Rai Rai Ramen
| Address: | 1980 NJ-27, Somerset, NJ 08873, USA |
| Phone: | +1 732-821-5777 |
| Site: | rairairamen.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
TY
Tyler Lund
Rai Rai recently reopened after a fire shuttered the original. The outside doesn’t look like much sit is in a strip mall amongst many other nondescript strip malls. Inside though, it’s fairly classy for the locale with nice big black tables. Due to the high quality, it can get pretty busy during dinner and apparently waits can be quite long. For lunch on a Sunday, we were seated immediately, had our order taken quickly, and had food almost right away. Service was good but not exceptional. The waiter who took the order was quite friendly but the servers who brought the food were pretty surly and didn’t utter a word. We wanted to try the roti after rave reviews, but were told it would be quite a wait and were suggested the pork buns instead. These were good, but not great. The lettuce added some nice freshness and the mayonnaise was light but enough to add some oil. The pork was delicious and tender. The bun though was just ok. It didn’t seem super fresh. The ramen however was amazing. It equaled and exceeded some of the ramen in New York. The experience was also nice as we didn’t have to wait hours to get a seat or sit with our backs nearly outside in the cold like some of the small shops. The broth was incredibly complex with flavor and got thicker and more spicy toward the bottom as a good ramen should. The mayo ramen had no mayonnaise in it thankfully, but was nice and swimming with veggies, pork belly, and tons of noodles. The pork was tender and fell apart in the broth. The spice level was nice, just enough to get the nose running, but not enough to be painful. For a strip mall in central NJ, this is some pretty solid ramen.
JO
Joe Tsai
One of the best places to get ramen in the New Brunswick/Edison area. Its really the rich and flavorful brother that sets this place apart. Its not watery, a little on the thick side as far as broths go but thats a good thing in this context. I ordered the house ramen and it came with a healthy portion of pork belly, bok choy, sea weed, pickled bamboo and chives. I think Im missing more ingredients, oh yeah like a nice hard boiled slightly watery egg and a fried oyster on the side! Since this place is owned by a Taiwanese family, I can sense some Chinese influences in terms of the ingredients, but it definitely compliments this Japanese treat not distracts from it. For an appetizer I DEF recommend the Mochiko Chicken. Its fried pieces of chicken that is crunchy but slightly chewy too, Im guessing they use a different starch in their batter. Its GOOD and satisfying, and one order is quite large so its good for 3-4 people to snack on. The decor is nice, chique and modern but it still has the vibe of a casual sit-down so no need to get all gussied up to come (but no harm if you do!). The customer service was courteous and prompt. The waiter was polite, had great memory and gave us everything we needed promptly. I definitely felt valued as a customer here and would make this place a regular go-to. Oh yeah, come dinner time (6pm+) the place is P-A-C-K-E-D, so Id shoot for an early dinner if you dont want the rush/wait.
MA
Mani Dasoju
A few years ago, this location went up in flames and rhe restaurant closed down. Now that its back I went to check it out. The décor has been updated with wavy white paneling on the left and right walls. The tables and chairs and the chopsticks are all black wood, which looks really cool. The food is of normal ramen appearance, cant really change how that looks, yet it tastes really great. I feel that the ramen is very close to what is served in Japan. A bowl of ramen and one side dish can rack up to around $20 so be prepared to spend. Since were spending that much, I felt that the waiting staff couldve been more kinder, it felt as if they were rushed and tried to hurry us along. I had sat down for a minute and was immediately asked to order. But if that doesnt matter too much for you, and youre looking for authentic ramen...try this restaurant.
PE
Peter Pham
Food is one of the better tasting places in the area. Waiter forgot one plate for our group and it came out very late. Experience was overshadowed by a metal staple I discovered with my teeth while chewing on a fried chicken cake. The server was extremely embarrassed and quickly took the plate away and replaced appetizer with no charge. Bill was discounted by 20% which covered the tip i gave but the incident definitely compromised the dining experience. Ramen itself was well made and the egg is great. Broth was a tad strong on the msg for me. I dont know if I would return to be honest. The place would really have to up their game to get me to come again and perhaps change my review of the experience. I have had plastic in my plate before at another place but I just dont understand why a staple would be in a kitchen.
CH
Chun Tong
I was very surprise with the quality of the ramen in this place! Ramen: Brought from Sun Noodle just like most ramen places in NJ/NYC area. Quality assured! Soup: I got shoyu ramen and I enjoyed it very much. The broth is rich and goes well with their choice of noodle (I cant recall the noodle at the moment). It was a bit too salty for me to finish. Chashu: Comparable to the really good ramen shop in the city (e.g. Toto ramen), the chashu has good amount of fat and it is very tender. I enjoyed the melt-in-my-mouth texture very much! Side: I am writing this review a few weeks later so I dont recall anything special about sides. Portion & Price: Portion is good, and price is affordable (~$14 dollar bills in the end?) Would recommend!
GU
Guang Shi
The food is very good, and each ramen bowl is just enough for one adult. I ordered the Chicken Curry ramen and the flavors were all there! I love the blend of soup base, spices, and brussel sprouts with scallions. However, I wish the ramen was topped with an egg -- the runny yolk wouldve completed the ramen. The survive did lack quite a bit as suggested by the other Yelpers. The waiter brought up a wrong order of chicken with rice and a side of curry. We looked at the waiter with confusion, and it took a minute before he realized it wasnt ours. He took away the plate but forgot the bowl of curry. You can view my picture to see that it was just left alone on our table. Overall, Ive had a good experience here.
AI
Aitch E.
I eat here all the time, and have brought friends and family here... positive reviews all around. I cant speak to the authenticity of the ramen, as that is a debate that will carry on for the rest of time and I havent studied enough to contribute on that level. I can speak to the ramen being delicious, though. Broth is always nicely seasoned (I recommend not choosing the low sodium option unless you have to), the pork, egg, and noodles are all done nicely. The house ramen and spicy seafood ramen are my go-to dishes, but most ramen Ive had here have been worth the price and then some. I go here for the ramen so I dont order anything else.
MA
Matt Roman
This is you home style feel ramen. I would not go out of my way for there food but it is something that is a hit or miss. Ive giving this place a couple chances and the food is very inconsistent. They dont believe in air conditioning either for some reason so In the summer dont bother sitting down here. The atmosphere is probably the best thing here is defiantly pretty cool to look at but gets old quickly. When I ordered fryed udon it was not fully cooked. The pork buns we ordered looked like they were kept someone warm because the bun was all torn up. The ramen was ok but not what you expect from a ramen place.
