Saiwaii Ramen

I love this place its so good! My favorite is the chicken ramen– make sure to get it with a soft boiled egg– an extra dollar but so worth it! The broth is delicious and the noodles themselves are chewy and yummy and they give you a good portion. The staff is very courteous and friendly and the ramen is prepared quickly but still with good quality. I come here all the time and i am always craving it. The portions are decently sized– if you’re hungry you can finish the whole thing no problem. If it’s a weekend evening it will likely be pretty crowded because its not too big, so get ready to wait bit.

Aight.
No fuss chinese-​japanese fusion food. Many interesting appetizers on the menu… bacon wrapped mochi… an unlikely combination but I promise you it works.
Portions sizes on the smaller end compared to other places but will fill you up. This place is generally for hip youngsters. Nothing worth talking about.

Finally tried this ramen spot after years of passing by it and it’s actually not bad. Ordered the spicy tonkatsu ramen, chicken karaage, and calamari and they were all good. The broth of the ramen is decently rich and they give a reasonable serving of ramen too.
Seems like this place gets busy and there may be a wait easily especially the small size of the restaurant.
Definitely will come back and try their other ramen.

Came here for lunch with a couple friends, one who has been before and was raving about it. We tried a couple basic rolls and then each had ramen, I tried the spicy garlic tonkatsu and loved it! The broth was delicious and had spice, but I wouldn’t say it was spicy. I would have liked it to be a bit spicier, but was definitely flavorful enough.
Service was fast and food came out piping hot.
Large portions of ramen, we all took some home!

I came here for lunch on a weekday at almost 1 pm and the place was still packed with people! Not too far from TPumps, this little ramen place is tucked in Sunset. My friends and I just stumbled across this place & were sure glad we did so!
The ramen here is super affordable and cheaper than most other ramen places! I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen ($ 8.95) which is the pork broth base one. It also came with bamboo shoots, cha shu pork, seaweed, green onion etc. My noodles were perfectly chewy & al dente, and the broth was super flavorful. One of my friends got the Spicy Garlic Tonkotsu ($ 10.95) which was similar to mine expect that it was spicier & had a deep aromatic garlic flavor. My other friend also got the Spicy Mala ($ 10.95) which came with karaaage in addition to pork, ½ an egg, and seaweed. I’ve never seen karaage in ramen, & it looked soo good!
Their lunch specials included the different ramen + varieties of sushi you could choose from. The menu also included lots of sushi rolls, nigiri, donburi, appetizers of edamame, agedashi tofu, etc. There were also a bunch of specials posted on the restaurant wall. Service was relatively quick and our ramen came out piping hot. Considering the great price & my happy belly I would definitely come back to try out more things on the menu!

Ok, so I’m really surprised that Saiwaii isn’t more highly rated on Unilocal because I love it. It’s one of my favorite cozy, affordable spots in the area with comforting food. I think the ramen here is MUCH better than the offerings at Izakaya Sozai (seriously, stick to their specialties — don’t get the ramen there), though definitely a step down from some of the more solid Japantown staples. It’s great for the area, though! Not a ton of comparable offerings in the western end of the Inner Sunset.
I always get the tonkotsu ramen — love the broth! But the sushi here is also solid. The wait staff is great — very prompt and friendly. Food comes out quickly, always hot and fresh. I’ll certainly keep coming back!

Service is great and attentive. Had the farthest table and spotted us whenever our waters got even close to half full.
The ramen was decent or better. Lots of flavor in the soup. The spicy miso ramen has a lot of the spicy oil in it, was a bit oily for me.
$ 1 charge for 2 pieces of cut nori!!!
Not all ramen comes with eggs!!!
Not a place I will frequent… however, the tables where full on a Saturday afternoon.

Came here for lunch on Thursday and ordered the spicy garlic tonkatsu ramen with mild level of spice and the sake (salmon) avocado roll. It was their lunch special for a total of 12.95. Ramen noodles were cooked perfectly. Broth was good but a little too greasy for me to want to drink. Chashu was tasty as well. Sake avocado roll just alright. Felt that the rolls were on the smaller side. But it was definitely a filling meal for a very decent price.

I almost forgot I’ve been to Saiwali a few years back until my recent visit. Saiwali Ramen is your typical ramen spot, they serve the food in your Japanese knowledge-​base and nothing can go wrong with it. Everything was good as of the price for ramen so I wouldn’t complain. I like it but haven’t become a fan just yet.
This place is pretty small, so think twice if you have a large group. The servers were really nice and quick on refilling our hot tea.
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Revisited this restaurant after many years of absence… Nah, still hasn’t improved at all and my opinion of this restaurant is still the same. I got the tonkatsu ramen and the broth wasn’t as tasty as some of the other ones I’ve had. I also got 3 sushi rolls (California, Shrimp Tempura, and Salmon/​Avocado). I wasn’t impressed. The sushi rice was mushy and every roll was chewy. I can’t pinpoint why but could it be that the seaweed was not fresh?
Meh. I’ve experienced better!

I passed by this place so many times and never realized that this was the ramen place I’ve been meaning to try but never got around to. I’ve heard rumors of it getting crowded which makes sense since the place is small. Luckily, I came an hour after opening hour on a Wednesday night so my friend and I were able to get a table right away when we walked in.
SPICY GARLIC MISO RAMEN at regular spicy and hits the spot for my ramen cravings. The noodles were good and the broth didn’t leave a heavy sodium taste in my mouth. However, the regular spicy level might as well be called mild because it barely registered as spicy in my mouth.
It wasn’t particularly super busy Wednesday night but it did take a few minutes to flag down a waitress when I was missing a pair of chopsticks at my table. But they quickly brought it over after I requested for one. I find it strange that they use to-​go chopsticks that you get in your takeout orders instead of real chopsticks. It almost feels the equivalent of handing me a plastic spoon for my ramen. No worries, they do have actual soup spoons but your chopsticks will be of the disposable variety.
Overall, I would come back again if I wanted ramen in the Sunset.

Came here for lunch since our other place closed for lunch time. The place is small, but we got in pretty fast. About 7min wait.
The favorite is the spicy garlic tonkatsu, so that’s what I went with. I added Chicken karage and had it on the side. I don’t like it soggy. They were super crispy bc they include the skin! The ramen bowl was surprisingly good! The flavor was good and it wasn’t too heavy. Regular spicy was perfect for me. Read a review and it said spicy was really spicy. No thanks, I like to taste my food. :). We ordered a side of croquette and it was delicious. Hot and crispy, perfect taste. It was a lot of food for me, I couldn’t finish.
They have sushi rolls and yakitori items also. Not sure about those, but I think there are mixed reviews about it. Most of the people ordered ramen, so maybe go with what you know?
The space is small, but it works for groups also. Overall, I’d recommend this place for some good ramen. You’re on your own with the rest.

Tonkotsu ramen is great as always.
I personally can’t take spicy but I saw a lot of customers enjoying spicy ramen last night. Perhaps you should try it if spicy food is your thing!

The Sunset has plenty of options for steamy noodle soup, thankfully so given the typical chilly and/​or foggy weather. While monopolistic competition prevails for phở and wonton noodle soup, the ramen scene is largely monopoloized by Izakaya Sozai and Saiwaii.
TL;DR: In my opinion Izakaya’s ritsu tonkotsu is more authentic and of superior quality, but there is only one ramen on the menu, plus occasional specials if you’re lucky. Saiwaii is thus a good alternative in this part of SF, especially if would like more ramen options. Besides the traditional tonkotsu/​miso/​shoyu, Saiwaii also serves gimmicky spin-​offs like mala and seafood. (Also, Saiwaii has way better lighting for food porn! Izakaya is very dim and my pics there always look ugly)
The broth here is alright – not very rich and flavorful, but if you get it spicy enough you will not be disappointed. However it was more oily and salty than I would have liked. In the bright foodporn-​friendly-​lighting, you can even see a thin film of oil. It sounds a bit gross but it turned out quite tasty, which is why I drank quite a bit of broth and got super thirsty afterwards. Noodles are just alright as well, not quite al dente, nothing special, and a bit too egg-​based for my preferences.
The SPICY MALA is definitely the best deal, since it comes with chicken kara-​age, chashu, half an egg, green onion, nori, and spinach. First of all, two types of meat included is unheard of, and none of the other options come with egg (though they totally butchered my half egg and I had to turn it upside down for my picture… sad.) The chicken kara age was not very meaty but surprisingly good, as the thick batter prevented it from getting soggy in the soup. The spinach was another excellent addition, earthy and nicely contrasting all the umami.
I’ve also tried the SPICY MISO and SPICY GARLIC TONKOTSU, but I think the mala was more unique and better value. I would pass on the extra meat toppings which is an additional $ 4, which can get you an entire cup of cold brew coffee in SF (!!!) The spicy mala is the way to go if you want more meat and complimentary toppings.
Like most standards for ramen spiciness, spicy is not very spicy: if you like spicy, I highly recommend getting extra spicy. Be aware that the spicy mala is spicier than other ramen, as you may notice with the bright red broth. Extra spicy level on spicy mala is thus wonderful for those who adore spicy foods, terrifying for the spice-​intolerant or anyone with GERD. (Fun fact: mala is a term from the Sichuan region for Chinese food, translating to numbingly spicy)
It comes out to ~$ 14 – 15 after tip/​tax/​that weird extra SF tax – a bit pricey for a bowl of noodle soup, compared to the more budget-​friendly phở and wonton noodle soup in the neighborhood, but within the normal price range for ramen. (Especially in SF… Where $ 4 can get you 3 pieces of pork belly, a cup of cold brew coffee, or a piece of artisan toast)

I never really go to Irving for food because parking is probably the scariest thing I’ve ever encountered in San Francisco so I honestly never wanted to bother. HOWEVER. When you’re stomach’s rumbling and you’re nearby then you should treat yourself to ramen here.
Parking is all on the streets and metered till 6pm. If you come before then then you can try for residential parking nearby if you’re not down to pay.
The size of this restaurant is decent. Once you step in, you’ll see everything. Bathroom is located all the way to the back and is unisex. Public bathrooms are scary to me, too, but this one was surprisingly clean.
I came here one night with my boyfriend and he said that their spicy ramen was good. I can’t take too much spice so I got their shoyu ramen and an order of their deep fried calamari. Both dishes were good and we ended up leaving with a happy belly for the both of us.
Overall, come back? Yeah, if I’m ever in the area. Prices are decent for the portion you get.

I’ve always been curious to try out this Ramen place on Irving st. Always having a long line on cold nights makes this place very appealing. Like most Ramen places, it’s my expectation that there would be a long wait and a crowd within, but there was no one there this past Monday. My friends and I sat down quickly and got to order fast.
For our appetizer, we ordered some Nigiris and a couple of rolls. A restaurant that serves butterfish gets a plus from me, and this place do.
We ordered a ramen bowl each and I got a Spicy Garlic Tonkatsu. Like any other ramen places, you’re able to customize your order by adding fixins. I opted to get some pork belly since I enjoy pork wayyy too much.
The ramen noodles itself was excellent, firm, chewy and all what great noodles should be. The soup base was just ok, nothing really special about it. The pork belly however was a little disappointing. I recommend not ordering it as an add on. I feel that it tasted old and was quickly heated up and put atop my order.
Quick Rating:
Food: ³⁄₅
Service: ⁵⁄₅
Cleanliness: ⁵⁄₅
Décor: ⁴⁄₅

My go-​to place for spicy ramen for sure!!! It def hits the spot on a cold night! I would say that the wait varies… sometimes this place is packed and you will have to put your name down on the waitlist and sometimes you get immediate seating.
Parking — There is metered street parking as well as residential parking.
Service — It’s alright. They’re always really nice.
Food —
I’m pretty picky with my ramen because to me, the broth either makes it or breaks it. I would say that this place hits it right on the nail when it comes to ramen. The broth is never too oily and is always packed with flavor.
1. Spicy garlic tonkotsu ramen (Regular spicy) — I always get this one! It’s really good! The toppings come with fried garlic, bamboo shoots, seaweed, green onion, pork, and greens). I would say the toppings pair really well together. Very flavorful.
2. Spicy mala ramen (Regular spicy) — It’s pretty good but I prefer the spicy garlic tonkotsu just because of the broth. It comes with fried chicken, soft boiled egg, pork, green onion and greens. You may think three pieces of chicken isn’t much but it will fill you up! It’s crisp to perfection but if you leave it in the broth too long, it will get soggy.
But overall, I def will be back!

Would only come back if I’m *dying* to get that ramen craving satisfied… other than that, I would pass. I think this place constantly gets a crowd going only because it’s the only ramen place around in this area!
I tried the tonkotsu and the spicy garlic tonkotsu ramen. Both were salty and I found them bland with no substantial flavor. Cha shu was not as tender as I would’ve liked… it was also a smaller portion than I expected but maybe that’s just me! It’s a bummer that the egg is not included and it’s an additional cost. On my last visit, despite my egg being butchered, it was cooked perfectly to my liking.
Just FYI, gift certificates do not count for being used as tips. Reason is because they can’t take out the money from the certificate and split it among their employees. Personally, that shouldn’t be a customer’s problem!!! A $ 50 certificate that was bought with $ 50 cash is STILL a $ 50 value to your business. Lame.

I first tried Saiwaii about 5 years ago. I remember their ramen being pretty good, so when I was craving noodle soup last week, I decided it was time to revisit. It was Wednesday, December 16^th and I ordered delivery for dinner through Eat24. I placed the order around 7:10pm and it arrived around 7:55pm.
*Gyoza ($ 4.95)
*Gyutan: beef tongue ($ 5.50)
*Hatsu: grilled chicken hearts ($ 4)
The gyoza was pretty standard, but good. Totally fulfilled my pot sticker craving. The beef tongue was eh. No smokiness from being grilled or seared. And I found the sauce they used too sweet. Kinda reminiscent of teriyaki. I didn’t like it. The chicken hearts were a better. Had a nice chew.
Spicy garlic tonkotsu ramen: very spicy, includes cha shu, wakame, negi, menma, kikurage, ground pork ($ 10.95)
*add Pork belly: cubes (+$ 4)
*add Spinach (+$ 1)
*add Corn (+$ 1)
*add Enoki mushroom (+$ 1)
The ramen was okay. They give you a good amount of pork belly as an add on. It came with plenty of toppings. The only thing that felt kind of like a rip off were the enoki mushrooms. It was just one bunch. At $ 1, I expected at least two. The broth was nice and spicy, but I didn’t get a lot of depth of flavor. I was expecting to taste more pork bone and garlic and just more levels of yumminess. The soup was more or less just salty and spicy.
It’s nice to know I have more options when it comes to ramen for delivery. I just wish Saiwaii’s broth was a little more solid.

Small little place and very cute sign :) on the outside. There are several varieties of ramen and we didn’t know what to get: O
I ended up with the spice mala and got some short ribs too. Giving them a 4 star because my din din partner loved it and I would have if the fried chicken wasn’t a bit well, hidden. I felt I was getting the coating and parts I don’t know, more than just chicken and that’s scary to me Lol!
So in conclusion, I did love the broth, egg and veggies but would do no meat next time. Gonna try the rolls in the next visit, they look great! *You guys need a Golden State Warriors roll now ;)!!!