Waraku

Reviews 10

CE

Cecilia Chung

It was already 9pm and we wanted to eat some ramen~ We ended up in japantown after trying to go to another ramen shop and seeing a huge line... decided we didnt have the time and headed here because there are many many ramen places here. The only one we knew was already closed so we came to waraku because of the food reviews and because it was still pretty to, good sign, i thought. We got the tonkotsu ramen ($10.99) with extra noodles on the side ($2), and a mini kakuni rice bowl ($4). The bowls look smaller than the regular one, But the quality is good, and I think quantity is enough too. There just probably wont be many leftovers to bring home. The ramen came with an egg, some thin pieces of meat, a mushroom type, ginger.. and the broth was less salty than average, which was good~~ The rice bowl had just 1 piece of meat, But it was a very big piece. The meat was very tasty, also sweet, and the rice was impregnated with the sauce, very yummy. Btw we ordered all without spring onions, but othrewise youd have that too. Service was quite attentive, some of the servers are Japanese and some others are not , But theyre certainly trained to look japanese. Good experience, would repeat

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JA

Jason Lee

I came here for lunch with my girlfriend and cousin and ordered the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen. This ramen place is probably my favorite in San Francisco right now because of all the ingredients they put into the ramen, the service, and the decorations in the restaurant. The noodles were delicious and had a nice chew to them. The broth was very flavorful and rich. We also asked for garlic and they gave us a garlic press.I liked how you could press your own fresh garlic cloves. The chashu was tender but the pork belly wasnt as good as the chashu. I liked that this ramen came with corn because my girlfriends favorite food is corn and probably made this place one of our favorites. The egg was runny just the way I like it but everyone else at my table had an overcooked egg. Sucks for them =P. Ill probably come back often to eat the Deluxe Tonkotsu Ramen.

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WI

William Le

Came here for lunch during the J-pop festival. It was a really nice and well decorated place. Service was good and fast. I had the deluxe tonkotsu ramen with the spicy miso paste (not spicy at all). The broth was very savory and flavorful. The pork was soft and tender. The EGG had tons of flavor which was a good surprise. Overall pretttttttttttty good ramen. Id give it 4 stars but I feel they messed up on one of the key components - the noodles. My noodles were under cooked and were too chewy for my liking. The portions were also too small for the price. 13$ and I was hungry 10 minutes after eating. I feel like noodles are cheap, just throw a bunch in there to fill us up. Id come back again to give it another shot, especially cause there arent too many great ramen places in the city (or have yet to find). Must haves: THAT EGG

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EM

Em C

Well yall. Ive found my favorite ramen in the Bay (for now). The ramen is AMAZE but their other food items were also all REALLY good which I didnt expect of a ramen-specific place. Worth the wait (if there is one). Get the tonkotsu ramen, $9 - the broth is rich and borderline creamy, even. The mouthfeel and taste is a must-try and the noodles are perfect. Comes with fresh garlic - ask for a garlic press! We also tried: Sashimi salad - which is HUGE for $9 and totally a steal Tako (octopus) wasabi & ika shio kara (salted squid), $3 each - portion was small but so fresh -- interesting and concentrated flavors Agedashi tofu $5 - HOLY - yes plz Takoyaki $4.5 - ON POINT DEFINITELY RETURNING AND RECOMMENDING. Oh yes, the interior is beautiful and upscale. But Im hurr to eat.

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KA

Karen V Chin

The best Tonkotsu ramen in JTown by far. Broth is rich and creamy. Wonderful on a cold, winter day in The City. Reasonably priced for what you get. Love their warm, gooey smoked egg in the hot broth. Pressing your own fresh garlic cloves is a novel idea. Never had that experience before. You do have to ask for a garlic press though. The best deal on the menu is to order the Kakuni Don instead of the Small Bites size for your table to share - you get Warakus heavenly tasting braised pork belly, but also rice and more gooey egg. Also enjoyed their hot black tea, different from the usual watery green tea you get a Japanese restaurant these days. Service was ok, nothing memorable or outstanding (hence the 4 stars).

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GE

Geoff Watson

Waraku used to be my absolute favorite ramen place in the city. But lately I have been finding their fare inconsistent at best. Dont get me wrong, it is still better than most. The smoked eggs have come out practically hard boiled the last few times, rather than the runny yolk that everybody wants. They also seem to be very affected by how busy they are. Best case, go here on a "school night" when restaurants are supposed to be slow. The broth will be much better than average, the noodles with that great QQ taste, and if you happen in on a good night, 3/4 of the meat will be great. If its a Friday or Saturday night, save yourself the time and go get a burrito or something.

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NI

Nicky Grimes

Walked in and signed up on waiting list. The list clearly states their non-forgiving policy. However, other groups who signed up after us were seated before us (our entire party was there). Our party of three was crammed into a table meant for two. Additionally, someone who was seated after us got his food before we even ordered. Ordered edamame and sashimi as an appetizer-- however they had run out of edamame. How can an Asian restaurant run out of edamame?!? Our three meals came one at a time and the appetizers last. Salmon sashimi was also pretty terrible. All of this and they were NOT extremely busy.

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CH

Christine Attia

Was so sad to see the former restaurant this space hosted, Bushi-Tei, no longer there, but was happily surprised to have a high quality Ramen noodle spot instead! Love the decor, very soothing and relaxing, they kept much of the same ambiance as before (minus the large communal table), and the service is prompt and friendly. The focus is ramen, so if you dont like ramen noodles, you might not find much else to satisfy your hunger here, however it does offer some other interesting appetizers and side dishes. I always prefer the Shoyu (chicken-based broth) Ramen, and the Gyoza appetizer has yet to disappoint!

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ED

Ed Miller

The wait for a 4 person table took a while, and the place was pretty loud. However, the ramen was good. I had the tonkotsu. The broth is really good and the noodles are cooked just right. The pork is a bit sweet and fatty for my liking. The smoked egg is pretty interesting. They forgot to add the sweet corn I ordered, but they brought out a small dish when I mentioned it. We shared a few other dishes as well: seaweed salad, agedashi tofu and spicy noodle spring rolls. None of the appetizers were as good as the ramen.

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CH

Christine Louie

New favorite ramen place in SF! I still cant compare it to Ramen Dojo in San Mateo, but i still love this place! Theres garlic cloves on the table, and if there isnt a garlic press on table, ASK FOR ONE! About one clove of garlic really enhances the flavor of the ramen. I wasnt a huge fan of the tsukemen but it seems to be a popular item on the menu. Dinner menu has a few extra things on it compared to the lunch menu. Chicken karaage, gyoza, and kobe beef are delicious too.

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