Ramen Taro

The food was yummy BUT the udon was very salty and oily. The sushi was on point and quite good. However, the food took a good amount of time to get to us.

I discovered this place due to a voucher from AmazonLocal. I paid $ 15 for $ 30 value. I’ve been to this plaza before for the thai restaurant a few doors down. It’s a random plaza in the middle of a residential area. But I’m glad to see they opened a ramen place out there.
Upon first notice of the menu, it looked pretty similar items to the Majikku Ramen restaurant in Daly City, in the Ranch 99 plaza at Skyline. Not sure if they’re owned by same people or not. Even the window décor on the outside looked very similar to the Daly City one.
For appetizers, we ordered the Chicken Kara-​Age and the Chicken Wings. We love our chicken. Oddly the apps came out after our ramen, like awhile after where I almost forgot about them. The apps were good, but nothing I’d rave about. I believe I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen (with some add-​ons) and my husband ordered the Curry Beef Ramen. We both enjoyed our meal thoroughly. They both tasted delicious.
I almost wanted to give this place a 3-​star rating because of the SERVICE. Service totally sucked here! It’s true what the other Unilocal reviewers say. The place wasn’t that busy and there was 3 people standing behind the counter/​cash register. It seemed like the wait staff was more concerned about cleaning up a table after a party has left and also setting it up for a new party to arrive. I always appreciate prompt cleaning service. But this place wasn’t full or that busy to be concerned about turnovers. How about taking care of your current and waiting customers? I had to flag down a waitress twice for water. And each time she came with a pitcher, then she stopped off at each table on the way to refill water because then she noticed everyone else was low on water as well. D’oh!
OH and another thing, they have at the bottom of the menu stating they charge for boxes. Like $ 0.25 each. I was very surprised by this because I haven’t seen a restaurant do this. With this in mind, we needed one box for my ramen and we were going to put the leftover chicken kara-​age (1 pc) and chicken wing (1 pc) in the same container to go. So we asked the waiter for ONE BOX for ramen to go. And I was wondering if they were going to verbally tell you that it costs $ 0.25 in case you didn’t see it in the menu, which I almost didn’t. Nope he doesn’t say anything about cost. Then he ends up bringing me TWO BOXES and the check with the charge of 2 boxes. A little whacked and I really didn’t need TWO boxes for 1 pc chicken kara-​age and chicken wing. Don’t try to rip people off. I know it’s only $ 0.50 and it’s not much but it’s totally the principle! I totally asked the guy for ONE box.
Just for that, i don’t know if I’d be likely to come here. I’d rather go to the one in Daly City since it is closer also. And they have better SERVICE. Good job folks.

Accessibility (Parking /​Wait Time)
¹⁄₁ Star: Parking Lot
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Service (Waiter /​Cleanness /​Ambiance)
¹⁄₁ Star: average service.
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Taste (0=Not Edible /​1=Edible /​2=Good (average) /​3=Must Try!)
²⁄₃ Stars: The ramen was good but nothing special.
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Overall Experience
⁴⁄₅ Stars
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Pictures
Tonkatsu Ramen:
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Last Words

Ramen Taro is pretty far away from where I live, but an Amazon Local $ 15 for $ 30 deal will convince me to pay this place a visit. Once I stepped inside, I realized this was a Chinese owned ramen joint and that I would have an amazingly mediocre experience. Over in this area, you have plenty of amazing ramen joints to choose from: Himawari, Ramen Dojo, Santa Ramen. Thus, it really doesn’t make sense to drive all the way out here for ramen unless it’s pretty good right?
Ramen Taro is located in a small plaza right next to the water. When I came here, there were only just two other tables occupied with customers. As far as their menu goes, it’s pretty standard. You have your choices such as: miso, tonkotsu, shoyu, etc. I decided to order the chicken karaage and the spicy taro ramen. Since this place was called Ramen Taro, their taro had to be decent right?
The chicken karaage looked like KFC’s popcorn chicken and the sauce was just miso salad dressing. At least opt for some Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise. The chicken itself wasn’t really seasoned either, so it all just tasted pretty bland. For $ 6, this was a joke.
Next came my spicy taro ramen. The ramen came with one piece of stewed pork, and a decent amount of noodles to go along with it. However, right off the bat, the stewed pork was overly sweet. It was like this thing was stewed in a vat of sugar because I swear I that I was going to get a cavity just eating this thing. The broth also tasted kind of bland. There wasn’t this rich taste that you’d get if you were to eat at Orenchi or any other reputable ramen joint in the Bay. Instead it just tasted mediocre.
Overall, my experience could be summarized with one word: meh. If it wasn’t for my Amazon Local deal, I would have never even knew that this place existed, let alone come here for lunch. Thank god I got $ 15 off because after the discount, that’s probably how much I’d pay for food here. No need to come back here when there are plenty of other better ramen joints in the area.

I’ve been to Ramen Taro a couple times and it’s a pretty decent place tucked away from everything else to grab lunch/​dinner.
Their Ramen is about as standard as you can get with nothing really terrible but not standing out terribly either. I’d recommend the Tonkotsu ramen and the Kimchee ramen is not bad as well. They give you some pickles to start but they’re a little too sweet for my taste. I also had their chicken wings which was good, and the pumpkin croquette was also a little sweet but the sauces made it an interesting dish.
However, the rest of the menu adds a lot of possibilities with Yakitori and Okonomiyaki offerings in the mix. I’d give Ramen Taro a 3.5 but I’ve yet to try their Okonomiyaki so for now I’ll round it down to a 3.

The tonkatsu ramen was absolutely delicious. I know I should try something different when I go to a ramen restaurant, but I go to them so infrequently and there is something so special about that rich, porky broth…
Mmm. Mmmm. Almost as good as Santouka.
Service seemed a little slow at first, but it was fine. I don’t remember having any outstanding issues. Just eating in bliss.

Came here with Mom with a groupon.
First, the bad (I’m a natural pessimist)
A. When we ordered, we were going to get the vegetarian dragon roll which I thought was pretty unique. Their sushi chef apparently wasn’t there, so they didn’t have sushi… yeah. It was a 6PM dinner, and they opened at 5PM. Someone should have made it to work on time.
B. Then, when we wanted to order the Poki Salad (Spicy Tuna Salad) they didn’t have tuna… okay. your menu is getting smaller by the miniute
C. TAKE OUT BOXES ARE 25 CENTS EACH. WTF?! IS THIS A NEW THING? Probably not because I’ve definitely gotten take out boxes at other places for free
D. Onigiri — only one piece. for 1.99. Be warned.
The Good:
A. There was a lot of quantity. I got the Sansai Ramen — a huge bowl came out with a lot of veggies. The inner pig inside me oinked and snorted a bit.
B. The Spicy Taro Ramen was pretty good. The broth had a lot of depth, but it didn’t have a huge oily/​fatty feel to it. Also was a very good size.
C. They have a pretty extensive menu (at least written down they did).
I would come here again, but just to get the noodles. Not sure if the rest is worth it. I would like to try some of the other Ramens though.

Came and tried the Spicy Taro Ramen which was explained to me to be a spicy version of their tonkatsu ramen. Their noodles are generally very good, but I might prefer Himawari for their tonkatsu. Their broth was flavorful, but perhaps not as bold as others I’ve had. My noodles came with not sliced pork but a cube (literally) of char siu, BBQ pork.
Similar to others, and another great option for ramen in the area.

After a firm Thai massage that I scored on Groupon, my girlfriend and I walked next door to the ramen joint for a bowl of noodles. It was near closing time so we ordered speedily in order to optimize our enjoyment.
One menu item immediately jumped out at me that I absolutely had to have, okonomiyaki. I haven’t had it since leaving San Diego so I was excited to try Ramen Taro’s rendition. I must say that it was good and had the great authentic flavors that I remember from Tajima. Definitely one of my favorite Japanese dishes and I wish more people would serve it.
Service was very good despite the fact that we came in near closing time. We weren’t rushed and were allowed to enjoy our dinner. Prices are fair for the area, but it’s a little too far out of the way to go to regularly. Ramen Parlor is simply too close!
Food: ⁸⁄₁₀
Service: ⁸⁄₁₀
Price: $$
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀

Pros:
— $ 7.95 lunch combo specials: I had Tuesday’s lunch special, which includes a mini ramen noodle soup bowl, salad, gyoza (3 pieces), and a tiny bowl of fried rice. BOMB!!!
— light tonkatsu broth – pretty tasty that I almost drank/​slurped it all.
— Location is in a scenic/​residential area – not far from where I work so I’m glad it’s nearby and the line isn’t crappy.
Cons:
— Their ramen noodle is alright. Not the best I’ve had ever but it’s decent.

I was in the neighborhood to go to Costco, and my stomach started growling. I used to work near here, but this resto wasn’t born yet. I like Japanese, but I’m more a bento gal at lunch, not so much ramen. They do have a daily special bento, but Wednesday’s was mackerel, one of the few fish of which I’m not a fan. Anyway, gave it a try.
I got the seafood ramen, and overall it was quite tasty. Started out with the obligatory pickled vegetables
. They were good, but they were drowning in a pool of vinegar in the serving dish that detracted from the crunch. Then out came a generous portion of the ramen.
I liked that there were lots of vegetables (onions, cabbage, shitakes, etc) in the broth, and the broth itself was mild but tasty. The noodles were good, nice chew and appearance and flavor were pleasing. The seafood seemed fresh, but the individual shrimp were pretty small and the squid were the tiniest I think I’ve ever seen
. This meant that you never got a big enough mouthful to actually taste them or get their wonderful crunchy texture. I confess I’m a big ika fan, and so this was a considerable negative for me.
Service was adequate, if a bit awkward — server walked by a lot and cast a glance, but never really communicated except when putting a dish down. Then, the check took quite awhile to get there. I paid with credit card. The host took it up to the register, but instead of completing the transaction greeted another patron, handed over her take out order, accepted her payment, and then went back to processing mine. I hate to be picky, picky, but this seems like poor form to me. They played a pretty bad radio station at way too high a volume.
They did seem to have some interesting and not commonly available menu offerings that I might like to come back and try.
So…
Food: ²³⁄₄₀
Service: ¹⁴⁄₂₀
Atm/​Intang: ¹⁵⁄₂₀
Value: ¹⁶⁄₂₀
Overall: ⁶⁸⁄₁₀₀

Gosh, I feel so bad for having to do this but I’m dropping my 3.5 star rating to 2.5 (I’m still rounding up). I’ve been back a few times since and I have to say, there was something off about the ramen. I ordered the spicy Taro ramen (the only thing I order) and although the noodles were al dente, the broth was very one dimensional. It’s almost as though the broth was watered down with a few sprinkles of msg to save money. Also, the noodles didn’t really adhere to the broth flavoring so overall the ramen was bland if not boring.
In addition, the service was off as well. Although the servers were friendly and somewhat attentive, they didn’t seem very engaged in the business. I was the only person in the restaurant so the servers kept chatting away with on another and not being very low key about it. Perhaps it was because of all the yelling in Chinese that made my ramen less tasty?!? For the first time, I actually left there unsatisfied and wishing that I ate somewhere else.

We were excited to see a new ramen joint close from home and checked it out a few weeks after opening.
Service was probably what impressed us the most as the waitresses were exceptionally polite and attentive.
As for the ramen, it wasn’t bad. I had the miso, and my husband had the spicy ramen — both with extra toppings (bean sprouts and slices of tofu). They were both mediocre. I liked the slight chewiness of the noodles, and the broth tasted rich without being excessively oily like the one at Santa.
We’ll go back as I’m interested in trying other items on the menu.
SUM: A nice addition to Foster City.

This is a no frills ramen place. Don’t compare it to RD, RP or SR. This is really more like a mom & pop sop.
It is definitely located off the beaten path, but if you want a quick bowl of ramen in Foster City, then this place is perfect. You don’t have to worry about traffic, parking or lines. Get in, get out.
The ramen is, ramen like, stringy and a little chewy. I don’t mind this kind of noodle. I had the Tonkatsu ramen, which is in a miso broth with a few slices of pork, tea boiled egg, seaweed, bamboo shoots and spring onion. Nothing overcooked and nothing too salty. Yes, the egg was hard boiled and the pork was a little fatty, but the broth had taste and not from MSG.
I want to give them 3−½ stars, but the friendly service bumped them up. I will try their dinner menu soon and see how their yakitori is.

I feel bad to giving this place a 3 star rating because it is in the most random plaza in Foster City and it’s hard to attract people over there, but I really just wasn’t impressed by the ramen at all. With so much amazing ramen in the area, they are really up against some pretty stiff competition.
I ordered the butter corn ramen and my friends ordered the tonkatsu ramen. The meat was definitely on the salty side and the broth was not very flavorful. They did give half a «lu-​dan» though. is like a brown braised egg. Anyhoo, when you have pork that is tough and on the drier side, it completely kills my appetite. They also didn’t give as many add ins as Ramen Dojo. No quail egg or roasted garlic. Meeps. I am definitely spoiled and becoming a noodle snob. ack!
The only real pro that I saw was that the service was really good. They were friendly and patient. hope their recipe improves so we can give it another try. :/

Good:
–hot and crispy chicken karaage
–sushi, donburi, japanese food other than ramen offered
–very nice and friendly service
Not-​So-​Good:
–oily «spicy taro» soup base without depth of the milky pork broth flavor
–noodles were not chewy
–only one piece of fatty pork, corn, bean sprouts, tofu, and half an egg
–i wish the chicken karaage came with a dipping sauce
Bad:
–the tofu was sour, like gone-​bad-​kind-​of-​sour (but after telling our waitress, she exchanged our sour tofu with fresh ones)
Ugly:
–my friend consumed a piece of metal scrubbing brillo pad /​or the metal wire from a large strainer. it was immediately spit back out.

I hate to give this place an average rating but that’s just what it feels like to me… average ramen. I will caveat this and say that I have become a ramen snob since coming to the peninsula! (How could you not with all the ramen places around?)
Before I get to the review on the ramen itself, I gotta say that when you order the ramen, it comes with a ladle-​type soup spoon… except you can’t quite drink the soup from it unless at a certain angle and very carefully… otherwise it will spill off quickly. For those of you that enjoy putting the noodles onto a spoon full of broth, this is not the place to go.
Broth: I decided to get the Tonkatsu ramen ($ 8.75) while the gf got the Buttercorn ramen ($ 8.25). The tonkatsu ramen did have a milky broth, but it didn’t really leave me wanting more. The buttercorn ramen definitely had more taste and flavor to it but again, the broth wasn’t much to rave about.
Pork: Two LARGE slices of pork. However, they aren’t nearly as juicy/​tender/​fatty? as the other places (i.e. dojo, himawari, santa, etc.) and were pretty much on the dryer side
Noodles: They give you a large portion of noodles, but they are thinner than I would like. They didn’t have the texture I was looking for but were good nonetheless.
Also ended up getting the corn and veggie okonomiyaki which I didn’t really enjoy but the gf and other friend enjoyed.
The service here, however, was excellent. The waitresses and other workers were quick to refill our tea, bring us more pickled cabbage (free starter), etc. They also have a large menu for other items such as sushi.
This is one of the only ramen places (if not the only?) ramen place in Foster City, but it’s tucked deep on the edge of Foster City. Overall, I can’t say that it overtook my favorite/​more preferred ramen spots in the peninsula, but it might be worth a stop over if you’re around the edge of Foster City and craving ramen.

Here’s the problem with the ramen craze as of late: you find a ramen you absolutely love, and then anything that strays from it is going to disappoint you. It’s like having a hunger affair with a box of Oreos, then after a year someone buys you Hydrox (is that what they’re called? I don’t even know).
IANARS: that’s fake internet speak for «I am not a ramen snob.» Or maybe I am. Whatever. I’ve never been to Japan, I’ve had ramen at exactly four different restaurants, not including the packaged stuff. So here is my review of the new Ramen Taro, which has opened so conveniently within a stone’s throw of my house:
Husband and I were hungry after a particularly successful workout session (I got him to do two miles on the treadmill!). «Hey! Let’s go to that new Ramen place!», so we did. It’s on Beach Park Blvd in a tiny shopping center along with a laundromat (which used to be a tae kwon do studio), Milk & Honey Catering Company (never tried), and a Thai restaurant. There’s more, but it’s new and I forgot.
The interior is nice. It feels like a contemporary retro scene, which I was confused by; that’s my own opinion, I am very weird.
Onto the dish! Husband and I both ordered Spicy Taro Ramen (myself without bean sprouts, and on the milder side of spicy). Corn, ramen noodles, a tea-​infused half hard boiled egg, tofu, and stewed pork. Yum. It was definitely spicy, so avoid getting it in your nose. Tea is served immediately upon arrival, so ask for water if you want some (or whatever you end up ordering).
My only gripe is, of course, minute: the hard boiled egg was over boiled. I know this because I’ve made hundreds; they are overcooked when the lining between the white and the yolk is green, not a bright yellow, and this was most definitely green — that wasn’t from the tea-​infusion, I can tell you that right now. The noodles were a tad disappointing, in that I’m used to the fresh, chewy handmade ones of Dojo, and not like I bought it from a package. It’s the little things that count, though.
The owner came up and asked how our meal was afterwards, and we chatted for a few minutes. Turns out he also owns a sushi restaurant in the Richmond district, which explains why there is sushi on the menu. He was incredibly nice, and the service was as well.
I will come back; it is #1 on my list of convenience for ramen (who wants to wait for 45 minutes outside of Dojo?), but #2 on the taste scale. I wish they’d spring the extra for handmade noodles, and take some of their other menu offerings out. Excelling at one thing will be the tiny oomph a Foster City restaurant needs if it wants to stay — and I really hope Ramen Taro stays.

Thought I’d give this new place a try since it is right in my nick of the wood. Boy, was I sorely disappointed. Ramen Taro billed itself as a ramen place since «Ramen» is in their name, but Japanese Ramen it is not. The noodle is too hard and it tasted like a what you buy at a supermarket. The soup does not taste hand made. It tasted like what you get from the MSG package that comes with the supermaket ramen. The chashu (sliced pork) is marinated the Chinese way (definitely aftertaste of anise and 5-​flavor powder?). The menma (Japanese bamboo) is not real menma, but it is just what you would get from canned bamboo. The egg is over cooked and tasted like Taiwanese tea egg.
Ok, humm so may be I am a Japanese ramen snob. But if you are just making mediocre Chinese noodle, then don’t bill yourself as a «ramen» place. Put some effort into making the right stock and get the right kind of noodle and toppings. It is all about managing expectation. If I want want to eat Chinese noodle, I guess this place is ok. But if I want ramen, then definitely not.

Today was the second day of Ramen Taro being open, so the word hasn’t really spread out in the area about a «new ramen place» being in town. Lucky us, getting there before the ramen fiends of san mateo :)
The waitress recommended their namesake ramen, «spicy taro ramen», so almost everyone in our group tried it. It’s pretty accurately described as: Spicy milky pork bone flavor soup with stewed pork, tofu, and corn. It also comes with half of a hard-​boiled egg and bits of ginger & sprouts. I really enjoyed the broth the most and the large chunk of stewed pork. The broth was sweet/​savory and I couldn’t stop drinking it, but the noodles were pretty on-​par with most other ramen places. Next time I go, I’m going to add a few more toppings onto the ramen, as it felt a little sparse.
Also on the menu:
— Mini ramen (!!)
— Yaki Soba/​Yaki Udon
— Okonomiyaki
— Udon
— Rice dishes
— Robata-​yaki
— Sushi Roll
I definitely want to come back and try their Robatayaki. Looking forward to reviews from other Unilocalers who try out the rest of their menu. Ramen Taro, welcome to the foster city/​san mateo ramen empire!