Ramen Shop
| Address: | 5812 College Ave, Oakland, CA 94618, USA |
| Phone: | +1 510-640-5034 |
| Site: | ramenshop.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5–10:30PM 5PM–12AM 12–3:30PM 12–3:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
WI
Will Kivinski
Ramen Shop manages to turn ramen into art. Visually, the place is very cool with a bar near the front of the shop. The ramen itself is some of the best the Bay Area has to offer (right up there with Ramen Dojo, Izakaya Sozai, Waraku and Orenchi.) I went with my friend Al, whos been to Japan times. My favorite all time ramen is still Ippudo in NYC. Totto Ramen is also pretty stellar, but with a lighter broth. Ramen Shop is very different from all of these places. The focus is on local ingredients you might not even necessarily put in ramen (squash blossoms for example.) The flavors and textures are bold and inspired. Its not meant to be "authentic," just good organic food (since these guys are Alums of Alice Waters resto Chez Panisse.) It succeeds wholeheartedly at that! We tried a bunch of dishes and drinks. I still think about the Seafood Fried Rice. Its spectacular! The hokkaido miso ramen (ground pork belly, shoyu-marinated egg, corn, pickled carrots, arrowhead cabbage, squash blossom and shungiku) is rich and delicious. The shoyu ramen (chashu, marinated egg, scallions, mizuna, and Mendocino nori) is a little lighter. The pork chashu (porcetta style) is the best I have ever had in a bowl of ramen! To drink we had the Shop Highball (Hakushu 12-year Japanese Whiskey and soda) and Pimms Punch (Pimms, cucumber-infused mezcal, lemon, and ginger beer). I love how they have good Mezcal choices! Dont skip dessert! The Black Sesame Ice Cream Sandwich is unique and delicious. Service was attentive and friendly too. Just be prepared for pricing. A bowl of ramen can set you back around $16. I cant wait to go back!
KE
Kevin Galvin
I had the spicy ramen. For the premium price ($20/bowl), I was expecting a premium product. It fell waaaay short of the mark they set for themselves. The flavors were ok, if I was expecting a ramen-bolognese bowl - I wasnt. I didnt find any ground pork belly, but I did find a nice sized garlic skin or something incredibly fibrous in my bowl (after chomping on it hard). I informed the server and received a small apology from her alone. The service was par/subpar as well. The simple questions we asked were answered, but often seemed to intially puzzle the server. Maybe she really didnt know if we could remove one ingredient from a dish. Decor was nice. Lots of unfinished wood work. People love that. The light bulbs were very, very cool. A star for the light bulbs alone. Again, with the price being so high, the margin for error is razor thin. Razor thin. And they chose to serve a bowl of speghetti. I probably should have just ordered some Japanese whiskey and nothing else. Maybe next time.
LE
Lena Song
This was the best $9 dollar bowl of ramen Ive eaten in forever. Pity I paid $16 dollars for it. The food is creative (the appetizers more-so than the bowls of ramen) but as I dug spoon and chopsticks into my tantamen, I couldnt help feeling a bit scammed. Someone realized the white folks of Rockridge would pay nearly 20 dollars a bowl for Japanese fast-food, complete with ramen noodle, half an egg, a bit of greenery, some creative toppings that are mostly ala carte and broth. And as I stared around at a room full of ironic glasses, thrift shop aesthetic purchased at top dollar, and people who cared as much about the length of the craft beer selection (longer than the menu) as about the thickness of their wallet, I say "well done" to the owners of Ramen Shop. This is exactly the whod pay for it.
DE
Devin Sandoz
Any review of this restaurant needs to start with the broth. That dividing liquid line between tasteless mall ramen and those places with quasi-religious followings you find sprinkled throughout Japan and the South Bay. The broth here reaches a depth I had never known before. Every time you sip from your spoon, layers of salty, savory, vegetal and earthy tell complicated, inexpressable stories. This broth takes like the end of a quest. The rest of the restaurant lives up to that insane mythical standard too -- the cocktails are simple and perfect (Japanese whiskey abounds), the atmosphere is cozy and hidden (funny because the place is basically in a mini-mall strip of shops on College Avenue), and the servers are friendly and laid-back. Once tasted, never forgotten.
MA
Marie Luise Cajayon
I must say this is a hidden gem between Oakland and Berkeley. Felt a little intimidated at first when I first saw the bowl of Donburi but our server gave us tips on how to truly enjoy this Donburi bowl. Black Cod was cooked to perfection - Buttery and moist and the serving size to me is just right. Embellished with different ingredients, there was a fireworks of flavors in your mouth as soon as I tasted it. The Ramen was so rich and flavorful. The Uni Butter made a huge difference making this miso flavored broth even richer. The pork belly was amazingly tender and the thickness was just right. I like the idea that they change up their menu everyday. Makes me feel like Im exploring another Ramen place every time.
TI
Tim Strazzere
Ramen wasnt bad, though the selection was somewhat limited. Broth wasnt too oily but could have used some heat, sadly no spicey options or dried peppers to add to it myself. Flavors where rather basic, nothing too special. For a beer and basic ramen, ended up being about $35 after tip, for one person. Not really worth it to me to come back, Ill spend the money in gas and goto Santa ramen, ramen dojo, underground ramen or katana-ya. Drink selection is decent though, may come back to sit at the bar and drink some Japanese whiskey. Though those prices are upped a bit much as well, need to pay for the decore somehow I guess :) I suggest trying it out, but dont let the hour+ wait make you expect amazing things.
SE
Sean Paxton
Wonderful experience across the board. Great service, lovely craft cocktail, beer and wine list. Thoughtful dishes that are well executed and show the diversity that our local food producers provide. Comforting smoked Liberty duck ramen, delicate, soul satisfying, savory and complex. Yuba, shell beans, delicata squash, duck breast and thigh meat, Shoyu egg and noodles all dance together. Also loved the rich and creamy uni butter miso ramen. Ground pork belly, Shoyu egg, roasted eggplant layer with more texture and flavor elements made for a unreal ramen. Wishing I lived closer...
AL
Alexandra Coffin
The staff was inattentive, and it led to me to order something I didnt enjoy. The waitress didnt even give me a chance to ask for ice in my water. When I complained, all they offered was another meal, but I was pretty dissatisfied at that point. I paid full price, and I wont give them a dollar more. Please dont make your customers ask for refunds when they complain. FOH manager just kept making excuses, and his attitude was enough to keep me from ever coming back. I would have enjoyed a packet of top ramen at home more than my time here.
BE
Benjamin Rodefer
Terminally hip place, good drinks, but the food is horrid, completely lacking in nuance or flavor balance . Poor choice after poor choice. We couldnt even eat any of the ramen dishes. To be frank was a bit like pouring aquarium water over spaghetti. Nothing fresh about it, flavors muddy and unsuccessful. Fried rice was the only dish close to decent. Not worth the lines or the cost. Completely baffling and to be avoided unless you are a little hipster lemming who needs to jump off the cliff with the other little hipster lemmings.
