The Ramen Bar

The king of comfort foods on a crisp San Francisco evening is a piping hot bowl of ramen. That’s why I had no hesitation when my colleague suggested The Ramen Bar. Between the food and memorable recollections of my friend straw-​firing boba bubbles into my mouth, this was an experience well-​worth repeating in a city replete with notable ramen houses.
Everything on the menu looked appetizing with the exception of the sad, sickly colored tea selection next to the cashier. I opted for the Shoyu Tonkotsu, a classic of the ramen genre featuring melt-​in-​you-​mouth slices of fatty pork belly, ginger, cabbage, soy-​cured egg and a subtle yet spicy broth that had me draining my bowl. I washed it down with a classic bottled Coca Cola, although I wish I’d gone with a Boba Tea after tasting it.
Get rid of the unappetizing gurgling liquids next to the register and maybe expand the menu a little and you have a repeat fan. Damien — I can still taste your pre-​sucked boba bubbles in the back of my throat.

I like the convenience of ordering online and the menu, great for a cold winter day. I also like that they gave fish options for lunch.
However today I got the rice bowl with salmon, and the fish portion was just measly. I was looking for the other half. For the price I expect better.

I like this place! The menu is expansive and includes ramen bowls, rice bowls, sandwiches, etc. I opted for a rice bowl with tuna poke and it was tasty and filling, though more on the expensive side for an everyday, grab and go lunch ($ 16). I can also see why some reviewers don’t think this place is ‘authentic,’ but that doesn’t bother me at all. I kinda like the modern touch on Ramen Bar, since there are quite a few hole-​in-​the-​wall spots in San Francisco already.
I would come back for lunch with a friend or coworker — I love the clean interior and ample seating, including outdoor seating for warmer months! You still order at the counter and have the food brought out, so it’s also way faster than a formal sit down restaurant.

Ordered the Shoyu Tonkotsu — $ 14 comes with shoyu tare, pork belly, ginger, cabbage, soy-​cured egg. MEHH, this is more of an fancy express ramen place. You order at the front register and they give you a number and they will bring your order to your table. I tried asking if I can choose the firmness of my noodles but unfortunately couldn’t. lol worth a try to ask.
Broth was flavorful and oily. I didn’t care for the cabbage and red ginger tho (it was almost like a filler for me). Pork belly was dry and no fat! Noodles were decently firm and wasn’t too overcooked. It’s a thicker noodle which I like but I’ve had way better.
I wouldn’t be coming back here as this is expensive and not as good as other places I enjoy for about the same price.

Definitely not a great place to go for lunch on the weekdays. I would recommend to order pickup online in advance. The line during lunch time usually extends outside.
I’ve ordered here twice, only because it was the closest ramen shop to work. And let’s just say there are nights when I crave RAMEN. I’ve definitely had better ramen for the same price.
I’ve tried the Hokkaido Ramen and had asked to make it more spicy. But when I received my bowl of ramen, it ended up being sweet rather than spicy. The broth was also on the thicker end. Therefore, if you wanted something a bit smoother/​lighter, I would opt for the Tokyo-​Style ramen.
Being the harsh ramen critique that I am, I wouldn’t order ramen from here again. The broth, noodles and chashu weren’t amazing enough to justify its price.

Hokkaido ramen played second fiddle to shooting boozy boba bubbles in to the mouth of a dining companion. Truth.
The $ 14 bowl of pork belly, miso fish stock, butter corn, eggs, seaweed, arugula and tight, thin noodles has so much going on visually, I dammed up the drool prior to the first bite. The final product, though, is middle of the road in flavor. Full disclosure: I’m a fan of big, bold flavors perhaps found in a saltier, fattier ramen. This one didn’t have much depth, unlike my colleague’s tonkotsu broth, which was baller.
Wakame salad ($ 4) comes in a hefty portion that could be sweeter, and the aforementioned $ 7 Boozy Boba is a refreshing bourbon laced honey tea with more ice than punch. Order at the counter, take a number and get table service from a friendly staffer.
Easy choice for a broth and beer lunch, or a casual dinner, but the culinary caliber of menu items varies, so sample with a group and remember what sings.

Meh.
We came here for ramen and we got ramen. Not great ramen, but ramen. It’s a fast food-​type spot where you order at the counter and they bring you your food. I got the Shoyu ramen and it was ok, nothing too flavoruful but packed full of soup and noodles and meat and veggies. I also got the Wagyu burger which was, again, fine but nothing to write home about.
It wasn’t a bad meal, it just didn’t blow me away and there’s much better ramen in the city.

I enjoyed my experience at Ramen Bar — though my rating is more 3.5 than 4 stars.
Even though it’s a little overpriced, the people who work there are really, really eager to help and I appreciate the different style of ramen here.
I decided to get the Ginger Chicken ramen — to try something other than Tonkotsu Ramen for once — with a side of Ramen Bar deviled eggs and Matcha milk tea.
The Ginger Chicken ramen was on the lighter side — a broth that’s fragrant, but not too powerful. I made the mistake of getting deviled eggs, forgetting that I already got a nice soy-​lathered egg in my ramen. Fortunately, the two eggs were pretty different that I didn’t mind at all.
The deviled egg was creamier with some crunch from ramen noodles. I don’t think I’d call it a must when you come here, but it was definitely interesting to try. The Matcha milk wasn’t anything extraordinary either.
Nevertheless, the food was fairly good overall. A decent bowl of ramen is pretty difficult to come by in the City, so I give extra points to Ramen Bar for doing it better than the others in the area. Plus, it’s suuuuper close to the Embarcadero station.

I would only recommend this place if you are cold and hungry… which so happened to be my case today. There are not many noodle places in FIDI and my coworkers decided to give this place one more try. I decided to go with the Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen (to-​go order) which came with pork belly, cabbage, and a sake soft boiled egg. Overall, it was good ramen as the noodles were chewy and the pork belly was tender. However, the soup was quite fatty and I didn’t think it lived up to its hype. Tasted quite average for such a fancy and hip establishment in FIDI.
–Minus one star for the long wait for the food (~10 mins). I did not hear my name being called, but I heard my other coworkers’ name. I would advise you to stand close to the counter or your soup will get cold! :(
–Minus another one star for the cost. Yes, slap Michael Mina’s name on a restaurant and you can charge $ 16 for a bowl of ramen. I wished you gave me $ 16 worth of ramen, but sadly you did not.
I gave you two too many chances. Will not be returning.

I came here one night with some of my girlfriends before we headed to a concert. Heard this was one of Michael Mina’s restaurants, so we decided to give it a try and it was on the way to the show.
I ordered the Tokyo Style Ramen and we shared the crab wontons. Honestly, not worth coming here. It didn’t taste authentic at all, I rather eat a kimchee cup noodle or something, but then again I am very particular with my noodles :).
The staff was great, very nice. One of them tried to get at my friend and asked for her number when we were leaving. Sorry bro, maybe next time when she is single :)

The Ramen Bar is wonderfully… Average.
Given its Michael Mina pedigree, you would assume that this would be great. It was great, but just not exactly something to write home about.
The Ramen Bar is your classy and modern yet hipster-​y in vibe ramen shop jam packed in one of the busier districts of San Francisco. You’ll see a line out the door filled with men in suits, iPhones out everywhere, and prices through the roof: exactly what you’d expect in any poppin’ SF lunch joint.
With the Michael Mina name, it had high expectations to live up to. I ordered the Hokkaido Ramen and an Earl Grey milk tea, and my only conclusion is that it’s really painfully average. No wow factor, besides the fact that it’s a decently average bowl of ramen you can grab for slightly above average price in SF.
Not to say I won’t be back, but it’s a bit pricy for what it is, and it’s not exactly the best ramen I’ve ever had. I’m not going to try to compare it to Japan, but even within the Bay Area, you can get better elsewhere in the bay for a much more affordable price.
If you’re looking for something with a bit more pizazz, I’d recommend heading over to Ramen Shop in Oakland.
I will however note that it’s non-​ramen options look fantastic, and I’ve got to give those a chance.
TIP: Skip the milk tea. It’s nothing special.

Just okay for ramen in fidi… it’s by my apartment so it may just be my go to spot when i have no other options. There’s also boba there and the matcha is good

If someone places an order at 10:31AM with the intentions to pick it up at noon, the order should be ready. I understand you are behind in fulfillment but I placed my order hours prior. I cannot believe I still have to stand and wait another 25 minutes to pick-​up my already paid order.
Get it together.

I went back on a cool SF Fall afternoon for some ramen — perfect! I had the Tokyo Ramen — loved the egg, the pork belly was so tender and flavorful, and the broth was soooo good, not too salty — just right. I heard they added some sandwiches and salads to their menu. I need to go back and try those sometime, but I have a feeling when I go, I’m going to want ramen!

Not much has changed in my opinion of the Ramen Bar. So I’ve left most of my first review below as it’s pretty much the same. Seating was a little easier and the broth was a little better. This time around ordering took a long time as they never seemed to have cashiers at both registers. It would help if they had someone working the line to give suggestions and answer question so there is less hemming and hawing from people when they finally get to the counter. We all spent enough time in line to figure out what to order. I just think some people unfamiliar with the format could use a little help and they could provide someone to do that. Similar to what in and out does by having someone working their drive through when it’s really long.
My one big change with my opinion with the food is charging for a side of kimchi. It’s a large side that for even two people is too much. They’d be better of giving out complimentary sides of it like a lot of places do. Other than that the ramen experience is the same as you’ll read below.
I’ll admit I was drawn in by the hype. In the end it’s all it is. My friend and I got in line around 1 and it was a quick wait as the cashiers ripped through 15 people. Problem is you have to fend for yourself with seating. I’d prefer assistance from staff at this point as it’s possible in my eyes that you could end up getting your bowl before sitting down. Maybe they’re watching for it but I’d prefer organization in that respect.
The ramen came out efficiently. Noodles were made well but the flavor of both of our broths was not very deep in flavor. We had the Tokyo Style and the Hokkaido Miso Butter. Definitely needed help from the spicy paste and the togarashi at the table. The pork was a bit firm and not as fatty as I’d like. If I worked in the area I could see being a regular as a ramen fan simply because they have 0 competition aside from Ramen Underground which is tiny and the occasional appearance by Hapa Ramen. I can see how people will like it and it will be a nice addition to the area. In the end it’s just not for me nor was it for my lunch partner. I’d give it a 2.5 if I could give half stars.

So I came here for lunch today and I was slightly disappointed that all the staff picks weren’t ramen, which made me a bit skeptical. However I made my way to the counter and ordered a bowl of Tokyo style ramen.
First off I want to start by saying it wasn’t bad at all, however even though it wasn’t bad at all it also wasn’t great. The egg itself wasn’t runny enough and a little too cooked on the outside of the yolk which started getting that hard boil color, the noodles were somewhat bouncy and chewy but not bouncy and chewy enough, the pork belly was cut very thick however in the meat’s defense I do have to say that it was tasty and not chewy, the broth itself wasn’t bad.
All in all this place is pretty good however I definitely had better ramen.

After numerous lunches at this place since my last review, I thought I should give an updated review about this place! I believe it’s safe to say that this place is still a pretty solid 3 stars restaurant, which also probably means there are no improvements from 2014.
Their ramen here is still mediocre. The broth is way too salty and not rich in meat/​bones flavor. I have tried their Tokyo Style ramen (shoyu) to change it up from my usual Hokkaido (spicy miso), and the broth was literally almost like soy sauce mixed with water and sugar. It almost surprising that you would think that from all these people complaining about how it’s too salty that they would get their salt measurements right by now, but nope! Their ramen broth here is still way too salty every. single. time!
Anyways, on a brighter note, I HAVE FIGURED THIS PLACE OUT. I have recently tried out their rice bowls here to escape from their overly salted ramen and they were actually quite delicious! My sesame salmon rice bowl was beautifully presented with some salad greens layered on top and the salmon was flavored nicely. It was fortunately salted perfectly when blended with rice, so I was happy! My coworkers also enjoyed the beef shogayaki and chicken avocado rice bowls as well! I will be going back just for the rice bowls and staying far far away from their ramen!
TL; DR: DO get the rice bowls! DON’T get their ramen.
Cheers!

First of all, you’ll really appreciate the menu if you dine with an open mind. That means… don’t walk through the door expecting a bowl of noodles like it’s straight out of Japan because you’ll be very disappointed. I was actually in Japan about a month ago and that ramen was amazing. Ramen Bar, however, does hold its own.
I can’t compare Ramen Bar with places like Katana-​Ya, Orenchi, etc. because. Like any Mina restaurant. Ramen Bar wants to be unique. And it is!
The biggest difference between traditional ramen and the stuff served here, to me, is the broth. The broth does’t taste as rich but rather more refined, with a slight «West Coast style» as they say. When I eat a good bowl of traditional ramen, it’s more like «punch in the mouth» flavor and hits me with one spoonful. Ramen Bar’s broth is more like a ballet– complex but elegant.
Food: The Tonkatsu ($ 14) is a little one off. Made with pork belly, shoyu Tate, soft boiled egg, benishoga and cabbage.
Drinks: Does not offer a full bar and can’t order drinks from Pabu BUT I did try their Boozy Boba ($ 7) which is vodka, green tea and honey with honey boba. The drink was pretty boring (or rather highlighted the boba?) and the boba was some of the best I’ve ever had, even topping several places in Taiwan.
Service: Excellent, as usual! The server was very attentive and stopped by several times to ensure our meal was going well.
This place is definitely a 5 star establishment, especially if you’re not a drinker, but I’m pretty disappointed I can’t order actual cocktails when Pabu is down the hall. Next time, I’m going to sneak in a small bottle of Yamazaki and ask for sparkling water for a DIY Highball.

I’m a huge tonkotsu ramen fan so I must order that broth whenever I see it on a ramen menu. My ideal broth (as experienced at a ton of places in Tokyo and at Ippudo in NYC) is full of pork bone goodness so it looks cloudy and tastes like a fat bomb with each bite. Sadly, their tonkotsu just didn’t live up. My meal was decent though, hence the «A-​OK» 3-​star rating. The rest of their menu looked enticing. So I might have had a 4-​star experience if my tonkotsu expectations hadn’t been dashed.
Deviled Ramen Egg: A tad too much mayo for me and I’m someone who likes his mayo. Good spices though. Nice crunch factor from the fried ramen noodles.
Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen: The broth is more salty than fatty/​meaty. I really wouldn’t place it as tonkotsu at all since it’s rather light. The pork belly is really good though with melt away fat and tender marinated meat. Noodles are firm and chewy. The soft boiled egg is really good since it has a nice creamy center.

Nice open space and pretty simple menu with option to build your own ramen.
Decent ramen, but if you are looking for traditional Japanese ramen, this is not the place. Popular ramen is the Tokyo, but Hokkaido is pretty good with a spicy kick. The eggs are cooked pretty nicely with the liquidy yolk. Tsukemen already has the dipping sauce mixed in so it is pretty goopy and not that good. Dipping sauce is for dipping… I couldn’t eat more than several bites of it. A friend ordered their udon and he said it wasn’t that good either. Stick with the ramen.