Ninja Ramen
| Address: | 4219 Washington Ave, Houston, TX 77007, USA |
| Phone: | +1 281-888-5873 |
| Site: | ninjaramen.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–3AM 6PM–3AM 6PM–2AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
HU
Hua-An Tai
I stopped by late night to try Ninja Ramen because a friend of mine rave about this place all the time. However I should have just stayed home and saved myself the calories and $30. To call this place a noodle shop is a misnomer, it’s a bar that happens to serve mediocre ramen. Overall 2.5/5.0, rounding it up to 3 stars. Definitely not eat here again, but would love to try some of their whiskey selection instead. The restaurant is very niched in its appearance, catering more towards the grungy hipster crowd with dim lighting and a full bar. The door was propped open by a chair letting in flies that were instantly attracted to the smell of the ramen. There wasn’t much of a menu, just two printed sheets of computer paper displaying the food and drink. There was an impressive selection of Japanese beers and whiskey, however the food menu was disappointing listing a grand total of about 5 items (if you count spicy and original soup as two separate entrees). If you don’t mind a little dirt and the causal look this may be a good place for you. Setting +0.75 star. I ordered the original ramen and it was fairly presentable. Standard soft boiled half egg surrounded by a few slices of marinated bamboo shoots and topped with green onions. Aside from the two sizable sliced pork belly pieces, nothing spectacular stood out. Presentation +0.75 star. The soft boil egg was deliciously made, and the bamboo shoots were well marinated. However the broth was tasteless and lacked the umami taste of the Japanese Ramen. The pork belly was generously sliced in thick portions. It failed to taste even to be half as good as it looked because it was tough and overcooked. What really surprised me was how terrible the ramen is. They do not make their own ramen, instead they buy it from a factory. Taste +0.5 star. It was just one table tonight. The server was nice and very helpful. She came to refill our drinks. Then forgot about us about 20 minutes into our dinner. The management was busy socializing at the bar so I had to go ask the busboy for my extra noodles and then eventually the cheque too. Felt bad for the server due to the slow night, so I tipped 20%. The best thing about the place is that it is opened late to 2 am every night. Service +0.5 star. The original ramen comes at $12 a bowl, adding spices increases this cost by $1-$2 depending on the broth. Compared this price to Soma Sushi which is more expensive at $16 a bowl (above average ramen) and Tiger Den at $10 a bowl (best in Houston). The menu is very misleading as it makes you think you are getting a good deal because they give you extra ramen (if you finish the first bowl) but I was still hungry after I finished the first bowl (in literally 3 minutes). I usually can barely finish the ramen at Tiger Den or Soma. Afterwards while writing this review, I can say that the ramen was so bland it was literally like eating instant noodles from Chinatown. Value +0 star.
ST
Steven Le
Im going to be honest. I didnt like Ninja Ramen at first but I gave it a second try and Im glad I did. The standard ramen is a bit on the more traditional side (i.e. basic but good): just bamboo shoots, noodles, egg, pork bell, green onions, and broth. The egg and porkbelly are spot on. Dont expect the more exotic hipster fusion ramen you find at Soma Sushi or Ramen Jin, both also good places, just different. At Ninja Ramen you start with this basic ramen at a reasonable price and then you can pay to get extras. I highly recommend you pay for the extras as it makes the meal much heartier. Adding the miso or spicy will change the flavor profile a bit. Im not sure if the miso is a true different broth or they just add miso to their regular broth. You ramen experts know what I am talking about. Extra noodles are free so dont be afraid to add that if you are hungry. Parking is a pain, dont park next to Ninja Ramen on Thompson St going northbound or you may get a ticket or towed. The place is a bit of a dive and the interior is black and red with sparse ninja themed items on the wall and ninja stuff playing on the TV. The waitstaff is friendly and chill and fits with a dive bar, no complaints.
ST
Steffanie Milan
I loved the atmosphere and the staff was very friendly. The establishment is very small place when and its not much to look at when youre outside and easy to miss but I promise its worth it to go in and eat. We got there for happy hour and sat at the bar to thoroughly enjoyed our drinks. The bar tenders were a lot of fun and very knowledgeable. They had a tasting of one of their shots called "Go Home With Me" and it literally tasted like a chocolate covered strawberry. I prefer whiskey, and I must say that their selection was worth it. The food arrived quickly and was absolutely wonderful. I had the spicy ramen with extra egg. The broth was full of flavor and the noodles were perfect. The 1 bowl was very filling for me. They also give you a refill of noodles if you finish yours. I loved my food and will return without a doubt. My only complaint is the parking. Their lot is caddy corner to the actual restaurant. Meaning you have to cross Washington (which is usually pretty busy) with no cross walk. So you need to be extra careful. I cannot wait to go back. I have officially made this one of my go to spots, especially for late night food.
FR
Francis Pham
it was alright not authentic but OK. i got the dry noodles the noodles didnt look that dry because there was some kind of sauce on the bottom(which made the dry ramen not dry). the texture of the noodle was ok it was a little sticky but good. the only thing i didnt like about it (for my opinion) was that there wasnt enough seaweed, meat, or egg. the sauce was ok I dont know how to desribe the taste of the sauce which made it good. overall the food was great. 2nd time I went there, I had the spam rice and spicy soup ramen it was mea. The spam and rice was bland it didnt have that much flavor and it was cold the texture was soft and chewy. The ramen wasnt that good the broth didnt have that much flavor and it tasted bland, maybe Im use to ramen out of the bag. But the pork belly, bamboo shoots, egg, onion, and noodles was good. the pork belly was good it had a good fat to meat ratio. the bamboo shoots was really good I cant describe the taste, but it taste good.the egg was soupy but it tasted really good like they season it and the onion makes it taste better. the noodles was a little on the soft and chewy side but good.
KR
Kristina Do Nguyen
Came here at 11pm on Thursday night because other food options are closed. We just moved a couple minutes down the street from this place so I was excited to have a late night ramen place nearby. The ramen itself is okay....I dont understand why people say this is the best ramen in Houston. I got the spicy ramen. The broth wasnt too salty which is good but it tastes like nothing, it wasnt even spicy at all, and the pork belly was thick and tough. However I did like the noodle and the egg tasted good for some reason. However, the food definitely does not match with the price, $30 for 2 spicy ramen bowls? Thats ridiculous for something thats not that good. I like the atmosphere a lot, it seems like a more bar setting but it wasnt crowded or loud. They had anime playing on some TVs and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles playing on another TV. There was also a guy there that had his dog inside. I didnt mind this because I love dogs. All in all, I have to rate this high just because its open until 2am/3am every night and its right by my house.
