Ramen Hiroshi
| Address: | 1633 Bonanza St, Walnut Creek, CA 94596, USA |
| Phone: | +1 925-942-0664 |
| Site: | ramenhiroshi.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2PM 11AM–2:30PM 11AM–2:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
KE
Ken Feng
I had high expectations as Ramen Hiroshi is the closest authentic ramen shop I could find in East Bay without having to drive into South Bay or Berkeley. Lets start with the positives first. The two pieces of kara age that came with the ramen were garlicky and fried to perfection. However, you do need to get here around 11:15 to get them hot - after 11:30, theyve probably been sitting in a metal tray and will come out cold. I ordered the namesake ramen. The chashu was superb, with a perfect balance of fattiness and marinated flavors. The toppings and tonkotsu soup were good, but the soup was not hot enough. I recommend a spoonful of their chili paste for an added kick. When I test various ramen shops, toppings that are not of the best quality or soup that isnt great can be forgiven, but here, they committed the cardinal sin: the noodles were subpar. It drives me crazy when ramen shops use noodles that have the texture of spaghetti. Here, its actually worse - the somen-like texture made me do something I never do - leave a bunch of noodles unfinished. If you dont mind soft thin noodles or if you havent had real Hakata ramen in Kyushu, you can try this shop. But for me, overall, I actually prefer the non-authentic ramen I had in Castro Valley yesterday (Shumi Ramen). Maybe one day, Ill come back to try their TanTan men (which should have thick noodles, but will lose the chashu for ground pork). There are two hour city parking spaces in the area for $1/30 minutes. 7/23/17 Update: if you go on a weekday (less crowded, kara-age included with lunch ramen) and order their thick noodles, this place warrants 4.5 stars. Using Ippudo (一風堂) as the reference Hakata ramen, the regular noodles here are too soft/not starchy enough. Hiroshis thick noodles (like regular noodles elsewhere) have better consistency. 8/10/17 Update: their Tan Tan men (担々麺) was excellent, with just two faults: not enough soup and noodles not thick enough. Even when I asked them to cook the noodles harder with their thicker noodles, it still wasnt quite right. Otherwise, the ground pork, the sesame, and the thick, orange soup were just right.
KA
Karen V Chin
FINALLY great tasting Japanese ramen in the East Bay! Everything about this little hole in the wall is awesome. Service was friendly and attentive. Food came out fast and HOT! Started off with Tsukemono Moriawase (pickled veggies). It had a nice ginger spiced kick. Nice to see actual Japanese cucumber being used! Very refreshing dish on a hot summer evening to cleanse the palate. All the veggies, including the thinly slicked pickled ginger had a nice crunch. Their Chicken Karaage (fried chicken pieces) came out hot out of the fryer. Lightly battered, with a crispy, slightly crunchy skin, served with a lightly flavored sesame seed mayo dipping sauce. Soooo good!! Melted in our mouths. Would definitely both ordered these two appetizers again in a heartbeat! No nickle and diming on ramen toppings. Good size portion with an artistically nice presentation (the cook doesnt slap on toppings). We had both the Hiroshi Tonkotsu Ramen (had it with the "Hakata Style" - thin, straight noodle. Next time would try it out with the thick, curly noodle). and Miso Ramen. The tender, sliced braised pork belly was was warm and melted in our mouths. The sliced soyu egg was at room temperature with a golden gooey yellow. Tonkotsu broth was rich and creamy. No MSG or heavy use of salt. This place is tiny and gets full fast. I can see during the Fall and Winter months it will be hard to get a table. Street parking can be tough during nights because of how crowded downtown Walnut Creek can be. Only minus - this place closes at 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday. The rest of the week it stays open till 9 pm! 10/12/2016 Update: Took a friend for his first ramen experience for lunch. Learned that during lunch, Ramen Hiroshi offers a free side dish when you order lunch, which was their always delicious Chicken Karaage (2 pieces). I ordered their Hiyashi Chuka (cold ramen noodle salad). Gorgeous presentation in a cold slighty tangy, sweet sesame sauce. Good portion of cold, sliced pork chashu. Thinly sliced veggies were fresh and crunchy. Golden mustard on the side was hot!
AT
Athena Chang
It was to my great delight that there is legit decent Japanese ramen in Walnut Creek. It is so hard to get authentic Asian food sometimes in the suburb so Hiroshi really answers my calling. I have tried ramen in various places in New York and Japan so I am quite particular when it comes to a good bowl or noodle soup. I really enjoy their Miso Ramen as the broth is very rich and their charshu is flavorful. I like they have corn, bamboo shoots and half boiled egg in there as well. If I have to be picky, I think the charshu can be a bit thicker and more tender and the corn less starchy. Oveall, this is a solid ramen spot that satisfies your ramen craving for sure!
AL
Albert L.
Small ramen joint with no more than seven tables in total. Waiting area is limited to two chairs inside or standing room outside. Make sure to sign wait list before anything else. Counter top seating sits about five with single table outside. Kitchen area is loud and busy, but manageable. Service is brisk and timely with different servers assisting each other. Karrage was delicious came piping hot that I nearly burn my tongue. Tonkotsu ramen is flavorful as broth was a little salty, but edible. Noodles were a tad smaller than the usual type used. Overall, it was a great quick-service experience with fresh hot food during a breezy night.
TA
Taylor Roan
Yummy! This is the real deal. It is about $12/ramen, which is a little steep, but very good. They even have some less common ramen bases. They were really, really good, but not the best. The karaage (fried chicken) was really good. But the restaurant is TINY. Not near enough space for the demand. Also, nobody took our name at the door and we were just let hanging for five or ten minutes. I think the host is also the waitress/server. -1 star for price, wait time/service, & noodle type and hardness in the tonkotsu ramen. But, definitely worth a visit!
AL
Alexander Simpson
Tonkotsu stock felt far too light. Fat content was decent but it was utterly bland and flavorless. You can kinda tell with these ramen places when they load up the bowl with bamboo shoot, lotus root, etc. that theyre compensating for a lack of richness and flavor where it counts. Dont be fooled by the ratings on Yelp and Google if you are looking for an authentic ramen experience. No complaints about the service. Sadly this is the best ramen in the Concord, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek Area but its really nothing special.
PA
Parker Green
This place was popping when I went! Its a very small and cramped interior, with almost no room for a waiting area, so the long line went out the door. It moved relatively quickly, however, and they brought out the Ramen really fast once we ordered! It wasnt the best ramen that Ive had, but it was solid quality with a good, creamy broth. I added some of the spicy paste they have on the counters to add more flavor to it. All in all, well worth the visit for some decent Ramen to satisfy my cravings!
