An A for effort but the flavors were flat and disappointing. No doubt the food is healthy so that's a plus but there should be a sign"Foodies Beware". read more

Souen is a popular spot, even late at night on Friday. The inside is tight, to say the least, and when you are stuck waiting 15 minutes for a table, there is no good place to stand. You can stand in the vestibule, but then you have to determine if the shower curtain is moving because people are leaving, or because someone bumped into the opaque curtain. The other option is standing directly in front of the waiters and praying that someone gets up so you can be jammed into a sardine can while seated. Or you can come in the summer, and hope that it's not raining and you can just wait outside. This place is truly a Pescatarian establishment, since you can still eat seafood. Their rendition of edamame guacamole with seitan was delicious. I'm not sure I would really call this place Japanese, simply an American establishment making a name for themselves in the ramen/noodle industry. I ordered Curry Shoyu with the sodu noodle. The sodu noodles were nice, dark and not too thick. The zucchini noodles were very good, but you don't get many in your dish, but you won't fill yourself up on useless carbohydrates. As for the curry ramen, people were raving about the flavor, but I thought something was amiss. It's good to be adventurous and try other people's food, even if that means no meat. Come in with an open mind, if all else fails, there are hundreds of places for a quick bite nearby. read more

From someone who is not a vegan, and even stubborn about vegan diets, this place does vegan food very well. The ingredients seem to be of very good quality and are very well prepared. The chef is an awesome guy too! Itadakimas! read more

My husband and I love this place. Such a great little gem! The food is so delicious, nutritious and clean, and the service is amazing as well. Love the yuba, the garlic greens and squash tofu dish. read more

The Tahini Shoyu is my absolute favorite. Sometimes i order this with the Brussels (the peanut butter sauce is soooo good). I have yet to try anything else and I've been here a few times, but this soup is so satisfying and filling. It's my go to. Great portion, very delicious, feels nice and light. I go for the zucchini noodles. Usually ramen can be so heavy, but this meal hits the spot perfectly. Also the service is excellent. All of the staff is wonderful and accommodating. This place is so awesome. The food feels very healthy and the ambiance is peaceful and chill. Definitely recommend. read more

Avoid - bad take out and even worse in person. Wish I could leave no star. The soho Souen was the best along with 13th St. Unfortunately a revolving waitstaff that is clueless and a B rating says it all. Too many good restaurants in the East village to waste your time or $$ here. read more

Background: Small vegan-friendly and macrobiotic Japanese restaurant in East Village, on a street lined with ramen and udon shops. The good: -Cozy, quiet, simple interior with mostly couples and single diners. -Servers are very nice and willing to explain the menu. -Specials menu (make sure to look on the blackboard because they aren't on the actual menu) feature seasonal and non-traditional flavors. -Large portions with generous amounts of veggies. I ordered the shoyu curry ramen and it was loaded with pumpkin (the best part of the meal), greens, broccoli, etc. -Organic, healthy, and seasonal. Not much oil or salt. Definitely good quality and fresh. The bad: -I found the broth really lacking in flavor and way too thin for a curry ramen. It was like a very mild veg broth with a hint of Japanese curry, watered down. -The wheat noodles they use for their ramen is over cooked i.e. too soft (the key to good ramen is that firm, al dente texture!) and wavy, so I felt like I was just eating packaged ramen. -I also ordered the corn bread and OMG, that wasn't corn bread! It was like flat, overly mushy mug cake with a few corn kernels mixed in. Avoid. -A bit pricey given how simple their food is. $15+ for the ramen. Recommend? I wouldn't come back, especially with all of the other East Village vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants just a block in any direction. Might be a good spot for those on a diet? read more

I found the food just okay. I've been to a lot of clean eating or vegan places and the food here wasn't super notable, and very expensive honestly. Their lunch special (a bowl of ramen with some vegetables on the side) turned out to be over $22 after tax/tip. That's not lunch special pricing at all! read more

1. Star: Fresh food 2. Star: Seated promptly as reserved 3. Star: Friendly staff 4. Star: Gluten and Dairy free 5 Star: None..waited forever for the food and forgot my order I loved walking into a restaurant and being able to order almost anything on the menu!! I've been gluten free before it was pop culture ok..1996! The pesto veggie and tofu dish was the best of our order, I even got one for take out. I had the curry noddles with vegtables. It was nice to sit in a restaurant that beleives in feeding the whole body with healthy not overly salted or butter ladden foods. I love my body and my body loved this food! read more

I am not a follower of macrobiotic diet but today I tried @souen_nyc that serves macrobiotic food. Came with a high expectation for the lunch box because it includes a few of my favorite foods: salmon, pumpkin, tofu... However, I feel a little bit underwhelmed: the salmon skin was a little bit burnt and the pumpkin is really watery. It is an intolerable mistake to pick a pumpkin that is not sweet and starchy in this season. Besides that, the carrot ginger sauce and burdock has some more flavor and the brown rice is delicious. Overall the food is very healthy, but honestly lacks necessary seasoning. PS: When I was about to pay the check, I found that I did not bring my credit card. It was a really embarrassing moment. Luckily the waitress kindly allowed me to go back home and get my card. Because of this, I decide to come back and give this restaurant another try one day. That is also the reason I gave the reataurant four stars instead of three. For more food posts and restaurant reviews, follow my Instagram: xuxinyi_nancy. #cleaneating #lunch #eastvillagenyc read more

Souen - Salmon lunch box Ins: xuxinyi_nancy - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Oh vegetarian food. I long to love you. With the exception of foods from temples and Buddha Bodhai in Chinatown, this apparently is just impossible. Despite some good reviews I read about Souen, and a promising appetizer of Brussel Sprouts with peanut sauce... I ordered Soba in the black sesame broth, oh man, that just did not work out. read more

Souen - Brussels sprouts in peanut sauce (served warm) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Clean guilt free food. A majority is vegan but they do have some fish options. Both the tahini based Ramen and the (udon) pad Thai were delightful and full of different veggies. read more

Souen - Udon Pad Thai super creamy - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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Ok food .. too bad the server ( blue eyes , tall , young ) is not that nice .... Not really happy to work here not warm welcoming. Food is good . read more

Last night was my first time eating at Souen and wow. The Tahini Miso with organic ramen is unquestionably one of the best bowls of ramen I've had in NYC. I was hesitant since I've never had tahini as a soup base, especially in miso but the broth was so good and the flavors just worked. It was also loaded with hearty veggies and wheat ramen noodles that were cooked to the perfect al dente chewy texture you look for in a great bowl of ramen. My boyfriend had the Curry Miso with Udon noodles and also thought the broth was A+. The only complaint he had was that he wished it had more noodles. As appetizers we ordered the tofu skin (A+!) and the Macro plate with ginger carrot dressing which I wanted to try because it's a specialty of Souen. If you're like us and not huge health and vegan nuts then I suggest passing on the Macro plate and save $11. I read people complaining about bad service and though I sort of felt the attitude I just dished it right back but with a smile and their demeanor changed for the better the rest of the night. Kill 'em with kindness, people. TIP: Definitely call for a reservation on weekends. It's a small space so be prepared to be boxed in with other diners and the awkward ass on their table slide while getting out to leave. read more

Souen - Tahini Miso with Organic Wheat Ramen. I'm already craving my next bowl! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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What a relief to find this restaurant! Clean, pure food! I read that the macrobiotic plate was the way to go and it was definitely the way to go! Big portion, full meal (great for vegans!). The food is simple so you do need to go with that mindset. Also loved that they were able to make without garlic and onion! (Buddhist/Sattvic friendly!) read more

It took some effort to finish it. Mostly because of the metal chopsticks which kept sliding through my fingers and almost gave me a blister. In general you're gonna love it if you're organic freak and like original takes on classic dishes. The curry ramen I got was pretty different from what you expect a curry ramen would taste like -- it was kinda grainy and... healthy(?). With its loads of veggies, it took me a good hour to finish it. Though the place is very nice and feels... healthy(?)... The service can be kinda slow. In a word, it's great! But If I'm coming back, it's not gonna be for ramen. read more

Souen - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Managed to check this place out at a birthday boy's wish. Overall, it was an ok experience. The atmosphere is definitely very low key, which is good for a potential date or outing with a small ground of friends. Also, very vegan / vegetarian friendly, with a range of options to suit most of their soups and/or plates. I myself had the curry shoryu ramen with brown rice noodles and a piece of salmon. The broth was great, with a nice spicy kick within the aftertaste, just what I'd expect from any sort of curry dish. The only thing I'd wish they would have is more of a variety with their menu options, as it seems that, at a glance, the offerings don't seem as enticing if wanting to cater to a wider group. Definitely understandable given the environment, but a feel that broadening the selection would help draw in more of a crowd. Overall though, not a bad place if it is able to meet your needs, I'd suggest giving it at least one shot! read more

Souen - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

It was like vegetables and fish boiled in hot water and somehow they made it taste worse. I would say this place should not exist, but may be for someone that's looking for noodles and vegetables in hot water with no flavor, this may be just the place. Attached our meals after money off us could stomach anymore read more

Souen - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Ahh The best ever macrobiotic food on the planet ! I love love love this place ! Always stop by when in nyc read more

Not much in terms of atmosphere, which is sort of table stakes for me when I am in the city. Was with two of my daughters and one is a vegan. She loves this place. I think the food it very good here and variety is great. The staff is always very nice as well. They do have non-vegan items, like some very good salmon, as well. A very good value based on prices, quality and portion size. read more

Best restaurant ever! I'm obsessed with the place since I came to New York five years ago! It has very fresh products, naturally prepared and so yumm! Especially the macro plate and the kabocha squash! read more

We have eaten here many times and liked it - not loved it or anything and accepted the very plain ambiance. But now after learning that we've been scammed, we'll never go back. The place is supposed to be macrobiotic and organic. Recently we learned that they "try to be organic as much as they can." Whatever that means, it goes totally against being macrobiotic, the principle that they were founded on and claim to, adhere to. Not organic is not macrobiotic. Today we learned that the salmon they've sold us many times is not wild but farmed. When we questioned the waiter, he said that it's "organic farmed." THERE IS NO FREAKIN SUCH THING! So all along they've been passing off farmed fish as wild. That's a total scam and they charge for it as if it were wild caught. If we want farmed salmon there are literally thousands of other places to get it in Manhattan that don't try and pass themselves off as being of the high macrobiotic standard. Bye Bye Souen! read more

Hard to rate it a 3-star, I'd really rather rate it a 3.5. Pros: Friendly waiters, a super delicious vegan tahini ramen (flavorful and delightful), and a great chocolate mousse for dessert. Cons: Dumplings were way overcooked, service was slow (though they looked like they were working the whole time, just maybe a bit understaffed, so not a giant gripe). There were also a couple of 'meh' dishes too, to sort of make for a confusing ups and downs for dinner. I'll for sure come back for that tahini ramen - it was seriously so good. But other than that I'll probably try different dishes to suss out the other 'gems' that may be hiding in the menu. read more

Delicious, healthy eats! Great service, chill atmosphere and free tea refills. Will definitely be back for the curry shoyu ramen and dying to try the pad tai! As a vegan I couldn't be happier with this place! Also has great fish options and a variety of substitutes. read more

Souen - shoyu curry ramen - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Souen is one of my favorite restaurants in the city.. Discovered it by chance when I moved here. I'm not vegan and I don't eat a lot of meat, but when I do, it's seafood. They have both seafood and organic vegan options. It's a really cozy restaurant and by "cozy," I mean TINY. I would suggest making a reservation at anytime of the day. The only thing for me is I like my water cold and I learned that it's not "macrobiotic." Ok, I think I'll live with a lil ice in my water. But hey, organic and clean eating is what they deliver and I am a forever customer. read more

Souen - Lasagna special - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

VEGETARIAN RAMEN. No, really, let me repeat that for you... VEGETARIAN RAMEN. It's just one of those things that you think, "Ah, well. I'm vegetarian now. I'll just never eat ramen again. That's okay. There are enough noodle soups in this world to go without just the one." And then 12 years after the last time pork fat, bonito flakes, and fish broth have made their way past your lips, Souen opens a second out post that peddles in... ... well, you know. I tried the curry ramen and was delightfully pleased. The noodles are decent on top of being whole wheat and organic. The curry was homemade and so had a nice complex flavor that was a bit more than I usually expect from Japanese curry but still a lot less than, say, an Indian curry. There were plenty of great veggies floating in the soup, and you can bet I picked up the bowl and slurped everything up when all was said and done. They've got a $10 lunch special, which includes ramen and an appetizer. I'm also quite fond of the dining area -- stylish and a quiet, masculine, Zen kind of way, not in a DAY-GLO, we just opened but our interior is already out of date, NY Thai place kind of way. Oh, and, in case you missed it... VEGETARIAN RAMEN. read more

We ordered food from Souen Noodle, for the 6th time in the past couple weeks. Delivery man arrived, rang the buzzer and my girlfriend buzzed him in. He then rang it again, saying the inner door to the building wouldn't open. She buzzed him in a second time. He then buzzed a third time, and she buzzed him again and waited on the intercom with him to make sure he could get in. We heard what sounded like someone screaming "f*ck you" and then realized he was in between the inner and outer doors to my building screaming this at the top of his lungs. He then came back outside to the intercom on the buzzer and said "go f*ck yourself" to her several times. I called Souen and told them what happened and to cancel the order, refund my card and fire their delivery guy. They were not nearly as apologetic as you would expect. read more

*This post was typed up by Porkchop, since Butcher's hand is numb-y. Butcher = the owner of this account. It's hard to compare Souen Ramen to other ramen places since it is really in a league of its own. They don't make traditional ramen. Instead they bring a refreshing, healthy take on it. If you keep these things in mind, the ramen here is quite enjoyable. First off, the default noodle is organic and wheat-based and thankfully, doesn't have a strong wheaty flavor. The two times I've had their noodles, I've been pleased with the consistency. Next time I plan on trying out the organic rice noodle option. Butcher says the seafood broth was light and a bit salty, but not oily. Didn't seem like there were any unnecessary fats in it. We really like the miso broth because it is thicker and reminds us of the pork broth (which Souen Ramen does not offer). I also tried the chicken broth-based Shoyu ramen and that was yummy. I prefer that one over Kambi/Minca's. Another plus is that Souen Ramen is one of the few places vegetarians can indulge in soupy noodle goodness. I've been to Momofuku with a veggie-inclined friend before and her only option was a soupless ginger scallion noodle dish. At Souen, she has 3 different vegetarian options. Overall, Souen's ramen tastes clean yet flavorful. Not lardy. And their ingredients taste like they are hand-picked from the fresh sea water crops of the Pacific Ocean. Yes, high quality indeed. I'm still a fan of hearty pork-based broths and all, but if you're looking for a less guilty, feel-good ramen, Souen is the spot. read more

Really pleasantly surprised when I came here with my vegan friend! The ramen was so flavorful, and super healthy. I got the Shoyu Ramen (which I highly recommend) and my friend got the Miso which is a lighter broth and taste. The Shoyu had a lot of great vegetables and ingredients (like squash, watercress, etc) that I don't normally don't find in ramen which made it really unique and enjoyable. Everything is mostly vegan/vegetarian with the exception with some seafood (flounder, and maybe salmon were the two I remember). We only tried the ramen so I can't speak for any of the other dishes, but highly recommend the Shoyu! read more

Souen - Macrobiotic Organic Ramen... Say What? The exterior of the ramen shop was nice, but the broth was chicken stock based, which I am not a fan of. I didn't like the chicken broth ramen at Kambi, and I didn't like it here. I wanted to like the ramen here, but neither the miso nor the seafood ramens had the richness / fullness as a pork-based broth that you find at Santoka or Ippudo. The waitress was really nice, especially b/c the Squab and I came here on the second day of its official opening, which was March 3rd. Their "soft opening" was the week before and only lasted a week (take note Ichiran, hurry up and open!). The place was sadly, very empty. Although it's located one block off from the stretch of Little India, there is not much foot traffic passing by the resto. I don't forsee them defying the "90% of new restaurants don't last longer than a year in Manhattan" rule. The chicken stock is made from organic chicken and the noodles (wheat is default, you can ask for rice) are too. The noodles were good, better than the broth. At $14.50 for the miso and $12.50 for the seafood ramens, the meal is simply not worth what you pay for. Neither has any meat! No charsiu, no nada. Oh, and Cash-Only too. If you have the March 2009 issue of Chopsticks NY, they will honor the 10% coupon in it. Also, the spoons weren't angled right making them awkward to use and hard to scoop up the broth. Macrobiotic to mean conjures up an image of the good bacteria that is injected into yogurt. I could tell that none of this was present in their ramen, so I asked the waitress what their use of the term macrobiotic was. It's used as a misnomer here. Their take on it is the whole Yin/Yang hot/cold Chinese theory of food. She said that the selection of macrobiotic food differed from person to person. Since Souen obviously does not customize the ingredients of each dish to provide the proper Yin or Yang items to balance out the customer's levels, this food preparation theory isn't even truly employed here! Making diners aware of macrobiotics (Souen's website and literature places a heavy emphasis on this) is nice and all, but if your food ain't good, I ain't coming back. I do admit that the organic noodles themselves were good. But the broth needs work. I also ordered their special tea, but it was served in a black tea cup, so I couldn't even see what I was drinking. It wasn't anything special. Still waiting for Ichiran to open to the public... read more

Honestly really disappointed. Yelpers you steered me wrong! :( and now I'm hungry. And what SLOW SERVICE JEEZ! I ordered the Brussels sprouts with peanut sauce - the peanut sauce tasted like absolutely nothing. I also ordered the miso soup - not tasty at all plus I saw it had mushrooms in it which they didn't specify that it does - I'm allergic so I sent it back regardless. I ordered the cooked salmon roll - I had everyone taste it at my table and everyone couldn't figure out why it tasted so weird and the rice had a nasty texture and taste. Then my friend and I shared the steamed kale with the sesame vinaigrette and it tasted like water... All my other friends got ramen and thought it was pretty good. I just got really unlucky and our waiters barely checked on us and when I said I had no idea the miso had mushrooms and that I was allergic the guys reaction was surprisingly rude. Not into it. Not coming back. And seriously the service is so slow...... read more

No no no. A thousand times no. Apparently the quality of both the service and food vary wildly based on location. This one sucks. I've been to the one in Greenwich Village and enjoyed it, so I figured this one would be more or less the same. I popped in after yoga hoping for a quick, healthy, and fresh meal, but I left hungry and angry. Yes, I left hangry. The service was abysmal. The waiter was incredibly curt and disinterested and seemed like he just woke up from an eternal nap. For example, I asked if I could order an iced tea and he responded with a dead stare, "We don't have iced tea" (despite the iced tea section on their menu) without any explanation. Unfortunately for everyone, he was the only waiter at the restaurant so we all had to share unpleasantries with him. The food was barely edible. While I was a big fan of the macrobiotic bowl at the other Souen, the one I ordered today was not fresh at all. It tasted like it had been left out for the entire day. The restaurant is tiny and they were blaring electronic/new age music that made me cringe. I got my check immediately and ate as much as I could tolerate, and then just left and got ice cream to make up for it. Don't go here. read more

did delivery. OK, the only reason for the very good review of 5 STARS, is because that was the best vegan pad thai I have ever had. The other foods were just 4 stars. But that pad thai-OMG! Fresh limes, really fresh peanut sauce. Tofu was soft and perfectly sauteed. Noodles were moist and succulent. Veggies were fresh and organic. Yum. Yum. Yum. The other eats were yummy too. Rice was yum. Fruit Kanten was yum. Salad was simple and yum. Dressings for salad (carrot and tahini dill) both very yum. And the seitan dumplings-yum. I will be back for that pad thai. Gosh I hope it is just as good every time! I know the variability of some NYC places... read more

Souen ramen on 6th street is the best restaurant EVER.I'm serious.I've lived in NYC for just over a year and have eaten here more than anywhere else,and that's only since early July.Oh,and I've had takeout a few times too,and it's been just as good. I don't even know where to begin.But I will anyways. Basically,everything i've had has been fabulous,I don;t eat fish,but really,not much of the menu is eliminated due to that.I absolutely LOVE the black sesame ramen and the white sesame ramen.so different,so similar,so so so good.the black sesame is shoyu based,saltier,lots and lots of beautiful thick wakame,less rich,but super filling and delicious,too.The white sesame is in this amazing velvety miso-tahini sauce,with fresh ginger,corn,a million other vegetables,and the ramen.It feels a lot richer,eating it feels really nourishing,and the ginger gives it an amazing kick.I chooses which one I order based on whichever one I had last,and get the opposite. I don't like curry,so I don;t get those ones,but all the other ramens are great,too.I love the spicy miso.SUPER spicy though. Also,the ramen salad is incendiary.Cold ramen noodles,greens,daikon,burdock,ginger,lemon,carrot,seaweed,etc etc etc in either sesame vinagrette or miso tahini.Again,i like the miso tahini.With lemon squeezed over.The plum shoyu kuzu stew is super exciting,thick,and unlike anything i've ever eaten,and the pad thai isn't like pad thai at all.but waaay better.Super creamy and heavy,and saucy peanut sauce and soba noodles.I also love like every appetizr,too.Like the birdock kimpira,is the best.Again,a whole new taste sensation.The braised burdock is a bit more pedestrian,but still good.Home made pickled vegetables and great too.And while i'm at it,I love the yuba rolls,and the dumpling yuba soup.the soup is suer light,but SO flavourful.Best.Also,I somtimes like to get yuba in my ramen,if somebody's taking me out,b/c it's $2 extra.Extra carrots,too. Also,I ALWAYS get a side of steamed vegetables because I am in love with kabocha squash,and used to eat it every day for dinner from 2006-2008,so alicia silverstone's book can suck it,because I invented eating that.Just kidding,lots of Alicia Silverstone love.Anyways,the squash is amazing,still nobody actually realized how eff-bombing good it is,just steamed!Also,the carrot dressing or miso tahini,which come with the veggies for free,is great,too.Not that they need it.So yeah,rockin' menu.Get kukicha tea,or Mu 16.OH,and the specials are great,too!Like bibimbap,zucchini noodle salad,and the peanut sauce spring rolls.Okay,I am done. No,wait,they have dessert,too. Scones aren't real dessert,but souen's rule.Barely sweet,super moist.Once the flavour was kabocha chocolate chip!The black sesame ice cream is good and interesting,a required taste,but awesome,the kanten is really refreshing,and the pudding is pretty straightforward.I culd write a novel on this place.LOIVE IT.Oh,and I love that so much is vegan but there's no gross meat substitutes,it's filling,not expensive,always have leftovers,NOT oily/greasy at all,just GREAT.GO HERE!!! read more

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This place can be better. Let's start by saying I really like this place. The food menu is unique and it has a place. Everything is healthy and delicious. The curry vegan ramen is filling and I really enjoyed it. I tried the zucchini noodles in the past but I wasn't a fan due to the noodles falling apart and it wasn't in long threads. The steamed kale with dressing is good but the sauteed kale with garlic is even better! Highly recommend it! There are a lot of options and an extensive list of options for dessert. Food here deserves 5 stars. So what's the deal? I think the atmosphere and decor can be improved. The seating arrangement is fine. But there is something about the ambiance. Maybe lighting? I don't know. I'm no expert. I wouldn't say the music is horrible but it doesn't help. The other thing is service is hit or miss. Well, I will still come back here because the food is great! read more

Excellent healthy food in the middle of NYC. My favorites were the macro plate and the cold navy soups. Both were delicious on a hot summer day. Service was very good and the location is quite convenient. Everything is vegan and you can add fish if you want to your meal. read more

I'm pretty sure the menus differ a good bit at each location, so please be advised: this is a review of the 6th street location. Souen's schtick is Japanese, macrobiotic, vegetarian+ some fish. So the menu items are mixed. As a result, I've had some of my favorite food in the city, and honestly, some things I never want to think about again. But that's probably because I'm a vegetarian who loves Japanese food, and finds at least 30% of macro food to be uneappealing (not all! I said 30%). Their noodle soups are out of this world. One of my favorite things is to get the ramen with tahini in the broth -- a thing that was totally new to me. It makes this savory creaminess unlike anything I've had. Also, if you have a problem with noodles like I do (like, you LOVE THEM SO MUCH sometimes you need to not have any) they do that thing where you can get extra veggies instead of noodles, which I know sounds unappealing to most people, but to me (as a soup-lover) if the broth is this flavorful, it's TOTALLY fine. Love that! And my fish-eating friends LOVE the cod ramen. Some of the vegetarian appetizers are really tasty too. I've had seitan dumplings, I believe, and the seitan chips w/ guacamole and enjoyed them. But I've gotten the corn bread -- my memory of it is painful: extremely cold, crumbly, with hard uncooked corn kernals in it -- and I won't make that mistake again. In fact, with a daily "kanten" on the dessert menu (an item I perhaps unfairly associate with bland vegan restaurant of the 90s), I'd skip dessert altogether. Eat your entire giant bowl of soup, and enjoy a glass of wine (small but totally decent list and pricing), and go somewhere else for dessert. The service is always fine, though sometimes I've had a server with a vacant, semi-high look I associate with the same vegan restaurants that serve too much bland kanten. But no harm there. Just be very assertive about your order. read more

It amazes me how something hot and inherently salty can taste so fresh and invigorating. Each ingredient boasted its own fantastic flavor. You could tell this hadn't been sitting around in a pot all day. It's almost definitely prepared on the spot (and if that's not the case, they're doing a great job making it appear so). This ramen made me feel like royalty. :) I also had the salted vanilla ice cream for dessert. I would guess that it's made with almond milk or something similar as it's not very rich and has an icy texture, but the flavor was lovely. Also, my stomach is sensitive to rich desserts, so I didn't actually mind. :) read more

This Japanese restaurant is perfect for gluten intolerant and vegan people. I took my friend Fawn here the other day and we had plenty of options for her to choose from. Its also nice to know that there is Japanese options if you are allergic to regular ramen noodles, they have brown rice ramen option with no gluten! Such a cute little restaurant with just a row of seating all the way to the back. Intimate and perfect for anyone and everyone Goma shio ramen -Gluten free homemade sesame based soy and gluten free vegetable kelp broth ramen bowl read more

Ah, Souen Ramen. This little gem is a bit hard to spot because it's in the middle of all Little India, but keep an eye out for a white wall with a red door. It's a tiny ramen house with literally one row of tables. Above the booth seating, there's this stucco wall but they used this.. I'm not sure what you call it.. but it's like some bamboo chain-link style wall to make the walls look better. It looks awesome! I came here for the soft opening with some friends who know the chef. It's BYOB for now (we brought a bottle of plum wine) but I'm not sure if it'll always be. Everything on the menu is fresh and organic. Very wholesome food. Ramen tends to be a bit salty but the broth at Souen is not too delicate or bland and not too salty. It hits the spot on a snowy day. There are 3 types of broth and each has a vegetarian option. I had the seafood chicken broth.. oh it was soo good. The non-veggie option DOES have a bit of meat, literally a couple slivers of chicken. But don't let the small amount fool you! The chicken is PACKED with flavor. And there are so many interesting things in the ramen--lotus root and tofu, as well as your typical ramen accoutrement. The noodles are delicious. The texture is just right but I feel like the serving size could've been a bit larger. Oh well. The service was excellent. The chef was doubling as a server that night so she told us exactly what to order. We didn't have any of the appetizers she recommended but I'm sure they're delicious as well. I'll definitely be back! read more