Ramen Temple and Sushi Bar

Whole foods has ramen! I just moved to VA so it’s nice to see a popular grocery store that markets organic and health conscious foods sell an Asian sensation! I usually get the spicy miso ramen and I have to admit, it’s pretty good. The flavors in the broth is very pronounced and the fixings of egg, pork, and greens is good too. It’s also spicy which I like. I just carry a kleenex with me at all times. The service is also fast. I usually get situated pretty quickly, and I’ve been with a party of four before. The bar seats about 10 – 12 at most. Once you order, the food comes out in a reasonable amount of time. I’m not sure are the noodles whole wheat but knowing that this is whole foods, I’m sure the ingredients are good quality. I’ve had the hibiscus and green ice tea before, and it’s too sweet to my liking, but it does help cool down the heat from the broth! This is a nice place to get my ramen fix in VA when I don’t want to drive all the way to DC.

This is a ramen bar inside the Whole Foods! I’m so happy to see a decent ramen place that doesn’t mainly focus on sushi, is in the ‘burbs. The ramen is definitely delicious. (I got the tonkotsu). Plus you can get lots of add-​ins. Make sure you order directly from the chefs. There always seems to be some confusion as to who ordered what and who has paid or needs to pay.

As with pretty much everything at WF Fair Lakes, I’m a fan. I really enjoy the ramen, but I must disclose I’ve pretty much only eaten maruchan before this. I like the veggie and original, even though I think the broth with the original is a bit overpowering. You can call ahead and order and pick up which is very convenient. The sushi is pretty good but I’ve never been wowed. You can get it to go if you’ll wait rather than getting the prepackage stuff. Seating is usually limited around dinner time.

3.5 stars
Pretty good for a food court in Whole Foods. In terms of fish freshness, Whole Food got that part locked down. We ordered two sushi rolls and two ramen bowls. I enjoyed the broth flavor for Shio more than Shoyu Tonkotsu ramen. Prices are fair and you don’t have to tip for service. I saw people ordered the chashu pork (steam bread bun sliders) and was disappointed by the healthy wheat looking bun they used instead of the traditional white bun. Healthier option I supposed but not for me.

The person taking my order didn’t speak English and brought me the completely wrong dish. I pointed to the menu and confirmed with her three times, she nodded her head and confirmed 3 times. I thought we had communicated.
I ordered the basic Tonkatsu ramen with chicken. I was brought the Veggie Ramen with no chicken. Its like a bad joke out of a movie. I got the complete opposite of what I ordered.
Why is Whole Foods hiring customer facing employees who don’t even speak enough basic English to take a basic food order? wasted my time and my money.

After enjoying my first experience, I came back again to try the Veggie ramen. I didn’t expect it to taste amazing, but I also didn’t expect it to be as bland as it was. The noodles were cooked well, but the broth was just not flavorful.
Overall summary of my two reviews: Get the Shoyu or the Spicy Miso ramen, don’t order the Veggie.

Well, hello there hidden ramen gem!
When someone mentioned a ramen shop inside Whole Foods, I can’t help but be skeptical. Why wouldn’t I? How could a sane, ramen lover like myself be searching for ramen in a grocery store. Ah, but of course, this is Whole Foods, and they don’t skimp on quality (hello, oyster happy hour!)
Here’s the deal with this ramen spot. First, they’re now called Genji Ramen. However, from the looks of it, everything else is pretty much the same. It’s just the name that has changed.
We went with the original and the spicy miso ramen. If it’s your first time at a ramen spot, order these to get a spectrum of flavor. Even better when there’s a group of you — order a different bowl so you can get a taste of everything!
The original broth is quite mild, but satisfying to taste. It’s not overwhelmed with any specific flavors, so you can taste all of the ingredients well. The spicy broth is da bomb. The spices really stands out, yet mild enough that you don’t have a fountain of snot making its way into the bowl.
Some improvements can be made in the pork quality as it’s a bit dry. I think it’s been sitting for a while somewhere. There’s also a bit too much ginger for my liking, I think I’ll make sure to let them know next time.
Not a personal fan of the sweet iced matcha tea. It left a funny aftertaste, like a mix of bitterness that turned sour. However, everyone else on the table enjoyed the iced tea very much! I stick with my always reliable hot tea. Never disappoints.
The fact that this ramen spot is sitting in an area free of other ramen restaurants, it has made it to my go-​to list for the area! Go, Genji!

Took forever to get someone to clean up the table, even the seats were open. Ramen was good, consider not having to drive 40mins to DC. The food come out pretty quickly, I would be able to get up within 30 mins. Recommend it for people who don’t wanna drive all the way to DC.

Its just okay.
(if you’re not willing to venture out to DC for more of the veteran ramen spots, don’t have too much high hopes)
I had the spicy miso tonkotsu, which was pretty decent. i felt there wasn’t enough doubanjiang taste that i am typically used to. The egg was fully cooked and the yolk wasnt runny. Overall still a hearty dish.
I especially didnt like the buns. The meats were not good, and the topping combinations weren’t a good mix for me. The buns were also wheat, so its not the typical kind you’d find at ramen spots

Food was 4 for me and 2 for service.
I wasn’t too hungry but we came to the whole foods to try this and I enjoyed the ramen itself. Not best ever, but the shiyo tonkatsu broth was solid, the pork was one of the best I’ve had in a while, and the noodles were nice and al dente. They also provided a good variety of toppings. The not so great things were that the broth was not hot enough and the egg was kind of weak in my bowl. They also forgot the nori which I can live with.
The big downer was the service. They were not mean or rude just really poorly managed. There’s no real direction on seating unless you happen to catch a worker’s eye right at the exact moment. Anyways we hovered and found two empty seats. Eventually asked an employee if we could order and if they could clear the dishes for us. The seating is encircles the cooking area and there seemed to be obvious turmoil between staff. I’m sure that happens in kitchens but it’s not very pleasant to see while waiting and eating. Someone’s telling someone to do something while they are doing something else while someone else is asking for a 3^rd thing. Everyone is doing multiple jobs like taking orders, busing the tables and cooking the meals. It was also a Sunday lunch time in the Whole Foods (=chaotic) so if you go on an off time I’d hope the service is better.
Also the price was higher than expected especially being in the middle of a grocery store. Oh well.

So I’ve been here 4 times and the Ramen is decent. 3 stars. 3.5stars for price to value I suppose. The issue has always been service. It’s never gotten me annoyed enough to write a review. Generally if something is so-​so I try not to write a negative review.
This place is always pretty busy. The presentation is nice. Being able to mill your own sesame seeds is a nice touch. In previous visits it took a while to get seated and cleaning empty trays and bowls takes longer than it should especially when people are waiting. They take their time.
We were here on July 4^th. Not my first choice for a 4^th of July Dinner but my daughter wanted Ramen and she likes it here. We were staying in Reston. Due to the holiday I figured they would close early. I called Whole Foods (this is located inside). The gal who answered said Whole Foods was closing at 9 but the restaurants were closing at 8. So we head there and my Wife and daughter get seated. One of the guys tell them that they close at 7. I explain that I had called ahead and was told they closed at 8 and that we drove from Reston specifically to eat there.
Basically a lame apology and no effort to go out of his way. It was 6:55pm. Now it’s not 7 yet and I was very clear that 1. We drove 20 mins specifically to eat there 2. I was told by a whole foods employee that they would be open until 8pm and it was not 7 yet. Anyone with a shred of customer service would have at least made some sort of effort. We would have been happy if we were offered take out. We could have eaten at the whole foods food court area and not the restaurant seating. There were still many people seated and eating. It would have been a 5 minute delay to their closing.
I’m sure they will do good business with or without a good review from me but if you read my reviews I am very much against giving a one star review. This is my first and it’s due to a negligence in making any form of effort to maintain even a moderate level of service. It doesn’t seem that the management actually review these so I can at least give readers a heads up.

I.FREAKING. LOVE. IT.
The spicy miso ramen is $ 11.99 and I am in love with the slightly chewy and slightly al dente noodles. The broth is not too salty (although also not that spicy, but you can order a side of the extra spicy sauce for .50 cents) and their kimchi surprisingly tasted great (fresh and vinegary).
Now, I’ve read some other reviews where the broth was too salty and in my expert foodie opinion, the broth must vary depending on who makes it that day. Hopefully, the broth flavor and consistency will become stable so everyone can get the same great experience.

Ramen was okay… but the bun is overpriced and very dry. Do not try their buns! $ 3.99 for one piece is too much considering that there was a small chunk of pork with lots of lettus in dry dry bun. I tried one bite and that was enough.
Ramen was better but nothing really stood out.

Sadly I must report that the ramen provided here, particularly the tonkatsu ramen, is better than Marumen’s (Fairfax’s new ramen joint). For two dollars less, you get a «rich and creamy» tonkatsu ramen bowl (options of shio, shoyu, and spicy flavor) that is brimming with pork and veggies, and comes with a soy braised egg. While Marumen’s noodle-​and-​ingredient-​light bowl will leave you hungry, you’ll be stuffed after eating Ramen Temple’s rendition. Tom N praised Whole Foods’s version of ramen for its depth of flavor and creaminess. He was impressed and said he’d be back here for his ramen fix.
Besides providing more flavorful and ample servings of the popular ramen soup, Ramen Temple is also superior to the previously mentioned ramen restaurant for providing vegetarian versions of popular Japanese noodle bowls (veggie ramen and veggie mazamen, which is a dry noodle dish). The veggie ramen, while lacking the complexity of the meat-​based broth soups, was still delicious and comforting. Additionally, it was filled with assorted veggies, including bok choy and carrots, which were super fresh. Ramen Temple certainly has an advantage over other restaurants that serve ramen because it sources its ingredients from Whole Foods range of local and/​or organic produce. Nothing beats fresh vegetables and lots of them.
We also tried their vegetable dumplings, which sounded boring but were actually quite tasty. We enjoyed the fact that bits of edamame were also stuffed inside the gyozas. If you’re a dumpling fan, then you should definitely order this.
Ramen Temple doesn’t neglect the details. Condiments and add-​ons for your bowl of rameny goodness include fried garlic, white pepper, and mixed peppers. The cooks sauté all the veggies first before throwing them into your soup, increasing the savoriness of the bowls.
Service was friendly (consistent throughout Whole Foods Fair Lakes). The cooks worked pretty quickly and we got our bowls in almost no time.
They have two menus here, one ramen menu, Genji Ramen, and one sushi menu. We may try the sushi menu next time, but from the looks of what others around us ordered, the ramen bowls are the way to go.
We’re fans!

Other than being in the middle of Whole Foods so you can grab a bowl before you do the heavy shopping… nothing special here. Just a solid ramen bowl when you are too lazy or don’t have the time to get the good stuff.
I’ve had a few bowls here now, the shoyu broth is tasty, the ingredients are all fresh, the egg could have a little more yolk and the small portion of meat you get to choose… is overcooked (especially the chashu (pork) is a tad chewy instead of soft fall-​apart in your mouth goodness I’ve come to expect from the many other ramen spots in the area). The bowl-​size and noodles is perfect but they don’t put enough meat, feels a bit chinsy in all honesty but I promise your belly will at least be satisfied and full.
The chashu buns or pork bao need help; whatever weird wheat bun they are using tastes very cardboard-​ish and the texture leaves a lot to be desired. If they are going to do the buns as an appetizer, get the real deal or don’t do it all.
Overall, a solid 3 star experience with average tasting ramen and a semi-​quick ordering process if they notice you when you sit down.

Solid three stars. The only awesome thing about this restaurant is that it is located inside of Whole foods! This Whole Food was amazing.
I ordered their spicy miso ramen and pork bao. They also had salt ramen and sou sauce ramen.
The spicy miso ramen was way too salty. It was tasty, but I couldn’t get passed the excessive use of salt in their ramen. The noodles were not fresh and they were slightly mushy.
The pork bao was good, but again the bread was mushy. It was starting to get slimy from all the liquid and sauce from inside the bao. The food was flavor though.
I just like this place because it’s located inside Whole Foods and has a good vibe, but apart from that, the food was just decent.

*****3.5 stars*****
Ramen Temple is located inside of the Whole Foods. Out of all the other food options, I decided to try out this ramen bar because I haven’t had ramen in a few months.
They have Shio (salt), Shoyu (soy sauce), and Spicy Miso ramen. Since I wasn’t in the mood for something spicy, I decided to get the shoyu ramen. I sat down and placed my order, and about 8 minutes later my ramen came out.
It was alright. I’ve definitely had better. The broth was a bit to salty compared to other ramen I’ve had. I would recommend it if you’re craving ramen on a cold day, considering there aren’t too many options for ramen in the surrounding area.
After eating I felt the need to eat something to balance out the saltiness. Luckily since Ramen Temple is inside of Whole Foods, I didn’t have to go far to look for some sweet desserts.
If you’re not feeling ramen, they also offer sushi and pork buns!

I wrote about Ramen Temple in my Whole Foods review, but I think it warrants its own post too! My love for Whole Foods Fairfax knows no boundaries, and their new Ramen Temple only adds to that obsession. If any supermarket can have a ramen bar and do it somewhat adequately, you bet your bottom dollar it’s going to be Whole Foods.
3 kinds of ramen are served here:
+Tonkotsu (thin noodles in a rich pork broth) — shio, shoyu, and spicy miso, all $ 11.99
+Veggie (thin noodles in a veggie broth) — $ 8.99
+Mazemen (thick whole wheat noodles) — bacon and egg (dashi cream sauce with hint of bonito, bacon, spring mix, onsen-​tamago) for $ 11.99 and fresh veggie creamy sesame for $ 8.99
I opted for the veggie ramen, which comes with steamed mix veggies, bean sprouts, black mushroom, ajitsuke-​tamago, mayu, and red ginger. I’m usually a tonkotsu ramen kind of gal, but I decided to try the veggie and I wasn’t disappointed. Y’all know that Northern Virginia isn’t the mecca for ramen. And while I wouldn’t pick Ramen Temple over Daikaya, it certainly beats some of the other lesser ramen joints around. For $ 8.99, I would not mind coming back for another helping of ramen.
They also have quick eats here such as steamed chasu pork, chicken teriyaki, and shrimp tempura bao sliders, appetizers such as veggie dumplings and miso soup, as well as sushi rolls/​bentos/​combos. Whole Foods, you are money!

I gave this place a try because of all the hype with a ramen bar in Northern VA… It was meh. Don’t hate it, but don’t like it. Service was okay, took awhile to place an order and to pay. But food didn’t take too long.
Tokyo Roll — they were okay. Some were tiny cuts and then a big gigantic cut. So a bit of inconsistency with the way they cut up the sushi rolls.
Pork bun — no! The bun tasted very flour-​y and grainy; not a typical bun bao. And there were barely any meat in the thick bun. Overpriced for the one pork bun.
Spicy miso ramen — portion size is decent, enough noodles to broth. Broth is flavorful but a bit on the saltier side. Overall, okay.
Pretty presentation of the ramen bowl and serving tray.

This ramen and sushi spot is so good it deserves its own Unilocal page! We recently visited this Whole Foods Market location and I was happily surprised to encounter Ramen Temple and Sushi Bar. I’ve been to various other Whole Foods in the DC-​MD-​VA area, but had never seen a ramen and sushi spot within the supermarket before. The food looked too enticing not to taste, so we decided to have lunch here.
We ordered the shio (salt) tonkotsu ramen, shoyu (soy sauce) tonkotsu ramen, and salmon with avocado inside-​out roll. Service was quick and we received our ramen and sushi in a matter of minutes.
Both the ramen bowls were very tasty and delicious. Portions are quite generous as well. The ramen noodles were cooked perfectly — just a bit chewy, not soggy and overcooked. The rich pork broth was very flavorful with the perfect amount of salt. The chashu pork was very tasty and each slice was heated on the grill before being served on top of the bowl of piping hot ramen. Each bowl of ramen is also served with an ample amount of bean sprouts, scallions, black mushroom, ajitsuke-​tamago (marinated boiled egg), mayu (black garlic oil), red ginger, and seaweed. Also, each ramen patron receives a suribachi (Japanese mortar and pestle) to grind sesame seeds in. I was very impressed by the very high quality of the ramen, considering the fact that this is a food counter located inside a supermarket; mind you, Whole Foods is not your average grocery store. Ramen Temple and Sushi Bar brings supermarket dining to a whole new level. Each bite was full of slurptastic delight. For a quick moment, I was transported out of suburbia USA and to a bustling ramen shop in the streets of Tokyo.
While the ramen was definitely the main attraction, the sushi was also quite stellar. The salmon with avocado inside-​out roll that we ordered was very fresh and came with huge pieces of salmon and avocado. For those who are super health conscious, you can also pay a little extra to have brown rice or quinoa brown rice for your sushi instead. There are a variety of sushi rolls to choose from, or if you are hungry for more sushi, there are some nigiri and roll combos available as well. Besides ramen and sushi, they also offer some appetizers and steamed bao sliders.
Come shop for groceries at Whole Foods Market Fair Lakes, leave with a belly full of yummy ramen and sushi!