Ramen Izakaya Goku
| Address: | 3232 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA |
| Phone: | +1 415-934-0321 |
| Site: | ramenizakayagokusf.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 6–10PM 6–10PM 6–10PM 6–10PM 6–11PM 11:30AM–2PM 11:30AM–2PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
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Rachel Lo
Im from socal so I consider myself a bit of a ramen snob. Its always bothered me that ramen costs $10+ in norcal, but sometimes I cant help but go for a bowl. I havent yet found a place that Im crazy about--Ramen Dojo was really disappointing--but Izakaya Goku surpassed my expectations. It might have partially been because they were so low to begin with, but I actually think the tonkotsu broth was really flavorful and rich. The pork was delicious, and I loved that the Goku level of spiciness was actually spicy. Unfortunately, they gave me an egg that was completely hardboiled, while my dining mates received perfectly medium boiled eggs with a soft yolk. This is always my favorite part of the ramen so I was pretty bummed. The service was also only okay. They allowed us to sit down even though our whole party wasnt there and one of the waiters was really nice. However, we were also waited on by a lady who was rude and didnt give us anything we asked for, like water refills. Our orders were also slightly wrong, but overall this is a good addition to the ramen scene in norcal. Ill take what I can get.
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Jane Nguyen
Pleasantly surprised by Goku and Id give it 3.5 stars if I could. Went on a random weekday night and was seated immediately but the place was still sufficiently filled. Since we were seated at the bar, we got to see all the magic happen. The head chef is very entertaining and friendly so it was like getting a mini show before our food. Finally, the ramen came. We ordered the kakuni tonkotsu ramen but the bf ordered it in "hella spicy." Broth, noodles, and everything were all above average. The kakuni they use is pretty good and fatty, better than most places (except for Chotto). My only gripe is that "hella spicy" isnt very spicy. I ordered the mild just be safe and couldnt tell a difference at all. Pick up your spice game and Ill bump it up to 4 stars. Other than that, Id definitely go back again. Its going to have stiff competition soon though from Orenchi since its located in the Mission but I hope it can hold its own.
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Will Kivinski
Finally tried The Missions new ramen joint, Ramen Izakaya Goku. It interior is really nice inside. I would still not put it as SFs best but it was a good experience. That still goes to Izakaya Sozai in the Sunset. I tried the Kakuni Tonkotsu Ramen Medium Spicy with Chashu Pork added. The broth is a bit different, a sweetness Im not used to, and not complex. The Chasu Pork is tasty, but dry. The Kanuki pork is fatty and delicious. The noodles, I would put it at about average. A little thicker than I like, and on occasion, they stick together. I do like how the highest spicy you can get is Hella Spicy. Medium for me wasnt as spicy as I would have liked, so Ill bump it up next time. Ill definitely be back to try the Garlic Clam Ramen after trying my friends broth! P.S. - Skip the Monkfish Liver small plate. Its a bit fishy and not the foie of the sea as I would have liked!
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Laura W
Going out for ramen with pescetarian friends can be challenging. So when I heard this place is known for their veggie, or clam options, we put a date on the calendar. The ramen was good. My friend said the veggie option was the best veggie ramen shes had. However, the customer service left much to be desired. They are super strict about not seating you unless the entire party is present. Even if the restaurant is empty. Even if you are visibly pregnant. Then when they changed their mind and seated us, they quickly and rudely told us to order food or leave. My friend tried to order something on the menu, and they told us it wasnt available, with such attitude as if we asked for an item that wasnt printed on the menu. Theres enough ramen places in the city that I wont be back, unless I have a veggie friend dying for ramen. Food good. Service bad.
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Shauna Mork
I really want to give htem 5 stars but there were 2 things that really stood out that made me have knock off stars. Firstly We ordered Chicken karagge (my favorite) and the chicken was undercooked, seriously it was still pink inside. I broke open the bits of chicken and showed the waitress...normally this is forgivable but when they brought back my chicken it was burnt and it was also the same chicken that I had sent back. So basically they sent back chicken that I had bitten into and had contaminated their oil source GROSS!! The second star I had to take away because they use MSG and I got a serious MSG reaction. Other than that The ramen was tasty and the egg was gooey and soft boiled like it should be... just be aware they do use msg.
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Tony Yuan
The only saving grace to the ramen here was the broth. Strong flavor with good seasoning, it was better than the average ramen shop. However, thats about the only good thing I have to say. The noodles tasted store-bought. Hard, chewy, and tasteless, almost like an afterthought to the meal that it was named after. Service was also extremely slow. We ordered our appetizer of Takoyaki balls 10 minutes prior to our ramen, and it came 20 minutes after the ramen was served (45 minutes in total). And be mindful that they will charge $3 for a hot tea, which is typically provided for free at a ramen restaurant. With all the options in SF, Id be hard-pressed to return.
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Kim Nguyen
My Take: a Japanese joint with more flair and style than good ramen | Went For: Wednesday night late ass dinner | The Vibe: seem like a good spot for locals, ramen lovers and DATES!!! | Special Dish: takoyaki (octopus balls!) | Avoid Their: their ramen noodles are not particularly worth the price | Price Point: most ramen bowls are under $13.00 but you usually want to add extras | The Service: spot on -- attentative and friendly | Reservations: n/a | FYI, FRIENDS: theres not doubt of better ramen places in the city but their Japanese street food is worth a visit, plus its in the Mission (best neighborhood EVER) -- Eat up, Kimmie
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Vicki Yang
I love their Kakuni Tonkotsu Ramen the best. The pork is tasty and theres the perfect amount of noodle to pork ratio (at least for me). I wasnt as thrilled about their chashu pork ramen, it was a little dry. Went with a large group of friends and ordered a bunch of small dishes as well. Everything we had was pretty good and it was nice that we had a large group so we could try a lot of different dishes. The place is not really built for large groups but we managed to squeeze 6 of us onto two small tables. At first there were only 4 and 2 more randomly showed up and they were so sweet to accommodate us.
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Aly L
The ramen is very mediocre overall, and I do not recommend it. The meat was thick but also harder than it should be. The egg was flavorless and undercooked a smidgen. The noodles were obviously store bought and harder than they should be. This is all the tonotsu ramen had. I do want to point out the broth was extremely good. The ramen took over ten minutes to arrive at the table. The takoyaki took over thirty minutes to arrive which is unacceptable. It was good but not worth the wait. The service was slow and they did not refill the tea ($3 for tea). Overall this place was expensive for what it was.
