Tajima Ramen Hillcrest

These guys seem to be doing a pretty solid job here with their Ramen and overall vibe.
It’s a swanky little Ramen place located in the heart of Hillcrest. Everything was kept up, clean, service was on point and the Ramen was good.
Not a bad little place to possibly take a date if they like Ramen or if they are little adventurous.
Personally I do prefer a few spots a little better such as Ramen Yamadaya in Downtown.
I have tried a few of Tajimas locations and I think they are good serving a solid bowl of Ramen and they do have some of the best spicy garlic Edamame! It was really good, I highly recommend it.
So all in all I say this place is a good option. Since Ramen seems to be my new addiction I will be systematically finding all the best spots. That said I think this is a good option, maybe not the best, but probably worth your trip.
Happy eating!

Visited twice during Unilocal Spring Break for their vegan ramen. Two very different experiences, so I’m averaging here.
Experience #1: Seated in a reasonable amount of time with a group of friends. 90s R&B jams bumping. Late nite happy hour beers and sake flowing. Ramen amazing. Staff super friendly and attentive.
Experience #2: Another late night visit, same weekend. Same staff but now snotty attitudes. What happened?! Lots of waiting even though they had plenty of open spaces at the communal table and the bar. All the unnecessary waiting made us miss happy hour by three minutes. More attitude from grumpy servers. Ramen wasn’t as hot the second time either. Flavor was still great though.
Next time I’m in SD I’ll be taking my ramen business to Underbelly unless I happen to be starving in this neighborhood.

Amazing ramen. I got the Tajima and my boyfriend got the curry ramen. The broth is super delicious and the pork is tender and melts in your mouth. I couldn’t stop slurping my broth even after finishing all the noodles and toppings.
I docked off a point because the portions aren’t as big as I liked. I don’t have a huge appetite and usually a bowl of ramen sets me back into a food coma, but here I had to order a chicken chashu rice bowl after finishing my ramen. The bowl was quite small and just enough to get me full. It wasn’t anything special though. Come here for the ramen.

I usually eat ramen alone and hang over my bowl like I’m guarding my kill. Saying that, I usually sit at the bar and I get served pretty quickly and have great service at all of the locations I have been to. My only problem with Tajima is the horrible parking at most of their locations.
This was my first visit to this location and it was great. The staff was attentive, quick, and friendly. Nicely decorated and super clean. Decent music. It’s a little small, so if you have more than a few people be prepared to wait. I was lucky and got one of the last two seats at the bar by the kitchen. I already knew that I wanted the Tajima Ramen with the pork so I ordered that and a hot green tea. I watched my bowl being made and when I received it I breathed deep… ahhhhh. Ramen.
The broth seemed extra rich this visit. Awesome. It also seemed like I got more toppings at this location. Lots of garlic, and big chunks of pork. I drained the bowl. I was so satisfied I felt like I needed a cigarette after.

So-​o good. Ramen piping hot and draft beer icy cold. Really friendly service. The tonkatsu ramen is flavorful and the spicy tuna bowl reminds me of pâté. Parking is a challenge. Don’t park in the lot next to it; you will get towed. Love the décor and the bench with the chairs adjust so your little ones can sit as close to the table as they want. Not a lot of places to sit so make sure to come early. Would love to come to happy hour 10 pm-​2 am for the $ 2 beer. Kids loved the kaarage (fried chicken) and the ramen. Prices are reasonable.
No dessert, but you’re in the heart of hill crest, so you can walk around and try all the restaurants in the area. Have fun!

As my San Diego weekend trip continued on May 14^th, 2016, I decided to have a solo dinner for me by heading to this interesting Ramen restaurant located at the Hillcrest neighborhood. «Tajima Ramen Hillcrest» is the name brings the customers to experience their delicious Ramen and other Japanese creations all day and night long. As I entered their doors since 9 PM, the atmosphere was quite busy and on-​going here. The concept is much modern mixing Japanese and contemporary American all in one, yet it’s quite small here compared Shoki Ramen House in Sacramento.
The service is doing a fine job for the customers including myself too. Despite the busiest Saturday night environment, I did have no problems at all after waiting for my Ramen order 15 –20 minutes later. I wish the customer’s orders need to speed it up next time, and I also hoped this place will ease up the population visit this time.
Now onto the food! I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen which it contains Tonkotsu soup with a seaweed, half-​sliced egg, pork chashu, green onions and sesame seeds. I did added corn as an optional add-​on topping for my Ramen too. As I ate it, it tasted very good! I did feel the flavors of the sliced pork chasu which it gives the perfect balance. The soup base was alright for me which it’s closely bland for that flavor in my opinion. Otherwise, no issues here especially the rest of the toppings too. Simply a fine meal to conclude my Saturday night.
Parking at Tajima Ramen Hillcrest can be challenging to park. You can park at the nearest surface street parking if it’s available. Otherwise, you can also ride a bike, walk, or use public transportation easier without the hassles.
In the end, Tajima Ramen at the Hillcrest neighborhood is a good Japanese Ramen restaurant that I’ve ever experienced to try their remarkable delish noodles! Perfect for late night dining with your friends! A well, worthy experience. My rating: 4 solid stars.

Wow didn’t know they had this location! Came here on a Friday night after going to a concert. The wait wasn’t that bad. We needed a table for 3 but there was bar seating so we got seated quick. We ordered the karaage and german potatoes to start. Then we ordered the Tajima ramen which was delicious!!! It totally hit the spot after a good night out. Service was good and food was amazing. So glad this spot is open late!

As we neared Tajima, we saw a man sitting on the bench outside, talking loudly and gesticulating wildly to someone only he could see. Hmm, concerning.
We go inside to put our names down, and wait inside, near the doorway, thinking nothing of it. The host comes over, informing us (party of two) that the manager said we are not allowed to wait in the doorway. We politely let the host know that there is a man sitting on their bench, just outside of their establishment, whom is exhibiting concerning and volatile behavior. Host peeks out the door and sees said gesticulating man. The party nearest the door speak up, stating that they don’t mind us standing at the doorway, sort of near them. (Thank you!)
The host seems conflicted, understandably so, because he had orders from his manager telling us to wait outside, but it didn’t seem safe outside. The host finally says he’ll talk to the manager. It was at this point that two seats at the window opened up, and we decided to sit there and wait — so as to not be in anyone’s way. The kind host comes back and tells us it’s okay that we sit there and clears the table. Phew!
We ordered the takoyaki and two Tajima ramen. Takoyaki came out in a reasonable amount of time, and was okay. My usual complaint for takoyaki is how little octopus there is compared to the batter, and this complaint applied to Tajima’s takoyaki.
There seemed to be a long, long wait for the ramen, and when it came out, it was just okay. The tonkotsu broth was okay. There were maybe two pieces of chicken chashu, one piece of dry (over cooked) pork belly, and half of a hard boiled egg. Hard boiled egg, you ask? Yes. Hard boiled. Not the traditional, delicious, soft boiled eggs that are usually seen in ramen. The yolk was not runny nor custard-​like :(Halfway through our meal, our waitress came and offered us complimentary tempura brussel sprouts. Those were novel and tasty, but not enough to make me want to come back.
For two bowls of ramen, one beer, and some takoyaki, the damage was about $ 33, not including tip.

My boyfriend and I went here during Unilocal Spring Break when the last event left us hungry and we needed some food before driving back home. I had seen many fellow Unilocalers check in here over the weekend, and it was nearby, and it was a cloudy and cold night, so we decided some ramen would be the right choice to warm us up.
The place is very small and there is only street parking. If there is a wait, you write your name down on a clip board and wait to be called for seating. What I did not like was that you had to wait outside… even if there is rain. It was cold, dark, and sprinkling and we had to wait outside… there was a couple that came in after with a baby in a stroller and they still had to wait outside.
When we finally seated, I chose to sit at the bar. You may be offered to sit at a shared table also. I ordered the Tijima Ramen, which was the second ramen in the menu. You can order your ramen with thick or thin noodles. Thin noodles are the traditional ramen noodles. I ordered mine with thin, and the boyfriend ordered his with thick noodles. The ramen came out piping hot, but it did take forever, and I mean forever to come out! From when we first arrived to when the food first came out, it was one hour! The ramen was pretty good, but personally I do not think it was worth the long wait. It came with various types of pork, half an egg, dried onions, and a piece of dried seaweed for $ 10.50. Initially, the broth seemed tasty, but after several sips, it seem like the saltiness really caught up. The day before, I was at Underbelly which seemed to have much better flavor and less salty.
I’m glad I tried this place… but I don’t think I would go out of my way to try this place again. The service was just way too slow and the broth became very salty after several sips.

Stopped by here with a small group of friends after a fun and long day and was glad. I got to relax and rest my feet!

The hours of this place is great! They are open until 3am on the weekends which can sure come in handy!
I ordered $ 1 hot sake and wow was it good! It was powerful and tasty at the same time which is what’s up! I also ordered some deep fried chicken which was battered with saki and and fried to perfection. It was juicy and flavorful!
The staff was really nice and on top of things even when we asked them to turn the music up and they had no problem with it.
The only reason I deducted a sea was because the bathroom was not the best by far. They definately need to do some «updates» in there.
If I am in the area I will be back for sure though !

Love that Tajima is open until 3am on the weekends a big plus in my book.
I stopped by here with a few friends after bar bar hoping though the day and evening, need something tasty.
We get there and are greeted immediately and seated. It’s pretty small inside it to mention busy.
I ordered the vegan ramen. It was so good. I’m not a big Ramen fan but this place nailed it. During late night they have a happy hour beer and Sake selection. $ 1 sake and beers starting at $ 2 well worth it.
Service was excellent food came out in a timely manner and was pipping hot. Just how I like it.
The Ramen prices range from $ 8-​$ 10.50 not bad and the portions are huge I had plenty of leftover the following day.
I’m glad I came here and would definitely patronize there business again! :)

Happy! Happy! Happy! I’ve got my Ramen fixing… When your from an island that has all mix of Flavors and going to somewhere where it’s hard to find that exact craving that you totally miss becomes really depressing! Lol…
I love my noodles, I love my broth especially when it’s been marinating for over 24 hrs it’s my Faaaavvoorriite! Lol. Having to come to San Diego for the very first time I was really excited. Sooo much diversity going on with a whole lot of mixture of ethnicity I felt right at home! Lol…
We had a long day of touring the Oceanside that I was hungry looking for some good ramen places and I found it! Right here in Hillcrest! We were very happy and much satisfied with their noodles, broth, atmosphere, customer service, and their food was sooo good!
Granted it’s not Oahu or Lucky Belly! But, it was very very satisfying and I was very happy we went to our vacation rental and had a peaceful n comforting night!
Yummy now only if I can find this in Arizona now! Lol… Ohhhh boy

2^nd time here. Came here after a night out since this location is open late and closest from downtown.
Pros:
–same great quality as their 2 other locations
–nice ambiance
–ramen
–open late
Cons:
–parking (street or pay at lot)
–expect to wait during peak lunch/​dinner hours
–limited menu

This place is not bad.
I’ve been going to the Tajima location in Convoy for years, and it was my first time trying this location yesterday.
I came here with Maridel A. last night around 10:30 — 10:40pm, we decided to come here because it’s one of the few restaurants open that late. We were told that the kitchen was closed already even though the restaurant is supposed to be open until 11pm. Kinda bummed that we couldn’t eat there but whatever. The girl who works there told us that we could order take out if we wanted.
What I ordered:
Curry Ramen w/​Fat Noodles $ 9– Usually get this at the Convoy location, I was a bit disappointed that they didn’t have cheese has a topping option here in Hillcrest. It’s my favorite thing to get at the Convoy Tajima.
Takoyaki (Octopus Balls) $ 5– SO FREAKING GOOD! This Takoyaki tastes way better than the food vendor that was at the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival at Balboa Park this year. I don’t really find Takoyaki at a lot of Japanese restaurants (or maybe I haven’t really been looking for it). This was so delicious and cheap! Only 5 bucks! I wish I got 2 orders of it.
Mexican Coke– THEY HAVE IT HERE! So random for a Japanese restaurant lol
The Filipina girl who works there is super sweet and friendly! She made ordering very easy and our order came fast! Thanks girl!

#49 review for 2016 Unilocal 100 Challenge
After reading about the background of Tajima, I was happy to find out it is Japanese owned. It’s always a plus, at least for me, knowing that it is. The authenticity of it all amuses me. What can I say…
Their tonkotsu base is definitely one of the best Ive ever had. It is rich and savory. Its GOOD! Ramen was perfectly cooked, al dente. What more could I ask for? Their side gyoza was a perfect pairing, as always.
It is definitely a small place like most ramen houses but it is very modernize. For a Monday night, our wait time was about 30 minutes. We waited and it was well worth it.
Our waiter was, Arie. He was such a sweetheart. Attentive, courteous, and pleasant.
Would I return? Hells ya!

Their menu is a LIE. The «vegetarian» icon does not represent vegetarian food items. Beware.
My boyfriend and I ordered the vegan ramen and the kimchi fried rice. We asked if it was vegan, since fried rice can sometimes have egg in it. They asked if I was a vegan or just a vegetarian. I said vegan.
The waiter didn’t know, so he asked a lady who was counting the receipts sitting next to us at the bar area.
«Oh, well, there’s shellfish in it, so it’s not completely vegan, but it’s definitely vegetarian.»
I said «Wait, shellfish isn’t vegetarian.»
Her response: «Well, some vegetarians eat shellfish.»
As a former vegetarian, this made me angry. «No, not all vegetarians do.»
The girl was pretty rude. «Well, some do.» She seemed adamant about it.
Tajima — I’m very upset that you are feeding vegetarians shellfish without their knowledge or consent. That is disgusting, and I urge you to change your menu ASAP before you trick anyone else.
Bye Felicia!

Wow, this was a great place to have ramen!
Takoyaki was pretty good but a bit more on the doughy side. I’ve had better but this was actually quite good.
I had the Tajima Ramen, which comes with pork belly that is grilled, and a sweet soft-​boiled egg I suspect has been injected with soy sauce because that was damn tasty and perfect. Our bowl came with garlic chips and also chive and bean sprouts with wok heat– the latter being my new favorite items in a bowl of ramen since I had it in Japan and it was done wonderfully. This was done pretty close to the one I had in Japan so I am impressed already.
Now the broth was EXCELLENT. It was so rich and flavorful that I drank most of it. The only issue were the noodles– my friend and I got the thick ones and another friend got the thin. The thick ones were soft whereas the thin ones were fine. Also, I had more little pieces of ramen instead of the long noodles. My friend who got the thick noodles as well had longer pieces so I think I got the bottom of the barrel and all the loose end pieces of the noodles. The noodles themselves and the length plays a huge role in a bowl of ramen, so I was pretty sad about that. It was like made kid-​friendly bite-​sized for me.
Anyway, aside from that, service was great and they were very quick with the food. A great place to get some ramen.

This is our fave Ramen noodles spot in SD. We tried other Tajima location but parking and waiting in line sucks. We always got lucky here we just park at RiteAid, pay and cross the street.
Our favorites are the Tonkotsu and Tajima ramen with fatty noodles and I always add extra toppings corn and Pork! Hmm yumminess !!! We also love the appetizers edamame and karaage. Hubby’s fave the spicy tuna bowl and Kimchi-​health benefits;) but they also have variety of appetizers and great selection of beers. Good CS friendly staff! I’m literally hungry while writing this review. Lol! Highly recommended. #Nomnomnom (*~*)

On my last review, I kept it short and simple mainly due to laziness but I recently revisited this place last night and fell in love all over again! Finally took my hubby here after telling him about it for months. We went around 7 or 8pm and it surprisingly wasn’t too crowded. They still have the same great atmosphere and their music selection that night was pretty great too! I’m talking early 2000s R&B and pop. Talk about nostalgia.
Anyways, we ordered the kakuni bun which was pork and oh so yummy. I also got the curry Ramen which was extremely flavorful and definitely recommend! My hubby got their spicy sesame Ramen which was good too but I think mine won the taste factor out of the two. :p
This restaurant still holds the medal for best Ramen in San Diego for me.

I prefer the other locations. :(
We arrived and there were no seats available so we were given the option to sit by the bar area closer to the restroom side. Not sure where that sewer smell was coming from but it sure wasn’t coming from the restroom because the restroom didn’t have that smell. Maybe it was old beer lingering around that spilt. IDK. :(
Anyways, we asked to move and waited to sit on the communal table. We noticed that there were 3 seats and asked if we could sit at the end but they insisted that there were only 2 available. Finally, the servers realized that we were right and there were indeed 3 seats available so we sat down.
The tables unfortunately were not clean good and when I grabbed the seat to sit it had liquid on it. It was UNDER the seat and the table too had soy sauce underneath. I couldn’t understand as I didn’t see the sauces leaking or anything. Lastly, we asked for water twice and the servers finally served it to us.
Other than that, the ramen was good as usual.