Austin C.

One thing that really caught me off guard was the mandatory 18% service charge. For a casual ramen restaurant, that felt excessive, especially on top of already premium menu prices. It made the overall value even harder to justify. They should at least state it onto the menu to let customers know ahead of time instead of surprising their customers at the check out register. The space itself was clean, but the theme felt very minimal and wasn't as immersive or memorable as I expected. For the price, I also thought the ramen portions were on the smaller side. We ordered the Libra and Mars (mild) ramen. Both are listed as spicy ramen, but oddly enough, the Libra had little to no spice at all, while the Mars had the level of heat we expected. The Libra ramen noodles weren't the authentic soba I expected, as it was thick noodles. I honestly believe they should've swapped the noodles from the Venus ramen to the Mars. The flavors were decent, but nothing stood out enough to justify the cost. I'm glad I tried it once, but I am definitely sure I will NOT return.

Joyce T.

18% service charge is mandatory (not a tip), and they still ask for more tips. Their food quality does not justify the cost. Venus Ramen ($19) was small portion and average, with a hard to chew fried lotus root. Ika Karaage is not crispy and hard to chew too. Aries Soba is not the normal soba I expected, it was thick, udon-like noodles instead of traditional thin soba. Tiny portions (refer to my pics). Poor experience overall

Lloyd C.

Ramen Wakusei is in a plaza close to 10 Butchers, Meriwest Bank, TP Tea, etc. The ramen house is modern, simple decor yet stylish. The menu has unique names from planets to celestial signs..."where the flavors of the galaxy come alive in every bowl. Inspired by the wonders of the universe..." Mercury Ramen: Tonkotsu-style ramen with a broth made from kelp and bonito flakes, providing subtle umami flavors. Butterfly Shrimp, pork belly chashu, kikurage mushrooms, green onions, half seasoned soft boiled egg, fried lotus, pickled radish (4/5). Flavorful with a undertone of seafood brininess of scallops. I really enjoyed the fried lotus roots and butterflied shrimp with cheese. The noodles were thin style but cooked perfectly. The prices are a bit higher than other ramen places but the uniqueness of each bowl is enticing. The service was friendly, polite, and fast. I'll be back to try their other creations. Support your local business.

Ed Y.

First of all, DON'T PAY TIPS because it's already included. Secondly, this plaza is notorious for parking here. It's not as bad as the parking from the small plaza on the other side of fair oaks but this plaza is really really difficult to find parking. The ramen is relatively new as it used to be Chick & Tea. The space is fairly small and the tables are arranged for small parties so I wouldn't recommend larger parties to come here. My biggest gripe of this place is not only the price (it's going to be $35 for a ramen) but mostly that it has the audacity to ask for MORE tips after it changes you 18% service charge. The place is not traditional but more trendy in that it named different ramen with planets and constellations. I don't like the noodles because they are not chewy at all. The soup base doesn't mash with the ingredients. Pork bone base doesn't go well with seafood such as softshell crab. Is this a horrible place? Nope, otherwise it wouldn't get 3 stars but I'm already being generous because I don't think the price reflect the quality. I'd rather go to a more traditional Japanese ramen place (opened by Japanese) than innovation that doesn't work well because in the end ramen is all about noodles and soup bases.

Dat N.

We came around peak lunch time, but it was empty on the inside. We were seated immediately. We ordered the Saturn and the Premium Venus. Everything came out incredibly quickly. The Saturn was interesting! The crab was delicious - well fried, well breaded, and well seasoned. Next time I'd likely order it on the side, lest it sink into the ramen and loose its crunch. The broth was flavorful, and very bonito-forward. The pickled radish was a perfect compliment to the heavier flavors present in the bowl. Venus was decent. The broth was fine, but a bit bland. The addition of a slice of fried lotus was an interesting change of flavor and texture. Overall, though, the noodles were just okay - which is unfortunate, because this is a ramen shop.

Sylvia L.

I visited on a Tuesday night around 5pm. There were no other customers until around 6pm. ORDER Neptune Ramen Saturn Ramen Gemini Soba STARS (stand out qualities) -Food (4/5 stars) - food was hot and yummy; hefty amount of noodles; soft Saturn shell crab was fried really well; good amount of scallops and shrimp were; Neptune broth was my favorite part -Service (3/5 stars) - staff were friendly and good about bringing water and food in timely manner ; reward system available -Ambiance (4/5 stars) - clean and space themed; moon was outstanding STAIRS (areas of growth) -The Gemini was shared among two people and they gave an extra half egg I initially thought was complementary but I was surprised to find out there was an additional $3 charge for half an egg (server did not mention giving an extra egg or extra charge) -The egg was not as gooey as I'd like it to be in ramen -Prices are high for what you get. The ramen bowls do have some good ingredients but it feels like more noodles than the other toppings -Also surprised by 18% surcharge (not considered tip) that was on the fine print of menu but staff didn't point it out and let us know beforehand. I don't blame the service staff and disagree with this management decision to make surcharge rate as high as a tip percentage TIPS -Be wary of the 18% surcharge and other hidden charges While food was pretty good, I would not go here again until or recommend others as long as those surcharge policies and hidden charges continue.

Vy T.

Ramen Wakusei is located in the same plaza as TP Tea and 10 Butchers! The plaza itself is a moderate size with enough parking spots, but once it's peak hours, expect it to fill up fast. We came during lunch time on a Wednesday so it was very chill and only 1-2 other parties. The restaurant is moderate size and modern looking. Service was prompt and friendly. Their menu items are interestingly named after planets and zodiac signs. Food: - Chicken Karaage: Tender chicken with crunchy batter exterior. 8.5/10 - Mars: Subtle seafood based umami broth with thick ramen noodles. Chasu pork was cut thinly and had a slight five spice taste to it. The butterfly shrimps had melted cheese on top. The spice tasted oily. 8/10 - Mercury: A bit thicker garlicky broth with thin ramen noodles. The the chasu pork was the same as the Mars bowl, but with corn! This is a very nice solid ramen restaurant.

Sherman T.

You're in for a surprise if you dine here, the good and the bad! Situated in a small strip mall hosting a few other eateries, Ramen Wakusei brings in locals and visitors alike with their simple yet loaded menu of ramen, soba, and curry rice dishes. Named for the planets, their menu features dishes with those monikers in addition to constellations. As you step foot into this well lit and clean shop, your gaze will be captured by the giant moon feature on the wall to your right. Like a wolf howling in yearning for a response from their brethren, your stomach will begin to growl in hopes to satisfy its hunger. The staff will greet you and seat you with menus, utensils and waters. As you peruse the menu, you'll notice a few differences between the ramen bowls including the type of protein and soup base. Some of the soups are spicy. The soba noodles are similar and have premium meats like wagyu graded beef. Both noodle options have a vegetarian alternative for those looking to skip the meat. There are also options to add extra ingredients at an additional cost (quite a big one at that). As we weren't all too hungry, we decided to get a bowl of ramen each for the adults and one for the two kids to share. The staff took our orders and even gave a bowl for us to split the kids' order. Little did we know that they ended up adding an extra half egg without telling us (which ended up getting charged as an additional 3 bucks). It was a pleasant surprise at first, thinking they were "giving the pickle" as they say in the old days when it comes to customer service, but then became a downright bummer when we saw the check. That was surprise number one. The food we ordered at least tasted great. The sticker prices on them were not so great - some sitting at nearly $30 a bowl! Not the best value given that the noodles don't seem to be made in-house. Their seasoned eggs are not very seasoned and are atrociously overcooked. They at least give you a lot of noodles to fill you up. Neptune - a seafood behemoth swimming with big chunks of scallops and shrimp. The broth was light and paired well with the umami flavors from the protein. Saturn - the big one that's extremely photogenic with its fried soft shell crab taking center stage. The crab is cooked perfectly and exhibits an incredible crunch with each bite yet retains that soft meaty interior. The soup base is a bit spicy but is manageable and really brings the dish together. Gemini - interesting flavors with the inclusion of yogurt but the meat was tough, definitely not what I would have expected for something with wagyu in its name. The soba noodles were chewy as advertised and had good texture and taste. The service was decent. Waters were filled for the most part and dishes were cleared rather timely. The food came out without much of a wait and looked fresh, retained heat well through the meal, and tasted good. When we asked for the check, we took a look carefully and noticed an additional service charge of 18% which we realized later that there was super tiny fine print on the menu indicating this additional cost. When we inquired about it, the staff simply mentioned it was policy, that it was not considered gratuity or tax, and that other restaurants have started to do this too. Surprise number two and a huge turn off, not just for this place that served mediocre ramen at best with eye catching protein and additional flare, but any other store that decides to apply an additional cost to pay its workers - just bake it into the menu prices; don't hide the cost from your customers. Marketing has certainly won this meal for them. Overall, Ramen Wakusei has a great concept and does a fine job in building the brand and executing the menu to live up to its image. The ingredients that go into each bowl can probably use an evaluation with a fine tooth comb to ensure its value is as advertised. The prices are exceptionally high for what seems to be served. On top of that, overcharging your customers for additional food when unprompted and seemingly making the "service charge" intentionally obscured seems like awful business practices. It's a shame such good tasting food ended up leaving such a bad taste afterwards.

Karina S.

Was super excited to see the wide variety of aburasoba dishes here! I tried the Leo which had chicken breast, raw egg, mushroom, green onions, and fried onions (I also added chili powder). I enjoyed the chewy texture of the noodles but especially without the chili powder I felt like the sauce could have been a bit more flavorful. Food came out very quickly, staff were attentive, and the restaurant was very clean and quiet enough to be a great spot to catch up with a friend!

Jonathan B.

I got the Venus ramen here and the broth was light, which I enjoyed. It had good flavor while also not being very overpowering. The pork was cut more thin than I was used to but it wasn't bad. All the toppings are also typical so nothing much to say about them. The interior is clean and my order came out relatively quick.

Erika C.

Got ramen with soup - crab (Saturn, garnishes and chili paste on the side) and seafood (Neptune). It wasn't bad but the noodles could've been chewier/bouncier. The soft shell crab didn't really pair well with the broth and pickled radish. For the other, the seafood you get was actually not bad. Overall though, the flavors didn't really pop or come together. It kind of just tasted bland. The heat from the chili sauce and acid from pickled radish helped with that but overall it felt unsatisfying. The staff are nice and attentive, but didn't know what was in the broth when we asked. Later we saw though on the menu that the seafood ones had bonito in the pork broth. I asked what the sour spicy sauce was for the a4 Wagyu abura soba and they also didn't know. I thought they were going to say vinegar and chili oil. The three stars is just for the food. I think it's missing something. It's tough because there's a lot of good ramen in the Bay Area. I wouldn't spend $26.xx per ramen again here but I wanted to like them. Maybe I need to try the abura soba next time.

Sarah J.

I would give this ramen place a solid 4/5. The ramen had everything that I expected and it was pretty solid but it did lack a "wow" factor that I have felt in other ramen places. The tonkatsu broth was nice and savory and pork pieces were nice and tender. The service was also very fast! We were seated right away and the ramen came out super quickly after we ordered. There were lots of seating options inside.

Mckenna M.

Sad :( Decided on a whim to come here with friends since we had never tried and were craving something warm to fend off the cold weather. I'm also a total sucker for crab so the Saturn ramen was speaking to me. There were very few people inside when we arrived. Chicken karaage: Good, nothing special, could've used a lemon. The sauce that comes with it is just regular mayo. We got regular spice but asked for the spicy seasoning on the side which was nice. Saturn: I really did want to like this. However it was lackluster. The broth was fine, v umami but didn't stand out to me. The noodles were fine, but reminiscent of the "fresh" ramen noodles you buy in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. The crab should've been the really big wow factor but unfortunately that too was underwhelming. There wasn't too much flavor and I didn't love the breading on it. Service was fast and he was very attentive, refilling my water constantly since I drink so much. I think for $26 ramen it's not worth. Yes the Venus (my mom and friend got) is cheaper, but that broth was very light for a tonkotsu broth and didn't seem worth it either.