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Ajisen Ramen
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
Westfield San Francisco Centre865 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhoods: Union Square, SOMA
(415) 357-0288
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 10 am - 8:30 pm
Sun 10 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
373 reviews for Ajisen Ramen
Review Highlights
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"Get the premium pork - it's shaved super-thin." In 82 reviews -
"The broth is rich and tastes homemade." In 138 reviews -
"Right amount of sweetness but milk and tea flavors." In 23 reviews
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373 reviews in English
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Review from B. Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2012
I'd give this place a 3.5 stars for food, service, and convenience (it's in the mall). I bumped it up to 4 because I thought their average of 3 was on the low side.
Out of all of the Asian noodle soup options, ramen is my least favorite and I'm not sure why. I keep trying different places in hopes of finding one I'll like. I would say this is on the higher end of the scale for me in terms of tastiness.
The tables are pretty close together, but the service is fast. It's in Westfield mall so it's a convenience place to grab a bite if you want something better than your typical food court meal. -
Review from Vicki L.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2012
My friend recommended me Ajisen Ramen in this location so we went for a try.
We ordered Corn w/ B.B.Q. Pork Ramen, Shoyu Ramen, Ajisen Ramen, Premium Pork Ramen and Premium Pork Ribs Ramen. None of us was satisfied. The noodles tasted OK. The broth was kinda lukewarm. The taste was OK but a little bit blend. Our BBQ Pork and ribs were not tender enough. We had Ajisen Ramen in different stores in Asian countries and those experiences were much better than this one.
I originally gave 2 stars but added 1 star for the convenient location. -
Review from Jason C.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2012
I was excited when a ramen place opened up at westfield! Now I don't have to go to Japantown to get my ramen fix. I'm tired of my instant noodles..
Anyway, I went here with my lady and we both ordered the shoyu ramen. MMM, those pictures on the menu look so delicious!
We got our food, and I dug in. Hmm, the broth is a bit salty...made me drink a couple glasses of water. Other than that though, the ramen was okay. Not much noodles. I was still hungry after. I guess it's back to Japantown for me. -
Review from Karen Y.
San Francisco, CA
I am actually a fan of Ajisen Ramen. I know it's not the best compared to places like Ramen Dojo or Santouka in the Bay Area but it's decent. It doesn't feel authentic since it's located in the mall but the ramen portions are filling and passes the taste test for me!
I ordered the spicy pork ramen ($8.95) (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) last time and remember to order at your own risk. This came out much spicier than I had anticipated! At least the noodles weren't soggy and the meat was very tender. My mouth was on fire and I was sweating when I got towards the bottom of the bowl but it was still a yummy meal.
The bf and I also shared the agedashi tofu (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and this was just alright since the tofu wasn't even really fried. Oh well, sometimes you get what you pay for!
If I had to choose between Ajisen and Katana-ya, I would definitely pick the latter but I would still grab a bite here if I happened to be hungry at the mall. -
Review from Ken K.
4/24/2012
I guess I had to see how really bad it was for myself.
This might just be the best mall food in SF Westfield basement Emporium (what a crock) in some cases.
In retrospect, I should have gone to Katana-Ya for slightly better mediocrity...and get knived instead of shafted.
Ajisen San Mateo is better than this location. The two are not affiliated....the SM branch is owned by the same folks who operate Ajisen Fremont. Ajisen SF is part of the chain from SoCal (with locations in SGV, Temple City, Irvine, Santa Monica Westfield...with the first 3 locations aiming for the Taiwanese American and Asian American ramen luvin' demographic). No wonder Daikokuya Monterey Park and Shin Sen Gumi in SGV are not so happening anymore.
You can tell this place has Chinese staff...the waitresses are all Asian and say "welcome" in Japanese with an accent. It is supposed to be "Irasshaimase!" (eee-rrrrrashei maaa seeei!) and spoken with true gusto and lung power, especially important by shokunin (professional sushi chefs for life) who are proud and want you to eat at their establishment.
But somehow when the waitstaff say it, it came out sounding like "ma-say, ma-say".
Perhaps they got too used to saying "moshi moshi", which is not too far off from mochi mochi.
Stuck with the fail safe order of #2, pork spare rib ramen. The best part was the pork ribs (no bones) with a few giant pieces with a lot of jelly like tendons on them. Everything else was mediocre. The noodles were too thin for my liking, and was more like Cappelini. WTF I am not eating fusion yoshoku and ramen! The broth...super white (like super white tuna) with unrecognizeable brown bits inside (supposed to be darkened shallots or bonito flakes maybe?) shredded cabbage, and that was it. The broth had no depth, and was fairly one. Ajisen San Mateo at least made their broth tastier (maybe MSG?) Well at least I didn't walk out thirsty.
The beverage menu was a clear giveaway this was a Chinese or Taiwanese operation....iced milk teas, iced tapioca teas, slushees, iced coffees. Was I at Lavender Kow, Boba Boyz, Quick Lee, Express Tapioca, or Bobaville? Ahhh why not....tried the lemon honey green tea....and sadly a $2.75 WATTE (wah-tay....water with several shots of tea, tasted more lemon juice and honey flavored sweetener). I wasn't expecting TPumps, but man Chinatown Ten Ren could do a little better than this.
It is fascinating that one of the Sogo department stores in Taipei recently and finally got their first ever Santouka Ramen (with lots of anticipation and anxiety) where I'm sure it tastes better than the one in San Jose, and yet the best we have in a mall is a craptacular Ajisen.
Ajisen = Taste of Thousands, a Thousand Tastes in kanji....more like a tastedud. Doh....Listed in: Best Watered Down Tapioca Tea…
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Review from David M.
Jacksonville, FL
5/25/2012
This place has awesome Ramen. When I ate here I got the premium pork ramen, some fried tofu, and a oolong tea. The broth for the pork ramen is some of the most delicious stuff I have ever had. It is incredibly creamy and full of rich fulfilling flavors. I had always heard that tonkotsu ramen like this was incredible, but I had no idea now mind blowing it was. If you love good food, you owe it to yourself to eat here. You will love this place.
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Review from Karen Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/14/2012
Why does this place only have a 3 stars average?
Anyways, I always order the ajisen ramen which is the standard tonkotsu/pork one. Lots of veggie, some seaweed, a few slices of pork, half an egg and a savory broth. The noodles are perfect. I haven't really found fault with the ramen the multiples times I've been here, although the soup can be a little salty (in a way that makes me want to drink the whole thing up!) The only thing is it's not "traditional" if that's what you're used to.
Plus their milk tea boba is one of my favorites in the city.. so so satisfying, at least for my preferences. Super soft and slightly sweetened boba balls with milk tea that is not too diluted, a good balance of sugar and tea. I would personally ask them to put in less ice cubes next time because it gets watery if you don't finish it quickly. -
Review from Emily W.
Berkeley, CA
4/13/2012
I'm a big ramen fan, but Ajisen is definitely only an okay place. I have been to one in San Gabriel, CA once and the SF one twice.
During my first visit here, I ordered the premium pork and from what I remember, P's tender pork ribs tasted SO MUCH better. The ribs were tender, juicy and had that melt-in-your-mouth sensation. So I craved and craved and craved for almost 4 months until we finally went back this past weekend. Interesting thing is.. I never go to the one in San Gabriel even when it's so much more accessible. Guess you always want what you can't have.
This second visit was a horrible experience. This time, P got the premium pork and I got the tender pork ribs. The "tender" pork ribs were hard and dry, basically on the other end of the "tender" spectrum. I was super disappointed.
The service is alright. The waitress was a little rude in approaching us to ask if we wanted to place any more orders because the kitchen was closing. -
Review from Anna P.
Daly City, CA
Ahhh! I ordered the spicy pork ramen. It was spicy and super dee dooper yummy goodness! I will be coming back for some of the ramen again.
The bad part: it's in the mall i have never seen basically restaurant with waiter service in the mall, in the food court and it's expensive out total came out to 21 something for 2 bowl of ramen. It was $8 something each.
the waitress is also the host who seats people. But she was nice. Other than that no complaints except how expensive it is. -
Review from Hugo J.
Santa Ana, CA
5/14/2012
The food is not bad, but what disgust me is how the waiter/waitress handling the food. I ordered a bowl of hot ramen. A girl brought a hot bowl to me with one hand. Her dirty thumb hooked inside the bowl and touched my food. i could of send it back, but remember what people say: Dont fight with the waiter or they will spit in your food. I was starving so I just ate it. The food have could of taste much better if I didnt have the mental picture of her thumb in my food. If you guys reading this message. the proper way to serve the a bowl is with two hands and keep your finger/thumb out of the bowl. Thank you.
-
Review from Kathryn C.
San Francisco, CA
4/8/2012
I'm going to compare this place to Katana-ya like everyone else and also say that its much better than K-ya, like everyone else. Personally, I like tonkotsu style ramen the best and that's what they serve here. You can't go wrong with the Ajisen ramen, but I'm pretty sure the other choices are good as well. Also the curry rice plate with fried chicken is pretty tasty too. The only thing that's not up to par are the flavored tea drinks, which are overpriced and blah.
It's nice coming here when its freezing cold in SF and I can just hop on Bart to go home after without having to go outside again :) -
Review from William R.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2012
4.7.2011
3:00 PM
Special Pork Ramen
Gyoza
Seriously!?!? The best ramen in SF is a Chinese chain in the food court at the Westfield mall!??!
Yes.
It is.
Don't bother with Katana-ya. That new spot Ramen Underground is over priced and bland. Santa in San Mateo is garbage. The Special pork ramen at the place is (sadly) the best bowl of ramen you can get in SF.
It's in the style of southern Japanese ramen called tonkotsu...pork based broth with thin noodles. You wont be disappointed. -
Review from Diana M.
San Francisco, CA
5/20/2012
A place to stop by after a walk around the mall! I say the food is average but the reason why I'm giving this place 5 stars is the customer service! The waitress who served me that day was Shirley. She has a very positive attitude for her job and patience towards her customers. Not to mention it took me a long time to order, but she always had a smile on her face. Keep it up girl!
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Review from Nicha K.
Alameda, CA
Came here for lunch with a friend--was craving pho and Out the Door was closed. Didn't know this place existed before...it's a hop, skip and a jump away from the main food court and my friend recommended it as he's tried the place in Australia. (it's a chain, apparently).
There was a bit of a line, but it moved quickly. The mall-fast-food-court atmosphere is misleading for the delicious ramen that was presented to me.
I ordered the premium pork ramen and the broth was this beautiful milky looking broth that wasn't too salty and instead, incredibly tasty. I asked them what was in it... the server's limited English wasn't too helpful (it looked like miso but wasn't "swirly" they way miso soups usually are --am I making sense?).... but nonetheless, it was soooo good. And prices are completely reasonable. It really hit the spot.
I'm a big fan of Katana-Ya but this place may steal half my business.
P.S. They have boba milk teas also. i can kill two cravings in one spot. WIN. -
Review from Chau T.
San Francisco, CA
3/14/2012
This is a chain ramen spot in the Westfield mall but I like it more than Katana-Ya. I get the Premium Pork Ramen and ask for them to make it extra spicy (they charge something like 2bucks to make the soup spicy).
Good after a night of drinking :). -
Review from Raquel Y.
2/19/2012 1 photo
So, this was actually better than I thought it would be, being a chain restaurant!
Get the PREMIUM PORK! Man, this was pretty delicious! [http://s3-media2.ak.ye...
Bf was also surprised to see that I really liked it since it was just average to him. He said Ajisen is like the "McDonalds of Asia" but I don't know, I'm a ramen lover (Look at my other 15 ramen joints just in Nor Cal alone) and this was 4 stars in my book. Pork was delicious, soup was tasty, noodles were not too hard or too soft. Only thing is that it's a bit overpriced, around $12 for a bowl of ramen when most bowls should be around $9-10. But it's in a mall in Downtown SF so it's not surprising it's overpriced. At least it's good.
We also got the fried octopus which was not bad either, but again, overpriced. $6 for a few small pieces.
- Location is convenient, next to BART off Powell and in the heart of Downtown SF at the Westfield Mall.
- Service was fast.
- Ambiance was food court style haha
Overall - Yummy for a quick bite to eat to satisfy your ramen cravings in Downtown SF :)Listed in: Ramen
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Review from Kim L.
Bay Area
3/21/2012
Meh. I've experienced better. Or at least that's what yelp said. :)
I was aware this is a chain restaurant especially my very first experience of Ajisen was in China! Though China's Ajisen had a more extensive menu with so many different ramen and rice dishes, noodle soups and appetizers, I did my very best NOT to compare it with SF's Ajisen.
Because of meeting up with a friend and deciding where to eat for brunch, she chooses Ajisen since we're already inside the mall. It was not crowded when we were seated with menus placed in front of us. With only one side of the menu offering different ramen dishes, it was a very limiting choice for me since they had only one chicken, one vegetables, and one seafood ramen noodle soups. I decided to order the Chicken ramen while my friend ordered some shoyu pork ramen. Apparently, if you want your ramen soups to be spicy, they charge you $1-2 for it which I thought it was lame. Of course the waitress did say she was going to get some hot chili sauce (the rooster kind) for me to add in my ramen.
Ramen comes out. My friend seems to enjoy her bowl very much. I, in the other hand, not very much. Either I was not in any mood of eating ramen, or did not order the ramen dishes they're known for. Anyway...
Friend: "How was your chicken ramen?"
Me: "Tastes like something died. I mean, the chicken's not fresh at all"
Friend: "Uh...."
Me: "The soup base smells too gamey. Maybe it's not gamey, but rancid-like"
I don't know how I managed to finish up the bowl. But I can definitely tell you I was not feeling too well afterwards. -
Review from Ivan L.
4/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is mall ramen. Duck into a crowded spot behind the Hello Kitty store and see the vacant eyes of mall patrons staring you down as you slurp.
Listed in: Yelp Lunch Spots
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Review from Harold C.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012
Good ramen for a chain spot; definitely one of the better spots you can eat at in the mall, or the Powell tourist area for that matter.
Appropriate portions and prices. But, how come if I order a 'spicy' broth it costs $1 more? I imagine there are just different cauldrons of broth in the back, and you ladle them each the same way... am I wrong? Also, your gyozas are tiny. That's what she said. -1
Service is aiight I guess. They seem to forget things often or take a while to take our order. -1
Still my #1 choice for ramen for lunch, so long as I continue to work downtown. -
Review from Nick L.
2/28/2012
For a mall location, this place surprises.
Reasonably priced and tasty.
When you are in a rush and want to get something at the mall, then this place is a good choice. -
Review from Katie M.
2/8/2012 1 photo
A Japanese friend of ours was in town, and kept going on about Ajisen ramen, how great it was, and how it was all he ate when he was in Australia. I decided to look it up as a joke, and to my surprise, they had a branch in San Francisco, not far from where we were staying!
First of all, the quality of the meat inside is really, really good for fast food ramen. I had the pork rib ramen, and the ribs were EXACTLY like so-ki pork served in Okinawan ramen. It blew my mind that they could get something like that right in the States.
I wasn't a huge fan of the soup base, which definitely needed some vinegar or something to spice it up. There are limited Japanese condiments available, which is kind of crucial when you're eating ramen. The noodles were very pasta-like as opposed to noodles, but were good. Not the best ramen I've had, but it was still very good.
My husband got the spicy pork ramen, which was also pretty good, but again, was missing that little pow that it needed to avoid being just heavy/spicy. The toppings were all delicious, though.
The chicken kara-age is really yummy, served with kewpie mayonnaise. To give it a Japanese touch, try sprinkling some of the shichimi pepper spice onto the mayonnaise before you dig in.
I definitely look forward to trying their Los Angeles branch soon!Listed in: Glorious food!! [and the…, Did you say Japanese?, Ramen
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Review from Katie M.
2/2/2012
I was delighted to see an Ajisen at the mall, since the last time I had it was when I lived in Hong Kong over six years ago. Definitely a must-go every time I see one of these.
I ordered the spicy beef ramen and lychee ice tea with boba. It came to about $12 which is pretty pricey for the portion I received, thanks to the mall markup. The amount of food I got was significantly smaller than in HK, but there was a lot of meat so I was happy with that. I love the broth that they use, especially with the spiciness added to it! The noodles were very well cooked (I judge by how elastic-y they are) and the beef was the perfect tenderness. I just wish they gave me more! The drink was on the sweet side and the tapioca was too mushy. Service was good and the food came out pretty quickly... too bad it's so damn expensive. -
Review from Raggio W.
San Diego, CA
4/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Sometime the best way to rate a restaurant is to compare it with other competitor. Even though Aijsen Ramen serves additional snack items, I think it's quite similar to Santouka in many ways. Both establishments are international chain restaurants with emphasis on ramen. When it comes to ramen, Santouka wins out pretty much in all aspects from noodle to broth. The food we had weren't horrible, and the cha-shu was decent. It just doesn't make the grade with so many better choices out there. Ajisen Ramen is definitely a step up from your typical instant noodle, but miles below what a truly delicious bowl of ramen should taste.
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Review from Karry D.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2012
This is basically the place to get a quick ramen-fix. If I wanted to wait for some super duper yummy ass ramen, I'd go to Katana-Ya. However, the location of Ajisen is closer to the bart, metro, and the mall (it's inside~) so a lazy ass like myself wouldn't bother to walk a few blocks to Katana-Ya to wait in line.
Anyways, I usually get the premium pork ramen. A little bland but then again, I'm a Vietnamese-Chinese gal so dumping a lot of Nanami Togarashi (that cute little bottle filled with assorted peppers) gave me the kick I needed. Also, I tried the spicy pork... yeah, not that spicy to me... but my taste buds are long gone so I can't say much about it.
Service here is a-okay. They may be hustling and bustling but they still have the time to ask if everything was alright for me. I feel super special... then again, I was eating alone... so... ha.
Overall, can't expect much from mall food. Not gonna lie, it's not a five start restaurant but it's definitely a fix. Come here to eat and go... not to linger, yo. -
Review from Venus L.
San Bruno, CA
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is definitely yummy! A good place to warm up after going through the raging storm outside of Westfield mall.
I came here today for lunch since my boyfriend had to go to the Levi's store at Union Square and he really seems to love this place. We came here around 2:10 and there was about 6 full tables beside ours. Service was definitely quick! Order in 5 minutes, get food in 3 minutes. They were piping hot and full of flavor! (: I had gotten their corn ramen and yes, it was SO full of corn on one side and a bunch of cabbage and seaweed on the other. The egg was a bit hard, but that's alright. The pork was also nice and tender and the broth left me wanting more.
The only reason I don't give this place 5 stars is because in my book, Tanpopo is still the best place to be for good ol' ramen. But hey, this place is my second choice. (: -
Review from Tom T.
2/12/2012
How did Ajisen make it to up north?
I was surprised to see an Ajisen in a mall, despite the fact that it's not really mall food, and that there isn't a lot of Asian shops around, but lots of Asian people who need their fixin' of ramen.
Comparing to my earlier trip to an actual ramen shop (Katana-Ya), the ramen selection did have more toppings, but the ramen was lacking something. Possibly it was overcooked, or there wasn't any seasoning when the noodles were boiled, but something wasn't there.
Comparing to branches in SoCal, this branch is FAR better than Temple City and about the same with San Gabriel. At least you don't have to worry about parking at this place.
Closing up, this place is a nice reminder of how much I missed home, but I can do without coming here. -
Review from Earl G.
1/2/2012 2 photos
The restaurant was packed with all these holiday shoppers but the servers were fast and efficient to handle the large crowds. Tables are packed in tight.
Had their signature handmade pork ramen for lunch. Kinda bad, but not a late night skidmarks kinda bad.
It came with these dry shreds of overcooked pork that were similar to dried out Greek gyro meat. Add the noodles, green onion, and watered down pork broth and it was a basic bare minimum bowl. Kinda pricey for $10 but exactly what you'd expect out of a fast food chain. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
It just made me want a legit bowl of ramen somewhere else. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)Listed in: Japanese food, The Soup Du Jour
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Review from jen p.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
My sister was anxious to try another ramen place, so it was only a matter of time until we came to check this place out. I had was very excited to try the corn w/ B.B.Q. pork ramen and the peach passionfruit soda. I should point out that the noodle is not like the traditional ramen that I have had before.
The broth was pretty good .. it didn't taste as salty as all the other ramen I have had before. Everything was pretty good except for the corn ..
Corn is one of my favorite vegetables. I love it the most when its out of the can because there's that nice little crisp to them. I absolutely hate them frozen because they are soggy and taste like mush. -
Review from Ingrid C.
Berkeley, CA
4/18/2012
After walking around the mall and not finding a good place to eat, I settled on Ajisen Ramen. I've actually never had quick ramen that tasted so authentic. It was pretty good and I got the japanese marble drink which brought back some childhood memories. We got gyozas and the tonkatsu pork but I think the ramen is a lot better than any of the appetizers. I was pretty satisfied with my meal and they seated us really fast.
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Review from Heizel M.
3/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
First time here and it was a bad one. Service was horrible. When ordering, our server looked at both my boyfriend and me with a "what are you talking about" look when we asked for the simplest of things. My BF asked for his ramen to be extra spicy and requested for some extra hot sauce on the side and she kept repeating what he said in a condecending manner. When it was my turn, I asked if they had stewed pork and she looked at me weird and gave me attitude as well.
I ordered the Miso Ramen and what a mistake that was. The broth was off-white, but in a very unappealing way. When I ate the ramen, the flavor was nowhere to be found and it was as if I was having badly flavored/colored water. But, if you have had miso ramen before, you would know at first glance that you are looking at something completely different than what you thought you ordered. I couldn't stomach it and had to swallow the fact that I just wasted a too much money on a place who touts ramen, but can't even do it slight justice. I've had mediocre ramen before and I grew up on Saimin all my life, but this place fails. The ramen noodles were thin in size and for me, I don't know why they would use a smaller noodle. It didn't help the dish at all. The egg was hard boiled and not soft boiled as one would expect for Ramen. It was tough, and darkly colored it parts. I took one small bite, felt disgusted, and left the rest of it swimming in the pool of flavored water. Definitely not helping me in terms of enticement. The veggies left me bewilderered: Green Onions and what is this....Cabbage?. I was not used to seeing that.
I also ordered the California Roll, which I usually don't order since its so basic, but wanted a little something something to go along with my Ramen. The California Roll as generic and non-special as it was, was the standout in my meal that day.
Suffice it to say, we won't be coming back. I rather go across the way to the "fancier" foodcourt and spend that same money with much much more satisfying and quality enriched food. -
Review from Anh N.
El Cerrito, CA
Date/Time: Friday - 6:45pm
Occasion: Hungry for dinner
Party of: 2
Ordered: Premium pork ramen & Chicken ramen
Total: $24
Having traveled to Japan several times and dine at some of the most popular ramen houses in the Bay Area, LA, & NYC, I consider myself a somewhat expert at this bowl of soup.
First of, a great bowl of ramen must have fulfill two key criteria -- noodle & rich/flavorful broth. Sadly, this place missed out on 1 of 2.
The noodles at Ajisen were straight and thin, made in the Hakata style; it lacked the firm chewiness. My fav ramen noodles are the yellow, wavy and have just the right diameter, which makes for a substantial noodle that has the perfect chew.
The broth at Ajisen was delicious! It was flavorful, rich, and was somewhat fatty; the way good ramen is suppose to be. Yum! -
Review from Nat S.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2012
The ramen is not bad. I would say it is better than a lot of other places I have eaten. What really made my little noodle adventure really amazing was the service. Yuliani (sp?) was a total sweetheart and helped answer a lot of questions I had about the menu.
Skip the cluster F that is the main food court and have a nice bowl of decent tonkatsu ramen between getting a new pair of jeggings and an alexander wang bag. -
Review from Frank S.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
My partner and I accidentally stumbled into this place 10 minutes before they were closing and the staff was so kind and accommodating. I felt bad because we were obviously arriving at the moment they were closing but they served us regardless.
Although we slurped down our noodles and broth rather quickly, I have to admit it was pretty tasty! I had the beef curry ramen and the broth was very rich and flavorful. My partner had the spicy pork ramen and I was jealous that he got a smoked egg with his. He shared it with me and it was delicious.
Yes it has a fast food atmosphere, but it was fun, filling and delicious and I love their branding and graphic. I recommend stopping by for a quick meal anytime! -
Review from Jorge H.
3/29/2012
Most of you have seen my reviews on Ramen Dojo and know that they are my #1. Since then, I've tried several Ramen places including some that are revered as the best in the Bay. Ajisen comes as close to RD as I've ever tasted. Their service is great, selection is yummy and their portions are very generous! Their soup is not overly salty and the flavors in each ingredient is very tasty. I only wish their corn was sweeter. Other than that, I give this place a thumbs up! For a chain restaurant, they sure know how to make a great bowl of ramen.
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Review from Jia min C.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
When I think of this place, I literally feel rage. Rage which I recently relived in a conversation with my friend about how spectacularly bad the ramen is.
In some ways, I am to blame for this horrific ramen experience. I could have walked to Katana-Ya. Correction: I SHOULD have walked the extra few blocks to Katana-Ya. Mall ramen?! What was I thinking?! Granted, this is the Westfield Mall and the food court at the Bloomingdales side of the mall is fantastic. Ajisen Ramen is in the crappy chain food side of the mall (under Nordstrom, near Panda Express). The proximity to Panda Express should have been another indicator. Basically, I was on my lunch break, I wanted ramen, I didn't want to walk to Katana-Ya, and I wanted to give this place a try.
I can't remember what exactly I ordered. It doesn't matter. The noodles themselves are the problem. So basically all the ramen dishes are problematic. I can only describe the noodles as having the consistency of angel hair pasta. It took me a little while to pin this down, but basically from the first bite I knew something was wrong. If you order "ramen" at this place, you are basically getting angel hair pasta in soup. Yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds. Yes, thinking about angel hair pasta in soup makes me want to flip over tables in rage.
The service was mediocre at best-- I can't really remember. I think I was literally blinded by rage in this experience. And I most definitely did not finish those disgusting noodles. I could have gone to the grocery store and bought either Maruchan or Cup of Noodles and it would have been better and considerably cheaper. In fact, if you have a hankering for ramen, do yourself a favor, bypass this place, walk straight to Walgreens, and buy a Cup of Noodles. Seriously.
After my father eventually bought from "fresh" ramen from the Asian store, I realized that those noodles too also had the same angel hair pasta-texture. So Ajisen's secret is they probably buy their ramen from the Asian store as well. This makes me calm down a little more, as part of my rage was due to thinking that Ajisen clearly thinks that we are all idiots who don't know better and will serve us angel hair pasta in soup and call it ramen. It is now more clear that Ajisen is intent on serving an extremely sub-par product. Blech!
Bottom line: I actually hope they go out of business. I'm not a picky food person in the least. I'm really not. I've not had many bad meals, and this is definitely in the top 5 of my worst meals (excluding my mother's cooking. Sorry Mom!). I'm luckily not in that side of the mall often, because I get mad every time I see it there, still in business... -
Review from Shirleyanne Z.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
My homegirl (who is addicted to ramen) and I have been here quite a few times already. Their food is better than most of the choices at the mall and sometimes when the mall is packed, you have to wait for a table. The restaurant is clean and the servers are very timid but nice. The food is served pretty quickly, so it's perfect if you want a fast sit-down meal. They carry other items as well. I tried their potstickers and those were decent but not the best. I really just go here for the ramen.
The ramen is quite expensive for a fast-food establishment, so it is safe to say that this place is not for people who are on a "ramen budget". I really like the sesame sprinkles they provide with their noodles so I douse my ramen with sesame whenever I can. I like the texture and taste of the noodles and it is not too soggy or soft when compared to noodles you get from other establishments. The ramen really sucks up the flavor of the soup. The meat is always tender and flavorful. The broth has that savory umami flavor that I really enjoy and it is not too salty. The serving size is pretty big so it's really hard to finish one bowl. Sometimes I end up taking half of my order home if I'm not being a littly piggy. -
Review from Ali A.
San Francisco, CA
2/19/2012
One of my favorite Ramen Noodle places in SF. Love the food here. Beef curry ramen, spicy beef ramen, and corn w/ B.B.Q. pork ramen are among my favorite dishes here. The staff is friendly and the service is pretty fast (most of the time).
Not sure why some of the reviews are on the negative side. I actually prefer this place to Katana-Ya (another ramen noodle place on Geary), especially considering the fact that there's always a long wait to get seated at Katana-Ya.
Definitely worth checking out. The only annoying thing is the location. This place is located in the westfield mall in downtown SF so unless you're willing to pay $10 for parking at the nearby garages or are taking the MUNI, you're out of luck finding parking nearby. -
Review from Amaryllia L.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011 9 Check-ins Here
This has become my in-town go-to place for ramen because (1) it's walking distance from where I live, (2) the wait for a table and for food are fast, (3) everything I've tried is good, (4) they serve bubble tea, and (5) you can walk around the mall afterwards to burn off some of the calories you just ate.
For a little under $10, you can choose from a large variety of ramen flavors. I've tried at least 5 different kinds by now and none of them disappoint. Spicy Beef barely qualifies as spicy but Spicy Pork will give you a good kick in the back of the throat, so choose accordingly.
As I mentioned above, this place serves bubble tea AND a huge assortment of other beverages, like Peach Passion Fruit Soda. Like their ramen selection, you really can't go wrong with any of these drinks. I usually get a Caramel Milk Tea or Brown Sugar Milk Tea, which costs $4 after I add in the $0.50 tapioca pearls. These two milk tea drinks always come out on the VERY sweet side but I don't mind because I can keep drinking and adding water to it throughout my meal and still have a full cup of overly-sweet milk tea at the end! How nice is that? It's like 2 drinks for the price of 1.
I'm taking off a star because, as most others have said, the food and drinks here are a bit on the pricy side. I guess that's the price of convenience (the other good ramen places I know are at least a 20 minute drive south of SF) and helps keep the lines short-ish. The tapioca pearls are also always a gamble - sometimes they're too soft, sometimes they're in a giant clump, but never are they perfect. Still, as the only ramen place I know that serves bubble tea, I am not going to complain and will continue to order them every time.Listed in: West Coast Bubble Tea!
-
Review from Kevin W.
Berkeley, CA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't really understand the hype and lines for this place. $9 for a bowl of noodles and a few pieces of meat? Broth was not that great either. I guess for being in the center of the mall food court, it should deserve a relative amount of business but enough to have people waiting in line for 20 minutes? Given that the place is small and has limited seats i suppose it has limited seating, but i would never wait for it. Watching the line makes me feel like i need to rush and eat so others have the opportunity to eat. Although there was no line when i went here with my brother, it got full fast and the wait began not too long after.
My opinion of the food is that it is not much better than any other japanese place around the block. Nothing special. Small portion of meat and noodles and extra vegetables that comes with the meal for the price. I was not full, rather It barely managed to keep my stomach from growling further. Meal for my brother and I was $22 + tip for 2 bowls of ramen and 2 waters.
Honestly, the noodles I got were pretty much ramen. Toss in a few pieces of meat and you are set. Not to crazy about the place and probably would never come back I rather take $8 and go next door and get some chipotle to fill myself up. -
Review from Megan L.
1/9/2012
The default broth option is tonkotsu, and it's a little watery/greasy but otherwise has pretty good flavor. The egg is fully hard-boiled, the noodles are not firm, and the chashu leaves much to be desired. Portions are slightly smaller than what I expected for the price.
There's plenty of better ramen elsewhere and Westfield has other superior dining choices, but Ajisen is decent enough if you happen to be shopping and want to satisfy a craving.
