Nojo Ramen Tavern

So the ramen here is just so heavenly. This is definitely one of the most memorable bowls of ramen I have had so far. I’m still drooling about it while writing this review. I see a lot of Unilocalers comparing this place to Mensho Tokyo and to be honest, I think this place is actually better than Mensho Tokyo. The prices are roughly the same but I find Nojo to be more unique with a better overall ambience. Nojo has great seating variety and a nice upscale feel to it. I came here with my boyfriend and I do have to mention that the servers were a big cockblock constantly sticking their heads between us, but at least they were sweet at first until they tried to kick us out later.
My boyfriend got the Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce Ramen and I got the Chicken Paitan Ramen. The Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce Ramen gets a lot of attention due to that huge chicken leg they throw in there. That chicken leg is DELICIOUS. The meat really just melts in your mouth and was absolutely amazing. It’s comparable to amazing chicken I have had in France. The soup is also very strong and bold and adds well to the dish.
However, my personal FAVORITE was actually the Chicken Paitan. The broth is nice and thick without being too rich and it’s just really packed with flavor. The broth reminds me of nice homemade chicken broth. Words can’t describe how good that broth was. The noodles here are also nicely fresh and chewy. I have no complaints about the food here. I hope to come back and try their gyozas as well!

The restaurant was horribly noisy with some loud ass group of Asian 20-​somethings who were probably on their way to the Disclosure show a few blocks away, who started off as a party of 4 but then hoardes and hoardes of their friends started showing up and taking over more and more of their tables without waiting on the waitlist like all of the other customers. Despite the annoyance of that group and the one girl in a red trench coat who was obnoxiously screaming so loudly that the whole restaurant could hear her, we finally got our seats and were greeted by prompt service to order our ramen right away as we were starving… or so we thought.
The ramen took quite a while to come out. and you could tell that they’re horribly understaffed. One more server could make a huge difference, but nope, instead, there is ramen that’s sitting out for a while before someone’s freed up to take it to a table.
The ramen itself was HEAVY. I mean like, it was so oily and heavy that I can’t drink all of the soup. and that’s something that’s never happened to me in my entire life. Yes, people in the Bay Area seem to only like fatty, oily broths, but this was done to an extreme. Though the ingredients from the noodles to the duck chicken leg to the yuzu zest in the paitan broth were clearly of high quality, I just couldn’t really enjoy the bowl here.

Good ramen, authentic flavor. No ridiculous line, even on weekends, unlike Mensho. The matcha ice cream sandwich was disappointingly small. Also, the portions aren’t necessarily worth the exorbitant price ($ 18 for ramen? Really?).

Delicious ramen that comes with a thicker broth. I always order the spicy miso and it never dissapoints. It doesn’t come with an egg, but I definitely feel like it is worth adding one to complete the ramen meal. The noodles are cooked al dente, just the way I like it. The broth is very flavorful and thick, but I couldn’t help drinking it with my noodles. Service is slower here to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, the servers are really firendly, it is just how long does it take to prepare 5 bowls of ramen? We must have waited half an hour for our noodles… We were starving and it only took us 10 minutes to devour our dinner. Nojo can definitely work on their efficiency to make the dining experience more enjoyable.

If I had to choose this place or Mensho, I would actually choose this place! Nojo and Mensho are pretty comparable with prices, but I feel like Nojo packed more flavor and ingredients. I had the chicken paitan soy sauce ramen and blackened garlic oil really made it. The whole braised chicken leg was tender and melted in my mouth. The dashi egg was cooked perfectly. The broth was rich but not overwhelming.
I heard this place gets busy, but we came at 5 PM on a Wednesday, and it was pretty empty. Better than waiting in line for Mensho for 2 hours. The people are friendly; everyone greets you with a smile and welcomes you hello and goodbye. The staff here seem happy.

Hipster ramen shop.
$ 15-​$ 18 for ramen? It better be made out of gold…
All ramen is chicken based. The soy sauce with half chicken thigh had the best broth. Spicy and dry ramen we’re horrible. Bad flavor, ground chicken with small portions for the price you’re paying… no thanks.
Gyoza that’s freshly made per order so it takes 20 minutes to cook– wish it wasn’t soggy…
All in all, save your money. There’s a reason they don’t have much of a line compared to other ranen shops in the city.

I’ve never been a fan of chicken ramen but this place definitely has changed my mind!
Specializing in «tori paitan» style ramen, which is chicken based. The broth here is lighter, smoother, and not as thick gravy like compared to Mensho, which I personally prefer. The tori paitan soy sauce is my favorite, with a bold flavor profile. The meat of the slow-​cooked chicken legs just falls of the bone! Their noodles are the thick round chewy type. The miso broth has a spicy kick it and the chicken paitan is quite light with a refreshing twinge of yuzu. Something for everyone!
Their appetizers are hit or miss. Tried the chicken nanban, which wasn’t quite crispy for being fried, but the spicy sauce was BOMB. We dipped our rice balls into it. The Nojo Salad was a refreshing mix of veggies and I loved the savory dressing that came on the side in the cutest tiniest mason mug.
This place doesn’t have a huge long ridiculous wait, perhaps 20 minutes tops on a Sunday evening. There is plenty of seating, both tables and bar. It has a modern hip vibe, perfect for a date I’d say.

Delicious ramen but definitely pricey. I like it a lot better than Mensho. I got the chicken tori ramen with chicken leg. The bowl was huge and the broth was super fatty and flavorful! I usually don’t like fatty broth but this is the first time I really enjoyed it! It wasn’t too salty and had very rich flavors.
The noodles were chewy and the chicken came off the bone easily. It’s a pretty big piece too, so meat eaters rejoice.
This is most likely the best chicken ramen I’ve ever had. Service was friendly but a bit slow. For example they forgot to give me water then kept forgetting to refill my cup even after I flagged someone. Still, I would love to come back and recommend stopping by if you’re in Hayes Valley. :)

Dinner review.
Hand crafted gyoza — ⁴⁄₅ — Good sauce
Chicken nanban fritters — ²⁄₅
Nikumaki rice ball (pork belly) with cheese — ³⁄₅
Chicken Paitan Tantan spicy miso — ³⁄₅
Chicken Paitan soy sauce — ³⁄₅
Noodles — ⁵⁄₅
Egg — ²⁄₅
Chicken legs– ⁴⁄₅
Other toppings — ⁴⁄₅
Overall, «I’m a fan.»

Worth the hype. Ramen is all about broth, and Nojo doesn’t disappoint — rich and full-​flavored. Both the original chicken paitan and the chicken paitan soy sauce were outstanding, the latter being additionally seasoned with blackened garlic oil. Beautifully presented.
Chicken Paitan: fluffy chicken tsukune meatballs, daikon sprouts, bamboo shoot, scallion, ginger, yuzu. The chicken tsukune indeed was «fluffy» and tasty, while the accoutrement added some lightness.
Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce: slow braised chicken leg, blackened garlic oil, nira, dashi egg, red onion, scallion, fish powder, fried gobo. A darker, bolder flavor, both with the garlic oil and the chicken leg.
Staff takes pride in their work and menu is brief and straightforward. Group seating available. Highly recommend!

Pleasantly surprised! It looks like paitan ramen is coming to SF and Nojo is a nice addition to Hayes Valley. I haven’t been to the famous Mensho yet so it’s hard for me to judge how good Nojo Ramen Tavern is but I really liked everything I had.
«Paitan» is «white broth» and it’s a lighter, yet still milky cousin of the popular tonkotsu broth. I find tonkotsu to be overwhelming at times so I really enjoyed paitan. The noodles are perfectly al dente and slightly thick as well.
We got the chicken paitan soy sauce ramen which is richer than the chicken paitan ramen and I really liked the garlic oil and the rich broth. The chicken thigh was cooked well and the onsen egg (addition) was a nice touch. The clear highlight of the meal was spicy chicken nanban, one of the juiciest chicken nanbans I’ve ever had! I highly recommend this dish. The gyoza is made to order and quite delicious as well.
The interior of Nojo is similar to their previous izakaya restaurant, but with the addition of the open kitchen where you can watch the chefs make the ramen, like a Tokyo ramen shop. The service is also very friendly and personable. The price point for ramen in SF has been ever rising… and Nojo is no exception. Although I hesitate to pay 16+ for ramen, I can’t fault Nojo for being the «norm» in this city, especially given their prime location.
I can’t wait to try Mensho, but Nojo is a great alternative!

Wow i am super impressed with their broth here, have never had such a rich chicken broth. Ordered the spicy tantan-​men miso ramen whilst waiting for a show to start at Rickshaw. This ramen is spicy! Beware u will be sweating.
The chicken broth seems smoother than tonkotsu, no little floating pieces of fat like with the pork soup.
Noodles — aldente 5 star
Broth — rich and spicy 5 star
Toppings — good! Could use more meat for price 4 stars
Price — mm 3.5 stars
Conclusion, def worth trying! All chicken broth, but as rich as tonkotsu. Server said it takes 3 days to make their broth.

I know, this is sort of a stretch to say but it is my favorite ramen spot in SF so far. I was a little hestitant on the chicken base for ramen but it was very rich like your classic pork base ramen. What really gets me though is the noodles. A+ for the thick delicious real Japanese style noodles. I could have a couple pounds of it alone!
At one point, I went here 3x in one week. I guess you can call me the noodle fanatic or just a fatty :) With that said, I’ve tried everything on the menu and the Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce ramen is a MUST. Definitely hefty on the price tag but so worth it. The other notable dish would be the spicy rice ball.

I was looking for a good place to have Ramen in SF during the weekend, so I decided to give a chance to this place «hot and new». The first impression was very positive, and it became even better when we got our food. We had Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce, Gyoza, Chicken Paitan Tomato and an awesome wine, Gundlach Bundschu. The ramen was delicious: creamy, rich and full of body.
Don’t expect to find the traditional ramen with pork broth, because they serve only chicken ramen made with chicken broth, and it is delicious. Definitely recommended.

Creamy, fragrant, yummy broth. So rich in texture and the flavor is amazing. I have no idea what spices are in there but I found orange rinds and I don’t know how it all works together but it DOES. Delicious chicken meatballs. Yes it’s a bit more costly than a typical bowl of ramen but I think it’s worth it. Better than the ramen spots I’ve been to in Los Angeles. If I’m ever in town I would come back.

I enjoyed this place when I came for the dinner the previous week before attending a San Francisco Ballet performance. The prices here are a few dollars higher than most ramen places, but I think it’s worthwhile since this gives me a new dining option that I like prior to attending performances at either Davies Hall or the War Memorial Opera House if I lack time for dinner elsewhere first. I ordered the spicy miso option and really enjoyed both the broth and noodle. Service was friendly too.

1. Check out Nojo Ramen Tavern’s website. This is the ultimate in food porn photography. Ponder the curious juxtaposition of people and critters on the About page.
2. Run to Nojo and order the chicken paitan soy sauce ramen pictured on their menu page. It’s like a duck confit and you’ll never miss the duck. The fried gobo was an excellent garnish.
3. If you’re a convalescent, order the chicken paitan ramen. While the chicken meatballs are delectable, the broth is best reserved for invalids. I belatedly discovered a small ball of grated ginger on a tiny raft of greens in my bowl. Briskly stirring the ginger in did season the broth a little. Perhaps ordering a ‘topping’ of a braised chicken leg is a requirement.
4. The nikumaki rice ball, wrapped in pork belly, was interesting, but not particularly robust.

Forgetting to put in an order and wasting an hour of your customer’s time, focusing your customer service on getting the customer to forgive you, and then not incenting the customer to give you another chance. I desperately wanted a new go to ramen place in the city — why did they have to fail so miserably?
Arrived around 9:30 after a nearby show. We were in a bit of a hurry, so we quickly ordered two bowls of ramen. About 30 minutes later, when another couple sat down next to us, we were puzzling why it took so long for a traditionally quick meal to be prepared, particularly on a relatively slow night. They ordered and then received their food inside of 15 minutes, and we flagged the waitress. Apparently she never put our order in, and then just wasn’t paying any attention to this one of her six tables. We asked to pay for our two beers (which they comped, after 4 – 5 minutes to deliberate), and left.
As we walked out, someone ran out to introduce himself and apologize, which was normal. We expected the standard, «please give us another chance» or what have you, but instead he kept on trying to re-​apologize in the hopes that we would tell him not to worry about it. Eventually, he misheard «well, it happened» as «it happens» then said that if we came in again *while he was there* he would «see if there was anything that [he] could do for us.» How much I am not overwhelmed.

So many new ramen places have opened in SF recently that I am sure every ramen lover in the city is on a quest to try them all.
Nojo serves solid ramen. Definitely pricey. Since I went to Mensho two days ago, my senses have been deadened a bit, and the sticker shock was less for me. Plus Nojo has a fancier atmosphere and serves sake. (Okay, that still doesn’t justify the price, and ramen is supposed to be fast food anyway.)
I enjoyed Nojo more. I could drink all of the broth in the chicken paitan soy sauce ramen ($ 18.50), whereas the broth at Mensho was too thick to do so. The ramen came with a whole chicken leg. The meat fell off the bone at the touch of chopsticks, which made it easy to eat without looking like a slob. The soft boiled egg and noodles were perfect.
I also tried the chicken paitan tan tan spicy miso ramen ($ 17). The fried gobo was an interesting touch. I didn’t like it as much as the soy sauce paitan, but my S.O., who typically prefers spicy noodle dishes, liked it more.
I also enjoyed Nojo’s appetizers. We had yuzu miso cucumbers ($ 6) and 2 nikumaki rice balls ($ 4.50, + $ 1 for spicy chile), rice balls wrapped in pork belly and lettuce. I want to try the one with cheese next time.
We walked in on a Saturday night and were told the wait would be 30 – 40 minutes, but I glanced around the restaurant and thought the server was sandbagging her estimates. Indeed, only a 20 minute wait.
Minor complaints:
— The pacing seemed off for a busy operation. We watched empty tables go unfilled for a long time while people were waiting. On the other hand, we were asked to order appetizers less than a minute after we sat down and received our menus.
— The sake prices didn’t list serving sizes and were a bit odd. A few sakes were «$ 12 /​$ 24 /​$ 60,» but one was «$ 9 /​$ 18 /​$ 48.» Inconsistent and confusing, no?
— One of our servers seemed super confused. We asked her what the «Nojo ‘takoyaki’ fries» were. First she told us they were just like takoyaki. Then she went to the kitchen, came back, and told us they were like fries. Huh? Did not order them.

The place is located near the civic area of city, so don’t be surprised of random characters. Other than the location, the place is pretty fancy and they know their ramen.
The noodles they used is their special blend that is manufactured by Sun Noodle from the East Coast. They work with several types of ramen restaurants they customize their own noodles which is awesome!
The food overall are on the pricy side but I think the the quality and service you get from here is spot on.
I had the Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce ($ 19), Chicken Nanban ($ 9) (similar to karaage), Hand-​crafted Gyoza ($ 10), and the lastly the Monaka Ice Cream Sandwich ($ 5). My buddy had the Chicken Paitan Tan-​Tan Spicy Miso in which he thought was pretty good.
The chicken paitan was heavy on the broth but that chicken leg basically fell off the bone. The chicken felt like it was a bit dry. The noodles I have to say was my favorite part because it has that chew you are looking for in ramen — awesome texture. The chicken nanban was crispy and had a lighter coating than regular karaage. The gyoza you can taste more of the filling because the wrapper is a bit more thinner. Lastly the black seasame ice cream sandwich is out of this world — tasted like vanilla with a seasame finisher.

Ordered the spicy chicken soboro. The broth was not that spicy, could’ve used a tad bit more spice and ground chicken. Overall the broth wasn’t heavy and the noodles cooked al dente.
Also ordered their version of chicken karage. Next time I would ask them to serve the sauce on the side. The gyoza was tasty and it was served with their house made dipping sauce.
Had the ice cream sandwich (with black sesame) for dessert and we were forewarned that it’s a bite sized scoop of ice cream. Could’ve eaten the entire sandwich on my own but at that point I was pretty stuffed.
The wait staff was attentive and friendly. Atmosphere and ambiance was nice. Overall my dining experience was well worth the 4 rating.
There were 2 of us and we got there on a Friday night around 6:00. By 6:45 the place was filled and a line had formed.

2.5 STARS
There’s always going to be that guy or that girl.
I’m going to be that girl — the black sheep. Seeing as how I’m the first one here who didn’t care for the ramen at Nojo Ramen Tavern.
As I feared, my experienced at Nojo Ramen Tavern mirrored my experience when they were previously an izakaya restaurant — mediocre and unjustifiably expensive. An extra $ 1.50 to add cilantro to your ramen?! WTF, that’s like a pizzeria charging customers for red pepper flakes. But, I digress.
My friend and I went to Nojo on a Sunday which has a limited menu: Small Bites ($ 4-​$ 12) — Edamame, Yuzu Cucumbers, Takoyaki Fries, Tuna Tartare, and Crab & Avocado Salad, Specialties ($ 4.50 — $ 12) — Chicken Nanban, Nikumaki Rice Ball, Teriyaki Bun + Rice Bowl, and Ramen ($ 15-​$ 18.50) — Chicken Paitan, Paitan Soy Sauce, Paitan Tomato, Paitan Spicy Miso, and Soboro Tossed Noodles. Additional toppings for ramen ($ 1.50-$ 7) include a chicken leg, tsukune, cheese, soft boiled egg, onsen egg and can’t forget about that $ 1.50 cilantro. Prices are high and portions are small. Beer, wine, shochu, and sake only. Their beer selection was disappointing — just one Japanese beer available (but a handful of local ones) and it was the standard Sapporo.
We started with the Nikumaki Rice Ball which was underwhelming and not worth the $ 4.50 price tag:
. A 2-​inch rice cylinder wrapped with a paper thin slice of pork belly and brushed with a sweet soy ginger sauce. It would of tasted much better if the pork belly actually had some texture.
The next shared app was that Nanban Chicken ($ 9.50) which was deliciously addicting:
! The fried nuggets of chicken (5 pieces) were very moist and flavorful. It was dipped in a soy vinaigrette that lightly softened the crisp exterior while adding a layer of savoryness. Loved the tartare sauce, similar to thousand island dressing with diced eggs. Gimme a bowl of steamed rice and I would have been a happy camper!
So…Nojo’s specialty is ramen, Tori Paitan to be exact which is like the chicken version of tonkotsu. Nojo and Mensho are the only ones in SF (that I know of) that serve Tori Paitan Ramen at $ 15-​$ 18 a bowl. The difference is Mensho is infinitely superior. Maybe if I hadn’t gone to Mensho two days prior, I would have liked Nojo’s ramen better?
I wanted to taste the Chicken Paitan ($ 15) in its unadulterated form so I ordered the plain version without soy sauce, spicy miso or tomato:
. It was boring and unsatisfying; like something I would eat if I had a cold or recovering from the Hershey squirts. The broth lacked depth and was one-​dimensional. The tsukune was fine, fluffy as stated and gingery. Noodles were al-​dente and springy. I added a soft-​boiled dashi egg (+$ 1.50) but it was just a plain boiled egg. I prefer a more runny, molten center.
My friend ordered the Spicy Chicken Soboro Tossed Noodles ($ 16):
. Upon arrival, the soboro looked fantastic with all the vibrant colors and that raw yolk! However, it was basically Sichuan Tan Tan Mein except at twice the price (didn’t see organic or free-​range ingredients listed on the menu). My friend ate several bites before giving up. She said, «the spice isn’t addicting so you don’t want to eat more and more». I took a bite and the spice was so overpowering (I love spicy) that you couldn’t taste the different components.
Service was polite and the staff was friendly. However, some training is needed as one staff took away our share plates while we were still working on one of our apps.
The minimalist and hip ambiance hasn’t changed much from when I went to the former Nojo five years ago. Good for a casual date, solo dining at the counter, or for larger groups (two communal tables). Most of the diners seem to be pre-​show goers and those who didn’t want to wait 3+ hours at Menso (there’s no wait at Nojo when we went).
Street parking is relatively easy especially on a non-​performance night.
Overall, the food was 3 stars but the prices are just too high. I have no qualms about paying $ 16-​$ 18 for a bowl of ramen but it has to be worth it; it’s not at Nojo. Plus, visiting Mensho beforehand totally ruined it for me as they’re just on a w-​h-​o-​l-​e other level. It’s like living the tech bro life driving a M4 and going back to driving your dad’s minivan after the tech bubble bursts.

Finally a good ramen place in the city!
I was REALLY disappointed to hear that they had run out of the Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce ramen because I wanted to try that chicken leg that people keep raving about. I’ll definitely be back for it, but I still ended up loving the meal!
Chicken Paitan Ramen ($ 15): Ended up ordering this instead, at the server’s recommendation. I LOVED the chicken base broth, which was very different from the typical pork broth. It had a very comforting homemade taste to it, like a chicken soup that an Asian mother would cook for their child when sick, except a thousand times more rich, while not being too heavy. The chicken meatballs were good, though not on the same level as the tasty broth. Added a soft-​boiled egg for an extra $ 1.50, and it was perfectly cooked :)
Chicken Paitan Tan-​Tan Spicy Miso ($ 17): My boyfriend ordered this, and we both enjoyed it. I don’t think the broth was as memorable as the Chicken Paitan, but it was still great. The cilantro gave a really good contrast to the spiciness & richness of the broth!
For the portions, I thought that the ramen was a bit on the pricy side, but the flavors didn’t disappoint. Plus the ramen noodles were nicely cooked, not mushy at all (which is a pet peeve of mine)!
Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce ramen, I’ll be back for you!

One of the top ramen places in the Bay Area by far. Also, Nojo is one of the most expensive places ever. You’re literally paying $ 18.50 for a bowl of a ramen with a chicken leg.
I tried the chicken-​flavored broth based on the waiter’s suggestion and let’s just say, it was a pretty damn good recommendation. Get it. It’s the Chicken Paitan Soy Ramen.
Temperature? Very hot.
Portion? Average, but filling.
Noodles? Deliciously chewy and cooked well.
Chicken? Very tender and juicy. The chicken was so tender that the meat fell off the bone.
Restaurant? Super clean and classy.
Waiter? Attentive and super-​friendly.
Overall, this restaurant was really good and I would not hesitate to recommend this place to anyone interested in trying out a new, trendy, but delicious ramen place!

Wasn’t expecting this place to be super good, but was very pleasantly surprised when I came here last night. I admit, I came here after seeing the horrendous more than 70 person line outside of Mensho before Mensho even opened. I didn’t want to wait 3 hrs but already had my heart set on ramen for dinner so I decided to come here.
Around 5:30pm, no wait and was greeted quickly by a friendly waitress. Chose to sit at the counter so we could witness the chefs at work. We ordered two small plates, two ramen, and a dessert to share.
FOOD/​DRINKS/​$
CHICKEN paitan ramen: favorite item of the meal, very good noodles (believe me, I have high standards for noodles bc Japan ruined noodles for me), rich (almost creamy, tsukemen-​like) broth, meatballs were very juicy yet delicate in flavor, slight hint of shiso/​preserved (?) lemon, $ 15
CHICKEN paitan soy sauce ramen: wanted to try this since so many people said the whole chicken leg is perfect; very good noodles, chicken leg was cooked well but I feel like it was a bit over cooked, tasty garlic oil and lots of green onions which I like, thick broth that is pretty rich but I’m not sure if I could tell if it was a chicken or pork broth. I think it would be better if some vinegar or fish broth was added to it to cut the richness, $ 18.5
KOMBU/​celery salad: very fresh and refreshing, lots of sesame oil flavor, $ 6
CILANTRObamboo shoots: fresh abs marinated, I enjoyed eating this mixed with the kombu/​celery, $ 6
MATCHADOODLE ice cream sandwich: Humphrey Solocombe ice cream was delicious and the wafers were very cute but super small (only 2 bites) for $ 5
ICED Green tea: cold served with ice, not much tea flavor, $ 4
ICED Jasmine tea: cold served with ice, not much tea flavor, $ 4
AMBIENCE/​DECOR
Pretty large space, modern décor, table and counter seating available, very comfortable, somewhat dimly lit, can see chefs at work if you sit at the counter. Unfortunately no hooks for jackets or purses under the counter
STAFF/​SERVICE
Friendly and got our orders correct, but a waitress almost brought over a dish that we didn’t order. I say almost because she asked us if we ordered it before placing it in front of us. Staff came by a couple times to check on how we were doing which was pretty attentive.
Being a person that is very critical of ramen (japan ruined it for me), this place is pretty good! The type of ramen is not the typical tonkotsu broth and yes, it’s pricey, but if you’ve been to other shops (not going name names) in the city that charges $ 12 – 16 per bowl (excluding Mensho since I have yet to try to compare), ramen here is better than those places and you’re eating at a nicer restaurant too. Definitely recommend the chicken paitan ramen, please mind that its pretty filling! The small plates I thought were good, but too overpriced for what they were/​amount. Don’t get the iced teas, get a beer instead!

3.5 Stars.
Was here for their «Soft Opening». So excited for new ramen places in San Francisco. I’m love RAMEN! The services was great. The servers were nice. Even the head chef came over to check up on us. It hurts me to give it 3 stars because I did like my experience.
I came here with a friend. We were seated right away on a Thursday night. We got lucky, last open table. We started out with a regular rice ball and their made to order gyoza. The gyoza was good, especially with their coconut dipping sauce. That was a good added touch but it was $ 10 for 4 pieces. Might be the most expensive gyozas I ever had. The rice ball was small but it was tasty.
As for Ramen, I got the spicy tan tan noodles. The broth was amazing, so much flavor. Not too spicy. But I feel like the ramen is missing some important ingredients. Doesn’t feel like a complete bowl of ramen. I did add a soft boil egg which makes my ramen $ 17.5. My friend got the soy sauce ramen. It comes with a big chicken leg and that was really good. Very soft and tender. I normally don’t like soy sauce ramen but their broth I actually like, a little heavier than other places. Very tasty. But his was 18.5 and with the add of an whole egg, his was $ 20. I think its pretty steep for a bowl of ramen. FYI, this ramen comes with a half egg.
Overall I think its pretty decent but I think its pretty expensive over all. Not one of my favorite ramens in the city but will definitely come back and try the other ramens on their menu.

Oh, I tried this spot for Sunday brunch about 3−½ years ago when Nojo was a more modestly priced izakaya. Coincidentally, I had a $ 12 bowl of ramen with a thinnish broth and two thick roulade slices of Grilled Confit Chicken but came away somewhat unimpressed. Still with the same name and the same chef, Greg Dunmore, but under different ownership, evidently a Japanese conglomerate, Nojo is now calling itself a «ramen tavern» (seriously) serving an «artisanal noodle and mall plate concept from Japan». Uh OK. Well, on a Thursday evening around 6PM. it was bustling mostly with young, hip Asians slurping with abandon.
Even though groups were waiting for tables, I got lucky and scored a counter seat. The menu does indeed focus on ramen but also offers some salads, seafood and sides including small plates that focus on umami flavors. I decided first to try the $ 5 Teriyaki Chicken Bun because frankly it was the cheapest food item on the menu. It was pretty good with plenty of poultry albeit a tad overcooked nestled on lettuce in a steamed bun. It was drizzled liberally with a house tartar sauce that reminded me more of Long John Silver’s Fish & Chips (photo:
). It was a tasty enough bar bite, but it won’t keep David Chang up at night.
Much more satisfying was the $ 8 Soy Milk Cream Cheese Crostini. The faux-​cream cheese was whipped into a light frenzy of flavor seasoned with Maddon salt. Dollops of this concoction were placed on four toasted mini-​baguette slices, drizzled with maple syrup, and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds and almonds (photo:
). Those were genuinely heavenly bites, so much so I couldn’t believe it was soy based. I think I should have ordered more. The main event came next, the $ 18.50 bowl of Chicken Paitan Soy Sauce Ramen. The paitan broth was an intentional substitute for my favorite, pork tonkotsu, and I liked it. The richness was definitely there as it was blended with blackened garlic oil and obviously soy sauce.
A slow-​braised chicken leg was the centerpiece instead of my usual pork belly, and it was accessorized with thick al dente noodles (they had excellent consistency, not chewy), a dashi egg, red onion, scallions, fish powder, nira (garlic chives) and fried gobo (burdock roots) (photo:
). It was genuinely delicious, but the portion struck me as skimpy for the exorbitant price. Something sweet was in order to end the meal, and I had a Japanese bit of a trifle, the $ 5 Monaka Ice Cream Sandwich with Matchadoodle-​flavored ice cream, Humphry Slocombe no less (photo:
). Tasty and gone in about three aggressive bites. I shall return… with my credit card.
FOOD — 4 stars… superb tasting paitan and creative crostini, just a bit pricier than I was expecting
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… still feels like the old Nojo, very modern and a bit loud
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… a bit rushed tough everyone was still getting into their rhythms since they are still in soft opening
TOTAL — 4 stars… a definite improvement over the other Nojo

Fantastic.
FYI this is only chicken paitan. I love my rich pork-​based ramen too but this is pretty great stuff.
I was surprised at how rich and creamy the broth was. I talked with one of the servers about this. It almost appears as though there’s cream in the broth it’s so rich, but that’s not the case.
The noodles are thick and chewy and perfectly cooked. Very impressive. My bowl had a hint of citrus from fresh yuzu zest. The bamboo was surprising. Not your normal long rectangles (which I think are often from a can). These are big pieces of fresh bamboo. The tomagos were brought on the side, but cooked well. They had soft, orange yolks. The bowl also had three good sized «Fluffy Tskune balls». I love tsukune and these were a good version to be put in a broth.
Side notes,
This is the same Nojo location as when they did yakitori, so it is small. I expect lines to start forming soon. Service is done with this open/​everyone takes care of everyone approach. You’ll have several different people bringing you food and talking to you. I felt well taken care of but some might find this odd. The only other dish we got was gyoza and they were also cooked perfectly.

Quite good!
Not for the ones that generally eat on the bland side. It’s packed with flavor and could be considered a tad salty.
Had the chicken soboro tossed noodles. They don’t make the noodles in house but they said from the noodles are from LA.
Their speciality is their gyozas that’s are made a la minute so it takes 20m because they are fresh. For me, it was too gingery but well seasoned. The chicken bun was ok as well.
They serve ramen that is chicken paitan based. It is on the pricier side ~ $ 16 – 18 for a bowl of noodles. But they are rich and flavorful. I tend to eat on the saltier side so this place was good for me. The noodles weren’t mushy which was nice. Definitely one of the better ramen places in SF.
It’s in the soft opening stages until next week. They also serve ice cream sandwiches using Humphry Slocombe or green tea crème brûlée for dessert.

Hate to give a three star to a awesome restaurant but what’s gonna get me everytime is the price. 18 dollars for a small bowl of ramen. albeit it has a big chicken wang in it. But I came here for ramen not chicken, so turn down that wang size and opt for bigger portions of noodles & broth.
On another note the broth is… a mixture between Jesus juice and elixir of the gods, dude. So creamy and thick and flavorful. My taste buds are still enveloped in it as I type.
Service is on point. Waiter was hilarious. And the spot was popping tonight with a good crowd.

Yum yum yum! Authentic ramen in the bay area at it’s very best. I love how this ramen joint uniquely serves a chicken based broth as oppose to the usual tonkotsu ramen. It is on the pricier side but hey, that chicken leg is sooo worth it! I highly recommend the spicy miso and chicken paitan soy sauce ramen. Their soup is creamy and very flavorful. You can defiitely tell it was cooked for 20+ hours with love and perfection. The noodles were fresh and cooked al dente. Dont forget to try their made to order gyozas! They have been open for almost two weeks and they have nailed everything. Their staff were very attentive and super nice.

This is my ramen destination from now on. They do not have any sushi, sashimi, or tradition Japanese dishes, just the ramen and small plates.
I love the creamy ramen broth.
Staff is very attentive with nice suggestions on food. We had Gyoza (the best Gyoza ever I have ever tried), Soy sauce ramen with a chicken leg… Yum yum yum!!!
See you again Nojo! I have to go back to try different types of your ramen.