stop getting more and more, like she said that is damn good!! oh one more thing surprise me which is there has logo on the bun skin! it is very good point to take picture for "instagramer " there is no doubt 5 star for the gua boa. after starter, i got my tonkotsu ramen. the portion is very big, enough for an adult. it comes with 2 large pieces of meats and some bamboos and "one whole sweet egg"(not the half in others) the soup has really strong smell and not blended, i am totally addicted. noodle is just one word "awesome!" i also took a pic you can see. meats are very delicious. it has more taste than any other ramen place. sweet egg is a whole egg with their logo !!! perfect look!!!! that is what i really want i want look i want taste too. here is nth let me down, everything is ready to be popular in the future! in my opinion here will have a crazy business and quality is better than other places. 5 stars Here is like fast food restaurant, order in the front, pick up the number, and waiter staff will bring the food to you. very easy service, but their staffs are very friendly, they smile all the time, suggest their food to me. even ask us "how is the food" i think this is not the fast food service it is like dinning service. so 5+ stars overall here is a amazing ramen place for me, the happier thing is it is very very close to my home, i can even walk to here. i will be the regular customer in here. environment, quality, service, nth complain, 5+ stars!!!! come and try you will know why i am so excited for this place. read more

See all

Good ramen, nice taste, almost same as I had in Japan. Really unexpected I colud find it in Houston. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

I came here during lunch hours when they were much busier. This place can be a hit or miss. I ordered the Spicy Miso Ramen with extra Chashu Pork and egg. The broth itself was okay. Normally you want to drink the whole soup after but I felt it was missing a little bit of flavor. I probaly should have added extra spicy oil to it because it definitely wasn't what I was expecting. My Chashu pork felt like it was extra done that I can crunch into. Normally I like it to where it's soft and melts into your mouth as you chew, not eat it like a fried chicken. Overall meal was good, yet can be forgotten easily and does not leave me in a state of that I can't stop thinking about the food. If I had to pick between Ramen Jinya and Tiger Den, I would absolutely recommend those anyday. read more

Ramen Jin - Spicy Miso Ramen with extra Chashu pork and extra egg - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

Decided to try this new Ramen place since we live down the street. While walking in, I expected to be greeted like at Ippudo, however I soon found out.. It's nothing compared to NYC. We walked up to the counter to order. 2 Tonkotsu (one spicy upon request) and 1 Miso ramen. Took about 5 mins before our order came out. Verdict: Tonkotsu has a very creamy broth. They add bamboo shoots to the ramen. Miso was creamy but not as creamy as Tonkotsu. Miso had corn. I personally like the Miso flavor more, but Tonkotsu is more popular. The noodles were different in both type of Ramen-- unsure why. The ramen in the Tonkotsu was al dente. The ramen in the Miso looks like legit ramen (like bagged noodles) lol. Anyways, nothing special. Probably wouldn't be coming back even though it wasn't bad. I just prefer Kata Robata :) read more

Ramen Jin - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

See all

The Tonkotsu was really good for the price ($10) and the broth was nice! I also liked the customer service but the place could have been a bit cleaner but it wasn't TOO bad haha read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas

After visiting a few other ramen places I can confidently say that this is my favorite. The price point and portion sizes are on point. You will definitely not walk away hungry. The restaurant itself is small, but clean. We like to start with the chicken karage or an eel small bowl. Both come out super hot and fresh. Ramen Jin has my favorite chicken karage. I'm not sure what they use to season it, but it's so flavorful it is addicting. I always order the tonkotsu ramen. The broth is salty and creamy. The egg is always perfectly cooked, and I love the mix of textures. It is the perfect cold weather or comfort food. This a great place to stop for a bowl of ramen! read more

10 dollars for a ramen is not expensive. But the soup is a little salty. We also ordered Gyoza, it is good.

Was great to have some tonkotsu ramen again. While I did enjoy it, it's not close to the best I've had. First taste, while rich and savory, was a bit salty and after a few mouthfuls my lips started to feel greasy. Definitely over salted as I had to drink a gallon of water once I got home. It's a cozy spot and if you're in the area and jonesing for tonkotsu, give it a go. read more

Came for dinner with my parents on a Monday - no wait. They described the decor as hip and trendy. hehe We tried the tempura (2/5) - I personally didn't like it because it was dusted with plum powder, but if you like it Gua bao (3/5) - good yum Ramen Shoyu (3/5) Tonkotsu (3/5) Curry (2/5) My dad's only complaint was that he wished they had listed on the menu what kind of meat came with each broth. He was jealous that his shoyu ramen came with ground pork and mine with pork belly. I would not recommend the curry ramen. It was like a watered-down version of japanese curry. I couldn't really tell the difference between the shoyu and tonkotsu broths. They were both extremely rich, but lacking flavor? Our eggs were cooked perfectly, but they did taste fermented...or alcoholic? Extremely generous portion of noodles - nothing special. I saw on the menu that they have shio (salt) ramen as well. I'd be interested to try that since that isn't an option anywhere else in Houston. I'm at a 2.5 rounded up because the place has potential. read more

Not the best ramen in town but it was pretty good for the price. Parking is a bit tight in that plaza. I like the interior, it felt comfy. You walk up to the register to order and you pay there. I ordered the spicy miso. They give you a good portion. I was stuffed afterward. The egg was a little deformed and it got lost in the bowl. We couldn't find it at first. The broth was too salty for my taste. The food came out pretty fast but I came during their not so busy time. They also have appetizers. Their menu was limited. This place is good for a quick lunch. However, afterward, my friend and I's stomach were not feeling so good. read more

I thought I had had better Ramen until I tried Ramen Jin today. First, the trendy atmosphere sets a good time when first time walking in. The owner was very nice and explained to us each options we had. The order just came so fast! We ordered Chicken Karage and Takoyaki (fried chicken nuggets with Japanese seasoning and octopus fried puff) they are so authentic and fresh. As for Ramen, we ordered Tonkatau, Spicy Miso and Shoyu. I absolutely love the Tonkatau and Spicy Miso. The soup base for Tonkatau was so tasty! I can taste the pork bone flavor in it with just the right amount of sake. The Spicy miso soup base was actually creamy but extremely flavorful. I was surprised by how good the soup tasted. However, the Shoyu was okay. The soup base was a little blend and it didn't seem very inviting! The pork tenderloin.....ooooo, so tender and I could tell that it was marinated and cooked for a while! So the last thing....the greatest thing: 5-minute egg. Oh my goodness. The egg was marinated and cooked just under the right amount of time. The yolk was actually running with lots of flavor to it! I will DEFINITELY go back again!!!'n read more

See all

Ramen Jin is hard to find in the dark as they do not have a lit sign. Roughly half of the tables were full on a cold and rainy Monday evening and it held pretty constant around dinner time. The food came out quickly and they have a nice 'Ramen Jin' burn mark on the eggs. I stuck with the basic tonkatsu ramen and the broth was flavorful. The main downside is that you only get ONE piece of meat. They also offered some canned drink but no hot brewed tea which was also kind of a let down. Overall a good place to try at least once, they seem to be only open for dinner. It is in the same parking lot as J Alexander's. read more

Ramen Jin - Ramen Near Me - Houston, Texas