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Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: GreenwoodWed-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
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It's like a temple of pork! Allie S. and i finally got here a couple of weeks ago and i've been back on my own with non-yelping persons since.
The shoyu broth is good, the shio broth less so. No tonkotsu broth, which makes me a sad panda, and no egg, which annoys me. The noodles are perfect and slurpable; the broth/noodle/pork ratio is perfect.
The shoyu ramen plus the garlic fried rice makes for an excellent dinner. Watch out, they're closed Mondays and Tuesdays. If you roll with a car, there's plenty of on-street parking, even if the lot's bad.
There is something about noodle soup. Maybe it's because it always makes me feel warm and happy. In any case, I don't know of many ramen places in Seattle (is there any others?). My hubby and I have visited quite a few in Hawaii when we go to visit (cheap and filling), so when he found out about this place, we h-a-d to go. We actually tried to go three times; one - closed (normally - forget to check hours), two - too long a wait, three - ended up never leaving a party.
Fourth time is a charm! We took parent-in-law out for dinner there. Took about 30 minutes to get in and get seated, but service was friendly and food came fast. I got the miso soup base and it was super-duper yummy! Pork was a little dry, but the rest made up for it. No matter what, I appreciated the food and service, and will definitely go there again.
Things to know:
- Best to go in groups of two - MAX, or expect to wait, wait, wait
- There will be a line if you're going later in the evening
- Try the pot stickers; they just might fit your "yummy" spectrum
- Smile at the servers/cook; they are good people serving/making darn good food!
There's a place in Portland that makes so many pizza daily, once they run out, they close. There's was a man who made handmade udon each day, a certain number of them, and once they ran out, no more udon was available.
This place, they only make so much broth each day, since broth is the most important thing in a good ramen, he makes it, and when he runs out of it, the place is done for the day.
I personally am ok with this, it saves cost, and when they run out during a given work day, it's a testament of how popular the place is. So people make the trip and sometimes there's no more ramen... it the nature of the beast. Why I mention this is, they have a sign on their window apologizing to patrons since it seems that they've been getting complaints regards to that.
Any hew, months ago when I've here, the place wasn't as popular and busy... now, it's crazy sometimes and you actually have to wait if you come to late.
The food is good. The broth is light and full of deep flavors. Depending on which ramen you get, they might add additional flavors and items in the ramen.
I had the special, mapo tofu with ramen (instead of the rice). I typically expect a thicker mapo, but instead got a liquid version of it. The mapo had the onions, soft tofu and ground beef. I enjoyed eating and slurping this style of ramen. I give them points for creativity.
The pot stickers were a bit of a disappointment. First their grilled on a grill pan, then some hot water is added to steam them, and covered to crisp them a bit more. I thought they were rather greasy and had a true lack of flavor... even with the dipping sauce. Maybe it was because I had just completed eating my spicy mapo tofu ramen that I didn't taste the flavors, but I did taste the greasiness.
The service when their busy isn't great... seems a bit lacking, but overall, they seem to all work together to serve the customers.
This place is solid. It's definitely not the best ramen I've ever had but it's pretty good for the area.
$6.50 for a bowl of ramen, $8 for a ramen + gyoza combo, $8 for mini ramen + garlic fried rice, $4 for a side of tonkatsu - prices here are a steal.
I ordered the shoyu ramen and my boyfriend had the miso. The shoyu broth was not ultra flavorful, but it was decent. The miso was more rich and savory. The pork slices were very generous, though a tad bland. The noodles had a good consistency too.
We ordered a side of tonkatsu which was served freshly fried, very crispy, and with a tangy dipping sauce. Really good.
If you're craving ramen in Seattle, then this is the place!
Man, why does this always have to happen? You find a good thing, and then it goes and spoils itself.
The portion sizes have decreased, which is unfortunate. Tough times call for a delicious value. While the portion size is still decent (you will still go home full), it's not as impressive as before. But so long as the food is still just as tasty, I'm willing to forgive that.
Consistency is the mark of a truly great cook.
Well, Aloha Ramen, you let me down tonight. Service was inconsistent (though, friendly). The pork tasted like it had been refrigerated for a few days (you know that taste), and all of the ingredients put into the soup were stone cold. This cooled the soup to an unfortunately luke warm temperature. To add insult the injury, you forgot the bamboo shoots, and the broth was a bit too salty and spicy. There were no refills to be had.
It must have been an off night for them, because this place was phenomenal the first time I went. I normally don't get that excited about ramen, but it truly was perfect. The pork was so tender and fresh tasting. This time, it tasted like I was served leftovers from a few nights ago. Definitely a big change from earlier in the month.
No good, Aloha Ramen.
Try at your own risk -- maybe combine my two reviews and realize that you're playing a game of Russian Roulette with this joint. The first time, I went right as they opened. This time, it was dangerously close to closing time. I'll give them another shot, some day; but for now, I gently weep.
I didn't know Ramen could be this good and this filling.
I'd been eyeballing this place, ever since…
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I have to take off 1 star for not having more than one vegetarian item. Otherwise it was everything my friends and I expected. Authentic tastes. Quick, friendly service and easy on your wallet.
View the full review and photos.
http://www.hapabento.c...
This place is awesome. I won't go anywhere else when I want a good hearty bowl of ramen.
They KNOW what the ramen truly is. The seasoning, the firmness of noodle, broth, subtle sweetness of fish cake, buttery softness of pork slices - everything was perfect. Perfect. The service is really accommodating. Food is so filling and surprisingly cheap. I'm Japanese and never came across a ramen joint that made me this HAPPY. Welcome to Seattle, Aloha! I LOVE YOU!!!
I'm such a fan of Aloha Ramen now! Had it for the first time last night with a friend and I can say I enjoyed it more than any other place that currently comes to mind! Miso broth was not overly salty and had the right amount of japanese style charsiu/bamboo shoots/bean sprouts/corn niblets/kamaboko. Ratio of everything to noodles was balanced.
My eyes were hungrier than my other body parts but I stood firm and didn't order the regular ramen size. Instead I selected the mini (miso)ramen w/mini char siu garlic fried rice combo and a side order of tonkatsu and Sprite. Could you see where I was going with this? Tonkatsu ramen, my way... ;P
Dining companion selected their regular size miso ramen w/4 piece gyoza combo. Aside from broth being homemade, their gyoza was too! One can tell from wrapper. Only weird thing is the fact that you have to ask for togarashi. Kinda odd since they have all other condiments on table i.e. white pepper, chili oil, soy sauce.
Total bill w/tax came up to $23.10. Total bargain for everything we got. Can really kick myself for not trying this place sooner, but I really had no reason to drive up there until yesterday night. Now I do have a reason... shoyu ramen on next visit!
OH PLEEEZ! To the Janeane Garofalos who never stop bitching, you need to stay home. How about appreciate a mom n pops joint for hustling their food. Which is it?! You want your broth to be made in small batches, or come from a satchel filled with MSG in a flash? If you're looking for immediate gratification, then go eat some mediocre Pho down the street.
For the rest of us, I'd say top notch ramen north of Seattle. Their ramen bowls are generous in portion. I'll eventually try all of em, but I got the Kalua Pork ramen and the bf got the shoyu ramen both with gyoza. My kalua pork wasn't what I've been spoiled with but the shoyu ramen was MEAN! The noodles are tender but chewy in a good way. Liked the char siu, and kept picking at his bowl for menma, and kamaboku. Makes me want to eat some saimin too!
The gyoza is so-so. I give em kudos for pan-frying it and steam cooking it like the traditional way, but it's a bit soggy for my taste. I'm used to the tops being crispy and the rest of the gyoza to be tender and juicy. It's probably been frozen, flash-boiled, then pan fried to finish it. *shrug* that's nothing serious in my book.
Regardless, I'm happy to welcome Aloha Ramen to Greenwood.
Probably more of a 4 1/2 stars, but I like to usually round up when I'm giving half stars. I came here after another sweat filled workout class with the boyfriend and a girlfriend.
My girlfriend is a semi-vegetarian (she eats fish), but she's also allergic to bean sprouts and tofu. It's always a bit of a feat to go out with her because of her dietary restrictions, but the server was VERY accommodating and even gave her some extra fishcakes to make up for the fact that she wasn't having tofu or pork. I tried the mini ramen combo. The garlic fried rice was AWESOME! I also had the kalua ramen which was quite tasty. The boyfriend's ramen was also quite delicious, although a bit salty.
The service was REALLY friendly and great. We came pretty late and were one of the last groups to be seated. While we were eating we could see the servers in the backroom eating their dinners as well (at around 9:30). We wanted some ice cream so we waited until they were done eating and knocked on the door to inform them that we were ready for dessert. They were SO apologetic about making us wait (really not that long) even though we were the ones who felt bad for interrupting their meal!
I have to add, I LOVE the fact that the cook only speaks Japanese and the server had to translate all of my girlfriend's dietary restrictions to him. So authentic feeling. We will definitely be back here, especially on cold Seattle nights!
Beware, it's a small space so it can be a wait/crowded. And apparently make their soup broth fresh...which means the only have a certain amount each night and often run out. Come early and be prepared for the wait, but it'll be SO worth it!
Are we all talking about the same place??? We were going to do Pho, but in the search for a decent Pho place in North Seattle we came across the reviews for Aloha Ramen. Sounded great. Upon arrival the line out the door seemed to be another good sign. We opted to place an order to go rather then wait for a seat in the cramped dining room/ kitchen/ waiting area. Both of us ordered combos with Ramen and pot stickers. Wish I could review the pot stickers, but they were never included in our bag :( Ramen came in Styrofoam containers ( I thought there was a law against the use of Styrofoam to go containers in Seattle now...). I ate my ramen. But it was not good at all. After I finished I went to the pantry for a bowl of Cheerios. I was still hungry.
I will definitely be visiting more often during these chilly Seattle nights for some kalua pork ramen. MMmm!
This place is like 2 steps up to satisfying the typical pho craving. The broth is perfectly seasoned and salty. The noodles are perfectly chewy. The pork is tasty. Portion is hearty, too. We ordered an extra side of rice last time to have the broth go further -- just as good with rice. We enjoyed the gyoza too.
I asked if their secret ingredient was MSG, and the server just smiled. Whatever, my mom still uses MSG in her Korean dishes, I've gone this far in my life not reacting to it. They mention that their soup might cause an allergic reaction to some folks -- so, if you have bad reactions to MSG, sorry, this place isn't for you.
Wow! Yummy Hawaiian-style noodles in Greenwood! I ordered the mini miso ramen with garlic fried rice and got potstickers on the side. I thought the pot stickers were really delicious! They were crispy on one side and chewy on the other, just like I like them! The dipping sauce was nice and tangy. The rice was a little cold, but I might have let it sit too long. It was good, but not as flavorful as I would have liked. I would have put shoyu on it, but I was too busy scarffing down the yummy ramen! The "mini" bowl was HUGE! The miso broth was absolutely delish! The noodles were nice and chewy at it had corn, green onions, bamboo shoots, large pieces of pork and a fish cake. The fish cake tasted a little funny (not the usual consistency of fish cake).
We got there about 5:45 and there were a few tables open. By 6:30, it was full and there was a waiting list on the front door. The tables are very small and only fit 2 people and there's a bar with stools. The tables are almost too small for the huge bowl of ramen and any sides plus glasses.
Great place for Hawaiian comfort food! I was so excited to also be able to order Orange Passion Hawaiian Sun drinks!
I have been waiting ever since they opened to try Aloha Ramen. And it definitely was worth the wait! I looooove good ramen, and this ramen was good!
Here's the story: We went on a Thursday night (they're not open Mon or Tues, FYI). Got there at 8:20. It's a tiny place and there was no open tables when we arrived. We were really super tired because we had just gotten back from vacation. I figured we could get something to go so we wouldn't have to stand around and wait for a table. But then I saw a sign that said NO TAKEOUT TONIGHT. Then I saw another sign that apologized for having to turn customers away for running out of broth. Uh oh. I wondered if my ramen dinner was ever going to happen.
But yes, we got a table, the very nice woman took our order. I got the shoyu ramen combo with fried rice and my husband had the wakame ramen combo with the potstickers. Everything was great except the potstickers. The filling was still raw. (I ate them anyway; I was too tired to care.) The fried rice was a little dry, which didn't bother me or my husband, but might bother some people. Everything is very pork heavy, so definitely don't come here if you're not a big fan of pork. But the ramen was excellent.
We were extremely lucky because we were the last customers to get food. They started turning people away after we ordered. As it said on the sign, they make their broth homemade and they only make enough to serve 100 bowls per night. Kudos to any restaurant that within 3 months of opening has to already think about upsizing! I hope they can figure out a way to make more broth and not have to turn people away. In the future we're definitely coming right when they open.
Came here on Sunday night, they are closed on Monday and Tuesday, FYI...
I figured something might be amiss on the their "short" day, they are only open from 5-9PM, Sundays.
But for the most part I'll agree this place serves up plentiful portions and my Tien Tien Mein, (spicy ramen) was delightful, it could have used a lot more spice but, that's okay, even for the spice-challenged it was very mild. I too was shocked not to find Togarashi on the tables, for shame!
Garlic fried rice was outstanding, along with the Katsu-don special, a bit too much teriyaki sauce was drizzled on top for my tastes but the one who ordered it was happy. Kahula ping ramen was well done, flavorful and nicely presented.
I had the ramen/gyoza combo, for $8.00 I was happy, I liked the fact you got to pick your choice of ramen. I wasn't too happy with the kitchen, they must have been using their back-up chef, orders came out in no particular order, a table seated well after us got most of their meal prior to our order being finished. My gyoza were cold in the middle and my soup broth was a tad lukewarm for my tastes.
Still, I give this place 3.5 Yelp stars, for flavor, we'll be back.
I had very high hopes...after all I am always on the look out for a good bowl of ramen. I had driven past this place several times so when my friend R was in town I had decided to take her here.
There was a bit of a wait when we arrived, ended up on the waiting list for over 30 mins. As soon as we sat down we ordered right away since we had already perused the menu while waiting. I ordered the Miso Ramen combo with Gyoza, R had the same, and our other friend ordered the Shio Ramen combo with Gyoza.
It arrived fairly quickly which was great seeing as how we had already waited more than 45 minutes at this point. The ramen was OK...it wasn't great...but OK. The ramen was on the saltier side and the noodles were good. The pork was dry and the gyoza were standard...tasted homemade but still tasted kind of generic.
I would go back in a pinch...it is close to one of my friend's house and for the price I can't really complain. I did wish that it was better though...better than average.
This is what I call soul food.
I am no expert on "real" Hawaiian ramen, but the food here is affordable (everything is $8 or less) and delicious! The staff is also very friendly and warm.
I got the kahlua pig mini ramen with garlic fried rice ($8 for the combo). The ramen, to my delight, was not so mini! The kahlua pig was so flavorful and smokey tasting, and there was a very generous portion of pig and cabbage. The broth complemented everything well because it was nice and light. The garlic fried rice was so good. I love the pickled radishes, the fried garlic chunks, and the bits of char siu mixed in. I liked the rice so much that I got an order of it to-go ($5.50) so that I could bring it home for my man (update for those who read my yelps: he is still out of the dog house).
Hey, I don't care what other people say but this is the best Ramen in Seattle.
Yes, it isn't Hawaii. But where else in the world is? Hawaii's just that unique.
Order the combo's, you can get a regular sized ramen plus 4 gyoza for $8. Can't beat that.
Sad that they didn't have a curry beef ramen when I went. I would have been in heaven.
The shiru taste is good. The futsu ramen noodle is done fine, the proper chew. Surprised that they don't have the Shichimi Togarashi ("red pepper powder"). They do have chili oil and Sriracha chili sauce. The toppings in the bowl are plentiful.
I'll be back to try more.
The soup was tasty, though I'd agree with the assessment of some that it lacked a certain dimension. I was surprised how little roast pork was actually in my soup. Service on a crowded Friday night was slow. Again, I agree with another reviewer that their kitchen line is bottlenecked somewhere. The space is crowded so it's not best for king-sized folks. The people are nice. Several vegetarian options. I'll probably come back and try the char siu rice and potstickers next time. Lots of people in the restaurant had a platter of both on their table.
I was randomly web surfing when I saw the word "japanese ramen" in an article. Like a moth to a flame, my instinct was to gravitate towards it. Unfortunately, my internal compass isn't very trustworthy, so the only thing standing in my way was Google maps. After a quick addy look-up, I was there in a jiffy.
It's a small joint and they were packed, but once inside, the tasty ramen made up for the wait time. The shio ramen and tan tan ramen were the noodles of choice. The shio came with huge chunks of soft pork. The tan tan had a nice spicy heat, mostly stemming from bits of fresh ginger placed on top. The ramen itself was decent - but paired with the broth the dish was delicious!
Ramen prices were cheap ($6.50-7). For you non-soup lovers, they have a fried rice and homemade potstickers. We tried the potstickers in a combo meal for a mere $1 more. Yum.
This is the only place to eat good Ramen in Seattle. Their broth is great, the noodles are properly cooked and the service is wonderful. We arrived twenty minutes after they opened and the place was already packed. If you are going to make the trip to Greenwood, be sure to get there early. I can't wait to go back.
Great ramen, great prices, we'll definitely be back. Don't expect to come with a big crowd because the whole place probably only seats around 20 people.
This place is a hole in the wall - they have only been open for a few months, but there is already a line out the door, and on busier days, they run out of broth (they make fresh broth daily - a sign at the entrance says this lasts for roughly 100 bowls of ramen).
We had the shoyu ramen, and the combo mini tan tan ramen (it's not mini in any way) and the mini garlic fried rice. This was PLENTY for two people. All three dishes were good - the portions are hefty and the food is delicious.
There isn't much space to wait around, except to stand outside, but one of the employees came outside and apologetically mentioned that they are building some kind of expansion hallway near the back, so that in the future people will be able to stay inside and warm while they wait.
Recommend trying to go when they open each day to minimize wait time. (We waited around 20-25 mins on a Thursday at 6pm)
A new noodle place not far from us? Hell yeah, we're going to try it. That particular evening, we were the first customers in the tidy little restaurant but as we ate our meal, it quickly filled up to the point of overflowing.
What can I say about Aloha Ramen? Everything on the menu is under $8.00 and they do NOT skimp on portions - come hungry, you will not be disappointed. The char siu pork was perfectly tender and appropriately fatty. The broth was clear and clean, wonderfully fresh - nothing like what you'd find if you made some pre-fab stuff at home!
There were three of us having dinner and we sampled the shoyu and miso ramens, garlic fried rice and the homemade gyoza. Their special that day was pork curry katsu. The pork was crisp, not greasy and the vegetables (potatoes + carrots) were nicely cooked. The owners come from Okinawa and Japan, by way of Hawaii so my curry came with a scoop of potato salad.
We were far too stuffed to indulge in any dessert - mango, green tea or red bean ice cream. The latter of which is one of my favourites too! I read that their recent opening was a soft one so the menu items might increase or change - we'll see in time.
I've had ramen at a few places that range from authentic to Americanized and I can't honestly say where this falls. What I CAN say is that they offer good cheap eats from friendly people.
FINALLY! An actual ramen shop near my house! This is a simple, family owned shop with just a few things on the menu and they do it very well.
For those not familiar with Japanese ramen, please understand that it is nothing like "top" or "maruchan" or whatever you buy at the store for 10 cents. Their ramen has nice chewy noodles, a hearty broth, pieces of pork, bamboo shoots, and bean sprouts.
I'd suggest the combo to try their fried rice or the gyoza. I loved the rice because of the crispy pieces of garlic in it but it was a little much for my wife.
I've only been there once but I definitely intend to be back.
Okay, so as recently professed in my review of Ichiben in Hawaii, I have become a ramen convert. If, however, Aloha Ramen were to have been my first Ramen experience, I would still be lovin the Pho more. That's not to say it's not good because it is, but it is no Ichiben. I'm depressed about this because Aloha Ramen is nearby, it's cheap, and I want any and every reason to convince me I need not to be living in Hawaii to be happiest. I was really hoping this place could be confirmation that Seattle can meet all of my needs. ...but, no such luck. :(
I had the mini veggie shoyu/garlic fried rice combo and was super disappointed to see the ramen filled with the crinkly styrofoam noodles. Also, I had to add a lot of cock sauce to be happy with the flavor. It was salty. The tofu was minimal and in large squares rather than bite size pieces. My date had the kalua shoyu which involved smoked pork and fish cake as well as the potstickers. He rated the ramen a step above the package (ouch) and the potstickers as something he wouldn't order again. I felt the garlic fried rice to be a huge letdown. At Ichiben it truly was fried rice with non-visible garlic. Here, it's just white rice with large pieces of garlic interspersed.
Now this may shock you, but we will be back. We both left full, with leftovers, for less than $20. Do I think you should try it? Yes. Surprised ya again! The reason being, it's not bad, it's just not Ichiben. I know it could be better: WAY better. But it's a good deal and it may be the best we've got here in Sea-Town. It's within walking distance from my house and it's cheap. If the only ramen you've had is from the 49 cent package, well, you have to try the real thing. Just stay away from Ichiben and Hawaii. 'Cause ignorance is bliss, man.
I went here a few days ago because of all the positive Yelp ratings. Upon arriving at the tiny restaurant, I'm not going to lie, I was a little skeptical because it wasn't what I expected...
BUT... cliche as it is, do not judge a book by its cover! I ordered the Miso Ramen and potsticker combo for $8. Wow, what a price for all that food! My friends ordered the mini ramen which was not mini AT ALL. But nevertheless, the ramen noodles were very firm, just the way I like them. The soup was a little bland but Japanese people like bland flavors anyway.
What was interesting was, one of the people I ate with was an exchange student from Japan and he pretty much had a party in his mouth exclaiming how legit the ramen was.
The charsiu fried rice was delicious too!
If you're in the neighborhood, go check it out! The couple who owns the place moved to Seattle from Hawaii a year ago.
The Tan Tan is very good...order it with extra pork. The shio was decent, but unspectacular. The wait time after ordering was ridiculous, but the food made us soon forget about that. It's cheap, close and really good, so we'll be back.
Went there with my girl friend this week. She had Shio ramen and I had the shoyu ramen. And did not feel impressed at all.
The noodle and the meet is fine to me. But the taste of the soup made me feel boring. Usually, the ramen soup has few layers of tastes mixing together.
The chicken soup is the base soup, and the soy sauce added the salty flavor to the base soup. The dried bamboo and bean sprout added another flavor to the soup. Last but not the least, the fatty chashu adds the oily feeling to the soup.
But soup in Aloha ramen only have one taste - oily water, plenty of oily water..
This establishment holds to belief of doing one thing and doing that one thing well. The miso and shoyu ramen were enjoyed thoroughly and the pork was the highlight (not overly fatty and smoky flavored goodness) followed closely by the noodles and the broth. Preference was the for the miso broth over the shoyu broth. My only unconfirmed suspicion was the use of MSG in the broth. My wife and I both had the same thought about an hour after consuming the ramen. Small minus, since MSG is cheating in my book.
In addition, we both had the combos. One with the garlic rice and one with the gyoza. Gyoza were a tad small and average as far as flavor, but the rice had delicious, crisp pieces of fresh garlic and was equally as memorable as the ramen. If you order I would recommend the ramen and rice combo hands down.
Dining area is tiny and cramped, so I don't recommend going with more than a party of four. Walls are barren, so it would be nice to see some personality in this restaurant since the food is full of personality. Service was attentive and sweet.
Finally, $20 out the door with beverages to boot. This place is going in our rotation for a visit at least once a month.
Mele Kalikimaka, everybody.
The "Aloha Ramen Japanese Noodle" just opened up in Greenwood, right where 'King Falafel' used to be, a block north of the Greenwood Library. I checked it out last night - It's great!
Mori (a great Japanese Restaurant/Sushi Bar on 85th St) makes an _excellent_ bowl of ramen, but there's something to be said for variety.
This place really hit the spot. The space itself is very small, there are about five two-seater tables, and also a row of seats at a bar by the kitchen. The menu itself is a study in zen minimalism, as it contained all of six items: three kinds of ramen (miso, salt, or shoyu), gyoza, the chef's fried rice, soda, and three kinds of ice-cream.
I wound up getting the shoyu ramen & gyoza combo. The gyoza was extremely tasty and fried to perfection. The ramen bowls were appropriately huge (I had to take almost half of mine home with me) and totally delicious. With a soda, tax, and tip tossed on the bill, I think I spent all of $11. Pretty hard to beat, considering I got a second meal out of it, later on.
According to http://phinneywood.com: the owner Lorenzo was born in Hawaii and raised in Okinawa, Japan. He has been in the restaurant business for 30 years, including a long stint as a sous chef at the Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach in Oahu.
So, Greenwood cheap eats, ftw! Go check them out.
I believe the alien martial-arts master, Goku, may have phrased it best, when he said, "KAMEHAMEHA!!!"
Finally a ramen spot closer to home! While our heart belongs to Ippudo in NY, it's quite lovely to know there's a place locally that sets the bar for one of my fave dishes of all time.
Don't be thrown off by the size, the place (including the bathroom) is quite clean. Pretend you're off in Japan...or New York for that matter.
OMFG enough meaningless gabber- my mouth is drooling at the thought of their Shoyu Ramen. The noodles are perfectly cooked with that "bite" I always look for...sorry what's the Japanese term for "al dente"? The broth is light but flavorful and the bamboo shoot adds a nice texture with the noodles. Oh but the star of the show is the sliced pork...sweet sweet melt in your mouth pork!!!
The menu is sweet and simple just the way I like it. If you want hella options go to Denny's. You have 3 choices of Ramen and other sides include garlic fried rice and Gyoza. Sometimes they have a special of the day but you're there for the ramen dammit!
Prices? Glad you asked! The boy and I each ordered the mini combo of a mini bowl of shoyu ramen with a side of mini garlic fried rice which only cost $8. Fair warning dudes/dudettes, the mini bowls of ramen are still huge! We ended up taking home most of our garlic rice because I was so full I could only eat a few morsels of garlic yumminess.
The only way to improve on perfection is if they added Nitamago (boiled egg in soy sauce), otherwise, this picky eater is quite content! Needless to say I'm about to go there tonight!
I'm not too experienced with ramen, other than that crappy stuff I used to eat back in college! That said, I was hungry for something Asian and with noodles and not necessarily pho, and I found this place well-reviewed on here. So I walked down and ordered me some shio ("salt") ramen. It came out fast in a HUGE bowl and had VERY tasty pork in it! Everything was fresh and much to my liking! And, at $6.50, not a bad deal at all!
They only have 3 types of ramen: the one mentioned above, miso ("soy bean flavor"), and shoyu ("soy-sauce flavor"). They all come with pork, but the menu states that they also have vegetarian options. Other than that, they also have homemade potstickers which I'm looking forward to trying, and char siu garlic rice. Finally, they have a few ramen/rice/potsticker combos.
It's a small place that is quite cozy, and it appears to be run by a husband, wife, and their daughter. It's very clean and had ambient classical guitar in the background. This seems like a great casual place to go with a few friends or a non-intimidating date. But when I say "a few", I mean it! This place can maybe fit about 16 people total!
I've been there twice in the last week and can definitely say that I'm a fan. The food is really good and affordable. The ramen bowls are very good and filling. Had the Katsu as well which was delicious.
Highly recommended.
Wow... Real ramen. In Seattle even. Garlic fried rice where you can actually see the Garlic and huge cheee-unks of Char-siu. Tender, juicy gyoza. Three of the nicest people you could want to meet. Giant portions for reasonable prices.
Go get it.
After reading about Aloha Ramen on Yelp, I felt that I had to come try it out. Unfortunately, the first night I had read about it was one of the nights that it isn't open. So, I had to wait. Not long though....I came the following day.
A previous reviewer had commented that the portions were huge and I have to agree. I ordered the combo with the garlic fried rice and the mini miso ramen. There was nothing mini about the ramen. After eating all of my ramen and most of the garlic fried rice, I was stuffed. Sadly, there was not enough garlic fried rice to make it worth taking home, so I left it behind.
The ramen was very tasty and the price was great, but I do have to say that my ramen preference is still for Samurai Noodle. But, I would come back to Aloha Ramen for the variety (in addition to ramen, they also serve the fried rice, gyoza, and a daily special), the good service, and the readily available parking.
Very friendly staff, mom-and-pop kind of business.
The ramen noodles and meat were great, but the broth was ehh. Nothing spectacular, needs something more punchy and exciting. As it is the miso broth was pretty heavy and not that excitingly flavored. There was chili oil on the table but I couldn't properly operate it. Even in the soup it was not noticeably spicier. Get some chili flakes.
I tried them out for the first time last night after passing them by a few times due to the line outside. The place didn't reek of kansui (lye) like some Japanese ramen hoses since they don't make their own noodles. The service is a bit uncoordinated and they need to work on their "workflow" in the kitchen. I gave them 3 stars for now but I'm sure they will improve.
My order of Tan Tan Men and gyoza arrived in about 15 minutes as they were slammed. I just beat out the waiting rush. The gyoza looked fresh (not frozen) in the pans they brought out from the back but they were a bit bland. My ramen was decent with a strong hit of garlic and it was mildly spicy. A few drops of la-yu (chili oil) helped it out. The soup was OK but most of the taste was up front but without much finish. They need to work on that. I'll go here over Samurai since it's closer and more reasonable in price.
Next time, I'l take my 9-year old pho and taco truck freak niece to check it out so we can try the shio and miso ramen. Now, if someone would open an Okinawan soba joint!
I was craving some ramen and was lured to this place with all the good yelp reviews that have popped up. This place is small pretty small (6 tables for 2 and 6 seats at the counter) so watch out if you have a big group. I liked the menu. Straight up ramen, with a hawaiian flair hence the name (I think family is from Hawaii). I ended up with the Shoyu ramen w/ big chunks of pork and the garlic fried rice both of which were nice and garlicky. I wish they had Spam on the menu to really put me in bliss. Their gyoza was on the small side. The staff was very nice and friendly and the serving sizes were ample. If they weren't all the way in Greenwood I would show up more frequently.
We waited an hr or so to be seated and another 20 minutes or so before our food came out. Everyone seemed to rave about the Kahlua ramen so we all ordered it and unfortunately, it was pretty lukewarm and not very flavorful. The best thing was the garlic fried rice but still a little bit mushy.
The noodles themselves had great texture and chewiness but was it worth the wait? I think it's best to call in for take out if you really like this place.
since aloha ramen has been getting pretty great reviews on yelp, i had to try it and see what all the hype is all about.
i was not disappointed! i tried the miso ramen- very yummy. i can't wait to try the other options. the family next to me had the kalua pork ramen and that looked pretty amazing! i was pretty bummed that they didn't have anymore garlic fried rice; i was really looking forward to trying that. as many people have said on here, this place is small! it got packed quite quickly on an early saturday evening. i can tell this place is here to stay! the broth is so tasty and yummy. i'm sure the ramen choices are just as good as the miso one.
the service is great- staff is very friendly, quick and attentive. nice little mom & pop shop. if you want an alternative from pho, try this place and at least you won't smell like pho/bo after leaving this place!!! :)
