Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Ramen Kowa

    4.2 (295 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Order Ramen Kowa Takeout or Delivery

    Ramen Kowa Photos

    Business Info

    RAMEN KOWA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Ramen Kowa

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos - Ramen Kowa

    Krista D.

    Ramen Kowa exceeded all our expectations! Between the comforting ramen, curry dish, and refreshing bingsoo, the food and vibes here are 10/10.

    Sapporo Miso Ramen
    Michelle Z.

    Pretty good ramen, with lots of topping variety and a generous amount of noodles. I got the sapporo miso ramen which had cubed pork, corn, bamboo, and bean sprouts. I liked the chewiness of the noodles and the rich flavor of the broth! The meat was a little salty for my taste but it was super tender. They also have rice bowls and curry on the menu. I would try the sausage curry next time! Service was friendly and pretty quick and efficient. The restaurant was pretty much empty when we went at 5:45 on a Monday but it filled up a lot around 7:30 and got pretty loud inside.

    Sapporo Miso Ramen and Traditional Shio Ramen
    Yasmeen E.

    My sister and I decided to come by here mainly because the there's chicken as an option! (Looking at you, Ramen Nagi). So I was happy to see a few options for people who don't eat pork. We got the soy garlic karaage which was very flavorful! I almost wish we got a second plate of it. My sister and I shared both ramens and our favorite was the miso one. It was chicken broth miso which was such a flavorful combination. The service and ambiance were unremarkable. No complaints. I would come back here for my ramen fix!

    Tonkotsu Ramen
    Paula N.

    Went for lunch around 1pm and just missed the rush crowd. On a rainy day I was craving some of their curry but found out they have soybeans in them which I am sadly allergic to :( They were very nice about changing my order but they had started making the katsu so they gave it to me on the house :') Ramen was delicious! I will come back again to try other things

    Tonkotsu Ramen ($18)
    Rachel L.

    Got the tonkotsu broth which was super rich and fatty, not too salty, and pretty tasty overall. The chashu was okay, and the portion was also not big for paying almost $20 a bowl. Not a horrible option if you're in the area but not the best value ramen for sure. Service was pretty quick but bare minimum. Place itself is nice and cozy with decent amount of seats.

    Matcha Bingsu with mango and strawberry
    Ashley L.

    These are some of the best noodles I have had! I love how thin they are and they give A LOT! I could barely even eat half because they put so much. The broth itself was a great amount of spice. I wish they had spice levels because I could've done a bit spicier but it was still amazing as is. The matcha bingsu was not overwhelming in matcha flavor which was perfect. The condensed milk was a great touch to keep it sweet.

    Tonkotsu Ramen
    Kelley T.

    I came here with a friend on a Tuesday at 11am when they just opened. The waiter quickly sat us down and let us browse their menus before taking our orders. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen with a side of karaage (lunch time special). The food came out pretty soon afterwards. The karaage was a lot bigger than expected but very crispy and juicy. The tonkotsu broth was rich ans flavorful and I loved how chewy the noodles were. The chashu was a little on the thinner side but still pretty good. Overall a pretty good place to grab a quick bowl of ramen for lunch with some friends.

    Alex M.

    Overall: C // 3 stars Didn't have much expectations of this restaurant going in, but it is a new-ish Asian restaurant in the Palo Alto area, so I decided to try it. Everything here is very mid, from the pricing to the food to the presentation to the selection to the service. I wouldn't mind having this place be around for several more years at the current state as an option, but at the same time, I'm not salivating to return any time soon either. (Beef Curry: C) - Mild curry with a subtle sweetness. Beef was tender and liked the accompaniments of the salad and pickles. Unfortunately, the food incredibly lukewarm, which is not a good temperature to eat this dish. Food: E Presentation: E Price: E Atmosphere: E Service: E Menu: E Overall: 3 stars Insta/Yelp/Beli/TikTok: @amei_eats

    Spicy Miso Tonkotsu Ramen
    Minh V.

    Tashi broth is great here. Spicy Miso Ramen is good. Owners are kind. Drinks good. Highlight for me is Ramen. Tonkotsu broth: Creamy, rich, added crumbled meat. Nice texture with heat from miso. Noodles: Chewy good, Add-ons: Egg , vegetable, chasu Decently priced. Filling.

    Menu
    Joanna F.

    As a non pork eater, the veggie ramen is top year!! veggie broth often is thin and less flavorful but this was a very yummy broth, plus good veggies. I was apprehensive about the Brussels sprouts but they weren't too big and they were quite tender. Go-to ramen spot for Palo Altans who want veggies (I'm looking at you ramen nagi)

    Tonkotsu ramen
    Mito I.

    Brief Summary - Indoor and outdoor seating available - Chewy and bouncy noodles - Balanced topping ratios - Some of the staff members can speak Japanese We arrived here in the late afternoon. Our initial plan was to head to the hotel to checkin, but we were growing too hungry to walk further, especially when we started walking on the street where every block had a restaurant. After a short brisk walk around the block to see the choices, on a hot summer day, ramen felt like the right meal to have. Inside the staff gestured us to sit at one of the tables and handed us the menus. On this day, we chose tonkotsu, shōyu, and a vegetable ramen. Since we were extra hungry, we ordered fried rice. This is also an unusual case for us, but it was a hot day, the posters of bingsoo caught my eyes too strongly, so we also ordered one matcha bingsoo for dessert. The fried rice arrived first, and then the 3 ramens arrived at the same time. The fried rice was a small surprise because it came with a large bowl of miso soup. I downed that first and then shared the fried rice with the family. I liked the fried rice flavor, the nice toasty aroma of the toppings. The only small thing I had was that the salt felt a bit harsh? It wasn't salty but I'm lightly assuming it wasn't sea salt; the salt stood out as an aftertaste. The ramen dishes were delicious. My relative wanted to mention that they have tried different vegetarian ramen dishes from different restaurants, and this became one of their favorites. This vegetable ramen has the same richness as the non-vegetarian ones, so it really felt like they were eating a true ramen. I also loved the topping ratio was just right for the ramen dish. As mentioned in other reviews, I am not a fan of ramen dishes, where they focus too hard on the toppings -- particularly the chashu pork, so much so that they become the star of the dish. The chashu here was cut thin and decorated like garnish, and that I give a thumbs up on this. Because the chashu pork is cut thinly, I can cut them with just chopsticks so it doesn't stop my slurping. The bingsoo was fantastic and so good for the hot weather that day. one was enough to share within the family. I was fascinated with the wooden spoon used in the bingsoo; I didn't know wood slows down the ice melting.

    Shaved ice
    Ni G.

    We were immediately greeted when we entered the restaurant . They have nice indoor and outdoor seating . The road is blocked which makes it more comfortable as a pedestrian and restaurant guest when sitting outdoors . We ordered the vegetarian ramen ,fries , and shaved ice dessert with mixed fruits and just mango . The vegetarian ramen has silky soft tofu cut into small pieces that make the ramen have a unique flavor . The noodles are delicious and taste fresh . They had a lunch deal of adding a side for $5 per ramen . For the sides they had vegetarian egg rolls and edamame. We enjoyed all the dishes and we have no complaints about any of the dishes .

    Tonkotsu Ramen
    Amy L.

    Stopped by this restaurant on Cal Ave on a Wednesday at 7:30pm and it was ~80% empty! It seemed pretty new with nice indoor and outdoor seating options; we opted for outdoor and the ambiance was great. Food took a bit longer than expected to arrive but the ramen was solid. Both bowls came with a good amount and variety of toppings (eg., bamboo shoots, corn, seaweed). However, the meat and broth in the Sapporo miso ramen were both saltier than I would've liked. The biggest disappointment to us was the soy garlic karaage, which had minimal flavor and was not crispy at all. Would give it closer to a 3.5 all in all.

    See all

    Photo of Vruti D.
    741
    21
    54

    12 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley L.
    3
    93
    163

    1 month ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Daw M.
    286
    985
    7085

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    $20 for a bowl of rice with some curry, no meat. You must be kidding me. Blacklisted this place. Such a scam.

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ramen K.

    Ramen K.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of PT S.
    2
    219
    713

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jeremy T.
    42
    116
    111

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ramen K.

    Ramen K.

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ramen K.

    Ramen K.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 8

    Ramen Kowa Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Ramen Kowa

    Do you still have outdoor seating?

    Yes they do

    I tried to call multiple times and no one answered. Do you use peanut oil for frying or peanut/tree nuts in any dishes?

    Hello, we don’t use peanutoil for anything.

    What style of ramen do they serve?? Hakata?

    They serve tonkotsu ramen with relatively thin noodles, so I guess they are "Hakata" style ...

    Are there any vegetarian ramen options?

    Thank you for your inquiry! We currently don’t have vegetarian ramen options.

    Is there a rice noodle option?

    Thank you very much for your interest in our items!Sorry, we currrently have an egg noodle option only.

    View All 7 Questions

    You might also consider

    Kobeya

    Kobeya

    3.8
    (591 reviews)
    12.1 mi
    $

    I'm a sucker for small mom and pop shops like this! The inside isn't anything to write home about…read moreand you'll leave smelling like oil but the food is worth it! The lady working here was also super nice and friendly. Chicken katsu curry 4/5 The fried food here is so good. Delicious katsu. Curry was a little too sweet for my liking but warm and hearty. Spicy tuna roll 3.5/5 Not too spicy. Tasty, pretty standard, Agedashi tofu 4/5 Light and fried nicely. Soy sauce was delicious and paired well. Tempura 5/5 Probably the best and lightest tempura I've in the states. Comes close to being in Japan! Overall, definitely will be back when I'm craving tempura or katsu. Have to support small businesses like this!

    We had a warm and hearty lunch here. We actually had planned to eat at one of the Chinese…read morerestaurants across the street but didn't want to deal the wait, and this spot was quaint and quiet. The food took some time, even though we were the only party at the time that we ordered, but you can tell that it is made of fresh and with love. As someone who enjoys eating flavorful meals, but is also very conscious of healthy choices, I was very grateful that they had grilled chicken curry option since it normally comes fried only, and that you could opt for brown rice instead of white rice. My chicken curry dish was so hearty and flavorful, the curry is housemade and the chicken was very tender We also ordered a chicken Katsu Bento, which was both juicy yet perfectly crisp. It comes with a little bite of soba noodles and a bite of macaroni and that small salad . Order at the counter , and there's a handful of indoor tables The tonkotsu ramen was also delicious - came with two super huge slabs of juicy pork belly and the broth was scrumptiously rich . Glad we ended up here for lunch !

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Kobeya
    Interior

    See all

    Interior
    HINODEYA Ramen & Bar Downtown

    HINODEYA Ramen & Bar Downtown

    4.3
    (724 reviews)
    29.2 mi
    $$

    Great Ramen and mochi ice cream! Service was fast and fun…read moreand food came fast. Kids loved it too. Ambiance seemed authentic and they do a cool welcome as guest arrive!

    We came to Hinodeya Downtown location for dinner on a weekday for dinner and was pleasantly…read moresurprised by all the varieties of meal sets you can get here. Food 4/5: we ordered the pork katsu rice bento with mini creamy ramen and the Yu Ling chi chicken bento with the spicy miso mini ramen. Everything tasted fresh and hot. We particularly liked the pork katsu, it was perfectly crispy, juicy and well seasoned with the katsu sauce. The ramen didn't have much topping (just scallion and Naruto) but the soup and noodles texture were great. I was looking forward to the Yu Lin chi chicken but was not a big fan of the sauce flavor, it was salty and slightly one note. Rice was well cooked in the bento but I could do without the edamame, they weren't cooked long enough so it was hard to get out of the shell and bland. Service 3/5: we were seated pretty immediately but had to wait quite awhile before anyone served us, it might be because we were more towards the corner and the restaurant was busy. We had to get up to find a server to help us with checking out because no one ever came to check up on us. Ambiance 4/5: nice space, slightly cramped, but generally nice with the exposed brick walls and high ceiling. There's also outdoor seating available here.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Shrimp Tempura (5 pcs)
    Shrimp Tempura (5 pcs)
    Interior

    See all

    Interior
    Cafe Okawari

    Cafe Okawari

    4.5
    (540 reviews)
    27.9 mi
    $$

    Simple and rich flavors, three working male professionals, three different curry bowls, three…read moredifferent styles. Service was quick and efficient. They'll bring the food to you if you eat outside or at the table. Receive over the counter for the bar seating. Ambiance is modern with a nice wooden touch. Plenty of outdoor seating Curry n rice Katsu curry n rice Tender chicken curry n rice $9 curry you can't beat it.

    I like Japanese sandos the way I like my mini walking clouds…read more.. FLUFFY! Sadly, Cafe Okawari wasn't it but more on that later. Since opening in 2019, Cafe Okawari has been on my list to visit. Since they're only open on the weekdays and street parking is i-n-c-r-e-d-i-b-l-y difficult, stopping by was a challenge. Fast-casual service with limited seating indoors and outdoors. Bus your own table afterwards. Limited Menu; Specialty - Chicken Katsu Curry & Japanese sandos (sweet + savory). F O O D * Egg Salad Sando w/ jidori egg ($13): https://tinyurl.com/khwxepnc I liked that the jidori egg was perfectly jammy, but the rest of the sando was underwhelming. The egg salad was bland, and the shokupan wasn't as pillowy soft as I'd expected. Instead, it had a drier texture that felt more like American white bread. * Chicken Katsu Curry Rice ($21.50): https://tinyurl.com/cwedbaze + Add jidori egg ($3) The katsu curry was fine but expensive for the portion. Crunchy and tender, the chicken katsu (thigh meat) sat atop a bed of perfectly cooked rice - soft, chewy, and sticky, yet with each grain still distinct. The curry was plain tasting and I wish it came with some veggies. The onsen egg is a must add for that silky richness. IMO, you can find better katsu curry in the city for the fraction of the cost ($15-$18) at Curry Hyuga, Nippon Curry, Fumi, Volcano Curry, etc. S E R V I C E We ordered for dine in (outside) but they packed our order to go. When I brought it up, they basically said, there's nothing they can do. Bummer since parking was so hard. Considering how busy they were, our order was ready in several minutes. Overall, after waiting all these years to try Cafe Okwari, it didn't live up to the hype. I'm obvs in the minority but I wonder if the ratings are inflated because they have a prime location to AI/Tech offices, Oracle Park, and Caltrains.

    Photos
    The café is busy with patrons eating Japanese sandos or bowls! 12/1/23
    The café is busy with patrons eating Japanese sandos or bowls! 12/1/23
    Egg Salad Sando w/ jidori egg ($13)
    Egg Salad Sando w/ jidori egg ($13)
    Beef Gyudon

    See all

    Beef Gyudon
    On the Bridge

    On the Bridge

    3.4
    (1.4k reviews)
    29.4 mi
    $$

    This place is literally on the bridge, connecting the Japantown shopping centers. So it's pretty…read moresmall and narrow. Not really accessible if you have a wheelchair. It was kind of difficult already with my husbands crutches. A wheelchair could be possible if they sit you at the very front entrance. We wanted to go because they have napolitan and we were very happy that we went. The staff were nice. They keep to themselves and check in on you just enough. There's anime on the shelves if you want to read and relax. Love that they had a warning that some of them may not be suitable for kids. They don't split bills, so heads up if you're going with multiple people. Our boys really liked their curry and katsu. They were able to make it not really spicy and it was just right for them. Napolitan was so good. The serving size was just right. At first I thought it might be too big, but because it was so good, I scarfed that thing down. This will definitely be our spot to go back to when we're in Japantown.

    I've been going to the Japanese Trade Center since I was a little kid. It's been a huge part of my…read morelife. This was one of those places that I always passed and would think to myself "I need to stop there one of these days." Well I finally did and it was quite good. The curry I got would have been the perfect level of spice for my wife, who's fully white, but next time I think I'll go up a level or two. It was still good and full of great flavor, but I expected a bit more from the level of spiciness I got. The young guy that was helping me was very nice and attentive. There was this person visiting someone who worked there, I think she was a nurse who worked nearby, who was chatting with her friend (the other server) at such a volume I wonder if the nurse lady knew that inside voices were even an option. That was a little distracting but I don't blame my server for that. I don't care if employees at places want to chat, that's fine. Just be aware of the volume. Overall I'm very glad I went here and the food was delicious.

    Photos
    03.02.24 entrance to restaurant located on the West Mall
    03.02.24 entrance to restaurant located on the West Mall
    Japanese Seafood Spaghetti
    Japanese Seafood Spaghetti
    Menchi Katsu with tonkatsu sauce

    See all

    Menchi Katsu with tonkatsu sauce

    Ramen Kowa - ramen - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...