Had the cold ramen (mizumen) with dipping sauce on a hot 90-degree day. Chose with the pork shoulder side. Perfect dish..not overly filling and lots of tart pickled veggies to round out the flavors. The outdoor patio is away from the hubbub of busier streets. Also got the fried chicken bao. So delish! read more

Ramen Kotori - Buttermilk fried chicken bao. - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

Excellent food. Excellent people. A definite must if you are in town. One of my favorites and literally everything is amazing.

Only Japanese style place in the area surprisingly good Small place with outdoor tables. You order at the window pay and they bring out the food read more

See all

For a 45 minute wait time.... Food was not worth it. I would just say pick another small restaurant to support. Food was honestly nasty and had no flavor, kimchi tasted like pure vinegar.. keep in mind they mostly just have 4-5 tables available at a time... read more

I ordered kids noodles and the chicken appetizer too. Which both kids love. Ordered a poke bowl with no rice for myself and why not! The mussels! They were amazing- then my 9 year old wanted to try one. One turned to two, two to three, three to the entire bowl! Well done team, my picky eater is getting an education on amazing foods. Thanks guys!!! read more

Ordered to pick up from here. Staff pretty friendly. The braised mushroom appetizer was the best part of the meal. Gyozas were good too. We got the ramen with the pork belly and the miso ramen and they were ok but unfortunately lacked any real flavor. read more

Absolutely terrible I don't think the people who gave this place any stars know what flavor is. Being from a city with plenty of ramen joints this was super disappointing. The service was awful I said I'm sorry but I'm canceling my to go order and I don't want to eat this it's absolutely a waste and the guy said we're not refunding you, you can leave it there you don't have to eat it. Are you serious dude ? Any restaurant with terrible food takes it back and will refund. Don't bother with this place if you're familiar with ramen. After all the drama he finally refunded me. read more

The ordering system is a bit strange, they call you and you have to order what you want before they sit you down. But the ramen was EXCELLENT. Well worth the wait and little ordering kinks. Would absolutely go back read more

DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY OR TIME. Went here last night because every other restaurant had a wait time of 1 hour or more. A large party was waiting in line when we arrived. The cashier told them it would be a 40 minute wait. They got their food to go instead. I was a party of two and was told it would be a 30 minute wait. The space doesn't hold more than 10 tables if that but most tables seated didn't have food yet so we opted to get it to go thinking it would faster. Another two parties behind us decided to add their names to the list. They were called after 10 minutes, they ordered with the cashier, then were seated before we got our food. No one else was on the wait list to be seated and no one was in line so I asked the cashier Omar could we have one of the three empty tables since I had not received my food yet. We were denied since we placed a "to go" order and the seating was for guest dining in. I asked to switch my order to dine in since it wasn't ready and I was denied, being told the same thing. When I finally opened my food (having to eat it at a random bench), my ramen wasn't even the one I ordered. Moreover, the extra protein I ordered for an additional charge was missing. I also had to remind the server twice that we never got our drinks before leaving. After spending $50 for mediocre ramen and lackluster gyoza with a salty dipping sauce, would never return. The 1 hour wait at the other restaurants would have been better than this. read more

The wait is ridiculously long. The way they work do not make sense. They cleaned up the tables already, but still didn't sit the customers for another at least 10 minutes already, still waiting. Do not come of you don't have time to do the waiting part. read more

Tried this place because there was a lot of hype around it. Ordered the shoyu ramen & a rice bowl, was very disappointed to say the least the food not great at all mid at best. My ramen was cold after 2 mins, broth is okay nothing special. Wait about 40'mins. Do NOT order the kimchi ! It was disgusting the worst I ever had. Would it recommend eating here. read more

This spot is a cute hole in the wall that serves some decent ramen although the prices are a little high. We ordered the Shoyu Ramen with pork shoulder and the Spicy Ramen with ground chicken along with the Kaarage appetizer. Flavor wise both were good but nothing that made your taste buds sing and portion size is just enough to fill you up although for what you're paying, it should be larger. Not much to customize either but they did offer several small appetizers and looks like the uni is a big hit. read more

See all

As my mom and i visited Solvang, it was a cold night and windy.. and so pleased to find Ramen Kotori! Perfect for the cold weather! We both ordered the vegetarian Ramen with side of the Pork Shoulder. The toppings were FRESH and generous. We loved the fresh shitake mushrooms, seaweed, hard boiled egg, and other great toppings over our ramen noodles. Read that the veggies are all from the Farmers Market. Just perfect for us. Also ordered side order of gyoza (dumplings). Was made perfectly and will be back next time! read more

:: Urchin road trip stop #2 :: If you don't like uni, you wouldn't go down on a mermaid. Unusually located in the Danish village of Solvang. Someone mentioned urchin in the reviews; so I walked in to verify. Saw @SeaStephFish chalked up on their wall. You've seen her urchin catch at Smorgasburg LA. I placed the order quick. I'm sure the ramen is good. But what they're doing with the high quality local Santa Barbara urchin is special! read more

See all

We were so excited to see a ramen shop and it was a windy night so we decided to try this place out. This was a the weekend before Christmas, the same night they premiered the Aurora Dronealis so it was packed. We waited about 30 min in line to order and 45 min waiting for the food. Finding a table to sit/eat/wait was bad because the inside of the restaurant is so small and people are constantly running into you. FOOD/TASTE: 3 STARS I ordered the roasted duck ramen (seasonal item?, it was printed on a piece of 8x11 paper) and bf ordered the shoyu. One would assume that roasted duck ramen would have slices of roasted duck; however, this place puts the roasted duck as an ingredient inside A DUMPLING. The dumpling part must have been in a smaller font which wasn't very obvious, I suppose. Perhaps the soup was a duck broth which I didn't find tasty. BFs ramen just tasted so-so. Nothing particularly amazing to rave about. Taste like your average ramen. Would not wait 75 mins to get this. Egg was good though-- your typical ramen egg. PRICE: 2 STARS I get this is hot commodity as we are in Solvang so exclusivity is definitely a reason for the markup. But $15 for a shoyu and $16 for a roasted duck ramen is just overpriced for its worth. So you are simply paying for exclusivity and nothing else. SERVICE: 2 STARS The bussers probably deserves 5 stars as he cleared our table quickly and still had a smile on dealing with other angry customers. A table of 8 ordered AFTER us and got their food before us. We ordered the same thing-- they had roasted duck ramen. Like I don't get it? I even had to wave down a server who probably was the owner or manager to let them know why the table who ordered AFTER us received their food first? He said ours is coming out and maybe 3-5 minutes later it was finally here. They probably need to find a way to improve their efficiency. I probably will skip this the next time we're in town. read more

Ramen Kotori - Shoyu Ramen? - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

See all

Came here on vacation trying to eat get some Ramen this place stays open late compared to other places to eat around here very small and hard to find, limited seating and parking is slim. I walked here with my gf since our hotel was around the corner . The service was amazing , food is not too much but I ordered the karage chicken was good. It is a bit pricey I liked the Ramen but not the broth think I should of got the non spicy. It was good and fresh. Also wish the water was good water being served not tap but think that's what you get for free. I would come here again and try other stuff. I also got a Thai tea that was good. read more

See all

Good hot ramen on a cold evening. We wanted something a little different then the typical Danish sausages while in Solvang and thought this place would be perfect. This really hit the spot on a 48 degree evening. We stood in line and ordered our food and they sat us outdoors with the heaters going and bonus they had some Depeche Mode and good 80s music playing. Our food came out steaming hot and we devoured the delicious ramen. I've only had ramen a few times so I'm no expert but I did really enjoy the spicy tan tan I just wish it was spicier and less noodles with more broth. I added pork belly and cabbage to my ramen. The prices were high but customer service was great as well as ambiance. We walked from our hotel so I couldn't tell you the parking situation. All in all it was a good experience and would go back if in the area. read more

Ramen Kotori - Spicy Tan Tan with pork belly - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

See all

Two words....Salt Lick. Very sweet people working there. We were staying close by so decided to take it back to our room. It was so salty we took a few bites of the ramen we ordered & as well as the gyoza, just really salty that's all I can say. read more

Wow! Who would think Solvang has good ramen?! This is a little hole-in-the wall shop, but the food is amazing! I had the Miso Ramen and added fried chicken. The flavor is incredible, not too salty at all. The egg is perfection. Also had the shishedo peppers which were very fresh & not too spicy. Ask any local about this place -- they will recommend it! read more

Ramen Kotori - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

See all

This is the only Asian food I saw in Solvang. Food tastes great. Staff is very friendly, courteous and helpful. Ambiance is good. They only have outdoor seating so bring a jacket just in case their heaters don't work. We asked the heater to be turned on while we are and they did. I'll eat here again! read more

My partner and I were staying in Solvang for a wedding this weekend and we had just arrived, hungry for some dinner. We found this spot online and ordered takeout. The food was incredibly good especially as a to go option, which can be hard w/ ramen. If you're in town -- GO! read more

Found ramen in Solvang! It was delicious, I had the ramen bowl with pork belly And we tried the gyoza as well. A great find for comfort food. read more

This was one of the only food spots that didn't close at 8 at Solvang lol. We didn't really expect super authentic asian food in Solvang, but their food ended up being SO good. We got their vegan ramen and it's legit the best vegan ramen we've had. and we're tried sooo much ramen in LA, OC, and SD. They don't try to put random stuff like brocolli/cauliflower, tomato, etc with raw ass tofu like a lot of ramen places. Definitely coming back when we visit again! read more

Ramen Kotori - Vegan ramen - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

The food was pretty amazing, but the staff was beyond wonderful. I would definitely come back again next time I'm in town.

Yummm. How can you not appreciate this little spot? This restaurant is clean and very neat. There's nothing untapped about it. Even more important and special, this particular Ramen joint makes small batch noodles with local and organic sourced produce. This is definitely a spot to check out. Their flavor is down-home and hearty in the broth and the noodles are just soft enough and just chewy enough. Their prices are fairly reasonable, especially because I don't see them having much competition in the area. I had passed by a few times and just kind of kept walking because I was never really sure if they were open. So, don't hesitate. Walk up to the window. See if anyone is there. If you have questions, ask them. The people who work here are so sweet and so friendly they will answer any questions that you might have about anything that they offer on the menu or even questions that you have about things that might not be on the menu. And OMG did someone say kanpai?? Yes they also serve sake!!! Let's gooooo! Check it out. I bet you will be surprised! I know I was pleasantly so. read more

See all

very limited seats. need more umbrellas during hot summer days. the taste.... nothing special, meh. you can order but would still have to wait for tables. read more

Food was delicious, service is quick, all seating is outdoors, ambiance is casual and comfortable.

The spot was perfect for ramen. Very yummy and even beer was refreshing. The person taking our order had good recommendations.

Raman was just ok. I've had far better Raman in Ventura county. Parking is difficult, restroom was shared with other vendors, very dirty. The food presentation and service was good, they were very nice. They have an outside patio, but there was a lot of trash on the floor. The pickled veggies are worth getting. read more

Ramen Kotori - Raman and pickled veggies on patio. - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

A single Japanese restaurant in a touristy town like Solvang, where most restaurants serve standard American fare (sandwiches, salads, pastas, steak, meat roasts), Ramen Kotori is a great hidden gem. My first thought was this place serves Japanese food like Panda Express does Chinese food and I was surprised by how authentic and delicious were their food. My wife was yearning for fresh seafood for dinner and except for Bar Le Cote in Los Olivos, there weren't any standout seafood restaurants in the area. So the poke bowl on Ramen Kotori's menu lured me in regardless of my initial misgivings. Ordered the chill noodles and the poke bowl for takeout at the counter. 15mins later food was ready, and another 10 minutes later, I was back in the hotel room popping the lids off. It smelled great, and it tasted great. Poke was fresh, light on the dressing which highlighted the fish's freshness; the dipping sauce for the chill noodles was tasty. Prices were reasonable. I'm glad there's alternative restaurant in the area and will be back to try their ramen next time. read more

PROS: - The only ramen place in Solvang. - Outdoor seating is really nice, nestled in between a windmill and small dutch buildings. - Staff was super nice and friendly. CONS: - Ramen is just okay. Obviously you can't expect much from a ramen house in Solvang. - Prices. - Karage also left a lot to be desired. read more

This place is super amazing wish they had a larger location for a more dine-in experience other than that PERFECT. It's summer time and it's hot in the area , that didn't stop me. I got a hot ramen and a cold dipping ramen both equally amazing. Love the freshness and the umami they provide. Sweet salty savory. If you're in Solvang this is a amazing lunch spot. Venture out of your bubble! read more

Ramen Kotori - Cold noodles - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

See all

Great service and great tasting food. Staff very helpful. Loved this place. Definitely coming back for the spicy tuna roll.

VEGAN EATERS HERE.....Ramen Kotori stands out, even in this remarkable year of new Santa Barbara area restaurants, I mean we drive to Montecito for Pizza at Bettina (from Los Alamos)! NOW, we have our OWN star, right here in the SYV, in rapidly evolving Solvang. It's called, in subtle typeface, Ramen Kotori and we will probably be back Wednesday, when they open again! YUP, it's THAT good! Figure we arrived at 8:30pm (they close at 9 but we called ahead) and there was no rushing, nothing but kindness and a very relaxed vibe. A few eaters still huddling beneath the heaters on the patio and us, three hungry jokers dying to try what Francisco and Ikuko Velasquez with partner Budi Kazali of "The Gathering Table" at The Ballard Inn had put together. We ordered quickly, bowls of steaming ramen, some garlicky broccolini from local Finley Farms, they were already out of the baby bok choy so Ikuko brought over a stunning ohitashi bowl and a platter of their pickled veggies in apology. A really, really sweet and generous gesture, very thoughtful like everything else at RK. Being vegan, the menu is limited for us but with ramen this good, the first words out of my husband's mouth was "I could eat this every day for the rest of my life!". The miso broth, rich and soothing, filling the handcrafted stoneware bowls, loaded with vegetables, shiitake mushrooms and tender ramen noodles is simply sublime, satisfying to the last drop and, there were "snout marks" from draining the vessel! I can imagine the menu will change often, Francisco is too talented to not create constantly. Please keep plant based eaters in mind, FV! We are loyal and send friends. No beer or wine just yet but soon. In the meantime the pamplemousse kombucha is outrageous. For this quality, for the lush gorgeousness of this ramen, the prices are beyond fair. I'm still knelling, today!!! See you soon......... read more

See all

Had the pork broth ramen with pork belly, ordered it with egg and mushroom. Everything was so delicious and the price was reasonable. I do want to say that I ordered my ramen to go, the package was good and you can tell they took their time to do so. The broth is packaged separate which is of course great. By the time I got back to my hotel and ate it wasn't as hot but of course that's my fault for taking forever. I placed it in the microwave for a few mins and it was ready to eat. First time here would definitely recommend. read more

Ramen Kotori - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

Seriously great food. We wanted ramen but the specials looked so good we just ordered those. The bao bun was great and I loved the hand roll. We will definitely try to come back. read more

We love Ramen Kotori! Their food is always outstanding and they have a very nice wine list. Perfect complement to their food. We plan to stop by again soon. read more

Absolutely amazing! The attention to detail in their food is next level. A perfect spot to eat in downtown solvang. I highly recommend! read more

See all

A place recommended by a local was a highlight. Food was exemplary. Very casual place - order at the window, grab a seat at tables on patio. A server brought our meals. Delicious - expertly seasoned, prepared with care. In evening, there are heaters on patio. During the day, umbrellas shield you from the sun. Will definitely return. read more

First time here, and we got there right when they opened. Skipped the line that got there afterwards. Enjoyed the matcha milk tea which was really nice. And then, I had the miso ramen with pork belly, and it was really good! Nice balance of flavors, fresh vegetables, and the broth was not too salty! Gyoza was good, but the glazed mushrooms aren't my favorite, but good nonetheless. Really happy with my experience, and I will be back for many times to come. read more

Ramen Kotori - Miso ramen with pork belly. Great dish! - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

See all