JINYA Ramen Bar

This was my first visit to JINYA Ramen Bar. Why? To begin with this type of food is not usually my first, second or third choice when I plan to eat out however I do enjoy eating it occasionally. I visited for lunch last weekend and am glad I did. I ordered the Jinya chicken ramen, pork gyoza and salad and finally the crispy shrimp balls. With iced green tea to drink my bill with tax but before tip was about $ 24. It was a lot of food but gave me the opportunity to do some serious sampling.
First to come out were the 4 shrimp balls for $ 6.50. Seriously, I could have just eaten those and left very happy. They were excellent (5). Crispy on the outside and so yummy on the inside with sour cream and shrimp they were devine! I highly recommend these to you. You will not be disappointed. The salad and pork gyoza showed up next. I thought the salad was good (3.5) and the pork gyoza (like dumplings) were a 3. The big bowl of chicken ramen arrived and it was so chicken noodly good (3.5). I liked it and you will too. If I had to do it all, over again, I would have ordered the shrimp, balls and ramen again and skipped the gyoza and salad because I didn’t need that much food.
The iced green tea wasn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be. It had more of a cloudy visibility to it. I probably would order something else to drink next time. Table service was very good (4).
Parking was easy in the attached free garage. I enjoyed my visit and would be happy to return. I understand why this place is so popular.

Soup does the body good, even better when the soup taste good right? Second time coming to Jinya ramen. Came for lou’s uye on the second go around. I tried the Vegetable ramen first time here. I think that was the first time I’ve ever tried ramen, good stuff btw! There isn’t very many places who offer a vegetarian ramen so I was not too familiar with it. The ramen is really good here & the veggies make it delish. My second go around consisted with the same. Only this time I added tofu & started with a sautéed cauliflower dish. Ramen still righteous, cauliflower was cooked perfectly. A tad oily for my taste, & could have used some more pine nuts but still edible.
Parking isnt too bad. There is a parking garage nearby, just make sure to park second level or higher. Service was quick, staff is friendly & helpful. Good place to come hang out, date night, grab a drink etc…

Ramen was good! Decided to have dinner here tonight and the wait time was quoted about 20 – 25 minutes. It went over and the host sat another party that came after us before us. The server we had wasn’t so great as well. She actually rolled her eyes when one of my guests had a question about the pork gyoza.
All in all, I thought the ramen was good but it wasn’t worth the time and service to come back. I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here.

This is as authentic as ramen gets in Houston! it gets pretty full on weekends so it’s best to head there early/​late or call ahead. The service is quick and their appetizers are very tasty.
It was full tonight so we had a drink at the bar whilst we waited on our table. When the table was ready, the server informed us that I could not take my drink to the table– it must stay at the bar. Dang. We ended up eating dinner at the bar. But no biggie!

Everything about this establishment is wonderful. The food was incredible with a Romantic atmosphere. You can make all sorts of additions to your soup, including to spice it up a choice of Inferno or double inferno! Where you have to sign a waiver! I can’t wait to come back.

On flavor, I have no complaints. I mean, it’s good ramen. But the lack of service and the inability to make reservations together with the improbability of parking in Midtown makes this not so easy a spot to return. Hence, 4 stars.

I’m always in search of an authentic Japanese dining experience in different cities. Some local (Houston) friends told me about this place. I noticed that they had some locations in CA and the reviews were positive for the most part so I decided to give it a try.
This is my only experience, but the ramen was meh. I ordered the Cha Cha Cha. The tonkotsu broth had that lip smacking consistency, but it lacked depth and flavor. It’s like they made a good stock and then added water to stretch it out. The gyoza were ok and the salad was a throw in. Wish they offered a cha han and gyoza combo.
To me, the prices are high for what you get. Sure I’ve paid about the same in LA at some places, but we are talking tsukemen at Tsujita Artisan Noodle. I guess ramen is now trendy as I saw tons of businessmen and soccer moms in the joint.
With that said, service was attentive and friendly and they have a full bar. That, you never see in a mom and pop shop in LA.

I have been to Jinya a handful of times now and tried a few of their ramen.
Tonkatsu black– this was the first ramen I tried here and honestly, it was so good that I got it a few more times before I tried something new on the menu. The broth was a good tonkatsu broth that wasn’t too salty. The pork chashu is my favorite in Houston and always so soft and tender.
Tokyo Yatai– I ventured out and tried this on one of my visits, and this was interesting… It is a lighter broth because it has pork and chicken broth. with chicken chashu. You can tell the broth is lighter than the usual pork broth. Still good, but it’s not something I’m used to. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, I would highly recommend this one.
Spicy Miso Tonkatsu — This ramen is full of flavor! The miso adds something extra that makes it different from the tonkatsu. I do think this one’s a little salty though.
I personally like the thin noodles at Jinya better than the thick, so I always ask them to substitute it. I feel like the thin noodles are more comparable to ramen shops in Japan. This is probably my favorite ramen spot in Houston now! I would highly recommend trying it at least once.

Cool little spot. Not being a huge Ramen buff I’m not confident enough to state that it’s the best in town but it was good. A lot better than the ramen packets they serve in prison.
I stopped in for lunch and was quite pleased. I ordered the spicy chicken ramen with baby bok choy and an egg! It was delicious, spicy and lasted me 2 days.
Complimentary parking in attached garage
Full Bar
Booths and long, family style seating available
Make reservations for parties larger than 6

We love jinya!
Line was long – but the remote/​buzzer extended to piola so we went there for drinks. Came back, bar was lighter. Wine is super cheap! 22 $ for a bottle. Nice and light, nothing fancy but for a restaurant doable.
Creamy shrimp-​delicious. Def order
Cha cha bowl-​amazing! Loved it! My husband loved it and said he would order it next time and add a piece of pork and the spicy sauce on the table.
Spicy miso-​yep spicy and delicious. So depends on what you are in the mood for.
Def order the thick noodles those are incredible.
We will definitely be back. Loved it and the atmosphere. We sat at the ramen bar and had no problems. Dining room a tad more trendy.
We would def go back!

I was definitely craving ramen in this cold Houston weather, and I’ve had Jinya bookmarked for months. So, I convinced my friends to come with me to try it.
Located in Midtown, where parking is always a struggle, I think that Jinya did well since they have a 3 story parking garage located behind their restaurant that they share with other restaurants. Just look for the sign which shows all the restaurants participating, and Jinya will be one of them. There is complimentary valet parking or self parking for the second and third floors. We didn’t bother with valet parking, since the valet driver wasn’t too keen on parking our car. Best not to waste my tip on that guy. Anyway, once you park, you might have to ask a couple of people how to get out and reach the restaurant. We took the stairs down and came out around the corner not too far from Jinya. It’s located right next to Piola and a seafood restaurant. Gonna have to try these other two restaurants later.
So, you can’t make reservations at Jinya. It’s first come, first serve. Even on a Wednesday night, it was packed! Unfortunately, not everyone in our party had arrived just yet — and you need everyone in your party to be there in order to be placed on the waiting list. So, that kind of sucked, since there was 6 of us. Now, if there was just 2 – 4 people in your party, it would be easier, since you could easily just be seated at the bar in front, the smaller tables on each side, or the long table facing the back to order your ramen. When everyone arrived, I would say they had us seated within 5 – 10 minutes, which was good. The bad thing was we were seated at the middle table, which was a wrap around table that seated other parties. So, there wasn’t a sense of privacy with the group we were with. There were booths located on both sides of the restaurant that could seat up to 4 people. Those were better if you had a smaller party.
Now onto the ramen! Since this was our first time here, we definitely tried to order their most popular items, such as the Tonkatsu black, Cha Cha Cha, and chicken ramens. Everyone in our party loved the ramen, from the rich broth to the al dente noodles to the perfectly cooked 62 degree egg. My friends loved the chicken ramen so much that they ordered some more to go for their kids to try. I also ordered the gyoza appetizer for our party as well, which was standard gyoza. Nothing too special or over the top about them.
However, there are some things that I would like to point out: 1) Why charge an additional $ 0.50 to make the ramen spicy? I think it was just spicy powder. I could’ve just used the spicy sauce available on the table at no additional cost, 2) The pork meat was overcooked in my Tonkatsu black. I was hoping that it would be more tender, 3) It was quite pricey for ramen in general. I must admit, though, that the quality of the ramen does partly allow for it to be priced higher.
We did opt for dessert and had their mochi ice cream in both chocolate and green tea flavors. My friends enjoyed their chocolate mochi ice cream. I didn’t enjoy my green tea ice cream. The reason is I’ve tried plenty of green tea ice cream before Jinya, and I think the ice cream itself lacked any green tea flavor. The mochi — how do I put this, it tasted like cotton candy, but not in a good way. I probably wouldn’t order the mochi ice cream again.
When I just stepped out of my seat for 10 minutes after dessert to go to the restroom (there’s only 1 stall each for men and women), the hostesses already tried seating another group of people without asking our group if we were done yet. My friend had to tell them she was waiting for me to get out of the restroom before heading out. This was kind of rude of the hostesses to do that. I know seating is tight, but come on!
Overall, I would still come back here. Their ramen is of good quality, and I’m excited to try all their variations. Not to mention the appetizers, such as the fried brussel sprouts.

My ramen mecca has been found. I have much missed this guilty pleasure I was so accustomed to back home in the great city of Angeles.
Spicy Umami Miso Ramen — pork broth, ground pork, bean sprouts, green onion, bok choy, chili oil, served with thick noodles (Ramen of the Month $ 11.95 — Add Seasoned Egg $ 1.00)
Served in a ornate red bowl, all items in their corners (bowls, circles have corners right? maybe everything in their organized area), the red spicy sauce glaring as its placed before you and awaiting that swirl that combines everything together.
The broth is flavorful, while I think it could use some more heat, that’s not an issue with spicy sauce sitting on the table center stage alongside two other bottles strategically labeled ramen seasoning and gyoza sauce, thank you for that Jinya! The seasoned egg is well worth the additional buck, that golden yolk!
Service was quick, My server Alex was great with constant check ins to make sure I had everything. I did not encounter any trouble with parking on my Wednesday visit, but I may have arrived after the lunch rush (1:PM), so street parking for .50 cents for the hour wasn’t breaking the bank.
I cannot wait to come back and try their other menu offerings.

This is my second visit to Jinya’s, and It was an enjoyable visit. I came around the time it was open on Monday (at 11am), and it already had a lot of customers already. For appetizers, I had the spicy creamy shrimp tempura which was so tasty and delicious! I would definitely order this again. The brussel sprouts were ok. I ordered two eggs this time with the spicy chicken ramen. The eggs were delicious. However, this time I find that the soup base was not as flavorful as my first visits. I also didn’t think there was much flavor with the chicken. It was still a good size bowl and was good overall, but it wasn’t awesome this time. Perhaps it was a Monday so it was a little off, but Jinya’s is a good stop for ramen and good appetizers anytime.
Oh and if you want fresh garlic, they actually give you the garlic and the garlic crusher lol

When it’s a cold winter day and I’m craving ramen, my go-​to places are Kata Robata, Soma, or Jinya. All three places score evenly in my opinion, but Jinya stands out more because they focus on ramen (not sushi or sashimi).
First time goers will usually order the number 1 (Jinya Tonkotsu black $ 12.95). It’s a pork based broth with thin noodles and standard ramen fixings such as nori, seasoned egg, green onion, garlic chips, etc. I like it so I recommended it to my friend who never had ramen before and he loved it.
I usually order the chicken ramen ($ 10.50). The flavors aren’t as complex as the other choices, but I like it for it’s simplicity. The broth is excellent and the noodles are good too.
Garage parking is free!!! Don’t be fooled by the valet guy on the first floor. Just go to the second floor and park yourself. If you valet, it will take you more time to get to your car afterwards because walking will be much faster.

Came back last night for a quick meal before the movies. Consistent? CHECK. Tonkotsu black still tasted as good as last week. I think I’m obsessed you guys.
P. S. No wait around 6:30pm, but starts picking up a little after 7pm.

During my recent visit to Houston, on a very cold Sunday evening (It was only 44 degrees!) my cousin and I decided we need something hot and soupy. He has been here before and figured I’d like it. He was right!
I didn’t know what to expect so was very surprised to see how packed it was. The hostess told us the wait would be about 15 min, and we were fine with sitting at the bar up front if that’s faster, but we did get seated in about 10 min. We got a cozy booth for 2. I did notice there were 2 community tables in the center, which I like because that means you can have big groups, or it might be fun to share the table with strangers. Maybe.
My cousin and I both ordered the Cha Cha Cha (pork broth), but he usually gets the Tonkotsu Black. We also ordered the Pork Gyoza & Salad combo. The gyoza wasn’t too bad, though a bit salty. The skin was moist and I like the pronounce taste of scallion. The salad was better than I expected because it was made of baby spring mix instead of head lettuce.
About 15 min after our apps we got the ramen bowls. The bowls were quite large and filled almost to the top. I knew right away I’d like this ramen better than the ones in Tampa because there are 2 slices of pork chashu (vs 1) and a whole egg (vs ½). The broth is thick, fatty has so much flavor. I couldn’t stop slurping when I first got served. The noodles were cooked on the firm side, which is exactly how I like my noodles. Jinya just got another fan.
I don’t have much experience in ramen, but I do know that the ramen here is absolutely to my taste. I am absolutely obsessed with Jinya.

I was praying to the food gods to send me a decent ramen place and my pilgrimage is finally over. This place is a bit cozy but it is totally worth it. I wasn’t prepared for the communal tables that are in the middle of the dinning restaurant. This would be great for a large party but I am anti-​social to an extent. Like when my mother said to be wary of strangers, that lesson stayed permanently embedded in my cerebellum. I like don’t mind being around people but I hate making awkward eye contact with some stranger in front of me. On top of that, I catch myself looking at them eating which conversely means that they do the same. That makes me uncomfortable but then again that is a never ending list.
Anywho, the menu is easy to follow. You have your a la carte options, entrees, and combos. I started off with the fried brussel sprouts. These things are pretty good and come with a cute box (I’m easy to impress sometimes). At the table there are three types of condiments, gyoza sauce, soy sauce, and sriracha. I’m a big fan of the dumpling sauce so I basically put that sh*t on everything. The person with me gave me one of his dumplings. It was good but really small. It came with the soup, salad, dumpling combo.
Now on to the actual ramen. I got the cha cha cha with nori ($ 1extra). The broth is warm soothing and flavorful with the noodles are toothsome and delicious. I love soup like this. It is definitely comfort food in Japanese soup form. Like I don’t know how else to describe it other than a warm hug you didn’t know you needed. The pork in the dish had a layer of fat on it that usually turns me off like know other. But it seems that japan has found a way to make fat just immediately melt in your mouth. I asked them to make it has hot as they could and I couldn’t feel the burn (Bernie 2016).
I didn’t have the pleasure of eating dessert here but I did have some regular cocktails (Vodka tonic $ 7) The bar is in the front of the restaurant which is convenient when they are on a long wait.
This place is really good and in a very nice location. I would find it dangerous if I went to the 24hr fitness that is located next door. I would workout and immediately undo all of my progress at this place. I will be back, sooner rather than later.

Expensive phở alternative. Delicious soup and great service.
Remember those college days where you ate cheap pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches and instant ramen noodles? Now it’s time for grown-​up ramen noodles.
For the price of about two cases of instant Ramen, you can order a bowl of fresh Ramen noodles with meat. Yes, that’s the only bad part of my visit. A bowl of soup at Jinya cost me about $ 15, and I can easily get a delicious bowl of Vietnamese phở for half that.
The restaurant is small, but very comfortable. Trendy interior. Although prices are high, they are probably comparable for this part of town.
The Ramen noodles were fresh and tasty, although I kept wondering if there were workers in the back tearing open those instant Ramen bricks. The pork meat in my soup was tender, and I liked the soft boiled egg that was included. The spicy pork I ordered on the side was also delicious. A friend offered me some of his cauliflower side dish and it was OK… nothing special.
There are a couple of sauces on each table. One of them is a spicy soy sauce that is intended for dumplings, and the other is a Ramen sauce that tastes like the instant Ramen flavor packets.
The chicken and garlic Ramen soups look good. I may have to come back and try them next time.

(So this review is comparing the Jinya at the Clear Lake location)
Parking: You can park along the street or in the parking garage that is behind the restaurant. There are three entrances (one on Stuart St, Milam St, and Elgin St) so you should be able to get to it. From there, it is a very short walk to the restaurant.
Time and Day: Came on a Sunday at 9:00 PM and it was 90% pack but we were immediately seated.
Food: I previously ordered the Tonkotsu Assari and the Cha Cha Cha and loved those bowls. This time I ordered the Tokyo Yatai Ramen ($ 10.95) to try something different. Sadly, I was pretty disappointed with the Tokyo Yatai Ramen and should have ordered the Tonkotsu Assari. The broth was absolutely delicious and the thin noodles were perfect. However, the chicken didn’t fit well (or maybe because I was spoiled with the other dishes) and would not recommend people to get the Tokyo Yatai Ramen (unless you really like chicken). The Tokyo Yatai Ramen dish gets a ³⁄₅.
Service: No issues here. We were greeted at the door, escorted to our booth, and our waiter took our order without any issue. Finally, food came out in a timely manner so the service was good.(And much better than the Clear Lake location) Service gets a ⁴⁄₅.
Price: The Tokyo Yatai Ramen was $ 10.95. I was disappointed with the dish so I can’t say the food justified its price.
Overall: The food and service are good. If you are here for the first time, stick to the items at the top of the right hand side of the menu and avoid the Tokyo Yatai Ramen.

Let me preface by saying that I absolutely do not like Ramen. It was my personal challenge to try something different this weekend and JINYA fit the bill for it. Not only did I like the Ramen but I also liked their appetizers and the egg inside the ramen (don’t like eggs all that much either). Based on my photos you can see that the presentation is consistent and the service was wonderful too. The tea was authentic but not sure if it was microwaved or steaming on top of a bunsen burner because when I got my cup it was too hot for me to touch. Like unbearably hot. In my past experiences I have been able to touch these gaiwan like cups but this was just insanely hot. Thankfully my lunch companion liked it and couldn’t stop raving about it’s authenticity.
I tried both Ramen we ordered. The thin noodles were my favorite as it was easier for me to eat them. The thick noodles seemed to be a hit and were enjoyable as well. My favorite part of the meal, however, were the pork gyoza and the shrimp ball. The shrimp ball was perfectly fried with no excessive oil dripping and the cream cheese center filling was just the right amount. The exterior of the shrimp ball was perfectly coated and crispy. The gyoza was fried correctly and the gyoza sauce on the table definitely added to the flavor.
This time, we did not get to try the dessert but next time I will definitely be getting my mochi fix.