Asuka Ramen

This was THE best ramen place in SF, IMO. Especially since I don’t eat Pork. Most ramen places are heavily pork based but this place had great chicken and miso options. The ramen noodles were on point, vegetables great, chicken as a meat option!, and a boiled egg. I’ve been to a few ramen places and, with my limitations, this place was def the best.
I never tired any of the other food so I am unable to speak about anything but the ramen. YOU WILL BE MISSED!

Long live Asuka!
Asuka was my boyfriend’s favorite restaurant that we’d come every week; maybe it was a bit extreme, but it was decent for what it was. The waitress, Mary, and waiter, Kevin, were always so friendly, nice, and treated us well. They were wonderful. Since we were regulars we’d get either edamame, gyoza, and/​or agedashi tofu on the house.
The food was decent but inconsistent. Dishes often tasted different the next week, and then it tasted the same the first time you tried it, and different the next time, but it was still good for what it was. Sometimes they would give you salad and soup, other times they did not.
I loved their golden garlic noodles, tenzaru, and shoyu ramen – they were comfort food to me. I can tell you that Asuka’s ramen tasted more authentic than Ajisen with their weird broths and psuedo ramen noodles, but possibly not as authentic as you’d want it to be.
You will be missed, Asuka, along with your ever-​so-​friendly waitresses and waiters! :)
BTW, the owners were Japanese. Mary told my boyfriend and I directly they were from Japan, and are going back, hence the reason they are closing. Yes, Asuka had a lot of Chinese-​based dishes, and yes, the cooks spoke Chinese, but it didn’t mean they were Chinese. Unless they were Chinese living in Japan? Either way – who cares?

Asuka Ramen is my favorite Japanese restaurant in San Francisco! The shoyu ramen is my favorite dish here, but I also often enjoy the yakibuta chahan and beef curry! The yakisoba and gyoza are also very tasty! My girlfriend usually prefers the golden garlic noodles and tenzaru soba! The unlimited cups of hot tea are always appreciated! Prices are very reasonable. Interior is bright and clean. Service is always welcoming, friendly, and attentive. Mahalo to Asuka Ramen for their years of excellent service in the neighborhood! You will be missed. =(

Another one for the «meh» pile and a damn shame since I have been hankering for a hidden ramen house that would surprise me with massive Momofuku-​level delights. No such luck to be found at Asuka Ramen for sure. It’s decent and serviceable enough but hardly the stuff of tampopo legend. It’s a glorified Japanese luncheonette for the locals since the diners who came in definitely looked like regulars who didn’t bother looking at their menus.
Jamie W. and I ordered a lot of food for a Saturday morning, but the main objective was ramen. I tried the $ 10 Ramen-​Gyoza Set, a one-​two punch that I tried to meat up with an extra «slice» of pork for $ 1.50 (see photos). The shoyu broth was not too salty, and the noodles were fresh, I think, but they were a tad on the rubbery side. And the pork slices looked strangely processed — disk-​shaped with grill marks but not really tasting grilled if you know what I mean. The gyoza tasted pretty standard. Jamie’s was the $ 6.50 bowl of the Miso Ramen with the regulation one slice of pork (see photo). He got more of the other ingredients you’d expect from a ramen bowl, and it was arguably more satisfying as a result.
Jamie went further and ordered the $ 8 Gomoku Yakisoba, which had the benefit of an appetizing photo in the window. In reality, it was like a sloppy chow mein with brown sauce (see photo). I like mine a lot crispier and slightly blackened, but it did come with a couple of shrimp, pork, chicken and bok choy. Amazingly, we had to pay for our Edamame ($ 3), a normal freebie but this time an overboiled, skin-​falling-​away version that made popping the beans out a major chore (see photo). Ugh, we ate too much. I hate when that happens with a middling meal and now we have to walk down Nob Hill without rolling over.
FOOD — 3 stars… kinda like the food my aunt would make after I came home from school and then I would sneak out for super tacos at Jack in the Box
AMBIANCE — 2.5 stars… very J-​Townie generic
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… attentive for sure
TOTAL — 3 stars… ok but probably not worth the trudge up Nob Hill if you don’t live there

I actually really like this place. I used live a block away so I would go here with by hubby (back when we were just dating) all the time. We used to go so often that the waitresses knew us even when we bumped into them on the streets. Thus the kick-​ass friendly service we received whenever we went there.
I’ll be honest, their food isn’t exceptional, but neither does it fall short and flat on its face. The ramen is good and so is the broth. The prices are decent and the servings are generous.
Over all, I recommend this place if you are near by and looking for good affordable ramen. With that said, their ramen isn’t one you’d trek across san francisco for.

This is the cutest little place. My friend Andy, who took this trip to get me to try new things, loves it for their ramen. I tried his, but decided on tekka rolls [I’m a sucker for raw fish].
So I had a spicy tuna roll which was *incredibly* spicy but in all the right ways. And I had a honey walnut shrimp that was a special and it was perfectly crispy and sweet.
Service was great — complimentary hot tea too! It’s a small place, but not too small. I can see why Andy likes it. :)

Asuka is my favorite cheap afterwork dinner place, friendly service, good food, tuna poke for 6.50, just great little spot. Also very generous, I’ve gotten some apps on the house.
Love the eggplant and hot dishes, but don’t expect wide variety of sushi.

Decent ramen, cheap prices.
Between our table we ordered the miso ramen, shoyu ramen, tonkatsu ramen, katsu, poke salad, and vegetarian curry. Everyone liked their food but nothing stood out. The tonkatsu ramen could have a richer broth, but the noodles were good. And hey, if you’re paying over $ 1000 on rent, a cheap $ 6.50 bowl of ramen helps your wallet out a little!
Attentive service and very nice about splitting the check – you can go up to the front and tell them what items to charge on each card phở restaurant style.

I’ll say it again… I’m definitely not a Ramen-​guy!
I was driving around and saw a «huge» sign having a «Happy Hour» Ramen special from 5pm-​6pm in front of this tiny restaurant. I can even read the huge writings on the board on the sidewalk: even without my contact lenses.
And being at 5:30pm, I ordered one of the specials: the Tonkatsu Ramen. Regularly cost $ 7.50 but $ 5.00 during the happy hour special, the bowl of soup contains a slice of grilled pork, a slice of hard-​boiled egg, sliced kamaboko and thick ramen noodle in a thick slowly cooked white broth.
For a guy who rarely eats ramen, I actually like the tasty broth combine with the thick noodle to make a very hearty meal. The slice of pork was grilled nicely with the spice of the meat add more flavor.
My ramen:
One of the very few times, I don’t need to spend much $$$ on a meal. I might come here again and try other foods from here!

It’s neither authentic nor particularly delicious, but on a cool night after a six hour, food-​free flight from NYC, Asuka ramen didn’t seem like such a bad spot to duck into for a late dinner. We got in there around 9:25 p.m., five minutes before closing, but the really nice folks who ran the restaurant sat us down and fed us anyway. Unfortunately, the food wasn’t very good.
We had the tonkatsu ramen (with boneless pork chop, one hard boiled egg, kelp and one slice of pink and white swirl fish «cake»), tantan men (spicy chili miso flavored noodle soup with ground pork, bean sprout) and beef curry. The beef curry was the best of the bunch, with potatoes and onions melted into the curry by dint of long cooking. The curry had too much corn starch as thickener, so beef flavors were diluted. But it was likable and reminded me of the curries my dad used to make for me when I was a kid… except with a bit more water and corn starch added.
The ramen dishes, on the other hand, tasted irredeemably washed out. (I’m not sure if part of this was because we’d come so late in the evening that they had to water down the broth to extend it, or whether it is watered down all the time.) Tonkatsu broth was slightly better than the other, but it was still a far cry from the thick, rich broth that distinguishes a bowl of truly good ramen from the Top Ramen packets you can buy at Rite Aid. The tantan men was hardly edible and tasted of spice, salt and grease, but little else. You could see bits of ground meat in the bowl, but you couldn’t actually taste it.
On the bright side, the pork chop in the tonkatsu was nice and tender and the noodles in both ramens were cooked just the way I like it for ramen: a little bit softer than what Italians call al dente, but not to the point of mushiness.
The service was very nice, which always makes it hard to give two stars. But sadly, that’s all the food really merits.

General Cons: for something with Ramen in the name, don’t expect ramen. I think a better description would be –
Asuka Asian-​style-​noodle-​soup-​that-​tastes-​pretty-​Chinesey, actually.
General Pros: good service, tasty tea, variety
I tried the Miso Ramen and it tasted more like unpleasant vegetable Sho-​yu than Miso and tasted more like generic noodle soup than ramen. The tonkotsu tasted like it had been cooked for a long time and was quite tasty.
But get this, they also have jajian mien, mabo tofu, curry and a whole buncha other stuff I don’t see much of on other menus.
Also, $ 5 bowl of noodles during happy hour.
If i go back and try the other stuff, I’ll update you.

I see the naysayers reviews and yes it’s a matter of opinion but I ask you this: Have you tried the tantanmen yet? The most flavorful, aromatic, guilt ridden bowl of pork fat, sesame oil, chili and noodles ever thought up by the Japanese. I came in tonight after weeks of dreaming and scheming ways to find my way up here. I usually start work before they open and leave work after they close so on my day off I jumped at the chance to finally get my fix on.
Once again, I had to trudge up the hill but this time it was like I was on a stairmaster and on a mission. I came prepared this time and even got a running start once the hills starting getting ugly. The thought of the delicious hot fatty soup was enough to get me going like a freight train. I am no super model and like I said, I’m a curvy little girl from the Midwest but even at 9 p.m. that bowl of pork gelatin was calling out to me. It’s worth killing any diet.
I brought my sister this time to try out the ramen and she ended up going with the chicken kasu curry instead which is fine ’cause once she saw the hunks of fat shaped like a small hill in the center of the bowl, I could see she made the right choice for her. I enjoy my ramen nice and spicy which is exactly how they made it for me. The noodles are never too chewy or mushy and the intense flavor the miso broth always blows me away.
I wish I could eat this everyday and not gain a single ounce but alas, I’m nowhere near as lucky as I should be. At least I can come often enough to consider this a treat.

Seriously, I don’t see what the hype is all about. Yes, the chefs are Japanese, but for some reason the food didn’t stand out for me. I ordered a simple, cold soba with tempura, and my boyfriend ordered the spicy ramen noodles.
The flavor was more Chinese than what I’m used to when I’ve been to Japanese ramen houses in Southern California around the West L. A/​Gardena/​Torrance areas.
Maybe it was just a bad night…

I’ve been here a handful of times. The ramen is really good and they come in huge bowls of warm comfort. This time I tried the gyoza and Asuka salad, and had my usual Agedashi tofu.
The salad is nothing special, just shredded red cabbage mixed with cilantro and chopped walnuts. The salad comes with a wasabi-​yuzu vinaigrette, much like a miso dressing that my friend swears it can be bought at Costco or any Asian grocery store. (
)
The gyozas were typical served with soy-​vinegar sauce. They appear to be smaller than the ones I’ve seen and eaten elsewhere.
However, my favorite item to have at Asuka Ramen is the Agedashi Tofu. (
) If you like tofu, you’ll like Agedashi tofu at Asuka. I love that they use the soft tofu quickly fried to make these lovely hot rectangles of yumminess. The tofu rectangles, soft on the inside but has a thin crispy layer on the outside, were bathing in a hot broth, topped with bonito shavings and chopped green onions.
I always eat the entire bowl by myself. YUMMY!!!

It’s hard to talk about ramen in this part of town without mentioning Katana-​Ya. Asuka has disappointingly early hours, but the ramen and non-​ramen options are more diverse and just taste better! I guess the question then becomes whether you’d want to eat ramen at a proper dinner time while relatively sober?
Tonkotsu Ramen: Though far from Halal or Kosher, this pork bone broth is always a treat to find due to its richness. The two slices of roast pork were tender with an amazingly tasty marinated skin. Wish there was more, guess that’s why more is offered on the menu as an upgrade… The one fish cake and half hard boiled egg were standard, though also in short supply. The bamboo shots tasted slightly pickled which added good personality compared to the blander versions. The noodles were not the convenience store block kind; tender though a bit stuck together.
Burmese Garlic Noodles: These confused me. Thin strips of roast pork, scallions and a spaghetti like noodle. A bland, garlicky broth is served on the side. It reminded me of those dipping ramens you sometimes find, but I could not figure out what this dish had to do with Burma. It was pretty much «Ramen Deconstructed»; best to stick with the real deal.

4 stars for never having an empty cup of tea. And I drank a lot of tea.
Came here on a Thursday night (that’s tonight) for a late dinner with a «friend» since we were around the area… first Ramen experience for «friend», first ramen experience in SF for me.
«Friend» got the non-​soy sauce ramen (C3), I got the miso ramen.
Hmmm… «friend» enjoyed it, but as a direct comparison to phở, she enjoyed the phở… strange, b/​c she is of the non-​asian descent. But whatevs. The miso ramen was tasty. It included a huge piece chasu (sp?).
Reasonably priced ($ 6.50-$ 8.50/bowl). For those seeking rice dishes, non-​soup ramen… they’ve got that too.
If I was craving ramen… I’d come back. Because I know I’d always have tea in my cup.

I decided to make the long trek from my work to Asuka for lunch. The restaurant wasn’t very busy shortly before 1 PM when I arrived. I was greeted as soon as I walked in, and I took a seat at the small table next to the door. The table top which looked clean had a sticky feel on its surface.
I concentrated only on the ramen dishes on the menu. There are some faded and discolored photos of various menu items displayed inside to help you with your selection. The ice water was brought automatically, and I ordered a Coke to quench my thirst and a Miso Ramen. The wait for the ramen seemed a bit longer here than what I’m used to, but it was a slow day at my work and I wasn’t in much of a hurry.
I dug right in when the ramen arrived. The soup while nicely seasoned lacked any significant miso flavor. The portion of thin wiry noodles was generous and cooked to a perfect texture. Bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, two slices of fish cake, two halves of a hard boiled egg and a single slice of roast pork sat on top of the noodles. You can order additional pork for $ 1.50, but I was glad I didn’t. The pork was overly salted, dry and chewy. When I bit into the first egg half I found it to be just lukewarm in the middle. Other than that though I enjoyed the rest of the ramen bowl.

Came here with a friend a couple of weeks ago for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. The menu prices seem to have dropped because of the economy. My ramen was less than $ 7! wow! The broth was good but not super memorable. They also didn’t have the soft cooked egg that I always look for and crave.
But here’s the upside… this place gets an extra star because you can tell them how you want your noodles cooked, soft/​hard/​chewier… the texture of the noodles are very good and cooked the way you like it. Yums!
They also have pretty good fried rice and gyoza. Definitely a must try because it’s a great deal for the quality! :)

I ordered the Shoyu Ramen while my friend ordered the Miso Ramen. For some reason he had more stuff in his. Both of ours were $ 6.50. I wish they gave more ramen but I guess it was enough.
The guy who worked there seemed really hard working but was slightly annoying. He sat this lady next to us. My friend and I were sitting at a 4 person table. There were like 4 other tables available and he sat her next to us. ???
When we asked for the check he placed the check by my friend, who is a guy. That was highly assumptive. What makes him think my friend is going to pay for lunch? Just because he is a guy and I am a girl?
Katana-​ya is probably a better place for ramen but they are more pricy and has a longer wait. The service overall is better here.

Until I try similar ramen places to compare, this is getting four stars.
Had the healthy-​looking Champon ramen (
) each time since it’s good (
). The edamame is a standard as well. The agedashi tofu (lightly coated fried tofu) was good one time, only okay at another time. And the sake and beers always meet expectations.