Raku Ramen
| Address: | 1308 Monterey St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401, USA |
| Phone: | +1 805-439-3088 |
| Site: | facebook.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–3PM 11AM–3PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 18
AM
Amanda Mansfield
I came here not expecting anything great, bit still wanting to try it. I had read Paul Ms review, and prepared myself for the worst. When I ordered, I made sure to only tip the 10% since id be bussing myself. I got the Raku ramen with no scallions. I sat down and waited for my buzzer to go off. I never heard it buzz, but my food was brought to me, along with chopstick and napkins. Oh. Unexpected. The food was good. The pork nice and crispy, the ramen soft, and the egg was soft boiled. The whites were an off color, but Im pretty sure thats just because it sits in broth...even the bamboo shoots where good and I dont normally like them. Afterwards, someone came and got my food and took it for me. I was surprised. From what Id read, I thought all interaction was cut off after I swiped my credit card. The atmosphere was nice. Good, if cramped, seating with a nice outdoor patio. Not dark at all. All in all, I wish I had tipped better and now I know for future visits. Paul M, I think you just came on an off day?
MA
Maria Hernan
For some reason although I love ramen, Id been putting off eating here. Wish I hadnt! I am no ramen aficionado, but I do enjoy a good ramen. Top Ramen is a disgrace to the name, so dont let that cloud your judgement! I ordered the Raku Ramen, and my friend ordered the Shoyu Ramen, with the idea that we could share in order to try multiple items. The Raku Ramen noodles had the consistency of the Chinese egg noodles, the tonkatsu was perfect, and the corn threw me off a little. I think the biggest let down was the broth. It didnt have much in the way of flavor to me. Add in some chili sauce, and kick it up a little! The Shoyu Ramen is what I should have gotten. The noodles seemed closer to what youd get from a Sapporo Ichiban package, but slightly more firm, which was nice. The broth flavor was awesome though. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, looking forward to trying out the rest of the menu. It is pricey though!
HA
Hannah Heintzman
My boyfriend and I have been going to this restaurant about every week since October of 2015. I can say for a fact that all of the employees are very friendly and welcoming, and the food is amazing. I used to order something new every time I went to get a more well-rounded taste of the menu, however Ive found my favorite entree and usually stick with it. Raku is a great place to go if you want food that maybe deviates from what you normally eat, meanwhile having consistent quality that you know will always be there whenever you receive your order. The atmosphere is great, clean, and this is a great place to bring friends, family, significant others, etc. or to just have a quick meal on your own. Im always sure to recommend Raku to my friends when I get a chance!
NE
Neal Breton
The broth is the only saving grace for this place. Most ingredients arent prepped (unless you call something being chopped "prepped") and are haphazardly thrown into a bowl. The meat is usually poor quality and the eggs, which should be soft boiled and runny, are Grey and hard boiled. The tempura isnt much better, a little greasy and heavy every time Ive gotten it. They are the only Ramen place in town and by the way the food comes out they know it, like the DMV knows you cant go anywhere else for their services. The staff is nice and they do have a cool assortment of Japanese sodas.
PA
Patrick Voosen
This was the first and only ramen place Ive been to so I dont have a lot to compare it to, but I thought it was really good and a nice change of pace from the mostly Mexican, sandwich, or BBQ places we have in town. They have a dish called chashu dont that is pork belly with something similar to eel sauce served over rice. It is AMAZING. I would really recommend getting a small side order to go with your ramen.
CE
Cedric Wienold
Staffs fine, no issues with service. The tonkatsu ramen looks deceptively great, but the taste and quality are a huge disappointment. Ive had instant I like better. The broth is so thin Im suspicious its watered down. The noodles were also overcooked. I imagine the food item your restaurants named after is your best dish, so I dont think Ill risk returning to see if their non-ramen items are any good.
KR
Krista Powell
So everything is great here except all the flies. The kal gook soo is very good and I like the dumplings. They arent the worlds best but it is very good. Now the flies drive me nuts. I dont think I ever remember coming here without getting bothered by the flies. Now if they are here 24/7 then they must be breeding here or somewhere. Things that make you go hmm.
DA
Danielle Schmidt
This is my and my husbands favorite date night in dinner.... If you ordering to go I suggest calling ahead, the lines are usually a bit long but at least you wont have to wait for your food. We get the raku Ramen... But Ive tried various other things. Portions are pretty large and food is fantastic! Highly recommend it
LU
Luis Mendoza
Great Ramen house for the Central Coast. The Spicy Tonkatsu was delicious but the Raku Ramen item was way too salty. Compared to Los Angeles ramen houses, this place is not as great, but definitely can be on par with some of those ramen houses. This is a place you must try if you ever have a ramen soup craving.
JO
Johnny Hoang
The food here is pretty good. The wait time isnt bad either, but this place doesnt bring your food to you. Which isnt a bad thing, theyll have a buzzer and buzz you when your food is ready at the counter. Its a small place but its quite lovely here.
NO
Norman Cheung
The best ramen in town, since its pretty much the only ramen in town. Compared to other ramen shops in larger urban areas, its a bit below average. Beef is overcooked, egg was not runny and was fully cooked as well.
PA
Patrick Chea
Good ramen, but a little pricey. Broth and noodles make a good balance, and left a very favorable impression, especially for a first-time visit. Will return in the future to explore the rest of the menu.
TO
Tony Lenz
Pretty fantastic. Not a lot of indoor seating, but there is some patio space to eat at. There spicy stuff isnt really that spicy, just a nice kick. My first Ramen place and I was not disappointed.
OS
Oscar Ramirez
Best Ramen Ive ever had. Their stuffed jalapeños are, hands down, also the best Ive ever had- I wanna go back just for those! Eating here on a rainy night is a beautiful, delicious, experience.
MA
Mark Ferraresi
Enjoyed the ramen. Lots of options and ways to customize your meal. The space is a little cramped, and we had to wait a while for our order (understandable, as they were very busy).
RU
Ruth Stewart
Their specialty lemonade - which of course I cant remember the name right now - is really great! They are quick and have some of the best noodles I have had thus far.
MA
Max Wu
Ramen was expensive ($15 for their special bowl) and it was way too salty and oily. Other ramen arent as expensive but watch out for they can be a bit too salty too.
JI
jim fogle
Good food. But it bothered me that the person preparing the food was putting his hands all over the food without any gloves and whipping his hands on his shirt.
