Michi Ramen

I’m more of a Michi fan than a Tatsuya fan.
Yes, Tatsuya has that yummy egg and a really good broth but their portions are tiny and you barely get any meat! I love that the portions at Michi are filling and you get a lot more variety in your ramen.
Now during the summer time, I love their seasonal menu: summer ramen. In fact, I wish they had summer ramen year-​round! What is summer ramen, you ask? It’s chilled ramen noodles with a light sauce (not broth, just a sauce/​dressing deal). I personally like their Taiwanese summer ramen which has a more sesame-​based sauce. It’s a really refreshing meal especially on those hot summer days.
I also love their mochi! They offer many flavors beyond your typical green tea and mango like passion fruit, blueberry, lychee, and sakura. I hear it’s from Hawaii too!

We hadn’t planned on coming here since my friend who loves the same ramen places I do came here and was disappointed. However, at 9:30pm we were starving and this was the few places still open.
We ordered the vegetable ramen and the regular tonkotsu ramen… meh, just ok. The tonkotsu ramen was a little better, actually tasted like ramen (maybe because it was somewhat fatty), the vegetable ramen was just a veggie broth pretending to be a bowl of ramen because it had ramen noodles and the appropriate toppings. It’s really not bad as a veggie broth, but I would not call this ramen. The noodle itself was decent, but a bit over-​cooked for my taste (I like my noodles very al-​dente). Chasu was delicious, they definitely did a great job. We also ordered the potato korokke, and this was the highlight of the meal. Fried to perfection with a smooth, creamy filling on the inside, this was my favorite item of the entire meal. We packed some to-​go and they tasted amazing even the next day after reheating in the oven. 2.5 stars for the Ramen, 5 stars for the korokke and chasu.
Service is also 5 stars. We had Christy and she was extraordinary. Our water cups were always filled and she did a great job explaining the menu items and our options and was very attentive throughout the night. Also, $ 1 off all sides during Happy Hour from 3−6pm and 9−11pm. Overall, this place gets 3 stars because the name of the store advertises it as a ramen shop. I may come back if I was in the area, but I would skip the ramen and try more of their sides like the Chasu-​don or the Tatsuta-​Age!

Michi Ramen is the best place to go on a cold day in Austin, or if you’ve got a head cold (where my Austin allergy prone people at?).The calming atmosphere and the goodness of the tasty broths will have you feeling good all over.
In addition to the yummiest noodles and broth I’ve tasted, they’ve got endless amounts of innovative appetizers like the potato pakora, and some of the best mochi ice cream to finish it off!

Amazing food, customer service, and atmosphere. The Sapporo ramen dish was probably the greatest meal I’ve had in Austin. Edamame and burnt tips were a bit too salty but still great.
They were out of the soft boiled eggs and gyoza which we wanted to order. The owner came over to apologize to us and offered mochi for dessert on the house. The quality of food and drinks was amazing and at a very reasonable price.
Planning on going back very soon and often.

I’ve been wanting to come here for a long time and it was just about everything I hoped it would be! Stuck with the Michi Ramen, and added chili oil. The portion was not as big as I thought it would be but it was still filling– Seemed comparable to a small/​regular phở you’d get at a phở joint. I was surprised at the tenderness of the Chashu, I have never had it before. Everything was flavorful and intense, for sure. My friend got the tofu skin on his custom ramen, and highly recommended it, so I will try that next time. He was a little surprised when he got his bill though, so be careful when building your own bowl, it adds up fast. We ended with the mochi, which for the portion and price, is a perfect way to cap off dinner without too feeling bad about the indulgence.
I must say, I had my doubts when I walked in. It was dark, and kinda smelled like a bathroom (some unidentifiable dank smell covered by freshener) Service was a little nonchalant but not terrible by any means. But I was not disappointed, and I am eager to get back and try the rest of the menu.

To be fair, the ramen here in Texas definitely exceeded my expectations as a California city girl.
Sapporo Ramen (11) with no bean sprouts and no green onions — regular base has flavor, rich, and not oily, the noodles I feel could’ve been better as they were a bit hard or just not fresh noodles, and there was a bit of a corn overload
Fried calamari — yum, a bit fishy
Fried octopus balls — it’s extremely hot in temperature at arrival, so don’t put an entire ball in your mouth without a cooling off period, you can just be normal and take a bite, for me I thought they were overly mushy and could’ve gone without this order
Gyoza sells out quickly I hear.
Wait time — no wait when we arrived at 8:45pm, but the place is pretty loud for a 90% full house
Service — kinda slow, needed to request for side plates for appetizers, payment is on an iPad
9pm-​11pm, $ 1 off most appetizers

Not a bad ramen place by any means. Our waitress was extremely nice and helpful in suggesting what type of ramen would be best. We ordered the Veggie Ramen and added some shoyu (spicy sauce) and it was pretty great!
Now for the not-​so-​great: the lightly fried calamari. The batter was actually very tasty and not too heavy or greasy. But the calamari was pretty overcooked and rubbery. The seaweed salad was also just typical from the box taste.
Overall, a good experience and the atmosphere was fun and our service was top notch. Also surprisingly affordable! Favor was a little less than amazing but I’d visit again.

Oh wow, what a big disappointment. The food was so salty that I felt my kidneys were dissolving. The regular Michi was way too salty that I was having hard time eating even a bite. It was so dreadful to finish a few bites that I decided to give up.
Fried chicken was another salt disaster! I don’t think I will return unless I could find a kidney match.

Creative noodlery. Lol. If you want something outside the box and like noodles, this place will peak your interest. Try to get over the fact that you are paying someone to make you ramen noodles and think on the bright side. The combinations of bowls and eats they provide is pretty valid. My motto, don’t knock it till you try it.

Love Michi Ramen. I think Ramen Tatsuya is a little better and Daruma Ramen is a little worse, although they’re all solid options. I have a lot of vegetarian friends, and they all prefer Michi Ramen because they offer a vegetarian option all the time (vs. Ramen Tatsuya’s Sunday-​only veggie offering). There is oftentimes a wait, but there’s a bar and an outdoor waiting area.
The broth is rich, with an option to get a light, normal or heavy broth. I tend to go for the normal option, and it is plenty rich. I also love to add soft bamboo shoots (yum yum yum), extra spicy chili oil and a poached egg. It’s guaranteed to fill you up. The last time I went, I split 8 mochi ice cream flavors with friends. Would highly recommend the passion fruit and pistachio and pass on the rose blossom flavor because there is no rose flavor anywhere; the vanilla ice cream is overpowering in flavor. I also liked the green tea and lychee flavors; every over flavor we tried was pretty forgettable.

So this is my first time eating Ramen (unless you want to count eating Top-​Ramen back in undergrad –_​– LOL) so obviously I’m not an expert, but I definitely enjoyed it!
Staff and Restaurant: Our waitress had a great personality and so helpful once we told her this was our first time! The restaurant itself could use some personality. It was clean, dimly lit, and welcoming, but it was cold (I didn’t feel that after I got my warm Ramen though) and not as filled with personality as most Austin spots. Obviously the food proved otherwise so it’s not really a big deal!
Food: We ordered some Pork Gyozas for an appetizer which were good, but TOO OILY! I order the Sapporo Ramen which is Miso based and has pork, mushrooms, corn, butter, bean sprouts and green onions in a Regular Broth. Waitress informed us that the Broth Thickness refers to the amount of fat which is in the broth. Light = Less Fat and Stout = More compared to Regular. My boyfriend ordered the Michi Ramen which is a Shoyu Broth and has pork, mushrooms, green onions, and roasted nori (seaweed). The only topping we ordered was the Spicy homemade chili oil on the side as per the waitress’s suggestion. I enjoyed the flavors of both ramens, but I would prefer to order more toppings next time and wish it were more spicy. It was tasty, but bland in spice (I LOVE SPICE BTW!). For dessert, we got 2 Mochi Ice Creams: Lychee and Mint Oreo flavor. It was okay.
Overall: I would come back the next time I visit Austin or go to the other location which is a bit closer to where my bf lives. We just came to this location since it was the first one and had so many great reviews!

Came here for the first time with a co worker for lunch and it was really good, we had the tempura veggies and the fired pork belly. The pork belly was a little much, but it was good. the tempura veggies were spot on. I ordered the light broth and made my own with corn, ajitama, broccoli, and some other thing I forgot what it was called. It was good very filling. We also ordered some mochi as well. Very delicious I love the mochi here there are so many options to choose from.
I cam again last night for dinner this time. The parking was much better at night actually. I ordered the potato korokke with the sauce on the side. It was very good, I’m glad I got the sauce on the side because it might have been too overpowering for me. I also made my own ramen this time again. With the corn, 2 ajitama, and chasu, but with regular broth. I’m more of a fan of the light, this one was a little too salty for my taste. It was very filling again and I think I’ve found the perfect combination for myself. My mother got the michi combination and she enjoyed it but also thought the regular broth was a little too salty as well. We also order the passion fruit mochi and the pistachio mochi this time. The mochi was a little too frozen, we let it sit a bit and it got better. I will definitely come back for more.

Pretty solid place for ramen. If I ate ramen in Austin, I’d actually say this would be my go to. There’s always the big Michi v. Tatsuya debate and I’ve found myself on both sides in the past. I used to like Michi more after a mediocre first time at Tatsuya, but after my second try there, I realized it’s too hard to pick. There’s just lots of good things I like about both. And I end up wishing I could combine the best of the two into one even more perfect bowl of ramen.
First off, the wait here is not bad compared to Tatsuya. Pricing is decent and portion sizes are good. I’ve tried several of their ramens, but my favorite is just the original Michi ramen. If I’m feeling super hungry, I’ll get the Meat Lovers occasionally. I really like their noodle texture, slightly chewy and thick noodles. The broth is great too, perfect flavor that’s been consistent every time I’ve been. One thing I really love about Michi is their chashu pork. It’s one of the best I’ve ever eaten and I love how they still give a decent amount of it in the Michi ramen compared to the Meat Lovers. Their ajitama egg is the perfect addition to the ramen. However, it’s actually almost too salty for me.
Another thing is they let you pick between light, regular, and stout broth. So it’s nice to change it up sometimes if you’re not in the mood for a super rich broth and can pick light.
The mochi here is actually pretty good too. I do think it’s a little bit too expensive at the price they charge for one piece. When I do get it though, passion fruit is definitely my favorite. Overall, this place is great and in looking forward to the one they’re opening up on Guadalupe since it’ll be so close to the UT campus.

After a very poor lunch experience and some overall inconsistency, I felt the need to update. Here are my issues:
1. I feel they can be skimpy on the portion of noodles.
2. The «Japanese hashbrown» is $ 1.50 for 1 piece if ordered with ramen or $ 1.00 if ordered with the curry rice. It’s the same item, the same size, the same ingredients. Why would it be 50 cents more with ramen vs. the curry dish?
3. I feel they nickel and dime you on the additions. One of the things I loved about eating in Tokyo was I never felt nickel and dimed. The ramen shops would have jars of pickled ginger, bean sprouts, garlic, peppers, and more all at your finger tips to add as much or as little as you wanted and for no added charge to the initial price of your ramen. I have the same issue with Tatsuya. I realize this isn’t Tokyo, but if your aim is to be authentic, be authentic.
4. I tried their Tsukemen and it was awful. Everything was cold, the chasu tasted days old and the condensed broth tasted fishy. After informing my server, the manager, who was very nice, agreed it was no where near the quality they aim for. He offered another dish. I got their chasu bowl which I wasn’t a big fan of, but it wasn’t as bad as the Tsukemen (it’s hard to make something as bad as that was).
I still like the other things I’ve had here and the flavor of their Japanese curry is the best I’ve had in Austin. I’ve heard they’ve made some changes to the chefs which may help improve their consistency and I would come here again. In my first review I compared Michi with Tatsuya. After a lot more experiences with both, I can now say that one of the areas Tatsuya has proven to be superior at is with consistency. Consistency is what will keep me coming back.

I’ve frequented Michi Ramen several times and my favorite by far is the Jungle ramen. It is a great cross between traditional ramen with a Thai twist to it. What I love about Michi is that you can order the broth in a light, regular, or stout variety so it is to your liking! I enjoy a less heavy version of broth so the light broth is great for my taste.
Last night, not wanting to really go out, but still craving some ramen, I placed a phone to-​go order with Michi Ramen. I ordered a Michi Ramen with Shoyu broth, a Michi Ramen with Miso broth, and a Tatsuta Age (fried chicken) as a side dish. The order was placed quickly and easily and I was too it would be 15−20min.
I arrived after about 20 minutes, and was greeted at the door. My order was ready to go and I was in and out in less than two minutes! Everything was prepared and packaged perfectly. The attention to detail in every ingredient was not lost even in a takeout order!

Are you starving and possibly inebriated in Austin but can’t decide between the infamous Tatsuya and Michi? Trust me on this: Michi Ramen will not disappoint.
The servers are nicer, the wait is indoors (even the patio is covered), you are sat at your OWN table, and the broth is delicious & not overloaded with MSG. The menu is no-​nonsense and well-​organized. Simply put, you choose the type of broth, the type of ramen, and add any extras your little heart desires. Afterward, be sure the ramen has digested enough to make room for their mochi ice cream. Even if you aren’t a dessert person (in which case, you may have a serious medical disorder, because that is appalling), do yourself a favor and pay the $ 3 for 2 pieces of decadence. (psst, get the espresso). you welcome, you welcome.
Of all the ramen choices, the sapporo and michi seem to be the wise choice. I ordered the Jungle because I’m a glutton for punishment. It seems to have interfered with the authenticity of the ramen, unfortunately. The other ramen bowls seem to have different tasting broths, too. I’ll remember this pearl for next time.
Normal and reversed happy hours are reasonable and include select appetizers. Michi is modern and «down with the times»: all servers carry, take orders, and bring the checks on IPads. Word.
–xoxo

Top notch ramen!!! I really like that you can get light, medium, or stout choices for the broth. My favorite is stout and haven’t had this anywhere else but Michi. mmmm
The vibe is super chill, much like Austin used to be. The waitstaff is fast and friendly, never pretentious. We really love coming here for date night and recommend it to all our friends.

They have a good beer and sake selection to compliment the ramen.
The basic michi ramen is good on its own or with any add-​ons you can order with it. It doesn’t come over flowing with broth so the broth to noodle ratio is very satisfying.

It was one of those breezy nights in Austin where I was craving for a bowl of hot soup — I decided to make the drive up North to try Michi Ramen. My first encounter at the S. Lamar location was definitely questionable, so I had high hopes that this location would be better.
First off, the seating arrangement at Michi is much more comfortable and spacious compared to that of Tatsuya (that goes for both of their locations). Also, I enjoyed being served and not being rushed to finish my meal. Service was top notch! Our server was very attentive and pleasant.
We had the Michi & Jungle Ramen and a side order of Tatsuta Age (boneless fried chicken).
The chashu here has grill marks & a smokey taste. It was definitely interesting, but the «smokey» taste does seem to make the ramen less authentic. The michi broth was good, I asked for the light broth — and it wasn’t as salty as compared to the Sapporo ramen that I had at the other location, which is not even shoyu based… The Jungle ramen had a spicy kick to it, tasted pretty much like a thai tom yum based broth. If you like tom yum then it’s a win, if you don’t then you’re better off ordering something else. In all it’s a unique twist to a ramen broth.
The Tatsuta Age was a disappointment. The fried piece of chicken was a whole piece (came in 3 big ones), I expected it to be cut up into little bite sized pieces. It was also very hard to bite through the chicken since it was way over fried. So the chicken was either 1) re-​fried from an old batch or 2) they used white meat which made the chicken very dry. However, when we explained the dish to our server, he was very pleasant and took the dish off the bill. The manager also came over and talked to us as well. That was very nice.
The mochi balls were also absolutely great! They come in a variety of flavours, of course I had to get the matcha one!

visited Austin one weekend with some friends. We had a hankering for ramen the night we arrived and this was one of the first places that popped up on Unilocal.So to Michi we went! And we were not disappointed :)
I think they go for more «out of the box» (pardon the cliché) ramen~ styles that are not the kinds of ramen you’d normally get at more traditional ramen places. I suppose if you are a purist who loves ramen done the traditional way, devoid of the whimsy and western «twists» on a revered and already magnificent culinary offering, then yeah~ Michi might not be the place for you. That said, I still think you’re doing yourself a disservice by passing it over.
Though I myself definitely appreciate all sorts of authentic and traditional Japanese dishes and am generally leery toward modern takes, I actually enjoyed Michi. I think it’s a good balance between faithful adherence to what traditionally makes ramen great (complex broth and firm noodles), with non-​traditional takes on ramen such as grilled chashu pork (as opposed to braised), thai chilis and lemongrass of their «Jungle» ramen, or slaw and BBQ ribs of their «Texas» ramen.
Because ramen has already «broken through» in the United States, there seems to be a ton of good ramen shops these days, but Michi manages to distinguish itself by maintaining a good balance between respecting tradition while trying new things.