Misoya Ramen

Although they opened as Misoya Ramen, and despite how Unilocal still lists them that way, they’ve actually changed their name to Kinyobi Ramen (
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Now that I’ve been here a few times, I’m pretty sure the ramen (there are about nine types) is the way to go, along with the appetizers. There are a few other entrées to choose from, but the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen has by far been the best thing I’ve had (the other ramen I tried is slightly better than the katsu don).
– FRIED CALAMARI…$ 5.95
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I was expecting all leg pieces, so seeing a mix of pieces was a nice surprise. THe pieces were all pretty meaty too. I just wasn’t that impressed with the batter — not really seasoned and the texture seemed a bit off to me.
– KATSU CURRY DON…$ 8.95
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The portion was large (or at least the bowl was) and the katsu was fine, but the curry left me wanting. The taste of it was far too mild and the consistency was more gloppy than smooth. Plus, there was little to no beef, unlike most places.
– SPICY TONKOTSU RAMEN — Egg, Fungus, Menma, Onion, Chashiu, and Karaage…$ 9.95
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The chashu was okay, and the karaage was pretty good, but the kakuni I added (+$ 3.00) was terrific — delicious cuts with a thin fat cap. The broth was fairly well rounded (could have been richer), but the noodles were a little too al dente for me. Also, don’t let the description scare you — it’s the usual wood ear «fungus» they use.
– MAFO TONKOTSU RAMEN — Customizable Spice, Egg, Menma, Fungus, Chashu, Fried Tofu, and Onion…$ 8.95
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I thought they did a better job with the noodles this time and I liked the broth — mildly spicy, but with a nice milkiness and flavor (though more of a Chinese mafo tofu flavor). Still, I’m not sure I would get this one again if only because of the fried tofu; I have a sneaky suspicion they were previously frozen. Bleh.
– LUNCH SPECIAL — Add 4 Pcs of Gyoza to any Ramen…$ 2.00
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It was okay for the most part, though they were light on filling and lightly fried instead of pan-​fried. Still, if you were going to get gyoza with your lunch, this is a much better value than the appetizer version ($ 4.75 for 5 pcs).
Although the staff (and owners?) may not be Japanese, it really doesn’t matter. One of the best ramen joints in NY is run by a white chef (Ivan Ramen), and I’ve had ramen from Japanese-​owned places that were awful compared to Kinyobi. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the service here has been pretty good as well.
Relative to nearby ramen spots, I’d say Kinyobi’s ramen is a shade below Momiji up in Colma, better than Majikku in Daly City, but degrees less then the best that San Mateo and SF have to offer. Still, not bad for the area, especially given the lack of ramen alternatives along this stretch of the peninsula.

I came here for ramen dinner for coworker’s suggestion. Here their menu consists of basic ramen for (mostly) $ 7.99, or for $ 2 more you get a bowl that’s spicy in flavor (i.e. spicy miso or kontatsu), and also has chicken karaage added as an item.
The ramen was decent. However, it wasn’t great to the point where I’d be tempted to come here too often given the many other Asian dining choices I have here in Millbrae. In addition, there’s always the temptation to drive another five to ten minutes down to San Mateo for a meal at Ramen Parlor if Japanese ramen is what I’m craving.
Besides that, service seems overall pretty nice. Looks like it’s Chinese-​owned. The lady (who appears to be the owner) did make a mistake of giving us the wrong check, but good thing we caught it because it listed many items we didn’t order.

This place is generally empty but their ramen’s actually pretty good.
I got the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen with Extra Kakuni (Pork Belly).
My boyfriend got the Mafo Tonkotsu Ramen. I asked for mine to be spicy and he asked for his to be mild but both ramen tastes like they were about the same level of spiciness.
I preferred the spicy tonkotsu broth over the mafo one, it tasted more like tonkotsu (pork bone broth). I highly recommend the kakuni if you like pork belly/​fatty meat. It was well braised and flavorful.

I came some time during grand opening week and I was pretty satisfied.
Millbrae is getting dominated/​invaded by a whole bunch of Asian restaurants and businesses that it’s rather… annoying, but since I can not control that, I can only wish for the types of Asian businesses that come.
Yes, I was hoping for a ramen restaurant, lol. As if driving 10 minutes to San Mateo is super far. Anyway, while I do prefer Ramen Parlor and Ramen Dojo in SM, Misoya is totally satisfying, too. At first I thought it was going to be the Japanese chain Misoya opening, so I was slightly disappointed to find out that it wasn’t.
The appearance of the ramen does not compare to other popular ramen parlors. It really doesn’t seem too appealing or decorative actually (as you can see from the other Unilocal pictures). However the taste of it is satisfying for me. I got the basic Tonkotsu ramen and it wasn’t overly salty or too bland for my taste. I tried the spicy pork one too I think and it was okay, I prefer the basic one. Sure, it could have been more flavorful, so don’t expect something that will make your taste buds go berserk. It’s a relatively fast and inexpensive meal. We also ordered the takoyaki and agedashi tofu, again, not fabulous, but acceptable.
It’s likely that I return to try other varieties of their ramen. It took some time for the food to come out, but provided that they just opened I guess they need to find what works best for them. It would also be nice if the interior was more decorative.
This is a rather long «review» for a ramen place, and half of it was probably useless, but I have a lot of feelings when it comes to food. The waitresses are really nice too, btw. At least give it try lol. I hope a Korean restaurant comes soon!!! ^-^

We stopped by on the first day they were opened. The owner greeted us and we were seated with a pair of menus and some hot tea.
They painted and spiffied up the place since the last café moved out, but the walls could use some decorations. We were both thinking some high quality pictures of their food would be a nice addition.
We ordered a few appetizers, and found them all to be very very flavorful and fresh.
Wasabi shrimp were served fried ebi style, flattened with panko, and with a drizzle of wasabi mayo. Even though I really do hate mayo, there was enough flavor to mask my disdain for Satan’s condiment. I can always go for more kick, but I’ve also got a massive tolerance for wasabi, so I’m unable to judge what is ‘too much’ anymore. Either way it was flavorful, hot and delicious. The panko was crispy and perfectly fried, shrimp were cooked nicely and full of flavor, the oil was fresh and nothing tasted greasy. Chicken Karaage was just as good, if not better!
Finally I got the spicy tonkatsu ramen. The tonkatsu was nicely fried and not too soggy or greasy. Noodles were good, but I’m pretty sure they weren’t made there. Overall the broth was a good level of spice and had a creamy consistency. It was not heavily salted either so the taste was very natural, leaving room for all the veggies and meat to come through, which was great. Overall it was a solid and hearty bowl of ramen that I’d try again.

This ramen parlor is located a couple of doors down from The Kitchen, so parking is fairly difficult in the area. I came here because I thought they were associated with Misoya in Santa Clara but the owners here are actually Vietnamese. We noticed that there’s a lot of misspellings in the menu that leads me to believe they’re not that knowledgeable in Japanese cuisine (or not very detail-​oriented). Their opening day was on March 4^th so they’re still working on everything though.
Appetizers
Edamame: $ 3 Soy Beans
Korokke: ($ 3.75) 2 Potato Croquettes
Ebi Fried: (5.50) 2 Fried Prawns
Fried Calamari: ($ 5.95)
Age Tofu ($ 3.95)
Seaweed Salad ($ 3.95)
Takoyaki ($ 3.95) 4 pcs of Octopus Balls
Gommae: ($ 3.95) Seaweed Salad
Wasabi Prawn: ($ 5.50) 5pcs
Kakuni ($ 7.50) 5pcs Pork Belly
Gyoza: ($ 4.75) Pot Sticker
Karaage: ($ 4.95) Popcorn Chicken
Miso Soup: ($ 1.50)
Steam Rice: ($ 1.50)
Basic Ramen: Comes with Half Egg, Fungus, Mema, Green Onion, Chasiu
Miso ($ 7.95)
Shio ($ 7.95)
Tonkotsu ($ 7.95)
House Ramen:
Spicy Miso: ($ 9.95) Egg, Fungus, Mema, Onion, Chasiu, Karaage
Spicy Tonktosu: ($ 9.95) Egg, Fungus, Mema, Onion, Chasiu, Karaage
Seafood: ($ 11.50) Prawn, Scallop, Fish, Mussel, Onion, Cilantro
Chicken: ($ 9.95) Chicken, Egg, Spinach, Mema, Onion, Cilantro
Mafo Tonkatsu Ramen: ($ 8.95) Egg, Mema, Fungus, Chasiu, Fried Tofu, and Onion
Extra Toppings
Additional $ 1: Fried Tofu, Egg, Corn, Butter, Fungus, Enoki, Spinach
Additional $ 1.50: Extra Noodle,
Additional $ 2: Extra Soup, Mema
Additional $ 3: Kakuni, Chasiu
Entrees
Pork Cutlet: ($ 7.50) served with soup, salad and rice
Chicken Cutlet: ($ 7.50) served with soup, salad and rice
Karaage: ($ 7.50) served with soup, salad and rice
Katsu Curry Don: ($ 8.95) served with soup
Karaage Curry Don: ($ 8.95) served with soup
Drinks:
Soda ($ 1.50)
Melon Soda ($ 3)
Oi Ocha ($ 3)
Beer
Sapporo: Small ($ 3.50) Large ($ 5.50)
Asahi: Small ($ 3.50) Large ($ 5.50)
Our order:
Kakuni
Takoyaki
Tonkotsu Ramen
Mafo Tonkatsu Ramen
My tonkotsu ramen was so bland and the mafo was extremely spicy (even though they have it as mild). My friend and I ended up getting small bowls to mix the two broths to make the ramen taste better. The takoyaki was decent but I’ve eaten them a lot since it’s a favorite dish of mine so I’m very judgmental. The kakuni had a lot of fat and wasn’t as tender as we would’ve liked.
The service was very friendly and they asked us for our opinions so they could make improvements which we honestly gave. They’re so nice so I’d like them to succeed but with so many ramen places popping up, they’re going to have tough competition. My friend even said he preferred Momiji over this place (and he really hated that place). =/

I am 99% sure this place is not related to the Misoya in Santa Clara. It’s ramen is no where close to the quality of the other place.
I am also pretty sure that this is not a japanese-​owned ramen shop. Nothing wrong with that as long as it can provide a bowl of ramen from it’s heart. However, I am not feeling it. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I have been spoiled by Santouka, Orenchi, Dojo, or other new comers with great potential. However, if a place charges me $ 10 for a bowl of noodle, better show me some love. Better show me that you put your heart into creating that bowl of noodle.
Everything exists for a reason. If you live in the neighborhood and you don’t want to drive to the other places in the south bay, then this place is perfect for you.
But if you want to try this place, better go soon. I am sure a lawsuit will be coming for trademark violation.

Happen to stop by on a soft opening and im sure we’ll be back! Started off with wasabi prawns, gyoza, and karaage. Wasabi prawns had just enough batter, shrimps were decent size and came drizzled with a wasabi mayo sauce that wasn’t too tangy but just to my taste (mild). Karaage was crunchy and not oily. Gyoza… well you can’t really go wrong with gyoza.
We ordered chicken ramen and a spicy tonkatsu ramen. The noodles didn’t seem house made but was still good mixed in with the broth, spinach, mushrooms and chicken. I prefer my broth minus all the salt and msg and this place delivered.