Thanks once again to TikTok, this location has come up multiple times as one of the favorite Ramen…read moreplaces in Madison. Living on the West Coast we have multiple options so this was a nice and unexpected surprise when we popped in for lunch on the way back from the airport. We opted for a shoyou Ramen as well as a tonkatsu Ramen. Both were rich and flavorful and had plenty of toppings. It came with an egg, although we ordered additional eggs on the side. I saw a vegetarian one go by and that also looked phenomenal. It was a really large portion and we took some of it home. Service was friendly. Parking was on the street. I'm not sure if there is a private lot. Cool vibes reasonably priced menu overall.

Food was excellent! Service very good!…read more Amazed at how quickly the dishes arrived at the table after ordering!!! Definitely recommend this restaurant & give it a 4.25 stars. If the interior was upscale to match, it would earn the 5... but still enjoy it for the food.

The ramen is delicious, and I thought the Gyoza appetizer…read more was the best I've ever had. The server, (Jayai) was wonderful. She was very careful about our allergy concerns and made sure to take care of us (my daughter has a severe fish allergy and needed her ramen free of fish cake & sauce). The Thai boba tea was delicious, too. I discovered that I prefer Thai ice tea better without boba, but I really enjoyed it in this form, as well. I enjoyed the clean and comfortable atmosphere. I was thankful for the interior photograph left by a previous Yelper because the Yelp reviews I read didn't mention that the place had a dine-in an option. The dining space want just accommodating, but lovely, as well.

I'm a bit conflicted about the meal I had. First off, service was great, and the speed the food…read morearrived was perfect. So, absolutely no issues there. For an appetizer, I had the gyoza, and it was perfect. Evenly fried and steamed, even if it was just frozen stuff from the bag like at the Japanese restaurant I used to work at, it was at least prepared with skill. My main entree was the garlic miso ramen. And while each component worked on its own, all of them put together made it seem less as a whole. My biggest issues were the chashu pork which came out a little overcooked. I know the reason, and probably shouldn't hold it against them, but it reminded me a bit of the overcooked pork of my childhood. The other issue was the broth. It was sweet on the backend, which really didn't do it for me the more I've thought about it. I'm not sure if it was the pork broth or the tare. My suspicion lies heavier towards the tare than the broth, but I could be wrong. Either way, I felt that such noticeable sweetness was out of place especially since it did too much to counter the garlic flavor. I suspect it was there to do that for those who don't like a heavy garlic flavor, but then again, if you don't like garlic flavor, you shouldn't be ordering something labeled as garlic on the menu. I will say that marinating the egg was a nice touch and gave it a depth of flavor that typically isn't there from other ramen places I've tried. Otherwise, it was good overall, it just felt like it didn't completely come together with the sweetness of the broth and the pork being a tad overcooked. Still, despite perhaps not looking like it, Zen Ramen was a solid little ramen shop on the East Side and I would not oppose going back to try some of their other ramen bowls. It might not blow your mind if you're a regular ramen connoisseur, but is still a solid spot if you want something affordable and unpretentious.

Excited to try this place, as izakayas (associated with places where people would gather for…read morealcohol and small plates of food) in Japan were really fun. Given this is the only izakaya in Madison, I can see why the skewers were somewhat pricey here. Aside from skewers, we got the spicy miso ramen and omule rice. The spicy miso ramen was so spicy that I couldn't really taste though food though my friend had no issues with it. The omule (omelette) rice was amazing. You can adjust the amount of ketchup, brown sauce, and Japanese mayo. They have a QR code to order with, which makes things convenient. Vibes were great with a variety of sitting options, and decor was representative of Japanese culture.

I ordered via Door Dash. The vegetable udon was packed with veggies but wish it had more room for…read moreactual broth though. The spring rolls were average and the chicken gyoza was a little overcooked.

The food was OK. Nothing too amazing, but it is a solid spot for cheap eats. The broth was…read moredelicious, but it felt like it was missing something...I also wish that the dish came with more veggies / meat. It felt like most of the dish was just the noodles, and it was not balanced (ended up not finishing the noodles). Service is very straightforward. You order up front, and they deliver the food to you. After that, you put away your dishes/trash. Very standard noodle shop. Nothing too crazy. We came in at a pretty empty time (near 8pm), so service was not packed. It is a standard restaurant with standard seating options. Standard vibes only.

Hand pulled noodles for REAL!!! You can watch the chef pull your noodles to order. So rare of a…read moreprocess I HIGHLY RECOMMEND trying this mom and pop noodle shop. The texture of the noodle that's achieved by hand pulling cannot be replicated by a machine. This family run restaurant deserves your attention if you love authentic, tasty, and local food. There are many options: hot/cold; udon, rice, cut noodles if you don't want hand pulled; soup dumplings; baos; and more. We will be back for noodles and dumb for sure! This family restaurant will not disappoint if you're in the mood for noodles, or noodle soup.

I was craving some good ramen while I was in town and decided to give Ramen Station a try. The…read morerestaurant may not be the most upscale in appearance, but the food was absolutely excellent. The gentleman who served me was very patient and friendly as I looked over the menu and asked questions about different dishes. I started with the lamb skewer as an appetizer and was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful it was. For my main dish, I chose the Gyuunika Ramen with shrimp. It was a bit on the spicier side, so if you do not enjoy heat, you might want to try something milder. If you want to dial down the spice level, I recommend adding their house teriyaki sauce--it adds a nice sweetness that balances the broth perfectly. The dish was rich, hearty, and delicious, and I didn't mind the spice at all. Safe to say, I will definitely be dining here again before I head back to my home state.

Big disappointment. This used to be my favorite ramen…read morerestaurant. We used to come here every time I visited Madison, but not anymore. The taste was completely different from last time.

If you go for ramen, your best bet is to go for the tonkotsu or miso ramen. They make their noodles…read morein house, so they are fresh and springy. And they adjust the noodle thickness based upon the broth type, so that's good. But if you like shoyu ramen, this really isn't their strong point; it will be more like a lighter tonkotsu broth with thicker noodles. They also offer dan dan men and chuka soba in the summertime, but it's not really the Japanese style. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and the staff is very nice and attentive. Service is quick. I stopped by on the way to Breese Field and it was a delicious quick dinner. The bamboo shoots are made with a canned variety, instead of dehydrated, and the marinated egg is really just soft-boiled. So if you're a ramen snob, set your expectations accordingly. Even still, it was a solid bowl of ramen

We came here for restaurant week in the winter. There was a wait which we counted on! We decided to…read moreput our name on the list and run across the street to IO for drinks and games while we waited. Once we got called, we were seated at the bar which was a great experience. Our server was attentive and filled up the many diet soda refills of my partner and my water refills. We got dumplings which were delicious, then Ramen, then mochi ice cream to close it out. The ramen was flavorful and the dumplings were the star of the show. They were juicy and delicious. I love that it's in a house-like building and there are many different rooms. It feels cozy and comfortable. I will return again for ramen. It's my #2 place in Madison!

We ordered delivery from here. Fair warning - we had just returned from London where we had…read moreOUTSTANDING noodles. The noodle dishes here were, sadly, just very tasteless. The broth had little depth and the noodles were squishy (evening accounting for delivery). We would not order from here again.

So good! We have wanted to try for a while and we were not disappointed! So many Asian noodle…read moreoptions Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese, Thai.... The whole family was happy. They do a busy take out business, but almost half the tables were full with dine in customers as well. Addicting crab rangoon. Dumpling friwd to perfection. Yummy ho sick!

Happened onto this little gem while visiting in Wisconsin. Even though it was a very hot day, we…read moreopted for hot pots, the set meal was more than plenty. The noodles are all you can eat. The lady server was very nice and attentive. There were 3 of us, so we ordered 1 each of beef, pork and lamb, and just shared the meats.

Chive Dumplings are so delicious, it could be a meal. Love the fresh veggies! Szechuan Shrimp…read morewere huge perfectly cooked full sized with heads on. Rice was wonderfully steamed and seasoned to perfection. Can't wait to go back for more of our favorite dishes! Friendly greeting at pick up, very clean & great location!

After having the Thai Coconut Curry dish with garlic naan, I fully trust the owners. I believe…read moreeverything there is good. The flavors were bold and fantastic! The place is a dive...seating is bare bones, but the FOOD...

Great food as always! I got the Buff Chili with veggies and chicken, and it was delicious. As…read morealways, I recommend strongly! Best food in Madison :)

food is pretty good! it's worth going for happy hour, but the prices are otherwise rather steep…read more sushi was solid. staff messed up my bill, but they were overall courteous. it's quiet, and the interior is clean. bathroom was also clean and nicely done. bottom line: go for happy hour and get some sushi :-) cheap beer then, too

This restaurant replaced a longtime neighborhood favorite, and unfortunately it missed the mark…read more The atmosphere felt empty, sad, and lacking energy -- especially for a Friday night when every other restaurant nearby was packed. The staff seemed disengaged and lackluster, which usually reflects management and overall leadership. The food was just okay. The miso soup was overly salty, and the seaweed wrapped around the tempura roll was soggy and tough to chew, which made it feel far from fresh. Freshness is everything when it comes to sushi, so that was disappointing. Sadly, this place did not live up to expectations, and I won't be returning.