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Ajisen Ramen
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
136 W 28th St(between Avenue Of The Americas & 7th Ave)
New York, NY 10001
Neighborhood: Chelsea
(646) 638-0888
- Nearest Transit:
-
28 St (1, 2)
28 St (N, R)
23 St (1, 2)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 11 pm
Sun 11:30 am - 10:30 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
50 reviews for Ajisen Ramen
Review Highlights
50 reviews in English
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Review from Morgen B.
4/25/2012
The food here is really quite decent, but the service is more like "we don't care if you order, you can just stand there while we stare at you".
The fried rice is very good and so are the spring rolls...try to make it for lunch otherwise you'll pay significantly more. Nothing super special about this place...I'd suggest you keep looking if you want a spectacular meal. -
Review from Tim C.
Oakland Gardens, NY
4/8/2012
WILL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN!!!!!!
The delivery took 1.5 hours to get to my apt when I live 6 blocks away. The food was cold and soggy and they didnt even offer a discount. The guy on the phone wasnt even nice about it, told me to "just wait".
Anyway the food was bland, dry and cold, on top of that the service sucks..
NEVER AGAIN.... -
Review from Ann L.
4/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
We ate at Ajisen Ramen for lunch Sun 4/1/12 because it's close to Hotel Indigo where we stayed.
We've been to Ajisen Ramen in Fremont, SF, Beijing, & now NYC! It's a growing chain, that's pretty standard food, nothing special, but ok price & decent.
Chinese waitstaff, I heard Cantonese being spoken.
Since we were that hungry we got Japanese dumpling $4.5 which were pan-fried, 6 came in an order.
Ajisen Deluxe Ramen $9.5 - we shared. It had one tender rib piece, a few pork slices, noodles, broth. We liked it ok.
Credit cards accepted. Bathrooms available.
Open daily Mon - Sun 7am-2AM. Locations also in Chinatown & Flushing. -
Review from Tamer M.
Elmwood Park, NJ
5/23/2012
Absolutely love this place! The ramen is delicious and the Sushi is always fresh and tasty. The Hawaiian role is a must. The atmostphere could be better. I would definately reccomend this place
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Review from Lori N.
Astoria, NY
5/16/2012
My colleagues and I started to order lunch from here on average twice a week not too long ago. The delivery is pretty quick - we call in the order and get it in about 15-25 minutes at most.
We have had various bowls of the ramen and so far so good. They are all very flavorful but the spicy ramen is not spicy at all so they could work on that. The spring rolls are crisp and tasty. and their dumplings are loaded with flavor.
I am going to try the fried rice next time as it looked and smelled delicious when someone in my office ordered it. -
Review from Kiku C.
Manhattan, NY
5/12/2012
Despite the negative reviews, we decided to try this place out. 3 different bowls of Ramen - the eel was good, broth was a bit plain until I added hot peppers, and then it was fantastic! We also had a spicy ramen, which wasn't too spicy but pretty yummy. My daughter won with her choice of pork curry ramen! AMAZING. And I've been to Japan several times - we will definitely go back and probably all order the pork curry. Folks were nice working there, service was good. No complaints here!
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Review from Dave G.
New York, NY
3/30/2012
Wanted to like the place as it's near my office and I love ramen. With ramen in the name, expectations were high.
I got the deluxe ramen with combined standard pork with short rib all in one. Unfortunately, the pork was dry and the short rib was super fatty. The broth was bland and the noodles were nothing special.
Maybe my expectations are high from eating at the likes of Ippudo and Hide Chan, but the two stars are for good service and a relatively clean environment - not the ramen. -
Review from Katie I.
4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
In New York City you can find some high class fancy ramen joints. This is not it. Ajisen is not a high class ramen shop by any means, but I love it anyway. The pork is super tender and melts in your mouth and the noodles are nice and soft. The broth is kinda funky but I like it. Sorry to be vague there but I can't explain it? Sort of milky, though no milk in it, I dunno. I eat there on my lunch break and you are in and out in 20 minutes, so can't complain about the speed. . The spicy ramen is not very spicy though, which is disappointing. It is also pricey for what you get. Should be $6! None the less I find myself craving this place and continue to go
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Review from Caroline K.
Astoria, Queens, NY
3/25/2012
Came here for lunch with my co-workers. I got the lunch special (bento box) with sushi, cali rolls, shumai, soup and salad. It sounded like a lot, but the portions are fairly small. I was still hungry afterwards. But my coworker ordered the ramen, which looked really good. I'd recommend that you order the ramen and get sushi somewhere else - it is a ramen place after all.
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Review from Catherine L.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
It makes NO SENSE TO ME when the meat is fresher when you have your ramen delivered (I like the tender rib and chicken katsu) than if you dined in. I'm making this observation after coming here for ramen only three times :D
I had it delivered first and I thought it was great!
Next, I ate at the restaurant. There, the pork meat was totally disgusting and dry- I mean, what was the cook thinking to place THAT at the surface? You gotta hide that with a seaweed or ginger. The tender rib was more rubbery than usual. The place was nearly empty for dinner time. WEEEEIRRRD!!!
And then I forgot and ordered ramen for delivery again a few weeks later. And it was great!
What a mystery. -
Review from Hank M.
Brooklyn, NY
3/28/2012
I was hoping this would be a great noodle joint in this bleak neighborhood. Unfortunately, I was wrong. I had the gyoza (which the server didn't know what gyoza were) and the Ajisen Deluxe Ramen. The noodles were fair. The pork was cold and had the odd option of toppings. Raw cabbage? That's a new one to me. I should have gone to Ronin on 37th instead. Now I know better.
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Review from Pia M.
3/9/2012
Good place for ramen on those cold, rainy days when you're just craving a bowl of hot noodle soup.
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Review from Jarett L.
1/8/2012
Walking around the chinatown area, I got pretty hungry and just wanted to grab a quick bite as I had dinner reso's later on that night but a couple hours from that time. Saw the ramen bowls displayed in the glass casing and decided to give it a shot.
Had some sort of spicy beef ramen, usually when I have ramen here at home, the beef is always tough and dry and the broth sucks which is why I usually prefer pho over ramen. So I wasn't expecting anything to out of the ordinary, but to my surprise the beef was soo tender, the broth was really good and tasty, with a hint of spiciness to it and had the hard boiled egg and all that jazz. All in all, the ramen here was in a league of its own compared to stuff I get here at home. -
Review from darcey h.
i am giving it one star for cleanliness and one star for friendliness. but as far as ramen goes, eh, not worth a trip there if you are a ramen addict like me. I didn't try sushi since i went specifically for it's namesake. maybe they have other items that do better, which they may want to drop the word 'ramen' from their name.
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Review from Ron C.
11/13/2011
This review is based on Delivery
Nothing warms you up or cures a nice hangover for you than soup. What also makes you feel better is Fried Chicken. I'm not gonna lie, but I love Fried Chicken. Who doesn't? They have a pairing of Fried Chicken and Ramen for about $10. They deliver it hot and fresh. This definitely hits the spot when your crunching numbers all morning.
This is definitely a place that cures my hangovers. Sorry Boss! -
Review from ally w.
11/14/2011
Bubble Tea. Bubble Tea. Bubble Tea.
Hang on... going off topic here... have tried several of their ramen bowls and they have all been pretty tasty, and filling.
Ajisen Ramen - simple, sliced beef, cabbage, seaweed, hard boiled egg and scallions. The kind of noodle soup that is good for the soul
Tenderous Rib Ramen - yummy parts of beef and full of flavor. Kinda wish it had more veggies.
Pork Chop Curry Ramen - mild, spicy curry broth and the pork chop is served on the side with a dipping sauce.
Miso Ramen - a little on the salty side, but you know its the miso and not MSG, cuz there isn't a headache afterwards.
Japanese Dumplings - crispy, greasy and fatty - just the way I like them.
Oh, and yes, they have bubble tea (although not all the time it seems). This is probably the closest place in my 'hood with bubble tea, so please go and get one so they will have to keep stock of it, then I can get them anytime.
Friendly service. Tasty noodle bowls. Great neighborhood spot. -
Review from BoKwacka F.
Edison, NJ
10/11/2011
I frequent this place often, and I thought it was about time I gave it a review.
I like the no hassle seating and fast service. The ramen comes out swiftly and the taste is definitely worth the money.
Ive also tried their rolls and rice dishes which are definitely on par with many sushi restaurants that ive been to around Saint Marks.
If you want fast, tasty, and inexpensive japanese food, then Ajisen Ramen is definitely worth checking out -
Review from Christian P.
Brooklyn, NY
12/3/2011 1 photo
First Review. I joined so I could write about this place.
A friend and I went here after a short but cold day of working outside. When we entered the kid, I think he was 20, grunted and pointed at a table. After a reasonable amount of time the kid came to our table to take our order. Didn't say "may I take your order" he just stood there. Nice. My friend ordered tea and Japanese Deep Fried Chicken Ramen #5, I ordered Shredded Chicken #7 and some Dumplings A1.
Dumplings came out nice and crispy on one side not much longer after that our food came out. My Shredded Chicken was Amazing! My buddy liked his until he tried mine. Then he wanted to trade. After asking the kid halfway though our meal for the tea he brought it.
So food overall was amazing and the service was something to be desired. I will go back many times and, unless the kid's parents own the place, more than likely he wont be there next time.
Atmosphere was very nice and warm. Small bookshelf in the back with books you can read if your by yourself. Layout of the place works well only a few tables of people when we were there. So go and check it out. -
Review from Kimling L.
San Francisco, CA
10/13/2011
NEVER AGAIN.
Me and 2 colleagues ate here yesterday and WE ALL GOT SICK.
1 colleague had the chicken teriyaki bento box lunch. She was the sickest of all of us. She had to leave work and was vomiting and had to run to the toilet all evening.
My other colleague and I have had upset stomachs starting last night and through today. We both had ramens. -
Review from Elaine L.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
The food was good, and the delivery man was super fast. and my co-workers loved it aswell. :)
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Review from B S.
Cambridge, MA
2/3/2012
good solid place - dont hesitate at all going here.
was part of the lunch crowd: busy, efficient, friendly service.
The noodle bowls are what to get ... we had some sushi combo lunch deals. sushi was average - the price was insanely inexpensive. -
Review from Jonathan H.
New York, NY
8/10/2011
Okay, so I didn't get the ramen. Come on, cut me some slack. It's friggin' hot outside.
I did however try the Tuna Hand Roll and the Eel Fried Rice.
The hand roll was packed with tuna and the rice was nice and sticky. The tuna seemed pretty fresh, a bright blood red, but it wasn't firm or crisp and took a few bites to cut through with my chompers. I was really please overall with the quality-to-price. $4.50 for small but overflowing handroll. Pretty good.
The Eel Rice is just good enough. It's not really oily or overly salty, but it's kind of lacking in the substance department. I like carrots and peas as much as the next infant, but for $9.00 I think I should get more eel and egg, as well as ratcheting up things in the veggie department.
The food came up quickly and the staff was cordial. I would come back for another tuna roll or eel roll during lunch, but probably better served going for dinner around the block at finer sushi establishments. -
Review from Dave B.
Astoria, NY
11/17/2011
I will start with the disclaimer that we did not have the ramen. We were in the mood for sushi and passed by and saw a big sign that said "Sushi" so we assumed it would be ok.
The service was inexcusably bad. Our server was at the bar with her back to us texting during our whole meal.
The sushi was paper thin slices of fish on overcooked rice. The shrimp tempura tasted like it was definitely made from frozen shrimp. It was also more batter than it was shrimp.
We also had the baby octopus appetizer, which should have been right up our alley, but again it seemed far from fresh and it was drowned in sauce.
The only upside is it was cheap, but you get what you pay for. If you have to dine here, judging by the other reviews, the only thing worthwhile is the ramen. I'm not willing to give them another chance. There are loads of better places. -
Review from Monica G.
Manhattan, NY
2/16/2012
Taro bubble tea- The bubbles were chewy, not soft and pliable. I think Ajisen used some jasmine or green tea in there; something tastes soapy.
Sumo ramen- The fish cakes tasted overly fishy.
Ajisen ramen (spicy)- The Ajisen broth had oil covering the top layer.
The ramen had noodles that were more like korean jajangmyeon. You can get more traditional, better noodles in a pack of instant ramen. The boiled egg seemed to be soaked in something brown, maybe soy. To me, that defeats the purpose of a healthy egg.
The noodles really got me. That is what makes the dish, and they got it entirely wrong. If that was the first time I ever ate ramen, I would never eat it again. -
Review from Franny A.
6/5/2011
Ramen in the 'hood. Since I have not been able to get into Toto- I was excited to get my fix of ramen nearer to home.
Big selection and they are Japanese. I ordered tender rib ramen $9.5 and bf ordered chicken teriyaki over rice. Ribs were fatty, tender and tasty- ramen noodles were thinner almost soba like. I like a thick white noodle. Broth was pork with tasty cabbage and scallions and a half an egg. Funky.. Chicken teriyaki was small bits of chicken, again ok- nothing exceptional. Good to have ramen nearby.........and they deliver........ -
Review from Lili K.
6/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Let's just say all Ajisens are no good, despite that cute girl statue where she holds a bowl of ramen that's larger than her entire body.
I was almost down the stairs to use the restroom when the lady yelled at me to get back up, since the downstairs area was closed. Ook...she was cranky as she said her forced line, "Enjoy your meal," as well.
The broth was no good either, unlike the other tons of ramen places in the city. -
Review from Umi H.
New York, NY
5/5/2011
This area was clearly in need of a ramen restaurant. Now my carboholic ways will be resurrected; seriously. Up until now, I had to go to the faux pho (HAHAHAHA - sorry) place, Pho 32 to get a noodle fix. It's close to my office, and I love that I have a ramen option.
The ramen is tasty enough. The noodles are a little soft, but chewy. The broth is thick enough (it's a pork/beef blend), not bland, and has tons of toppings. Just don't expect it to be an Ippudo.
For what it's suppose to be, a fast lunch place, it's great. For dinner, I would probably opt for Hide-Chan. For a nice occasion, I would go to Ippudo. I'd basically rate this place as right below Menkui-tei in Astor place (which is also a non-fancy cheaper ramen option). And much better than Minka ramen, that's for sure.
Prices are good. The ramens are around $10, depending on the toppings. The lunch boxes are a great deal for under $10.
A-Ok to me, as long as you know what it is and what to expect.
I had the lunchbox once for delivery and the sashimi was fine. Good salmon. It's a super good deal. The miso soup, like most other places, left more to be desired. It's a bland white miso blend. I'd get it again in a pinch / to satisfy a craving. -
Review from Craige M.
3/10/2011
We have a ramen place near work now -- hooray! 18 different varieties of ramen, in fact. I had the eel ramen, which had a good-sized piece of eel on top of a slightly spicy broth containing cabbage and a hard-boiled egg. My friend got the spicy Ajisen ramen, which had spicy ground beef on top of the same broth. He said it was not quite spicy enough, considering it had the word "spicy" in the name.
There are no descriptions of the various dishes on the menu, but there is a picture of almost every dish, which gives you somewhat of an idea.
Aside from ramen, they also have fried rice, chicken katsu, beef sukiyaki, as well as a selection of Japanese appetizers, such as dumplings, grilled squid balls (takoyaki), sesame octopus, etc. There is also a full sushi bar with similarly priced lunch deals to other places nearby (any 3 rolls for $10.50). My other friend had the chirashi and said it was decent.
I was excited to discover that they have bubble tea at Chinatown prices (not K-town prices) -- $3.50 for a large.
There is a room in the back where apparently karaoke happens after dark, but we were told that there aren't a ton of English songs available. They also don't have a liquor license yet. Could we bring our own? We asked our waiter, but he didn't know. -
Review from Richard D.
New York, NY
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
2 stars is kinda harsh, but the broth was meh.
Most ramen joints serve noodles you can pick up at H mart, but the really unique thing usually is the broth.
The broth here really lacked the mouth feel and richness of better ramen places. It was more watery and didn't have the thick silky consistency that I've come to expect. -
Review from Tommy N.
Forest Hills, NY
3/5/2012
Came here for lunch. Order their ramen which was good. We also ordered the fried chicken appetizer which was also good, but way overpriced at $6.50. Should be $4.50. Overall would rate this place 4 stars if prices were 20% cheaper.
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Review from Crystine W.
New York, NY
5/4/2011
It was my first ramen experience and I did enjoy it, but it wasn't a memorable experience. I ordered the chicken teriyaki ramen. The broth wasn't too salty when they served it, but then when I reheated it later, I found it to be very salty and strong in flavor. The chicken teriyaki and ramen noodle with the base soup didn't mesh very well together although they were okay on their own.
I'm glad I tried Ajisen, but won't be making frequent returns. They were on the pricier side, paid $12 (tax + tip included) for my dish. -
Review from David N.
3/29/2011
I've only tried one dish. The tender rib ramen. The soup was tasty and the ramen a bit al dente, but the tender rib was really good. Definitely a good place to go but it won't rock your world. They deliver!
Update: I just tried the regular Ajisen Ramen and the pork was dry and chewy. I still give it three stars for the tender rib though.... -
Review from Steve F.
Long Beach, CA
5/29/2011
I ordered the Ajisen ramen. The broth was this weird pink color, but tasted all right. I can't really identify the broth, but I think it might have been tonkatsu based. This ramen came with char siu pork, half a brown egg, and green onions.
The toppings were nice. The pork was tender, and shredded nicely when bit into. The noodles, however, were not what I expected. I can't say they are authentic Japanese ramen noodles. It's a little thinner, and a bit chewier - it's not a type of noodle that is condusive to a ramen slurp. The texture is a little to hard for that type of slurping. Other than that, it was good.
The taste and texture are good and solid fare, but it's not special. But it across the street from the hotel I was staying at, and it's so convenient to that hotel, that in future stays at that hotel, I would probably have at least one meal here during my stays. Maybe I'll try the sushi threre next time. -
Review from Julienne S.
New York, NY
8/12/2011
I went here last night. I'm Asian, I eat a lot of ramen, in fact, I consider ramen to be one of my major food groups. I ordered the spicy Ajisen Ramen with pork. The portion was a lot smaller than expected and the soup wasn't even hot! I do have to give this place three stars because the ramen was QQ, meaning, chewy and yummy, and not overcooked and soggy. It was worth the try and I'll definitely come back again to give it another try!
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Review from jeff t.
Lutz, FL
12/17/2011
All I have to say about this place is...."Sooooo delicious!" I ate here twice because the noodles were so good and at a relatively good price. The service was up to speed and running and did I mention how delicious it was? ;)
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Review from Daniel C.
Jackson Heights, NY
6/7/2011
LAST AND FINAL UPDATE (please disregard all reviews below, although they are included for historic purposes): I'm no longer a fan. I no longer think the ramen here is any good. It's all just...blah. Mix-ins/toppings are flat. Noodles are pedestrian, at best. Broth is extremely one dimensional, like it came out of a packet. I can't really say this should be considered ramen.
UPDATE: Since posting my initial review about a month ago, I've been back to Ajisen at least 4 times. They've really improved and I have to say, their soup is seriously starting to grow on me. With tip, a lunch here pretty much always comes out to $12.34 for me.
The pork in the miso ramen is tender and flavorful, and the broth is heavenly: rich and buttery. The noodles arrive pretty firm and are satisfying.
Their curry pork chop ramen was pretty tasty. The broth was really nice and flavorful...not overwhelmingly curry but pretty addictive. They bring you a panko-fried pork chop on the side. It wasn't bad either.
I've also tried their cold noodles and their fishy ramen. I'm not really much of a fan of either.
The service has gotten much friendlier and less pushy, and the tea has improved as well :)
2 stars gets bumped up to 4 for my favorite regular neighborhood lunch place.
_____
Big sucker for ramen here. Even if the restaurant sucks on rounds 1 or 2, I'm willing to give them a 3rd, 4th and 5th shot.
Been to Ajisen several, SEVERAL times, and I just keep heading back for more of a beating.
Food: Less than good. I should admit first, the broth is some of the best I had, but it doesn't make up for mediocre noodles, poorly done mix-ins and a generally boring, uninspired and lackluster take on the ramen experience. A bowl of the Ajisen ramen ranks way below anything you can get at Sapporo (49th and 7th).
There were no condiments made available such as hot sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper flakes, vinegar, etc.
I'm a big tea person. I've been to Ajisen for lunch several times, and the stuff they passed off as tea has been nothing but hot water. At dinner, it was strong, but it just tasted cheap.
Service: Poor, poor poor. None of the hospitably you can expect at a Japanese establishment can be found here. The waitstaff is curt, unhelpful and seemingly very inexperienced. To say that they rush you out is a gross understatement.
But I'll be back. I'm never going to stop coming here, actually. It's close to my office and the only place in the area that you can get what would be technically considered here to be ramen. Even though the Ajisen franchise is established and well-worn, I have a feeling that the folks on Ajisen 28 are still working out the kinks. -
Review from Yusuke A.
New York, NY
4/2/2011 2 photos
"ajisen ramen" is restaurant group which established in Japan. But this place looks like Chinese restaurant. Their menu is written in English & Chinese (and little bit of Japanese) they have sushi bar and sushi menu. (Japanese ramen place don't tend to have it)
Fortunately ramen tastes good for under 10$.I probably come back again. -
Review from Brian A.
Chicago, IL
8/14/2011
The chicken teriyaki ramen was perfect for a rainy day in Manhattan.
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Review from Margaret T.
New York, NY
4/23/2011
Maybe I was supposed to order the spicy ramen as that's what they're known for but I really wanted sushi so that's what I ordered. What I was actually served was a big plate of disappointment. I spent $15 on a roll that was worth about $7. Every other Volcano roll I've ever had has come with a mountain of tuna on top. That's what I get for drinking before dinner. Alcohol really does impair your decision making!
Listed in: (At Least) 10 Things I Hate…, Sea Creatures Beware...
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Review from Steinway C.
ASTORIA, NY
10/6/2011
I always get the deluxe ramen! The meat is so tender and delicious!!!! There is no better ramen house that I know of. The sushi platter is Always a nice reward to a hard day as well. Mmm arisen ramen!
