New to the Area and On the hunt for Ramen! Help me pick.

[CarlieInLA]

We just moved from Los Angeles to San Ramon and are in need of some delicious Ramen. My favorite in LA is the Shio at Santouka with the Tonkatsu at Yamadaya a close second. I did some research and it looks like we need to take a road trip to San Jose or San Fran? Here are the three that look good to me.

Tenma Ramen
Ramen Halu
Kahoo Ramen

Or should we just try the Santouka in San Jose and call it a day? I love Santouka but don't love the location. If we are going to drive an hour to eat, I would rather not do it in a food court, but that said, I want the best ramen.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. TIA!

[od_sf]

Another vote for Orenchi in Santa Clara, by far my favorite in the Bay Area, and the only place that could compete with some of the best I've had in Japan. I would rank Santouka in San Jose 2nd, Kirimachi in San Francisco 3rd, and Dojo in San Mateo 4th.

[Tripeler]

"...with the Tonkatsu at Yamadaya a close second."

I think the OP mistook "Tonkatsu" (pork cutlets) for "Tonkotsu" (pork bones, used to make ramen stock). Very common mistake.

[PootieTang]

My favorite is Kahoo. Been eating there a lot recently. Not as greasy as the other joints. The meat and veggies are good.

Santouka is nearby.

There's also Ryowa and Maru Ichi in Mountain View. I eat here when I'm too lazy to drive elsewhere.

[JonDough]

Ken Ken ramen & Nombe ramen offerings are worth looking into as well. I believe Ramen Dojo's sister restaurant in SF is Ramen Underground, which is convenient if you are out in SF shopping.

A Chez Panisse alum is opening a Ramen restaurant in Berkeley that I am looking forward to. I don't remember the name though.

[goldangl95]

The Ramen places in San Mateo are the same distance as heading to SF or San Jose. Ramen Dojo is the famous one, but there are others as well.

[CarlieInLA]

Dojo looks good! How is their miso ramen? Is the broth thick or thin? Tried to do some searching and not coming up with much.

[artemis]

Ramen Dojo's miso ramen (my order is mild spicy, extra kikurage) is my favorite ramen in the bay. Not sure how to judge thick or thin... seems just right to me!

[CarlieInLA]

Thank you! WE are definitely going to try it! Sounds like the wait there can be crazy. Have you ever tried Ramen Santa?
If the wait is too long would that be a good alternative?

[artemis]

Yes, the wait will be crazy, depending on the time of day. If you get there right when it opens, it isn't bad. Santa Ramen is very meh. I don't bother going there ever. My second favorite after Ramen Dojo is Ramen Parlor, across the street and owned by the same people. Different style of ramen (way more stuff in the bowl, more seafood-y) which is also delicious. If Ramen Dojo's line is too crazy, I just cross the street to Ramen Parlor. I also like the clam butter ramen at Himawari, and their other bowls are pretty good, but I don't think in the same league as Dojo or Parlor.

If you search for Melanie Wong's ramen rankings, her reviews (over a hundred bowls) are the gold standard for ramen evaluation.

[capriana94555]

how about Orenchi...

3540 Homestead Road
Santa Clara, CA 95051
[phone]