Small Island

So I got the ramen combo. Spicy miso broth with 8 piece CA roll, regular, spice level 3. The young man at the register was very easy to talk to and very helpful as it was my first time here. The roll was great. The Ramen was a little lacking. The extras they have here aren’t what I like. So the flavor wasn’t very dynamic. It wasn’t terrible either. Just so so. The noodles were okay. And the serving size was… probably because I’m a fatty. was ok. Lol the bowl looks quite large but it’s not filled to the top or anything. I’m willing to explore their menu maybe the ramen one more time just so I can perfect the bowl I might have here. Every spot is different so I’m not going to give up on this place just yet.

I love the ramen at this place. It’s very tasty and the price is good.
The things that really make it not so good is how they cook the food. It takes a long time and I think they should hire more people to help.
Other than that the place is really clean and quiet, it’s authentic Japanese ramen, and the bathroom is clean.
The owner is so sweet and very nice.

The miso ramen is very good, nice service, but they could have bring out the ramen faster :(The wait time is about 10 – 15 min for your food but it’s worth it…

I came to Small Island my first time around this time last year because I wanted ramen but my friend didn’t, so despite the reviews saying «slow service» we decided to try it out for ourselves. I had the tonkotsu ramen and my friend had one of the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) plates. Let me say that it really did take a very long time for our food to come out, probably close to 30 minutes or so! To be fair though, there was a sign on the front window that said kitchen help needed.
For that first experience, I wasn’t impressed by the ramen. It was forgettable in taste and quality, quite mediocre and yet not cheap since it cost about $ 9 for a large (and $ 7 for a small). It wasn’t bad, perhaps a bit salty, but I knew then I’d probably never go there for ramen again. My friend’s tonkatsu plate was the much better choice though and that’s what brought us back a second time just the other night.
Again, I was craving ramen, but I let my friend choose and he chose tonkatsu. This time I knew better than to order ramen, despite my craving. I ordered the tokatsu and teriyaki beef plate ($ 10.25 for large, apparently they only offer small plates during lunch) and my friend had the tonkatsu curry plate ($ 9.50). This time it took about 15 – 20 minutes for our food, so yes, it’s still a bit on the slow side but not too bad. The tonkatsu was cooked pretty well, not the most perfect I’ve ever had but still really good. Our plates came with white rice, a small salad, and spaghetti noodles – yes spaghetti noodles. The teriyaki beef was a bit salty with all the glaze on it, and rather small and thin, not what I was expected or hoping for. The curry… well, if I really wanted Japanese curry, this would not be it. It was good but very mild in taste, and the consistency was thick, like gravy. Good but not the greatest. The server didn’t ask if my friend wanted it spicy but the website shows it’s available upon request. The tonkatsu sauce was also salty (soy-​saucy, similar to the teriyaki sauce) so I much prefer the curry version.
The restaurant is small and clearly a family business, which makes me sympathize for its humble food offerings, but they really could use some improvement especially if they want more customers. It’s definitely not my first or second choice which is why so far I’ve only been here once a year.

The food was amazingly delicious. I enjoyed it mucho but its so damn far!!!
The ramyun was okay. I wished they gave more noodles.
The mandoo (gyoza) was
. Ordered three (15) of them.
The spot was bone dry, and i wondered how such a gem was dead inside.
It made sense cause a lot of the food was togo status.
Very cheap. Economical and affordable.
The place lacks ethos, lacks space, a bit clustered which is out of the ordinary for the organized, clean, presentable reputation the Japanese thrive in.

Place is great. Good flavor some people complain about wait. I say be more patient.

I really love Small Island. It’s actually pretty hard to find Japanese food that’s not either a sushi bar or a trendy ramen place, but what you get here is simple Japanese food that feels like home cooking. Their udon broth is incredibly rich and satisfying, and any time I get a dish with rice I also get some curry sauce on the side. It tastes just like the kind you’d get downtown and is loaded with veggies. Their salad dressing is also light and delicious. Wait times do tend to be a bit long, but if you call ahead they’re usually pretty accurate about how long it will take. Definitely a rare hole in the wall that’s worth trying!

There aren’t even 10 people here and my 2 friends and i have been waiting over 20 minutes for our food. I literally don’t even care how good it is. The money and time will NOT be worth the food.
*edit*: we got our food, a good 40 minutes after ordering. NOT worth it. If I could gove it ¹⁄₁₀ of a star, i would

I like to consider myself pretty versed in the world of ramen, and this is not the place for that. The broth was pretty bland and the noodles didn’t seem fresh to me. I asked them for no green onions and no spinach it came out with them, so I sent it back and they picked it out and gave it back to me. Yuck.
On a positive note, the chicken katsu appetizer was pretty good.

This place is usually empty. Empty to me always means this place must be bad. Not for this place, I believe it is empty because the wait for ramen is quite long.
I don’t like the sushi, but any of the ramen, I will recommend. Miso, shoyu, spicy or not. All good! You can taste the flavors when combined with the soup and noodles which is the biggest thing for any soups.

Just ok… walked in with zero expectations so I was not terribly disappointed. Don’t think I will be coming back. I had a shrimp tempura roll with a
Miso soup… nothing to rave about

Food is good. But 70% of the time spent here is wasted waiting for the food. Mon 30 minute wait and there were only 2 groups in the restaurant. Horrible service.

Came here for lunch, although it was past 1pm I thought there would be more than just one other person having lunch. DETAILS:
Clean place.
Hostess was nice.
Food came quickly.
Taste was just ok.
The plate was odd, I’ve never had a teriyaki spaghetti noodles and rice plate before. Like i said earlier the food was just ok. Not enough sauce. And I am still confused with the spaghetti. … now I understand why they have a wanted sign for kitchen help. Not sure if I will return.

Honest error in bill friendly wait person brought refund to table. Signage says Japanese Quick Casual Cuisine. It was not on my visit.

This by far is the best ramen in Northridge.
I had the miso ramen with level 4 spice, and it was excellent.
It takes about 10 – 15 mins from the time you order to the time you get your food. It’s freshly made by one chef I think. So if you want great ramen here, then there are two options, call in ahead of time, order, and then by the time you get there, it’s ready. The second option is to bring something to occupy your time while you wait. Parking in this plaza is horrible, it’s occupied by the Cajun restaurant and the hookah bar mostly, so it’s kind of unfair for others. They have a bunch of other options for food here, but I’m here just for the superb ramen.
All their ramens are a must try, depending on which soup base you feel for the day. Spicy comes in 5 levels, and has an extra charge. Service is friendly, and they always apologize for the wait, but hey good food takes time. I don’t encourage takeouts, great food should be enjoyed on the premise.
Highly recommend the ramens, a must eat for all ramen lovers.

I always order my food Togo since I work just a few doors down. Generally it’s pretty dead. A bowl of ramen takes about 15 – 20 minutes to be ready. The ramen itself is actually pretty decent and I like how there are pieces of vegetables in it. Portions are a bit small and pretty pricey for ramen ($ 9-​$ 11).

I don’t know a lot about ramen but I do know good service. It has been very hot, somehow I have been wanting soup. Go figure.
I am very picky so when I order it’s always custom. The cashier was so sweet and patient. She double checked my order before and after the food came out.
I don’t know if it’s «authentic». I don’t care. It was good. I got the curry for my aunt and she loved it. The eggs were perfectly cooked… soft boiled.

Ambiance: family restaurant, fast food style, very hot inside
Service: nice staff, very friendly and attentive
Food: in general ok
Gyoza — ** so so
California Rolls — *** average taste
Sesame Chicken — *** soft and juicy
Shoyu Ramen — *** tasted ok
Tonkotsu Ramen — *** rich flavor broth
Price: regular size ramen with sides expect $ 15 each

Not the best ramen I had. I guess I had very low expectations, so I wasn’t surprised. I must have been craving ramen like crazy to order here knowing that it would be mediocre.
Sesame Chicken is good. It wasn’t overly sauced, which I liked.

This place was really delicious.
The tonkatsu ramen was great,
#18 was great!
If you enjoy ramen I highly recommend this restaurant because it is so hard to find quality ramen in the valley!
The fried fish and chicken was also cooked really well and nothing I ate was even remotely dry. I had a great experience here.