Jinya Ramen Bar
| Address: | 15600 NE 8th St O-11, Bellevue, WA 98008, USA |
| Phone: | +1 425-590-9548 |
| Site: | jinya-ramenbar.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
LE
Leo
Traveling in from Houston, Im familiar with the Jinya menu & wanted to see if Houstons franchise would be on par with the Bellevue one. From the small plates menu we ordered the Salmon Avacado, Jinya Bun, & Gyoza. Before I could get pictures of the dishes, the Salmon Avacado was demolished. It was a hit & we would definitely come back to just order that. The Jinya Bun was also well done. The Gyoza was a little bit extra soft, & didnt have that extra crisp around the edges that my party and I are accustomed to from the Houston branch. We ordered spicy tonkotsu (mild level) & premium tonkotsu white. The party agreed noodles were firm (good to us) but the over all broth across the board were a little on the bland end & required additional seasoning at the table. The spicy ramens also seemed like they lacked any heat period. Not sure if due to geography that the spice level is that subdued or if it was a ill executed spicy ramen. I do prefer spicy dishes and this ramen didnt feel like it had any spice. Youll have to decide for yourself. Well definitely come back for the Salmon Avacado!
ST
Sterling Yun
The food overall was decent. We ordered the takoyaki, brussels sprout tempura, and some ramen (mine was tonkatsu black). In absolute terms, the takoyaki was quite tasty, but having been to Japan, I didnt think it was too authentic. An overly starchy flavor was achieved through the use of potato flour as a substitute for egg. Brussels sprouts are arguably non native to Japan, but the tempura made with them was quite good. A little on the salty side, and the use of Thousand Island as a dipping sauce - as opposed to normal tempura sauce - is questionable. Ramen was quite good as well, though as with the takoyaki, not necessarily authentic. The pork was suitably fatty and there was a healthy dose of green onions, but the broth was rather thick and creamy. I suspect that most customers wont notice this difference unless theyve been to Japan as I have. The wait time wasnt too long (though this was due mainly in part to having some reservations skipped), but at $12 for ramen and $6 for tempura, it wasnt especially cheap.
AM
Amos Yuen
Solid location in Bellevue Crossroads. Its moderately sized, but feels fairly roomy. Service is pretty prompt and courteous. I appreciate that they have a variety of different interesting ramen dishes: pork broth, chicken broth, vegetable broth. Depending on the bowl it may have thin or thick noodles. And sadly only specific ones have (half of) a soft boiled egg. Of course you can always add additional toppings for some additional cash. Bowls range from $11-$13, which are on the pricey side. I really like how their noodles are done, especially the thick ones. They are soft and chewy. The broth is also creamy and packing lots of flavor. They also have a good variety of appetizers like edamame and chicken karaage. As well as some interesting ones like Brussels sprout tempura. It was crunchy and tasty. Overall delicious, but not slightly expensive. Portions are decent, but not completely filling.
JE
Jeffrey Hitchin
There were three of us and we had the tonkotsu assari, the spicy chicken ramen and the chicken wonton ramen. I had the tonkotsu and it was flavorful, just enough salt to it, and the noodles were just incredibly good. I had to order a second helping of them just to get enough of them. My dining companions were also very impressed with their selections. Although I didnt order a salad or gyoza my companions did so I got to try some of theirs and the salad was really good. The dressing didnt have a whole lot of flavor, so the taste of the greens came through easily. The gyoza was also both crispy and tender. Down sides: 1) The place is small, so expect a wait if you are going at a time that could be busy such as lunchtime; 2) If you sit at the bar, you will be sitting on stools with square seats that can really hurt.
CL
Claire Etienne
Food was good. We got the Jinja black tonkotsu (4 stars - solidly good, but didnt blow my mind), gyoza (4 stars - standard restaurant gyoza), salmon sashimi & avocado (5 star - it was delicious and sizeable), and lots of fresh garlic (5 star - it was copious and free!). They serve both beer & sake. Service was mediocre at best. Waitress didnt seem like she could care less. Didnt bring a spoon for the ramen, and then proceeded to ignore us for 5 minutes until we managed to flag down another waitress. If the service was better, they would have gotten a much higher rating. Would I come again? Perhaps. Would I go out of my way to get here? Absolutely not. There are plenty of other ramen places in the area with equal or better food, and much better service.
DA
David Avtandilyan
I have been eating authentic ramen for most of my adult life, and this is the worst place Ive been to. Its not that the food is bad, its that its way too overpriced for its quality, and the customer service was shoddy as well. Not to mention the place is basically run by children who cant fulfill a simple order. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AMAZING RAMEN FOR A GREAT PRICE, LOOK NO FURTHER THAN A MILE AWAY FROM THIS JOINT. There is authentic delicious Japanese Ramen here in Bellevue for a much more affordable price and the place is packed with customers (unlike this joint) because its amazing. The only reason you should ever eat here is if the wait time at Kizuki Ramen is over 45 minutes to be seated.
RA
Ray NW
Really loved this place. I havent been into many ramen places because not many have a vegetarian broth. Jinyas veggie soup was just fantastic. The broth was light but packed with flavor. The thin noodles were perfect. But the best part were all of the delicious, fresh veggies...cauliflower, spinach leaves, broccoli, asparagus. I didnt know additions were available so next time I will definitely order with tofu. I cant usually finish a full bowl of soup and the portion here was pretty large but I managed to eat it all! Decor was nice and the restaurant was clean...would be nice if it were a bit bigger. Service was fantastic. We had our soup within 5 minutes of ordering. Cant recommend enough!
CH
Christopher Sasaki
I really like the ramen here -- the broths are good, complex, deeply flavored. Of the side dishses, the brussels sprouts tempura has been our favorite. There are great options for condiments too, with crushed garlic and chili paste as great ways to boost the ramen to whatever level you like from "no kissing for you" garlic to "please sit in the other room for a few days until the garlic smell goes away." The only thing I would ding on is service -- there have been a few times where ordered items will make it onto the receipt but would never make it to the table. Ive never had a problem getting this corrected, but it has happened enough that it seems like a pattern.
PE
Peter Tran
DECENT RAMEN! POOR SERVICE QUALITY IS YOUR DOWNFALL!!!!! This is my third time here because the theater is next to it. Easy food grab before a movie. Ramen broth and noodles are decent and I would eat again. But the service!!! This is a restaurant! Why does your waitress look gloomy all the time? Why does it take constant reminders for what I ordered?!? Ordered a size of noodles, waitress forgot it until the end of my meal! Friend of mine order a soda, didnt bring it until halfway into the meal and 3 reminders! Management, if you reading this, look at all the bad reviews! Its all related to bad service! Please train your staff!
