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Ramen House Ryowa
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11 am - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 10:30 pm
Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- 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:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
1009 reviews for Ramen House Ryowa
Review Highlights
"one of our go-to's butter corn hands down."
(in 214 reviews)
"craving-inducing fried rice (want some right now."
(in 212 reviews)
"Another great appetizer/side dish - free kimchi."
(in 50 reviews)
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1009 reviews in English
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Review from Angeline H.
San Jose, CA
1/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
My friend had a picture on Instagram of his Butter corn ramen here and I just had to try it (same day).
At 8pm on a Saturday the small restaurant was full but my friend and I were seated right away. We both ordered the butter corn ramen. The noodles were thick like Orenchi's Ramen (which I love). The egg is just a hard boiled egg. I wished it were cooked better. They serve a hefty amount of ramen noodles to my suprise. The broth was tasty with just the right amount of flavor however, there wasn't enough broth in my bowl. You might want to eat fast before the broth gets soaked up...I also ordered the gyoza which was okay. Nothing out of the ordinary or with a wow factor. I'll stick with just the ramen next time and try the other selections. $25 for 2 with an appetizer. Not too shabby! I will come back :) -
Review from Yvonne N.
San Jose, CA
1/21/2012
I've definitely had better ramen...haven't been to this spot in years. Thought I would try it for old time sakes! I remembered the $10 lunch special with a smaller bowl of ramen, potstickers and fried rice.
We made it on a Friday around 11:30am and was seated at the bar in minutes...I'm a kimchee lover so I was picking out the leafy pieces while waiting to place my order. Gwen and I got the miso lunch special and the broth was BLAND even though we added all the spices they offered. I understand light but bland is another story.
I basically ditched the ramen bowl and enjoyed the potstickers, I like that they were grilled instead of fried and the fried rice with ginger slices on top were the best of my lunch experience.
So is this place crowded because the ramen is top notch or because the place is really tiny? I'm going to say it's tiny and a homey place to have ramen.
I'm going to have to stick to the usual places Orenchi or Kahoo for my ramen fix. -
Review from Mike Y.
San Jose, CA
1/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Review 1001
This place is located just off Castro and Villa...There is a parking garage nearby and a good amount of street parking as well.
Like most Japanese ramen places everyone sits "at the bar" or one long counter. This place is not for big groups. It's probably best for parties of 1 or 2.
The free kimchee was good and the tea eggs were good as well. But the ramen was ok. The noodles were ok but like other reviews say the broth was just meh.
I've had better better...I'm guessing the other have not been to Orenchi Ramen or Santouka -
Review from Shirley N.
San Jose, CA
31/2 stars. My friend and i decided to have dinner here last night and lucky us there was no wait time! :) The set up is different (No tables, just a long table shaped like a "U" You'll see when you eat here) which i found great because the server was able to help everyone. We ordered gyoza as our appetizer and buttered corn as our main dish. I found the gyoza to be good, not overly fried and cooked perfectly. A little on the greasy side but that's to be expected since it's fried. I'd give the ramen a 4/5 stars. I wish the broth was more flavorful :/. This dish would have been perfect because the noodles we're cooked perfectly, and the meat was super tender.
I'd definitely come back and try their other ramen dishes! The bill came out to 25 including tip. Super cheap for two huge bowls of ramen+ an order or gyoza! -
Review from May B.
Los Altos, CA
2/6/2012
Good spot to grab ramen for lunch. Fills up quickly. It's inexpensive and even though it gets busy, they move people in and out very efficiently. I like the sesame ramen and it comes with gyoza and friend rice. There is also kimchi available with the condiments. It's edible ;) I would only go with friends for lunch during the work week.
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Review from Ashley D.
San Jose, CA
1/3/2012
Went here because of a good friend of mine wanted to grab lunch with me and my boyfriend. We found ourselves climbing over a sea of Asian families to reach the clipboard on the wall to write our names. It was a 25 minute wait. Apparently, that's pretty good because they have longer waits. Whatever, Verde Tea Cafe is right across the street so that's where we spent 10/25 minutes waiting.
Onto the food! My boyfriend and our friend ordered the butter corn ramen and I got the miso. (HINT: ALWAYS get the combo which includes potstickers and rice because it's only like a dollar or two more). The portions are a little smaller than what I'm used to, but hey the ramen is good. Also you get free kimchee. Be prepared to fight with rude people sitting next to you though who hog the whole damn canister.
All in all, I don't know if I'll go here all the time but it was worth trying it out. -
Review from Mimi T.
San Jose, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Its a pretty small place in Mountain View, kind of hidden. NOT MEANT FOR BIG PARTIES! Its not meant to be catered to parties of 4 or more. I would say 4 would be the cut off for your party.
I ordered their butter ramen & i thought it was OK. It's not BAD, but its not GREAT.
Their portions are pretty hefty, i couldnt even finish half the bowl. So here you win some and you lose some. It's kind of hard to compete with Orenchi, and i think most reviews are probably using Orenchi as a foundation. -
Review from Lili Phuong C.
San Jose, CA
1/9/2012
Finally got to try this place out. I still prefer another location for ramen, don't get me wrong it is okay but had better. I tried the Butter Corn Ramen, and it was very light. I prefer a more rich in flavor for the broth.
This place is pretty small, so come early or a late lunch since it can get packed quickly. I probably will be back if I wanted a light broth fix on my ramen instead of my usual place. -
Review from Chrissy H.
Boston, MA
The dishes at his place look very small from the pictures on the menu. When the dishes arrived, the the fried chicken was just average and the noodles were a 7/10 or C-. We oredered the fried chicken, the fried rice, and ramen. They were slow to serve the fried rice and I was sitting here waiting for my fried rice while my two girl friends already got their dishes and started eating already. So sad! :-( When I finally got my fried rice, it looked like two boobs! Crazy! The fried rice portion is average and acceptable, except there is not much meet. Not enough for my man-sized appetite, hehe!
The ambiance is very casual and low key. It feels very unassuming like a girl walking her dog in the park. It feels like the place is in the middle of Japantown, however, it is in mountain view. Amazing! ;-) The customers in the restaurant looked very serious...Scary huh? -
Review from Dana P.
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Butter Corn Ramen is delicious!
The dab of butter in the soup changes the flavor of the soup dramatically. The server here is good. Love the free Kimchi on the table. Try to avoid lunch hours, it gets a little packed (the location is a small Japanese restaurant).Listed in: mMm, Ramen!
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Review from Samantha C.
Mountain View, CA
12/25/2011
Order the butter corn ramen. It's delicious, buttery, and salty -- the best hunger quencher on Castro St. Their fried rice is also really really good. You can get a side of it or a main.
Seating here is limited and sometimes it is very crowded. Show up early and put your name on the list. There's a clipboard on the wall inside. After dinner, head across the street to Verde for some post-ramen boba. :) -
Review from Elise D.
San Jose, CA
1/10/2012 1 photo
I haven't had ramen in awhile so when I ate here for the first time I didn't have any expectations. My friend suggested noodles so we headed to Ryowa. My only concern was whether they accepted credit card since a lot of these noodle places didn't. Ryowa DOES - and with NO purchase limit!! YES!!
Another thing I noticed that was uncommon was that their lunch specials were actually very generous. I ordered the butter corn ramen lunch special. The server warned us that the portions would be smaller than a regular order, but that is not true! I was actually glad we ordered the lunch special because the noodle bowl was huge! I would have not been able to finish a regular bowl if the lunch special was considered "small". Plus the lunch special came with a bowl of fried rice and pot stickers. I felt like I was eating for 2 people!! The ramen itself was very good. I am not a big fan of eating corn.. to me, corn is food for livestock! But I felt adventurous and found the butter corn to be quite sweet & tasty!
But of course there were some drawbacks. Being a noodle house, of course there are never enough tables and the wait was very long (they don't take reservations). The water glasses were dirty and still wearing someone's lipstick. Kinda gross and I would have ordered soda or beer but it was hard getting the server's attention.
Overall, really good noodles but just don't drink the water! -
Review from Euna K.
Mountain View, CA
12/13/2011
So I'm a bit of a ramen snob, and the right combination of flavors in a bowl of ramen can = HEAVEN. But this place didn't quite cut it for me.
I came in on a Saturday evening with my boyfriend and his family, and while it wasn't packed when we first got there, the place filled up really quickly.
I ordered the Butter Corn Ramen, which has (you guessed it) corn and butter on top. The butter melts into broth with a little stir. Although the corn did add a nice sweetness to the ramen, I thought the flavor of the broth was a bit meh. I ended up adding a lot of kimchi and the other spicy side dish to make it tastier. I tasted some of my boyfriend's Ryowa Ramen, which tasted significantly better. I think it's because of the sesame paste(?) they add in that one. The broth was much more savory and flavorful.
Overall.. I was a bit underwhelmed. I'm excited to try the other ramen places in the area to see how they measure up. -
Review from Joe C.
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I have decided to venture into the Ramen Snob business comparing all the frequented ramen places in the bay area and try to distinguish the intricacies of taste.
Ryowa is one of the O.G. places that I have visited before the Ramen craze began. I remembering it being good and satisfying and today's visit was just that. Good and satisfying.
However....
Good just doensn't cut it anymore. After tasting Orenchi and Ramen Dojo, Ryowa pales in comparison. The biggest factor being that the broth tastes "Chinese" and uninspired. Like any soup you would find in a chinese restaurant without the detail and creativity as ramen dedicated shops should strive for. The noodles as well were not as al dente as I would like and lacked that homemade feel I was looking for.
Although there are many choices and the addins were sufficient, the taste was generic and cannot compete with the upper echelon of Ramen Houses. -
Review from Erica S.
Updated - 12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Haven't been here for years, but recently came for lunch. On a Friday, there was about a 15 minute wait. Surprisingly, they STILL haven't fixed that front door! Still have to pull the door to get out of the place.
Ordered the Butter Corn Ramen Lunch Combo, which I recall ordering before. Gyoza was good and I still love the fact that they offer kimchi, but when I tasted the ramen broth, I was disappointed. Noodles are nice and thick, but the broth wasn't very flavorful. It just tasted like butter, which was not pleasing. I guess I'm too used to the tonkotsu flavors at other places. Didn't finish my ramen that I had my husband finish it. Now that there's plenty of ramen competitors, there's so many better places to go for ramen that this place no longer gets my 5 stars.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/30/2007
I recently started going here for lunch. The wait is sooo long most of the time, but it's ramen so… Read more »
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Review from Killer B.
San Francisco, CA
12/28/2011
This noodle house is good, especially if you can go on a weekday and get their combinations. I got the combo where you get a bowl of ramen, potstickers, and fried rice, with extra noodle, all for $10.
The noodles have the right amount of firmness and texture, the broth is not too salty or fatty like other ramen places. Potstickers are not deep fried, but grilled, which I prefer. Overall, the food here is quality!
As for the ambiance, this place can get crowded, so be sure to write your name of the clipboard. -
Review from Natalia H.
San Jose, CA
12/2/2011
Ryowa was the very FIRST Ramen I ever had. This was yearrrrrrrrrrrrs ago before all the ramen houses. Haven't been there in a while, so I decided to try it again last night. We came early (5:30) and the restaurant was filling up. I forgot what my usual was, so I decided to go with the Ryowa Ramen ($8). With the spicy green chives...mmmm it was GOOD!!! They also had so many chasu porks in there (like 3-4 pieces!) where other ramen houses are so stingy about their chasu. I didn't like the egg though- could do without it, imo. My friend got the Tonkatsu Ramen ($9) and it looked pretty good.
I remember having their fried chicken before and I remembered enjoying it a lot but we decided not to get it this time. Portions are pretty big! Will be back again though! So glad I went again last night...missed this place! Yumm! I think it's better than Maruichi and up to par with Santouka and Orenchi. -
Review from Ann L.
Butter corn ramen now $8, was cheaper years ago. Still my favorite dish.
B. got Miso ramen $8-9 & side of fried chicken small $6
Total before tip was $23 something.
Tip: sitting at the side table by the wall you get a slightly worst service, takes longer to order & to get your check. Best to eat at the bar.
Charge it.3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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2/24/2011
Went to try the Oxtail Ramen that they only serve M-F for Dinner after 5pm & All Day Weekends. It's… Read more »
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Review from Peter P.
Mountain View, CA
1/26/2012
Average food. But really worth the price. Alot of people during lunchtime on a weekday.
The $10 lunch special is a really worth the money - it has a (smaller) bowl of ramen, potstickers and fried rice + kim chi! -
Review from Jenny M.
Mountain View, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
A great way to warm the soul on a cold day. This place is very casual and very cozy. I like the butter corn best.
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Review from Raquel Y.
11/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
Get the Ryowa ramen, which is Sesame base. BIG portion! Yummy! The broth tasted very different to other ramen places I've been to. Check out my Ramen List in the Bay Area! :)
Also get the fried chicken! It comes with this asian type of tarter sauce, deliciousss and a great appetizer/side dish.
Another great appetizer/side dish - free kimchi!
DON'T order the Yakisoba ramen. The noodles were different and were stir-fried and then put into the soup, but the broth tasted really weird. My friend says he's a "ramen hunter" because he hunts for ramen even out of the country, and he said that has to be the second to worst ramen he's ever tasted.
Weird how my bowl was delicious and his was disgusting all in one restaurant huh? But lucky you, if you're reading my review then it's Raquel to the rescue! :) *hint click useful/funny/cool hint* hehe =P Enjoy!Listed in: Ramen in Nor Cal!
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Review from Sharon Q.
Santa Clara, CA
12/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The place is fairly small and its probably best to come when they're not too busy. I came on a Wednesday night around 9:30PM and was seated right away.
Although, I thought it was a bit unprofessional for the staff to be eating with the rest of the customers, they were still pretty attentive and came right away when they noticed we had decided what to order.
I had the tonkotsu ramen and my husband ordered the oxtail ramen. We also had a side of gyoza. Their gyoza was different but good because it had some vegetables in it. The broth on the tonkotsu ramen had more of a pleasant taste and not as fatty as the oxtail broth. Although, both were equally good.
However, I still hold another ramen shop as #1 in my book. This place holds the #2 spot. -
Review from Local S.
Mountain View, CA
12/27/2011
Continuing detailed comparison of downtown MV's two LONGTIME Japanese fresh-noodle houses that I began with rival Maru Ichi, Ryowa is slightly smaller and more informal (mostly counter seating) with a slightly smaller menu featuring a few dinner-only specialties, and extras like the delicately anise-flavored hard-cooked "tea eggs."
However, like Maru Ichi, Ryowa has unique strengths, and a menu whose hidden gems aren't always obvious after even a dozen visits. (I had over 100 meals each at Ryowa and Maru Ichi before posting these Yelp comments.) Show me someone who categorically favors either restaurant, I'll show you someone with limited experience or eccentric tastes. BOTH restaurants figure prominently in Melanie Wong's authoritative Chowhound Bay Area ramen-house ranking.
A special Ryowa feature is the house condiment of Chinese chives and hot pepper paste, a jar in each counter-top condiment cluster. This red-green spicy-savory mixture is a brilliant counterpoint to the mildness of noodles. Ryowa also uses it in the dipping broth for a popular specialty, tsukemen ("dipping noodles"). Ryowa's tsukemen are flat lukewarm noodles served on a plate with many savory garnishes, and a bowl of strong hot-sour broth of soup stock, shredded ginger, and the pepper-chive paste. This tsukemen can be addictive, and after discovering it I "kicked" it only with effort. (Maru Ichi offered a competing version starting in 2011, very different in noodles and broth. Ryowa for its part had already added, in 2010, a seasonal summer cold-noodle salad, hiyashi chuka, with TWO dressing options, itself distinct from Maru Ichi's famous and much longer-running original.)
Ryowa's house signature broth (in both "Ryowa" and "vegetarian" ramen) is sesame-paste flavored. "Butter-corn" ramen and "wonton" ramen use so-called "salt" broth (not all that salty). "Wonton" ramen (unique to Ryowa in this neighborhood) is unusual, I enjoy it: ramen noodles in a light clear broth garnished only by green herbs and fresh tender wonton dumplings containing ginger-flavored ground pork.
"Soy-sauce" (shoyu) broth -- cloudy, unlike Maru Ichi's -- is in "shoyu" ramen and the butabara (a stewed pork topping with bok choy). Miso ramen is available. Tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen ("not deep fried," the menu explains) is, or at least has been, among dinner-only specialties. All of these noodle bowls run around $9.
Besides tsukemen "dipping noodles" and the lively pepper-chive paste to complement the many ramen bowls. I like the fact that Ryowa, unlike rival Maru Ichi or newcomer Shalala, is open all day on weekdays (which can occasionally lead to big crowds at surprising times like 3PM). I also like Ryowa's superior gyoza (pot stickers), freshly made, with toasty browned bottoms. You can sometimes smell them cooking as you approach the restaurant. (Nearby, Bushido and Shalala offer similarly fresh gyoza, Ryowa, at its best, still having the edge.) Besides serving them à-la-carte, Ryowa offers lunch-special combinations with gyoza or other options supplementing noodle soup bowls. The noodle soups in these combos are smaller than the stand-alone versions, and served in different bowls. Starting 2:30 or so, donburi and other "dinner" side dishes become available, more still after 5:30. Ryowa offers a selection of major Japanese bottled beers.
Ryowa once had a sister restaurant in Berkeley, sold off a few years ago. It has different ownership now. My Berkeley informants do not consider it now comparable to this MV original.Listed in: Favorite Downtown Mountain…
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Review from Ganda s.
Redwood City, CA
The place is small but the food is good. I highly recommend Buttercorn, Ryowa and Miso.
Also, free kimchee and free tea. ^_^ -
Review from Huey K.
11/18/2011
Going to Japan has ruined me, because now I think Ryowa sucks. I came back last weekend, and had the Tonkotsu. It was completely lacking in flavor, and I was mad at myself for even coming here.
Its only advantage over Maru Ichi is that it takes a credit card. So instead of paying for bad ramen in cash, you can at least get points from using your credit card.
I think I'll just avoid all Mountain View ramen houses from here on out.Listed in: Ramen
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Review from Ed H.
East Bay, CA
12/5/2011
I came here for lunch with a friend who recommended this place. The place is small and gets really crowded at noon. My friend recommended coming at 11:30 am to beat the lunch crowd. I believe there is only one real table. The rest of the seating is on a curvy table shared by other patrons.
For under $10, you can get a large bowl of Ramen, rice, and four pot stickers. I ordered the Ryowa ramen lunch meal. The portions were large and really like the taste of the noodle and the soup. I will defintely return to try the other ramen.
Ratings (out of 5)
Food: ****
Staff: ****
Value: *****
Location: ****
P.S. They take credit card! -
Review from Jackie S.
11/12/2011 2 photos
Overrated ramen. We went on a Saturday night, and it was crowded. We wrote our names on the waiting list, and waited for 15-20 minutes in the cramped restaurant. I had a vegetarian ramen and it was disappointing. There wasn't any flavors in the vegetable base. The topping selections were okay as there were greens, shiitake mushrooms, tofu, and seaweed.
The hubby ordered yakisoba since he wanted to try something different. There was a lot of stuff in the bowl, especially cabbage. He gave me practically half of his cabbage. He thought the yakisoba was okay; it wasn't what he expected. The base was too salty for him.
I liked how the restaurant gives lots of ramen so I was pretty full. In addition, the prices are very reasonable as compared to NYC ramen places. It is nice to come back to prices of $10 for ramen. Free kimchi on the table.
I thought the two flat screen TVs were annoying. You can't have much of a conversation when everyone is staring at the TVs.
I'd rather go to Shalala which is down the street. -
Review from Rose A.
Space is kinda small - the seating mainly consists of 2 wraparound counters with only 3 tables for 2 along the walls. There is a bit of a wait during lunch but wasn't that bad (we arrived around 12:30 pm & waited probably 10 minutes).
They automatically serve iced green tea (plus for not charging). They have kimchee at the table as part of the condiment tray, as well as green chives in a garlic chili paste that you can add to your soup to make as spicy as you want.
My husband had the Ryowa ramen lunch special that came with pot stickers & fried rice. I had the Butter Corn ramen with pot stickers & steamed rice. I really liked the pot stickers, although they were a bit too oily. I didn't really need the steamed rice but my husband enjoyed the fried rice with the pickled ginger.
Now the true test: the ramen. Both ramen bowls came with chashu (pork), bean sprouts, green onion, nori (seaweed) & half of a hard-boiled egg. The Ryowa ramen (sesame paste-based soup) had good flavor, not very salty. The Butter Corn ramen (salt-based soup), as the name suggests, had butter and yup, you guessed it, corn. The corn added a bit of sweetness you don't normally associate with ramen.
Both ramen bowls were pretty tasty. And the portion size seemed pretty comparable to other ramen places we tried, in spite the menu noting that the portion is smaller for the lunch special.
Ramen House Ryowa has now become my 3rd favorite ramen place. -
Review from Jen C.
Sunnyvale, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Definitely a different type of ramen soup base than the other bay area popular ramen places (orenchi & ramen dojo). The noodle is good and the broth seems to be less fatty than the other ones, which means it can be healthier for you unless you get the buttered corn.
The place is small and don't forget to walk in to sign up on the waitlist. Majority of the seats are counter style. -
Review from Julia Z.
Mountain View, CA
1/8/2012
The vegetarian ramen was great! Tons of veggies and the broth actually had flavor. Ryowa is definitely my favorite ramen place in downtown Mountain View.
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Review from Nadia H.
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pros: Friendly, laid-back service. Free parking. $3 min per person (instead of the $10 min at many of the ramen houses). Cute, unassuming family-owned vibe. They don't skimp on the pork. Also free barley tea is a nice touch!
The ramen was just ok. Had the butter corn ramen, and it was good. But, no complexity to the broth, pork was similar to a lot of the ramen joints - lower end, no seasoning. Noodles were pleasantly al dente but left me feeling like something was missing. I don't generally think of ramen noodles as adding flavor, but these seemed flat.
I feel like Goldilocks, what with Ramen Dojo being too spicy and Ramen House Ryowa being too flat. Maybe the next place will hit just right?
If I lived close by, I'd take a jaunt in now and again, but I won't be making the trip again from RWC anytime soon. -
Review from Hayne P.
Mountain View, CA
11/9/2011 2 photos
Too much food. Not that it's a bad thing. You definitely will leave full.
First impression when we got the food: Piping hot from the stove! It is always a good sign when you accidentally burn yourself on some soupy cooked cabbage. You know that this wasn't sitting around waiting to get picked up.
My boyfriend got the tonkatsu ramen, and I got the yakisoba ramen. I guess the tonkatsu ramen was good. I don't remember because my boyfriend had already spiced his up and it was only a taste. On the other hand, I loved my yakisoba ramen, especially the cabbage. The massive amounts of cabbage and noodles.
Kimchi is so-so. It was too bitter. Make sure you dig down beyond the top layer to get to the proper-tasting stuff.
Also, definitely on the saltier side of things. I definitely left looking more bloated than usual because of all the salt consumption. -
Review from Flavia H.
Santa Clara, CA
Updated - 10/5/2011
Last time I wrote a review for Ryowa is when I first started my ramen connoisseuring. Now that I've tried many other places it doesn't deserve the full 5 stars *sorry!*. There are so many other better ramen houses. But I will return, and this spot will always have a spot in my heart in devirginizing my ramen cherry.
And I gotta love the fried chicken....yummmmyListed in: Ramen Spots
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/15/2007
Whenever I get a craving for ramen I come here. It's a cute little hole in the wall off of Castro,… Read more »
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Review from Casey S.
9/17/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Want me to sum up Ramen House Ryowa in one word? Meh.
Want me to describe it in a little more detail? Meeeeeeeeh.
There's nothing that really stands out in these bowls. It's not terribly offensive, mind you, but the noodles, sprouts and pork cuts (pretty much everything) don't really give you that addicting rush that comes with a good bowl. You know there's a problem when you don't even want to finish the broth. -
Review from Kristin S.
Palo Alto, CA
10/11/2011
We thought this was an excellent little ramen joint. They even offered vegetarian ramen so we were pretty excited. The ramen is very hearty and delicious. The service was quick and friendly. There was no wait when we went on a Tuesday night. I liked the quasi-communal seating in the booths and the fun Japanese game shows that were playing during the meal were a nice touch.
We were served some barley tea to start things out and there is kimchi as well. Overall we were very pleased. This is probably between four and five stars since I reserve my five star ratings for when I am blown away. Overall this was very, very good! We'll be back. -
Review from Emilia L.
10/4/2011
Came here while on a trip to SF/Mountain View. My brother lives in MTV and highly recommended this place out of the few ramen places nearby. We strolled into the shop and were immediately met with suffocating heat. It was, for sure, cooler outside than it was inside. That place was BLAZING! The thought of eating a hot bowl of ramen when it was already that hot was not too appealing, but I had never tried ramen before and was determined. There were no fans and the AC was DEFINITELY not on.
Seating was limited to two bar areas that seat maybe 15 people each as well as a few small tables. It was pretty packed already, but the four of us grabbed the last few seats. The food came pretty quickly after we ordered. My brother recommended the Butter Corn ramen which has a salt-based broth. They also served complimentary hot barley tea but brought out ice water when we requested it.
The ramen noodles were nice and fresh, and were cooked a bit al dente, which I appreciated. I didn't drink much of the broth because I try to cut down on sodium, but from what I did taste, it was not overly salty. In fact, it could have used a bit more flavoring of the chili variety (which I did add). The slices of roast pork were nice and tender and not overly fatty. There was a very thin slice of butter which I mixed into the ramen. Overall, I really loved the combo of the pork, corn and seaweed with the noodles and broth. It was very filling and I was not able to finish my bowl of ramen. I also sampled some of the fried chicken. The coating was really good, not overly greasy. In fact, most of the grease came from the chicken itself because it was rather fatty. It came with both mayo and a ginger dipping sauce which was very tasty.
I only wish we'd been able to eat there one more time before we left, but there were too many different places to try. :) -
Review from Leon C.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2011
I really like this place. Nice place to eat. The place is small and gets crowded but nice place to hangout for casual eats. Their ramen is fresh, flavorful, and tasty. Good atmosphere and service.
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Review from Eeway H.
Stanford, CA
11/6/2011
I dropped by for a laid-back meal with a couple of friends. I had wanted to get sushi over a Tomi's as I've never been a fan of ramen. However, this place was actually pretty good. The first thing I saw upon walking into the crowded ramen house was the TVs. I was immediately mesmerized by the Japanese games shows. Though it took a while to get seats, I was perfectly content with starring at the power feats on the screens to pass the time.
Upon sitting down, they served us barley tea (which I love). I ordered a combo with potstickers. The food was served promptly. The ramen was alright. I would consider it better than Maru Ichi, though not Dohatsuten. The chashu was typical. The broth however was pretty flat. Possibly a bit too salty.
The meal ended up being a bit too big for me to finish in an appropriate amount of time (as this was a lunch break meet-up). It was pretty cheap for the amount.
The food wasn't too memorable, but I did enjoy the atmosphere. -
Review from Keisuke H.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2011
The soup didn't have that much taste...the fried rice didn't have much taste...the pot stickers were okay.
Only reason I give it a 2 star is the manga section they had. -
Review from Rachel W.
Mountain View, CA
10/5/2011
Came here twice with my brother when he visited the Bay Area. What I like the most is their Tonkotsu Ramen. Soup base/broth is rich and they are super generous with the portion of the noodles. Be sure to add a bit of Kimchi into the ramen. I love their kimchi - fresh and tasty! Also love their intimate, casual, cozy ambience, the Japanese manga on the shelves, and their very reasonable prices. Business is good during weekday lunch hours and weekends - be prepared to wait in a line. We went there at around 8:50pm and the restaurant was still packed.
I'm not a big fan of their fried rice and Gyoza (Japanese dumplings) though - the former is too plain and the later is too oily. Miso Ramen, too, was kinda mediocre. Where's the flavor of miso? I tasted more soy sauce than miso. Other than that, this is nice place. May go back again for their Tonkotsu Ramen.
