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Aloha Ramen
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
8102-B Greenwood Ave N(between 81st St & 82nd St)
Seattle, WA 98103
Neighborhood: Greenwood
(206) 838-3837
- Hours:
Wed-Sun 12 pm - 2:30 pm
Wed-Sun 5 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
250 reviews for Aloha Ramen
Review Highlights
250 reviews in English
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Review from Jeff S.
4/26/2012
Hole in the wall restaurant next to a mini-mart smack dab in Greenwood. Easy to miss, but what a great place for ramen. Our cold and damp weather always puts me in the mood for a hot, spicy, steaming bowl of noodle goodness and this place is very satisfying. I've eaten here on two occasions and enjoyed both meals. The first time the service was very fast, had my dishes in a few minutes. The next time we waited at least 20 minutes. It was pretty packed and they were hustling to get the orders out, so I waited patiently.
My favorites so far are the tan tan ramen and black sesame ramen. I ordered both with tofu and egg. The tan tan is a delightful spicy peanut sauce broth with noodles, crunchy sprouts and ample amount of greens. Very nutritious and satisfying. The black sesame miso ramen. Less spicy, but very complex sesame flavor with corn, sprouts, noodles, bamboo shoots and green onion.
The food is very reasonably priced and the service is warm and friendly. When you're craving a fast bowl of noodles, it's a great place to go. -
Review from Leona Y.
4/23/2012
The miso ramen was yummmmmy! They have a wide variety of ramen to choose from which made it super hard for me to decide what to order.
Miso Ramen: The broth and noodles were perfect! The broth wasn't too salty which allowed me to drink it all up at the end! The noodles were a little hard which is how I like my ramen noodles, but if you like your noodles super soft you may want to tell them to cook it for a little longer. They give you a lot of pork slices which is a plus!! I definitely recommend the Miso Ramen for those of you who are new to ramen noodles and aren't sure what kind of broth you want.
The Kimchi Ramen sounded delicious as well! I will have to come back again next time I'm visiting my friend in the Northgate area.
The reason why I took off a star is because we had a group of 4 but had to sit in pairs of 2 instead due to the lack of available seating. My friend and I got seated about 10 minutes before our other 2 friends which was a little inconvenient. This place is definitely more of a place to go with just a couple friends with 2-3 people max and is not exactly group-friendly. -
Review from Lauren H.
Seattle, WA
4/19/2012
I had Aloha Ramen for the first time today and will definitely be back. This was actually the first time I've had ramen at a restaurant, and I decided to go here after seeing the great reviews on Yelp. The place is small and was kind of hard to find. The hours are also unusual, so check that they're open before you go. Service-wise, we got our food promptly and our waitress was nice and attentive.
I ordered the Aloha Ramen combo meal, which came with the ramen and garlic rice and was $10. The person I ate with got a combo with gyoza, so I got to try that as well.
While the ramen was good, the gyoza and garlic rice were definitely my favorite part of the meal. The gyoza are homemade and super delicious, and the garlic rice is sticky, rich, and hard to stop eating! Portion-wise, you get a ton of food for a very reasonable price. $10 might seem like a lot for a bowl of noodles and a side of rice, but the ramen bowl was huge and the rice portion was more than enough for two people. The only real criticism I had of my meal was that the Aloha Ramen broth was a tad bland. It wasn't bad, but I would probably try something else next time. -
Review from Dylan M.
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best ramen I've had so far in Washington. Aloha Ramen is a little hole in the wall joint next to a 7-11 and it's relatively small inside but they supply some good food. The ramen is quality and they have a wide variety of noodles. The miso ramen was great and the curry ramen looked absolutely amazing (would definitely recommend trying). I also had the combo with Garlic Rice which I would definitely suggest. Again it's a really small place but they offer some quality ramen in the PNW.
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Review from Jo C.
Seattle, WA
4/29/2012
We love this place! Prices are not as cheap as International district for ramen, but I'm glad this place is here for us north of downtown! Their spicy ramen always have just about the right amount of heat, and they always ask me if I eat spicy before I order. Plus I always come here when I have a craving for pork katsu! Chicken katsu's good too! =)
Always good to have a soup noodle place we can depend on after a cold day of sailing! -
Review from Melissa S.
Seattle, WA
4/2/2012
Tiny joint in which the table you get is not likely to be the one that you end your meal at. Garlic rice was sticky and rich with roasted garlic that became sweet the more you chewed. Like garlic gum (gross? Psh! Delish!). I had the tan tan and loved it. Fiance had the mabo katsu and was pretty shocked when it came and was bland. It had the potential to kick some serious butt with ground pork, tomato and chicken katsu. The potstickers were flavorful and crispy and the sauce with its soy vinegar completed my half of the meal.
Not sure what would get them above a 3 star...maybe not interrupt people that are in mid bite so that you can move them to accomodate a 7-top? I waited 40 minutes for my 2 top and they waited 5 while two tables had to be relocated. And this happened twice while I was there! -
Review from Vivian H.
It's a small place but I didn't have to wait very long for a table. Just remember to put your name down when you come in.
I had the spicy garlic miso ramen with gyoza and garlic rice with pork.
The ramen had too much chili oil in it. TOO much. The entire top layer of the broth was oil. It was hard to get the miso broth in my spoon -- I had to stir really quickly and then dig deep. I enjoyed the texture of the ramen (better than Samurai Noodle), but I did not like that the pork was cut up into small strips because I definitely enjoy it more in whole slices. The bowl had a slight Chinese-y taste to it, but I think I would definitely come back to try the other non-spicy options.
Gyoza was hot and crispy. The rice was tasty with fried garlic slices. It was basically a Japanese version of Chinese fried rice. -
Review from Jessica H.
Seattle, WA
OMG!!!! I am not usually a Ramen fan but this place is off the hook. I have been there about 3 times now and each time I went I never left unsatisfied. The Ramen is very very tasty and its very filling. Filling is not a word you can really say to much about soup.
I usually order the Aloha Ramen, that comes with noodles, miso soup, veggies, and shredded pork. The combination of their miso soup and the veggies is pretty amazing. Each bite is like heaven in my mouth.
The place is a little bit small and they have weird hours so always check ahead to see if they are open. The service is really good, I never had a bad experience with them. They always grab what you want and the lady is really good about telling noobs how to eat their soup. 5 stars for Aloha Ramen. -
Review from Henry L.
Seattle, WA
4/6/2012
I'm a big fan of Ramen noodle. Always in the hunt of good Ramen. I went to this restaurant due to it's high rating, but my verdict was a high disappointment. There's a saying: "Not everyone knows what's good, but everyone can compare." I had the spicy garlic noodle. It was salty, the noodle was a bit overcooked, the Gyoza were too soft; they falls apart when you try to pick them up. They are about half the size of regular Gyoza you can find else where.
Even though, the restaurant's set up as a inexpensive pay at the cashier restaurant, but the prices aren't exactly cheap compares to other Ramen restaurant. Considering what you get out of it, the prices are too expensive. -
Review from Suie C.
Good ramen, wasn't that impressed with the garlic fried rice (yes, shame on me). It was a bit dry.
Ramen wise, filling stuff, good broth, nice variety, and quick service. MUCH better than samurai.
We went for a late lunch and there wasn't any wait. I imagine it can get packed during prime hours considering how small the place is. -
Review from Bryce E.
Magnolia, Seattle, WA
Tan Tan ramen and Mabo Tofu ramen are my favorites. Oh and don't forget the homemade chili paste!
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Review from Jeremiah O.
Seattle, WA
4/29/2012
Maybe the best kept secret in Seattle. I can't pretend to be a worldly ramen expert, but of the numerous places I've in on the West Coast, this is as good as any of them. I'll put it up against anything in Vancouver, too.
I've tried almost everything on the menu and you can't go wrong, but part of what I love about this place is the variety. So many Ramen joints have shio and shoyu ramen with maybe an add-on or two. This place has at least 4-5 variations on the broth with tons of different add-on options.
My favorites are anything with the sesame-paste base. Right now, I'm all about the sechuan (spelling?) spicy ramen. My latest thing is ordering tofu instead of pork just because there's already so much flavor packed into there that the pork just seems an unnecessary decadence.
I also highly recommend that you turn your ramen into a combo with the fried rice. To be honest, I do this just so I can take something home, but for $2 extra is absolutely worth it. You can't get it as a combo, but the kimchee fried rice is also among the best in town. You can also get the gyoza as part of the combo, which is pretty great too. -
Review from Danielle F.
Seattle, WA
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yummmmm. Best ramen I've had in Seattle. I loved the huge amount of variety - well over 20 different varieties of ramen. The garlic rice was amazing - you don't need a side to feel full after eating a huge bowl of ramen, but it is so delicious you should do it anyway.
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Review from Steven F.
Renton, WA
3/10/2012
Noodles....damn good and tasty.
Been 5+ times and each time I have tried a different bowl. From miso, aloha, kimchee, tonkatsu, curry. Pick any and you will enjoy it.
From time to time I'll get the combo with rice and Goya. If you don't want rice I highly recommend the Goya. Get the big order.
Chicken karaage was good. Nice size portion so order to split among friends.
I'll continue to go back and try the next one. Great noodle spot. This place can be busy so plan accordingly since it is small inside. Staff is very friendly.
Only complaint is short hours. But this place gets 5 stars. -
Review from Jamie O.
3/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Aloha Ramen brought me do much pleasure that I am nearly speechless, nearly I said!
Aloha is nestled next to a quickimart in Greenwood, and I was glad to find parking as me and my group of 5 showed up when they opened at 5pm. It was a good thing because this place is tiny. There was a little bar with maybe 5 chairs and then about 4 or so 2 seater tables.
Food. Oh joy the food. I got the kahlua pork ramen combo which came with 4 delicious pot stickers. Best I've ever had!! And I am a pot sticker connoisseur!! So is my little niece, she is a stick and she ate 11, yes 11! My sis-in-law got the curry katsu ramen which is what I plan on getting next time because it was awesome!!!! Delicious curry flavor and perfect katsu. The chicken karaage was also quite tasty.
When can I go back!!? Too bad they are closed Mon and Tues :( The staff was quick and very nice, love these guys and gals! -
Review from Nate K.
Mountlake Terrace, WA
3/11/2012
Excellent.
We have not been to as good of a ramen restaurant since we have moved here from Japan. Even the cramped location reminds me of the little places in Japan that served up some of the best. While their miso ramen base was just average (it was just weak for my tastes), the bowl was made very well- lots of veggies, great chashu (pork), and good noodles.The gyoza was of excellent quality, as was the kara-age(fried chicken, Japanese style). The food was just right. Everything made fresh. They have quite the variety of different types of ramen that sound interesting- they even had cheese ramen. Well, I'll pass on that, but some of the Hawaiian influenced bowls sounded really good.
We haven't had ramen this good since coming over from Japan; we plan on coming back frequently. Absolutely recommended! If you think of ramen as the junk food served in Styrofoam, think again. Give this place a try. Much better than Boom Noodle- & much cheaper!!! Can't get any better than that. -
Review from Karim V.
2/11/2012 6 Check-ins Here
The name of this place made me think it was some cheesy Hawaiian spot, so I never checked it out until one day when my roomie told me she tried it and LOVED it. Since then, I stop in every couple of weeks and have yet to be dissatisfied.
The restaurant itself is a true hole in the wall...very tight and cramped, warm, steamy, aromatic, and lighting slightly on the dim side. The staff greets you as soon as you walk in and if it isn't already packed, it will be in ten minutes. I see couples, students, the young and old, families, friends, and people of all races waiting for a seat in this place which tells me the food MUST be good...and it is!
I usually get the shoyu ramen combo. The ingredients are always fresh and made to order with the proper portions; the noodles are tender and the veggies are crisp and crunchy. The one gripe I have is that sometimes they don't put enough broth in the to-go container leaving my noodles thirsty...I can get over that though. The gyoza is always crispy and flavorful with a nice tangy sauce. My roomie and I have gone there enough to where the lady behind the counter remembers our order by heart. That in itself gives this place another star as that personal touch will keep me coming back.
I've tried the mapo tofu and it was okay. It was lacking in flavor, but maybe it was just that day. I've had the garlic fried rice and the kimchi fried rice and both are solid dished, but If it's your first time here, go ramen all the way.
The parking lot is tiny, but there is plenty of street parking across the street and down the block. Oh yea, check out the wall by the door when you walk in as they tend to post additional items that are not on the daily menu. I was there earlier this week and they had cheese ramen on the wall. Cheese ramen?? Yep, cheese ramen.
Yay ramen!!Listed in: My Fav Asian Foooood
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Review from Kathleen L.
Renton, WA
Ramen on a sick day is the best.
Spicy ramen on a sick day = runny nose and heat to burn sickness away = epic win.
Say hello (aloha) to Ramen. Aloha Ramen.
Small quarters, simple menu, home cooked food.
The entire GIS team went here for my 5 year anniversary at the Times (5 years i know!) and we all had to sit at the bar because the tables were not big enough to seat 6 people. Space was pretty limited but that is why many patrons have urged others to get there early to score a seat. We arrived right at the exact time there were to open and two tables were already occupied! But alas, such is life in the busy "i-must-eat-now-nom-nom-nom-lunch" rush.
Taking a gander at the menu, there is quite a bit of fare to be had.. different amalgamations of flavors all with the same premise. Ramen. There were a lot of rave reviews for the "kalua pork ramen" but i figure I can make that at home, since the kalua pig is easy to make.. So I opted for the Katsu Tan Tan Ramen. Boy was I in for a surprise! Since I am not the best at consuming anything that is higher than a 0 in spicy..
But before the bowl of soupy, noodly goodness was to arrive, I had to partake in the appie part of the lunch.. The pot stickers and the garlic rice. I think looking at my pictures will speak for itself. Those pot stickers are home made. There is no gamey taste to them (as if they were sitting in a freezer bag for a month).. The garlic rice was bursting with flavor (as anything garlic usually is) but it wasn't uber in your face that it caused me to turn away from it. Delectably tasty. Small appies, tasty indeed and worth it to be shared between you and a co worker. Note - you'll need that space in that stomach of yours to eat all that ramen.. Onto the ramen!
The bowl is huge. The noodles, intimidating.. That soup.. oh-me-mumma. That Katsu sitting in it - WIN! absolute win! I'm not one for spicy, but I can certainly go for this.. Right amount of flavor and heat.. lots of noodles AND meat. Did I finish the entire meal? No. Between the appies and the main, I got pretty full (in addition to gulping down water).. I ended up giving my leftovers to my boss!
Would I come back here? YES! This time I might just go for the Kalua Pig Ramen to try it out. Unless I find something else that catches my eye. -
Review from Lei G.
Puyallup, WA
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Delicious ramen!! The sets are a great deal! I've never had a bad meal & I've eaten everything on the menu at least once...service is great too!
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Review from Ken S.
Seattle, WA
1/7/2012 2 photos
First of all, proper acknowledgment must be paid to the fact that this is a full-on legit, Japanese-style ramen-ya in Seattle. By this, I mean that it has a tight counter and spartan two-tops with a bundle of chopsticks, ramen pepper and la-yu on the table when you sit down. They specialize in ramen and its common izakaya-style accompaniments and little else. They make no pretentions to any pan-Asian/fusion flavor. They use quality noodles and broth, not the notch-above-instant-ramen type ingredients you often find at places where ramen shares the spotlight with teriyaki, sushi, and pad thai. This is a straight-up ramen joint that you might find on an Osaka side street.
They do a good job on the ramen-ya fundamentals: miso, shio, shoyu, and curry ramens are all solid, and the gyoza comes stuck together by pan-searing as it should be. They offer a extra noodle and extra pork paid options and they didn't bat an eye at my request for extra garlic. My flavor rating spectrum is: 10=Ramen Jiro in Tokyo's Mita district which has a line going down the block at lunchtime. 6=Typical Japanese ramen-ya. 5=Forgettable Japanese train station ramen. 2=Top Ramen.1=Cup O'Noodle. On this scale, Aloha rates a 6.5. IMO it on par with the reputable ramen-yas in Los Angeles, and I'm thrilled to have such a place within convenient distance of my home.
A couple other reviewers have said that Aloha adds a Hawaiian twist, and I found that only true to the extent that they have items like kalua pork ramen and Hawaiian drink on the menu. Hawaiian influence isn't infused in the staple ramens or side dishes.
I found the chicken kara-age to be particularly flavorful and very generous in portion. -
Review from Shari d.
Updated - 2/5/2012
After reading more recent reviews and exploring their expanded menu I convinced my boyfriend and 2 others to join me for a late lunch at Aloha Ramen. We arrived at 1:30pm and after a brief wait we were seated.
We each ordered different items, mines being the Tan Tan Ramen. It is described as a sesame chili peanut miso broth with pork and veggies. It came out shortly after and when it arrived I was a little afraid it might be too spicy for me. One sip and I was in ramen heaven. It was a savory compilation of peanuts and miso...chili and dashi. The noodles were soft but that is how I like my ramen. All of my dining companions enjoyed their dishes which ranged from a soy milk "Tonyu" broth to a dark brown Curry broth. I was stuffed by the end but kind of wished we tried the gyoza because I am a pot sticker fanatic.
The special of the day was Cheese Ramen and I was too timid to try it but I would be interested to find out what that dish tasted like. My dining counterparts were equally satisfied and said they would be back again for a steaming bowl of noodley goodness.
YUM YUM and THUMBS UP for Aloha Ramen.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/22/2009
I had very high hopes...after all I am always on the look out for a good bowl of ramen. I had… Read more »
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Review from Vanessa J.
Seattle, WA
12/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ramen has become my new Pho.
You know, it's comfort food for cold days, rainy, Sunday afternoons, and that miserable cold you just can't shake. While I would normally order up a steaming bowl of veggie pho in those cases, I crave the Kim Chi ramen at Aloha now. It's spicy, but not too hot, easy to digest, but not in any way bland (in fact, it's so flavorful the thought makes my mouth water), and packed with the good stuff: ground pork, tofu, and Kim Chi. I've also tried their signature Aloha dish, which uses sesame and peanut flavors. It's good, but I prefer the Kim Chi, with a side of their delicious potstickers, please!
Take heed: Aloha has table space for 12 people and 9 seats at a bar. I arrived 15 minutes after opening and every seat was full, plus there was a wait list. Either be prepared to be a bit cramped and a lot patient, or order your soup to go ahead of time. The wait wasn't terrible though, and the food is worth it. -
Review from Ian S.
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
I hesitate in writing this review because I feel too many people know about Aloha already and I always have to wait to eat there no matter what time of day.
The first thing that you may notice is that it is small and the, I'm assuming, Japanese family who works there is adorable and straight out of a movie. There's the stern and diligent father, the doting and shy-polite mother, the full of genki cute schoolgirl who helps out with table service, and the brother who brings out food and helps pops.
With a wealth of variety and vegetarian options clearly marked on the menu, just about anyone could come here every day for two weeks and easily have something different every time.
Presentation is perfect.
Really the only issue I would have with the place is that it's tiny and an ogre like me is crawling over everyone to get in and out of the place.
So please don't come here when I want to and eat delicious food. Well ok. You can come. -
Review from Rina S.
Bellevue, WA
3/18/2012 2 photos
Great ramen place! They definitely deserve the rating. I think it might be a bit too salty for me, but the soup base is really heavy and thick - yummmmm!! The downside would be they only have limited space so it get packed really early and really easily.
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Review from Kelly L.
My friend who lived in Japan for a few years and has a Japanese wife recommended this place to me after I complained about the lack of decent ramen in Seattle. I've tried Samurai and thought it was terrible and apparent that it was just thrown together by college students (I've only been to the U-Village location).
I got here at 2:30 on a Friday and there were plenty of seats open. I ordered the Spicy Garlic Miso Ramen and added a few bucks to get the side order of Garlic Fried rice with Pork as a combo. So worth it!
The broth was delicious and flavorful but I wasn't a big fan of the noodles. It was loose and hard. I prefer hand made soft noodles. The fried rice was flavorful and I actually enjoyed eating that more than the ramen.
The ramen was definitely better than Samurai Noodle but not the best I've had. Keep in mind that I've been spoiled by ramen in Japan and New York.
Overall, would come back again until I find a place better than here. -
Review from Paulina L.
Seattle, WA
3/18/2012
It was just a great first impression, after that, I definitely can't eat here anymore. I don't know whether I don't have good toleration to salty food, but I always get salty food. I am very disappointed. I tasted my friend's ramens, and theirs were fine. It's always mine is extremely salty.
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Review from Mike W.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2012
a solid 4 star ramen place...
almost the best i've had but this place in union city, ca beats it by a tad...
the place is small but somehow i give the owner kudos for sitting our group of 13... we pretty much packed the place
all the dishes came out quick and hot... very flavorful, fresh home-made noodles, broth was rich, plenty of stuff (katsu and tofu in my case) to go with your ramen...
my Mabo Katsu Ramen was a solid hit...
4 stars for the food alone... (and kudos for the service) -
Review from Cynthia L.
Seattle, WA
1/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
I do not know what the hype is. I grew up in LA with really good ramen places, so maybe that's what the issue is.
This place has super super super salty broth and to top it off, the ramen is pretty pricey. The noodles also aren't cooked as much as I would like.
It's definitely way better than Samurai Noodle in the U-District (so if you're deciding between the two pick here).
The wait here on a Wednesday night at 7pm was a 30 minute wait!! Seriously.
Although, there is a parking lot. -
Review from Chris P.
Seattle, WA
2/27/2012
While Aloha's ramen *is* the best, they are also sometimes they are a bit capricious in what they will or won't do.
A couple nights ago I called to order and they said they were too busy to do take-out as the customers eating in had priority. Fair enough; I asked them how long the wait would be if I were to come and sit down and they told me 15-20 min. 10 minutes later I arrive to a half empty restaurant with no one waiting to be seated. Since they didn't look busy, I asked if they would be willing to do take out and was told that they still couldn't because they were "too low on soup". Wha? They have enough to make it and serve it to me at a table, but not put it into a container? Of course I couldn't finish the soup (big portions) so they ended up putting it in a take out container at the end of the night anyways. I've also called them 30 minutes before they close and they've refused to take orders or have already closed.
That said, it's still really good and they can play their irrational "soup nazi" card all they want; I'll still probably come groveling back. -
Review from Tom B.
10/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Alright, I certainly can't claim expertise, since this was my first visit in my entire life to a ramen house. But they serve a wonderful meal and the price is amazingly low.
It's tucked in next to a convenience store, and there's minimal parking. What spots there are continually full--and when you get inside, you can see why. Every table is full, too, at least right during the dinner hour.
The kitchen is bustling; even with four people behind the counter they're constantly in motion. I have to say, there's something about these tiny places (it can't be much more than 300 or 400 square feet) that spin at maximum revs. This seems like an ideal sort of success. There's a good mix of neighborhood folks and a fair few UW students filling the place.
I had the tan tan ramen, which was delicious--flavorful, tender pork, a little spicy, great noodles. The gyoza were fantastic as well. I will definitely be back. -
Review from Jon D.
Nothing warms up your belly on these brisk, cold, blistery Seattle winter days like a good piping hot bowl of Ramen. And once again, I'm happy to say that Aloha Ramen delivered. Had the Shoyu ramen yesterday with extra noodles. * A word of caution - make sure that you've got one helluva big appetite if you're planning on getting the extra noodles option thrown in your bowl. Holy cow - SO MANY NOODLES!!!
Still loving Aloha noodles. Could become my new crack noodle addiction.
Continuing word of caution though - get here early if you want a seat. Within 15 minutes of the doors opening for the day, every seat in this place is full. Bummer if you're late, but always a definite sign of an excellent restaurant.
mahalo.Listed in: Ooodles and Oodles
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/20/2011
Woo - hoo! Finally! I've been on the search for good ramen here in Seattle for weeks. Tried… Read more »
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Review from Nath, A.
11/17/2011
A nice little ramen place that you probably wouldn't notice if you weren't specifically looking for it.
I came in at around 8pm on one of the first chilly days of the winter, recovering from a mild cold. The place was pretty packed: there was one free table and some counter space. I sat at the counter, almost back-to-back with the folks at the nearest table. I went with the tan tan men (which I just realized is a Japanese version of dan dan mein) and a side of gyoza.
The gyoza came out pretty quickly. Homemade, nicely browned crust, served with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce. The ramen followed seconds later. It came with a sesame-based broth, several thin slices of roast pork, and various random bits of vegetation. The creamy reddish-orange broth reminded me slightly of a Thai red curry, though this was more to do with appearance than taste. It was piping hot and a little spicy and generally just about perfect for the weather, though the saltiness got a little tiring as I got to the bottom of the bowl. The pork was leaner and chewier than the stuff you'd get at, say, Samurai Noodle. It was probably the best thing in the bowl.
A bowl of ramen and a four piece order of gyoza came to $11 including tax. I'll be back to try the kalua pork ramen and some of the other broths. -
Review from Joe B.
Bellevue, WA
2/1/2012
This is hands-down my fav Ramen place in Seattle, better than any I have been to in LA. While it's not true strick Japanese style ramen, I actually like it better than most I have had in Tokyo. I think this is mainly because they have so many darn delicious varieties, as the other reviews mention. Beleive me, your mouth and tummy will just explode with happiness.
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Review from Megan S.
10/28/2011
The boyfriend and I just got back from Oahu and are still craving that Aloha vibe. I was scouting around on Yelp to see what Seattle has for Hawaiian foods and realized this joint is only a few blocks from us! Ah Greenwood Ave how many little treasures do you have???
The place certainly is tiny like other reviewers have commented, but it was even tinier than I had imagined. Darling would be a good word to capture it. The place is certainly no dive though. Neat and tidy with the guys working the range and a little counter up front.
We got here fairly early for dinner time on Thursday, just before 6pm so not much competition for seats which was nice. There were some regulars and the waiter was super friendly to all.
I couldn't wait to try me some ramen and any number of options looked good, but I went with the Tan Tan. Wow. Creamy/spicy peanut broth goodness w/perfectly tender and tasty slices of pork, greens and bamboo shoots. It warmed me up, filled me to the brim and left a rosy glow to my cheeks. The boyfriend ordered Kalua rice, and it was delicious too. I was somewhat jealous, but hey, I got ramen noodle so take that, boyfriend!
We also ordered the 6-pc gyoza and got a 7th thrown in for free! Is that like half a baker's dozen or something? Anyway, nice touch. They are crispy and delcious. Could've had 12.
Oh and I remember someone dissed the Hawaiian "tropical" drink. Lame, dude. That would be the Hawaiian Sun Tropical Iced Tea which is delicious! I've been obsessed with the Hawaiian Sun drinks ever since we got back from Oahu. The drink is classic Hawaii--I love that they use real sugar and all the mixes are not overly sweet tasting (although usually 30 grams of sugar or more!). Its definitely a nice treat to get some Hawaiian Sun. Good compliment to the meal.
So the place is so nice and tiny and gives you such a warm good feeling that I felt the need to say mahalo to the little lady behind the counter. Damn good meal. This will be a new favorite restaurant for sure.
(The only reason I didn't put 5 star is because I am not yet a ramen expert...someday!!!) -
Review from Ornella A.
Irvine, CA
4/19/2012
I'm not rating the food but the service. Food was good, garlic rice was great. But 2 things I didn't like is that they charge for containers. Who does that? A $10 order cost me $15 due to containers and tax. Also, I noticed the lady taking orders complained to a customer about not receiving tips. That's just RUDE. Don't beg for tips lady, you obviously didn't offer great service.
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Review from Aaron P.
Seattle, WA
11/12/2011
My girlfriend and I had heard great things about this place, and we were both happy to find out that all of the rumors were true.
I checked out Yelp to see what the consensus was among the restaurant-bound faithful, and I was immediately surprised by the strange hours of business, but after just my first visit I am almost assured that I could stand waiting for a while to get a table there. It's quite the compact environment that I come to expect from "mom & pop" style Japanese restaurants, like Musashi's in Wallingford, but it only adds to the ambience.
I made sure to scope out everyone's bowl on the way in so that I could get an idea of what to order, but everything looked just as good as the next. I ended up ordering a miso base, with cabbage, pickled ginger, green onions, corn and sliced beef. It was heavenly. The fact that every dish is accompanied by either garlic fried rice or gyoza makes it even more worth the money.
Only when I won't to go pay for our dinner did I notice another customer eating what appeared to be another miso-based soup with kim chi and chicken katsu. I know what I'll be ordering next time I go, and I can't wait. -
Review from Julia W.
My husband and sister came here for dinner on a rainy night based on Yelp reviews.
Deep down, I was truly craving Shrimp Tempura (which we could've gotten next door) but we wanted to try this place out.
The previous reviewers were spot on that the space is extremely limited. We had to squeeze 3 people into a 2 seater as they only offer 2 seaters or the counter.
The menu truly sticks to "Ramen" only so it's not like a Teriyaki place which will offer teriyaki 'and' other dishes.
They ordered the Kim Chi ramen and I ordered the Miso Ramen. We all did the combo which offered 4 pieces of gyoza as well for $10 total. Not a bad deal.
The dishes all come with lots 'in' the ramen along with the noodles themselves so you should come prepared to have lots of new things to try out.
The parking is ridiculous here with only a few spots out front or street parking on Greenwood. -
Review from Ken L.
I am not usually a ramen fan but eating here changed my mind. The tan tan katsu impressed me with tasty broth and crispy sliced katsu laid on top. The garlic fried rice was a mixed breed of sticky rice and fried rice that was infused with a generous amount of deep fried garlic.... ummm yum. If it were not so far from me, you would be calling me a frequent visitor.
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Review from Randy N.
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hands down best ramen noodle place in Seattle. I had the Mapo katsu Ramen w/gyoza on the side and it was delicious. However the place gets crowded but it was worth the wait. Highly recommended!
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Review from Andrew P.
Seattle, WA
2/20/2012
The real winner here was the fried rice and gyoza, I won't be back for the ramen. It was bland and the pork was tough and overcooked. Granted I'm not a huge ramen fan so I may not know what I'm talking about. The three stars are for the rice and gyoza.
