Kotetsu

Quality going down hill, same with service.
Solid bowl of ramen but the broth doesn’t pack as much flavor as it used to.
Yo, young thug Asian guy with piercings who works here. You work in the restaurant service industry. Wouldn’t kill you to be nice to customers.
Went back recently and regretted it. The bowl of ramen made me sad. Noodles were still thick and chewy though. But I rather stand in line at Santouka for their ramen than here.

Kotetsu is a great place to grab ramen in the South Bay area!
I’m really glad I found a place that serves a vegetable option for all you vegetarians out there! Their vegetable ramen is still very delicious and not bland at all. The noodles and broth were still on point compared to their regular pork ramen. Don’t let the small bowl fool you, because you will be left stuffed! It’s a shame that they don’t include the egg for the vegetable ramen like the others, and they will charge you $ 1 for it. Also, another $ 1 to make your ramen spicy.
Oh, and the prices went up a few dollars per bowl, but it’s still one of the better places to grab a hearty bowl of ramen.

A saner option for ramen in the 408. There is no 2 hrs wait like the other ramen place in Santa Clara. I like their noodles, a bit on the al dente side. The egg is good, albeit it is not as visually stunning as the one at the other ramen place. The broth is fatty and flavorul, unless you request a lighter version. In and out in under an hour, I am a happy camper when I get my ramen fix here.

Came in on a Saturday evening around 730pm. Wait was about 15min.
Other than the amount of people there were the other thing I noticed was the music, straight up edm, nothing wrong with it I’m actually a fan but eating to edm makes me want to eat faster. Not sure why probably because of the beat. I can understand if this were a bar
Got seated and ordered one chashu ramen w/​corn & one all star ramen, both kuro style. Food took about 10min to get to our table after ordering.
All in all food was delicious but my boyfriend and I both agreed there should’ve been a larger option because we felt like it wasn’t enough. But nonetheless both ramen were seasoned perfectly.

Lunch is only open for 2 hours, so you better get there quick! There is a line, but it wasn’t so bad when I was there. Most people come in pairs. I was here in a group of 5 before and that took a long time. We had to wait for one of the booths to open to be seated instead of combining smaller tables together.
The menu is pretty simple. There are two main types of ramen soups: soy sauce (kuro, which means black) or sea salt (shiro, which means white). Each comes with light or regular version. In the light version, there is less fat in the broth and thinner noodles. I chose regular soy sauce ramen. The broth literally had fat clunks floating around. My friend ordered the shiro light ramen (no fat). The shiro ramen is definitely saltier than kuro. The egg was perfection. :)
Overall, the ramen is good. I think my preferred ramen combo would be kuro light version with regular noodles instead of thinner noodles.

The BEST RAMEN in the South Bay! The broth is perfectly rich and savory… My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!! I would give the noodles a 4, but overall this place is excellent! The service is great, the Ramen is divine and the wait has never been that bad. I recommend coming before or as soon as it opens.
I usually order the Kuro Ramen and request for spice (+$ 1) and corn (+$ 1). It’s heaven in a bowl!

Kotetsu has really blown up in terms of popularity since they first opened. The reviews are generally wonderful, and they’ve managed to attract a pretty big crowd. I remember when they first opened a few years back, we were 1 of the only 2 tables occupied in the restaurant (granted, I did go right when they opened shop for the day.) The ramen we had that day was tasty but not especially memorable, thus we didn’t really make that huge of an effort to re-​visit — especially with other decent ramen shops closer to where I live.
A few nights ago I returned with someone else, the experience felt entirely different. There is a waiting list now, and the overall ambiance feels more intimate. Luckily, at 8:30pm on a Saturday night, the wait wasn’t long at all. The service was very friendly and attentive, however the wait for the food was on the longer side. We ordered the black pepper chicken kaarage first while we continued to ponder on our choices of ramen to order, and asked for it to come out first, however we ended up getting the chicken kaarage after we got our ramen. which is not normally a huge deal. but we must have waited 20 – 25 minutes for our ramen!
The ramen itself when they finally did come out was yummy. The broth is very rich for both the Kuro and Shiro broth, and the spicy paste you can order as a $ 1 add-​on seems to be a popular choice among those who favor spicy foods. The ramen noodles have a chewy but also soft texture, similar to the al dente feel most people are familiar with when cooking pasta. If you order the Chashu ramen, which I did, they come with more than if you order the other ramen options. The Chashu is super thinly sliced and placed carefully and artistically around the edges of the bowl as to not get soggy from soaking in the broth too long. The egg was a little over-​cooked if they were going for the gooey, golden yolk that’s supposed to ooze out as you break it open.
Overall, the Shiro Chashu ramen I ordered was delicious and served to fill my soupy, carby cravings, but the toppings seemed to be a little conservative since it did not come with corn, or anything else at its above-​average price tag. The short wait time and the friendly service were definitely huge pluses in my book though! Final verdict: better when they first opened and will definitely be back!

Pros:
— decent broth
— quick service
Cons:
— noodles are undercooked
— chashu could be more flavorful and tender
I went on a Monday night around 7:30pm, so no wait for seating. I had to flag down a waiter every time I needed something like to order or for the check, but they are very responsive and quick. The menu is fairly simple – kuro (pork) or shiro (salt) broth, and you can add extra toppings if you want. I got the kuro, and the ramen came out in less than 5 minutes.
The broth definitely is the highlight. The kuro broth is rich in flavors but not overpoweringly so; just the right amount of depth. It also has the collagen bubbles littering around the broth, so you know real bones were used ot make the broth and it’s not just made from some stock.
Everything else, though, seems average at best. The noodles are overcooked and lack the chewiness and spring of good hand-​pulled noodles. The chashu was lacking in flavor and the cut wasn’t as tender as I hoped. The egg wasn’t marinated long enough for the soy flavor to infuse fully, and the yolk wasn’t cooked long enough to reach the custard-​like texture. There was a decent ratio of toppings to noodles to broth ratio, however.
Bottom Line: Ok ramen, probably not worth the wait considering all the other ramen shops.

Most people soothe chilly nights with warm blankets, a mug of steaming hot cocoa, or fuzzy socks. I, on the other hand, prefer something with a little more substance and what could be better than a big, hot bowl of super delicious ramen?
Kotetsu is the perfect spot to appease such a craving because not only is it close to where I live, but it also doesn’t exhibit those crazy lines that many other ramen places are infamous for. Of course, that doesn’t mean Kotetsu isn’t crowded; it’s just nothing that will have you pulling out your hair from impatience or doubling over from hunger pains.
After inviting my friend out for dinner, I met her at the restaurant at around 7 pm on a Tuesday night and was lucky enough to find a couple of open tables. Parking in the plaza is a breeze since it is quite large, but the stalls themselves are small, so definitely be careful backing out. Kotetsu itself is a decent sized restaurant that provides both booths and tables. Lighting is on the dimmer side, but they are all smartly placed so that patrons aren’t squinting while reading the menu.
I was, however, a little displeased at how close some of the tables were, especially the ones along the wall where they seat parties of one. My friend and I were seated at the table closest to the window so we only had to be wary of the one conversation right beside us, but sometimes it felt uncomfortable talking, especially at moments when they would stop and it would feel like we were being louder than usual.
The menu at Kotetsu is more extensive than typical ramen spots since it offers a variety of appetizers, green salads, and even rice plates. There are two distinct types of broth: kuro, a soy-​sauce based broth stewed with pork bones, and shiro, a sea-​salt based broth also stewed with pork bones. All ramen bowls come with the typical egg, two pieces of chashu, bean sprouts, and seaweed, but as always, you can add more toppings at an additional cost.
My friend being a vegetarian ordered the vegetable broth ramen and I chose the kuro ramen, spicy. At first, I wanted it to be extra spicy since I’m a huge heat lover, but after asking the waiter for his opinion, he said the regular spicy should do. HE WAS TOTALLY RIGHT.
Presentation wise, both bowls were really big and filled with hot broth and «al-​dente» noodles. I loved the depth of flavor in the kuro broth that tasted as if it had been simmering away for hours. The chashu was super tender, falling apart with just the slightest touch, and the egg had that signature runny yolk that had me drooling in pleasure. The broth is a little on the thicker side, but I had no problem drinking most of it up. However, if I could change one thing, I would want them to dial back the salt just a tad bit more.
Pricing is very decent at Kotetsu and you will definitely leave feeling stuffed, but in a good-​content-​and-​satisfied kind of way. Ramen isn’t normally considered «dinner food,» but even then, there were still lots of people enjoying it that late in the evening. I can’t imagine what it would be like during lunch hours. Still, that shouldn’t deter you! Kotetsu is definitely a must-​try for all ramen-​lovers.

A bit disappointed by this place.
After reading through all the reviews, I expected much better. We came early and were the first in line and seated fairly quickly. Service staff is fine, food comes out quickly.
Ordered the koru broth with no extras. I really wanted a solid baseline on what Kotetsu was all about. And…
The broth left A LOT to be desired. It didn’t have much depth to it and wasn’t really doing anything for me. The ramen was fine and I really enjoyed the soft boiled egg. The other items were standard and didn’t really wow me. The portions of chasu could have been more generous, but were ok.
Overall, I would suggest you go to Santouka instead (or Orenchi, like everyone else has been suggesting).

Great place for a good ramen fix without the long wait. Staff are always friendly and quick. I like that they have the lite option which comes with thinner noodles. I usually order the Kotetsu shiro (salt) base. Broth and eggs are on point, but I still prefer Orenchi’s broth.
Place is small, so try to avoid coming during rush hour.

My friends and I decided to try this place because we had heard good things. I don’t know if it quite lived up to the hype, but maybe we were just there on an off night.
Although we thought we arrived after the dinner rush, we still had a short wait, of approximately 20 – 25 minutes. That was a shorter wait than we expected, because there were a handful of tables ahead of us. From the moment we were seated to the moment we walked out the door, service was A+.
The Kuro is a soy-​sauce-​based broth, and the Shiro is a sea-​salt-​based broth. I opted for the light Kuro, while my friend went for the spicy Shiro. If you’re like me and you get full pretty easily, go for the light noodles. If you’re super hungry like all the boys at my table were, then go for extra noodles. It definitely makes a difference!
The broth itself is not as thick as other places I’ve been to, but I still think it’s very rich in flavor. Of the two, I’d have to say I preferred the Shiro broth. Before my friend mixed in the spicy paste, I tried a sip of it and thought it was more of the flavor profile I liked. Texture of the noodles was spot on.
Again, I don’t know if we just came on an off night, but they were out of a lot of stuff. Most of the stuff you can request to customize the ramen, including pork and even green onions, were out. That was kind of disheartening. I was also a little disheartened to see two paper-​thin slices of pork. Of course, I don’t expect massive chunks of meat, but it took away from the meal as a whole to not have a more substantive protein. Still, those two thin slices were pretty nice and fatty. Egg was cooked perfectly! Wish I had double egg like one of my friends accidentally got.
After a long day of hiking and sight-​seeing, this place hit the spot. I’d be down to come back here to try their other ramen combinations and other dishes. Maybe earlier in the night next time.

If you like the taste of fat in your ramen, this is definitely the place for you. But for those of you who don’t enjoy seeing the layer of fat oil form on your ramen soup as you’re trying to enjoy it, you might wanna stay away.
We tried both the kuro and shiro ramen here and while they both have pretty decent flavored, the fattiness of the soup really made me sick about halfway in. The kuro was worse than the shiro in terms of oil. Drinking the soup made you feel like you were drinking a gallon of pork oil. I don’t know how this place has such high rating because it literally made me sick.
I think my favorite part of my meal was the spinach in the ramen. That was the only thing I finished. Everything else made me feel like throwing up afterward.

Came to NorCal to visit my friends and because I always have to get my ramen fix we decided to try this place out. Definitely not a bad place to try but personally think orenchi’s broth is fattier/​thicker/​richer than this place’s broth. Broth is pretty light even when you order just the regular. I got the Kuro while my friends got the shiro.
The Kuro ramen has a soy sauce base while the shiro has a sea salt base. The sea salt is definitely a lot lighter than the soy sauce but soy sauce was slightly richer in flavor. Of course I always have to give them props for using thick noodles, which was the best part of the meal. The ramen came with two very thin pork slices and since I’m pretty picky with the meat, I didn’t feel as though the pork slices had much flavor although I must comment that they were pretty fatty.
I did like how they had crispy garlic as a condiment on the side and they also included the common Japanese spice seasoning as a condiment, but I didn’t really like how they were just placed out in the open. They should be put in closed containers so they’re not as exposed to outside particles. With the crispy garlic and seasoning in little bowls, I feel that sometimes random hairs might inadvertently fall into them and we would accidentally scoop the hair (a stranger’s hair I must say) into our ramen. Yeah I’m a bit germaphobic like that but anything can happen!
Anyways I wouldn’t mind coming back but LA ramen shops still beat this one: p.

I’ve been to this ramen place before and really enjoyed my meal last time. So I was super disappointed when I revisited tonight and it was nowhere near close to what I remembered.
Let’s start with service: we had literally sat down for no more than 3 minutes when our server came by asking if we were ready. When he came back a second time, I asked what toppings the vegetable ramen came with since there was no description. He answered in a monotone, I-don’t-really-know-or-care expression that it comes with the veggies that come with the regular shio or kuro ramen. He made no point in trying to explain or sell me the bowl. When he came by our table with the food, he didn’t say a word and semi-​dropped our bowls in front of our faces before walking off without saying a SINGLE word. While we were eating, he dropped off our bill (again, without saying ANYTHING). If I were to rate this experience based on service alone, it would be 1 star.
Now the food: luckily, this was a lot better than the service. I ordered the vegetable ramen since I remembered it being super flavorful last time I had it. Sadly, it didn’t live up to my memory this time. Although the broth was salty and light, it tasted starkly different compared to my boyfriend’s regular shiro ramen (sea salt based broth with thick noodles). I also didn’t like the thin noodles that it came with (which I didn’t know in advance since our waiter didn’t care to explain anything to me). The soft boiled egg was pretty good — semi runny in the middle as it should be. And the bamboo shoots were flavorful.
I would recommend getting thick, springy noodles over thin noodles, as well as the regular broth (if you don’t care about how unhealthy it is because it’s delicious!)

It’s about that time again– RAMEN SEASON!!!
Service here is always great, granted the first time I went here, they were soooo busy, but they still gave us the utmost greatest service.
We ordered chicken karaage, kotetsu ramen, and chashu ramen, I believe. (This is a late Unilocal review, btw, in case you can’t tell.) The spicy sauce that comes with the karaage is AMAZE! I’m not too big on spicy. This sauce has spice… but I liked it! The broth of their ramen is super flavorful! I add lots of garlic so I love how much garlic they leave at the table :)
Just writing this review is making my mouth water and I can’t wait to go again and again and agaaaaain!
Parking is plentiful. The waiting area isn’t that great, especially when it’s freezing outside. A plus is that there’s a dessert place nearby too, if you’re still hungry for something shweeeet!

After reading all of my friends great reviews, I finally got to try this place and wow this was definitely worth the 30+ minute wait! I’ve had quite a few ramen places all over the bay and this one is definitely up there for me.
I ordered the Spicy Kotetsu Ramen, Kuro flavor with extra noodles which was delicious! The noodles were thick and chewy just the way I like it. The broth was very flavorful and the quality of the toppings was great! I really appreciate the presentation where they placed the meat along the outer edge of the bowl. Plus, I love how the egg was somewhat hard boiled on the outside, but nice and gooey on the inside. Honestly this bowl was almost a piece of artwork!
Overall, the food is fantastic and the service is quick. The place is pretty small, hence the long wait, but it’s pretty worth it. If you are in the Santa Clara area and you are craving ramen, this place is definitely a MUST! I can’t wait to come back to try their other bowls! Keep it up!

Solid ramen place in Santa Clara! That’s the start.
Location (⁵⁄₅): Located in a spacious plaza with plenty of parking spaces! Next to the ramen, there is a dessert place next to it in case you need a sweet happy ending.
Services (⁴⁄₅): We came around noon time when there was a peak during lunchtime. Although there was a line of people waiting, the line was not that long. Plus, they have chairs near the door and wooden benches outside for guests to sit while waiting. Since they have an efficient layout of seating inside the restaurant (left side is usually for a party of 1 – 2, middle section is for party of 2 – 4, and right side aka booth seating is for larger party), we only waited for 10 minutes before they seated us. Quick introduction to the restaurant, fast ordering with precise Q&A session, these guys did what they have to do! Nothing was awesome.
Food (⁴⁄₅): We ordered the karaage (Japanese crispy fried chicken) to try out. It was pretty decent! Of course, nobody comes here only for the appetizers but the ramen. All the broth is cooked using pork bones. If you cannot eat pork, don’t eat the kuro and shiro ramen (I’m so sorry)! The customization goes on: soy sauce base flavor (kuro) vs sea salt base flavor (shiro), regular vs light (less fat version of Kotetsu ramen with thinner noodle), no spicy vs spicy soup (add $ 1), and additional toppings option. The topping choices include chashu (pork), seasoned boiled egg, kikurage mushrooms, negi (green onion), seaweed and more! To add more flavors to your soup, you can add Japanese soy sauce, hot pepper, peanut and fried garlic bits. Although the ramen comes in a small bowl, man the portion is HUGE! SO MUCH FOOD!
I will definitely come back here for more ramen if I drive by Santa Clara to do errands!

The quest for ramen on the west coast continues, and this is one of the better ones in my opinion. my brothers and i were doing this thing where we went to as many places as possible and ordered one bowl (whichever was most popular) to share
Shiro bowl — really good broth, the fat pieces made it really rich, chashu was tender. Egg wasn’t really seasoned but cooked very well. Noodles were thick and had good bite.
Takowasabi — good. Little bit too chewy
Dark and good ambience
Came early as the opened and so no wait. On a Thursday