Recommends

GinaAC

Joined 3 years ago

Quite a nice experience. My folks and I went to Ryowa for dinner last night for the first time, and we were quite pleased. The food was fantastic and the portions were very generous. The price was very reasonable, as well.

Going to a Japanese noodle house is a bit of a stretch for my mom and I, but we both really enjoyed our meals, and I think Dad was glad to have the chance to do something a little more exciting than our usual fare.

Doesn't Recommend

Dencha

Joined 4 years ago

I'm sorry to tell you that their ramen was awful.... Their ramen was really awful. I?ve never had that tasteless ramen in my life. I?m from Japan so I know what good ramen taste like. I don?t understand why they are so popular!

I heard the restaurant was very popular so I went to try their Ramen with my friend for the first time. The restaurant was crowded. About 10 people were waiting to be seated so I was excited and expected to have great Ramen. Within 10 minutes, we were seated. So far very good. I ordered my favorite kind of Ramen and waited about 10 minutes. It was quick. I tasted it?. what is this? It?s tasteless!! I?ve never had bad ramen like this in my life. Maybe what I ordered was bad. I?ll try again and order different ramen to try. If I found it good, I?ll update this review. Otherwise, believe me, they are not good at all.

Recommends

tlanz21

Joined 6 years ago

Low on ambience, high on YUM. The name isn't posted outside (in English, anyway). There's always a huge line. There are no tables, only a crowded counter that snakes around the room. It's noisy. The menu is ramen and not much else.

But the service is fast - they took my order while I was still waiting to be seated, and served me within a few minutes of sitting down. The servers race around non-stop but deliver the requested food and checks quickly. The prices are reasonable - just fifty cents more gets you a side of rice and potstickers. And the ramen is delicious, full and flavorful, and just heavenly on a cold day. Perhaps a little high on sodium, but that's true of most ramen. There's a manga library if you want some reading material or something to stare quizzically at.

One of my new favorite lunch spots!

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Noodle lovers often brave long waits for steaming bowls of authentic Japanese ramen.. In Short
While waiting for seats at two U-shaped counters or two small tables, patrons peruse Japanese magazines from the bookshelf by the door or watch Japanese game shows on TV. The menu offers a small but well-made selection of fresh noodles and side dishes. The house special ramen comes in a delicate miso broth with thinly sliced pork and a boiled egg. Popular lunch specials include gyoza--pan-seared pork dumplings--and a choice of white or fried rice.

Recommends

kg_eater

Joined 9 years ago

Good Ramen. Ryowa is a small noodle house that is always packed. The wait is very long, but the noodles are great. The menu provides a good variety of noodle dishes. The gyoza is delicious. The meal is served with kimchee and other spices. The combination makes a satisfying meal. I would not recommend going with more than two people. Seating is a major hassel.

Recommends

lalolalo

Joined 9 years ago

for eating only. ryowa has the BEST fried CHICKEN. when u go, expect to see a crowd sitting and eating, standing and waiting. this place gets pretty packed with a line of hungry people waiting outside the door. it's much worth it tho, especially if u feel like noodles or fried chicken. they keep the temp of the small place cool enough to eat hot ramen in the summer. also, you'll be lucky to get a table for only 2 because they only have 3 tables for parties of 2. the rest is bar like seating. we go there to eat. talk when u want, but when you're done, be polite and let the next hungry group eat.

take note: u can't take the ramen "to go". only because they don't offer "to go" soup boxes. they will give u boxes for the rice, chicken, and anything else that's plate food.

Recommends

hin

Joined 10 years ago

Good Ramen. Decent ramen, though I like Santa's (San Mateo) better. Cold ramen noodles served during the warm months are excellent. Maybe the best in the bay area. Interestingly, they provide complimentary kimchee. As previous reviewers have noted, the U-shaped counters, Japanese shows on TV and Japanese reading material makes you feel like you're in a ramen house in Japan. Long lines forms most of the time but it goes fast.

Recommends

xshane

Joined 10 years ago

Addicted to Ramen. Thanks to this place and the same one in Berkeley, I'm addicted to Ramen. Good, authentic ramen, and Japanese TV to keep you amused when alone. What more can one ask.

***The one in Berkeley has special fried chicken, which is very "special".

Recommends

kkachanski

Joined 10 years ago

Good for Silicon Valley. Compare to ramen places in LA, this place is ~okay. Wish they had some more choices, I really love curry ramen, but they don't have it. I know one place in Northridge, L.A. that has a ton of different ramen types.

Weird seating arrangement, but makes it up for fast service.

Recommends

salcicce

Joined 10 years ago

Best of South Bay?. This place is about as close to a Japanese ramen joint as you can get. Big-long-bar setup... manga and newspapers to read.

I've been looking all over town for the best ramen, after going on a three week ramen-eating adventure in western Japan. The "Ryowa Ramen" was really good.... probably the best I've had in the valley. Too bad there wasn't miso ramen... my personal favorite.

Only complaints... they served some sort of water to me when I sat down... but was it water? semi-tea flavored water? coffee-tainted-semi-tea water? Either way, it tasted strange... bad tap water?

...that and the roast pork was a tad "fishy" tasting...