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11 Essential Ramen Shops in the South Bay

Where to find the most comforting bowls of ramen below the Peninsula

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There are few things in life more satisfying than slurping down a piping hot bowl of ramen on a chilly evening. Known as Japanese soul food, a bowl of ramen embodies a balanced trifecta of soup, noodles, and toppings. You can find many various iterations in the South Bay Area including rich, silky tonkotsu; simple but flavorful tsukeman dipping noodles; ultra umami miso; or hearty vegan options. Many shops also whip up renditions that riff off of the classic elements with additions of black garlic oil, fresh crab meat, and even a whole katsu cutlet.

At many of these spots, the savory broth is simmered for hours on end, oftentimes served with noodles crafted in-house. Ramen is comfort food at its finest, and here are the South Bay’s finest spots to find it.

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HiroNori | Craft Ramen

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Though Hironori may have started in Irvine, California more than six years ago, it’s made quite the name for itself with three Bay Area locations — two of which are in the South Bay. The restaurant is known for homemade noodles, broths, and sauces. Hironori’s tonkotsu ramen is served with hand-crafted noodles and prepared with a pork bone broth that’s simmered for more than 24 hours before being topped with bean sprouts, green onion, spinach, a half egg, seaweed, wood ear mushrooms, and chashu pork. The vegan ramen is also a popular choice, as it’s served with a surprisingly umami-filled sesame miso broth.

Hironori Craft Ramen

Men-Bei Ramen

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There’s truly something for everyone at family-owned ramen shop Men-Bei, which is known for its plethora of unique ramen options. The signature bowl, the Men-Bei Ramen, is strikingly heavy on garlic and pork, while the wonton ramen includes a generous portion of pork dumplings in the soup. The curry ramen is another fan-favorite for its savory, beefy flavor, while the gomoku is prepared with a light, clean broth with an assortment of Chinese cabbage, shrimp, and pork. For those who are feeling a little more hungry, you can upgrade any bowl to a large size for $3.

Kumako Ramen

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In San Jose’s Japantown, the quaint but inviting Kumako Ramen offers all the expected staples including shio, shoyu, and tonkotsu, which has pork broth that’s noticeably lighter than usual. But for something with a bit more kick, try the Mabo Ramen, which comes with ground pork, tofu, and a sour, spicy broth, or the Chili Ramen with cilantro, corn, scallions, and spicy ground pork in Southwestern-style broth. The options at Kumako clearly run the gamut, as the shop even offers low-sodium ramen and chilled ramen in the summertime. The handmade gyoza is also a hit. 

Kumako Ramen

Ramen Taka

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Ramen Taka opened its doors 10 years ago in Santa Clara with the goal of reflecting the ramen-eating experience in Japan. To this day, it’s a no-frills spot with eight simple but hearty ramen bowls on the menu. All the broths are made from scratch, and the signature item, the Taka Ramen, is a traditional Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen with thin noodles and a creamy pork broth that’s cooked for 16 hours straight. Patrons also often order the Jiro Tonkotsu Ramen, which is prepared in the Jiro-style — with thick noodles and loads of toppings including vegetables, garlic, and slabs of pork chashu. 

Ramen Taka

Orenchi Ramen

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In a modest Santa Clara strip mall, you’ll find Orenchi, a Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen and small bites. Though it can get busy, customers who make it off the waitlist tend to gravitate toward bar seating to get closer to the action. The shop offers a comprehensive menu of ramen and izakaya staples. Though Orenchi is most well-known for classic tonkotsu, you can’t go wrong with the lighter shio and shoyu options, and the tsukemen is also another popular choice. The duo of ramen and karaage is always a hit.

Orenchi Ramen

Ramen Nagi

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If you don’t mind a line, then Ramen Nagi is a solid option for flavorful ramen and a dynamic dining experience. With bar seating and an open kitchen, the restaurant is small but welcoming. 

The shop is acclaimed for its highly customizable menu, as diners are able to choose the levels of salt, broth density, noodle doneness, selection of meat, and extra toppings. The Original King, followed by the Red, Black, and Green King, are some of the most commonly ordered bowls of ramen, which each embody different flavor profiles as varied iterations of classic tonkotsu ramen. 

Ramen Nagi/Jakob N. Layman

IPPUDO CUPERTINO

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Hailing from New York City, Ippudo is a chain known for top-tier tonkotsu ramen. The pork broth, which is slow-boiled for more than 20 hours, is distinctly silky and savory. Customers most often order the Akamaru Modern, Ippudo’s signature ramen made with the shop’s original pork broth that’s enhanced with a special blended piquant akamaru paste and fragrant garlic oil. You also can’t go wrong with the other ramen offerings, like the Karaka Spicy or Yuzu Shoyu, which embody classic Japanese ramen flavors with a twist. 

Ippudo

Ramen Hajime

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Ramen Hajime exemplifies an incredibly detailed approach to ramen. All the noodles are made in-house, using 10 different types of cutters to achieve the optimal thickness for the flavor of broth they’re served in. The shop prides itself on its monthly specials, which range from seafood-based scallop ramen to miso ramen with a load of toppings and diced chashu pork. Though the shop has served 14 special ramen versions to date, the tried-and-true tonkotsu remains the best seller. Some of the ramen bowls are infused with a black garlic sauce that’s smoked with Jack Daniels chips. 

Ramen Hajime

Kahoo Ramen

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A quaint, cozy spot in San Jose, Kahoo Ramen serves a thoughtful assortment of miso-based ramen with egg noodles. Though the broth is light, it doesn’t skimp out on flavor or depth. The signature miso ramen is rather simple, but the black garlic miso ramen takes the umami up a notch with black garlic oil, while the crab miso ramen is, of course, topped with fresh crab meat. If you’re craving a heftier bowl, you can’t go wrong with the Ultimate Ramen — miso ramen topped with a crispy, deep-fried pork cutlet. 

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

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Hokkaida Ramen Santouka is no stranger to those who frequent Mitsuwa, the Japanese grocery store. Located in the food court, the stand consistently serves quality bowls of ramen with broth made in-house from scratch. It’s hard to believe the infamous chain started in Hokkaido in 1988 with a restaurant that had just nine seats and a single bowl of ramen on the menu. To this day, the most commonly ordered item remains the signature shio ramen, with its mild, creamy, savory broth that’s topped with a Japanese pickled plum. 

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Hinodeya Campbell Town

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Unlike most other Japanese ramen shops in the area, Hinodeya is most well known for its dashi-based broths served with thick, chewy wheat noodles. In fact, the signature Hinodeya Ramen incorporates broth made with dashi and scallops that’s flavored with scallops and pork oils, then topped with chashu pork, a marinated egg, and an assortment of vegetables. Hinodeya also offers vegan ramen for those who prefer plant-based options, including Creamy Ramen made with mushroom “dashi” and the Zen Ramen made with vegan “dashi” and white soy sauce.

Hinodeya Campbell Town

HiroNori | Craft Ramen

Though Hironori may have started in Irvine, California more than six years ago, it’s made quite the name for itself with three Bay Area locations — two of which are in the South Bay. The restaurant is known for homemade noodles, broths, and sauces. Hironori’s tonkotsu ramen is served with hand-crafted noodles and prepared with a pork bone broth that’s simmered for more than 24 hours before being topped with bean sprouts, green onion, spinach, a half egg, seaweed, wood ear mushrooms, and chashu pork. The vegan ramen is also a popular choice, as it’s served with a surprisingly umami-filled sesame miso broth.

Hironori Craft Ramen

Men-Bei Ramen

There’s truly something for everyone at family-owned ramen shop Men-Bei, which is known for its plethora of unique ramen options. The signature bowl, the Men-Bei Ramen, is strikingly heavy on garlic and pork, while the wonton ramen includes a generous portion of pork dumplings in the soup. The curry ramen is another fan-favorite for its savory, beefy flavor, while the gomoku is prepared with a light, clean broth with an assortment of Chinese cabbage, shrimp, and pork. For those who are feeling a little more hungry, you can upgrade any bowl to a large size for $3.

Kumako Ramen

In San Jose’s Japantown, the quaint but inviting Kumako Ramen offers all the expected staples including shio, shoyu, and tonkotsu, which has pork broth that’s noticeably lighter than usual. But for something with a bit more kick, try the Mabo Ramen, which comes with ground pork, tofu, and a sour, spicy broth, or the Chili Ramen with cilantro, corn, scallions, and spicy ground pork in Southwestern-style broth. The options at Kumako clearly run the gamut, as the shop even offers low-sodium ramen and chilled ramen in the summertime. The handmade gyoza is also a hit. 

Kumako Ramen

Ramen Taka

Ramen Taka opened its doors 10 years ago in Santa Clara with the goal of reflecting the ramen-eating experience in Japan. To this day, it’s a no-frills spot with eight simple but hearty ramen bowls on the menu. All the broths are made from scratch, and the signature item, the Taka Ramen, is a traditional Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen with thin noodles and a creamy pork broth that’s cooked for 16 hours straight. Patrons also often order the Jiro Tonkotsu Ramen, which is prepared in the Jiro-style — with thick noodles and loads of toppings including vegetables, garlic, and slabs of pork chashu. 

Ramen Taka

Orenchi Ramen

In a modest Santa Clara strip mall, you’ll find Orenchi, a Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen and small bites. Though it can get busy, customers who make it off the waitlist tend to gravitate toward bar seating to get closer to the action. The shop offers a comprehensive menu of ramen and izakaya staples. Though Orenchi is most well-known for classic tonkotsu, you can’t go wrong with the lighter shio and shoyu options, and the tsukemen is also another popular choice. The duo of ramen and karaage is always a hit.

Orenchi Ramen

Ramen Nagi

If you don’t mind a line, then Ramen Nagi is a solid option for flavorful ramen and a dynamic dining experience. With bar seating and an open kitchen, the restaurant is small but welcoming. 

The shop is acclaimed for its highly customizable menu, as diners are able to choose the levels of salt, broth density, noodle doneness, selection of meat, and extra toppings. The Original King, followed by the Red, Black, and Green King, are some of the most commonly ordered bowls of ramen, which each embody different flavor profiles as varied iterations of classic tonkotsu ramen. 

Ramen Nagi/Jakob N. Layman

IPPUDO CUPERTINO

Hailing from New York City, Ippudo is a chain known for top-tier tonkotsu ramen. The pork broth, which is slow-boiled for more than 20 hours, is distinctly silky and savory. Customers most often order the Akamaru Modern, Ippudo’s signature ramen made with the shop’s original pork broth that’s enhanced with a special blended piquant akamaru paste and fragrant garlic oil. You also can’t go wrong with the other ramen offerings, like the Karaka Spicy or Yuzu Shoyu, which embody classic Japanese ramen flavors with a twist. 

Ippudo

Ramen Hajime

Ramen Hajime exemplifies an incredibly detailed approach to ramen. All the noodles are made in-house, using 10 different types of cutters to achieve the optimal thickness for the flavor of broth they’re served in. The shop prides itself on its monthly specials, which range from seafood-based scallop ramen to miso ramen with a load of toppings and diced chashu pork. Though the shop has served 14 special ramen versions to date, the tried-and-true tonkotsu remains the best seller. Some of the ramen bowls are infused with a black garlic sauce that’s smoked with Jack Daniels chips. 

Ramen Hajime

Kahoo Ramen

A quaint, cozy spot in San Jose, Kahoo Ramen serves a thoughtful assortment of miso-based ramen with egg noodles. Though the broth is light, it doesn’t skimp out on flavor or depth. The signature miso ramen is rather simple, but the black garlic miso ramen takes the umami up a notch with black garlic oil, while the crab miso ramen is, of course, topped with fresh crab meat. If you’re craving a heftier bowl, you can’t go wrong with the Ultimate Ramen — miso ramen topped with a crispy, deep-fried pork cutlet. 

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Hokkaida Ramen Santouka is no stranger to those who frequent Mitsuwa, the Japanese grocery store. Located in the food court, the stand consistently serves quality bowls of ramen with broth made in-house from scratch. It’s hard to believe the infamous chain started in Hokkaido in 1988 with a restaurant that had just nine seats and a single bowl of ramen on the menu. To this day, the most commonly ordered item remains the signature shio ramen, with its mild, creamy, savory broth that’s topped with a Japanese pickled plum. 

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

Hinodeya Campbell Town

Unlike most other Japanese ramen shops in the area, Hinodeya is most well known for its dashi-based broths served with thick, chewy wheat noodles. In fact, the signature Hinodeya Ramen incorporates broth made with dashi and scallops that’s flavored with scallops and pork oils, then topped with chashu pork, a marinated egg, and an assortment of vegetables. Hinodeya also offers vegan ramen for those who prefer plant-based options, including Creamy Ramen made with mushroom “dashi” and the Zen Ramen made with vegan “dashi” and white soy sauce.

Hinodeya Campbell Town

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