Former ramenya chef here:…read more Ojisan may be the best ramen in Eugene. If you like firm noodles like me, they get it right. However, the ramen is TOO expensive! A bowl of ramen should NEVER be more than $10. Yes, I get it it's in Downtown and Eugene is hostile towards all businesses big & small so costs are high and violent drug addicts prowl the streets but still. Lower the price of a BOWL OF SHOYO from near $20. This Post Covid inflation needs to end. 4/5 for best Ramen in Eugene. 0/5 for the outrageous price point.

Finally got over to their new brick-and-mortar location. We had a really nice meal and got to try a…read morefew new things. Overall, I would say that almost everything was really fantastic and we will definitely be back. We ordered three things to share. We got the shoyu ramen (added wakame), the mixed tempura, and the karaage chicken plate. The ramen came out first. The noodles were good, the egg is always a favorite, and we like the bamboo shoots. The broth was way too salty, though, which was the only thing that wasn't up to our standard for the evening and a bit disappointing since we were looking forward to the ramen. The tempura was really fun. We got the mixed plate and liked the variety of veggies that came with it. It also had two rather large shrimp so we were able to cut them and share. It came with two sauces: the traditional tentsuyu sauce and a spicy Mayo. Both were good. While waiting for the karaage, they came out to tell us that they accidentally started making a chicken katsu and gave it to us on the house while we waited for the dish we ordered. What a treat to be able to try another dish and it was delicious as well. It came with the traditional ketchup-based katsu sauce and teriyaki sauce. The chicken was very tender! We got the karaage plate last. It came with rice dusted with furikake, half a ajiamago egg, and a side of mac salad. The mac salad was pretty good overall. They added finely chopped green peppers to it, which aren't always my favorite, but it was still good. The karaage was also tender and came with teriyaki and spicy mayo. The interesting thing about this location is that they share the space with a bar. So there are two sets of staff and two tabs to pay at the end. Everyone was very attentive and helpful so it all worked out smoothly. We were able to get a beer from the bartender that came over to our table and took our order after we ordered our food. Seems like a setup that can work for them and hopefully they can help each other's businesses thrive.

During the pandemic, I gave ramen many opportunities as a 'to go' option but found that ramen…read moremostly does not hold up well as a take home option. That's until I tried the tantanmen from Yabai Nikkei. I ordered the yaki tofu onigiri and a couple of bags of the Asian Market chips as well to take home with the tantanmen. And everything was delicious and thoroughly enjoyed from my couch. The only thing that didn't make it home were the onion soup flavored chips and that's because I ate the entire bag during the trip home. What separates their tantanmen from other ramens I have tried is that it is PACKED with flavor. I also appreciate the portion size they send you home with. It all fit perfectly into the size of a standard serving bowl and there wasn't any awkward spillage. I am looking forward to ordering food from this cart again in the future.

Yabai Nikkei is located behind Coldfire Brewing as one of several food trucks they have as part of…read moretheir food truck pod. There is a large tent (which is heated in cold months) as well as inside seating with restrooms. I stopped by Yabai Nikkei for a quick bite and ordered their Marinated Tofu Sando. I love that their menu has something for everyone with vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and pescatarian, and meat options. The "sando" as it is called in Japanese is a marinated tofu sandwich served on a toasted milk bun with local organic tofu, Yabai slaw, yuzu kosho mayo, and pickled onions. It came out as described as I ordered it as is and I happily ate it all up! It was so flavorful it left me wanting another, it was so good! The staff person was very helpful, prompt, and accommodating to any questions that I had. I will be back to try other things on their menu. They also had a white board with some daily specials that looked interesting.

So so so good, everything that comes out of the kitchen is a masterpiece. Miso mushrooms, pork…read morebelly, the ramen, the rockfish. So sad it's gone--truly was my favorite place in Eugene. I also loved the bourbon and ginger drink.

There are no reservations at this restaurant, so it's first come first serve. Street parking was…read moreeasy to find, and we arrived around 7. The place was packed, but thankfully we were seated quite quickly with a 5-10 minute wait. The interior is cozy and welcoming. It's dimly lit with mood lighting on the tables. It felt lively since the tables were packed. We started by ordering the sake and shoyu flights and some fries with wasabi mayo while we explored the rest of their menu. We received the flights quickly. Both flights had 3 flavors and were tasty and fun to try. Each flight comes with a menu describing the flavor profile and how the drinks were made. The flavors of each flight were distinct and matched their descriptions. The fries with wasabi mayo were pretty basic fries. They were well seasoned, had a nice crunch, and the mayo had a subtle wasabi flavor without it being spicy. For our next round we ordered the salmon misoyaki, butternut squash, tofu kushiyaki, and steak kushiyaki. Unfortunately, our server forgot to bring our butternut squash, but we ended up being full with the rest of the food we ordered and just took it off our order. The salmon misoyaki was delicious - perfectly cooked, tender, and well seasoned. The mustard greens on the side added a nice sourness. The tofu kushiyaki was tender and flavorful. The steak kushiyaki was well-seasoned, but more well done than I preferred and a little tough. Next, we ordered the spinach goma ae and umeboshi unigiri. The spinach goma ae was such a pleasant surprise! It's a chilled spinach dish with a tamari/black sesame sauce that was refreshing mid-meal. Really good umami flavor! The umeboshi onigiri had the expected sharp salty/sour flavor that balanced well with the ratio of rice. Ended up dipping the umeboshi onigiri in the goma ae sauce to get every last drop. For dessert we ordered the basque cheesecake and créme brûlée. The cheesecake was just okay. The menu said there was sake and black sesame flavors, but apart from some black sesame dust on the plate we couldn't taste the sake/sesame. The texture was thick and not super smooth. It was a pretty heavy dessert and not very sweet. The créme brûlée was yummy. The custard was smooth and the crunchy caramelized sugar on top was a nice contrast in texture and flavor. The service itself was slow. We were waiting around 15 minutes between orders. Given, it was a busy night. However, we felt a bit forgotten as our server did forget to bring one of our dishes, we had to ask for our dessert menus twice, and we were accidentally served two basque cheesecakes instead of our order of cheesecake and créme brûlée. The staff were friendly, and quickly brought out the correct desserts at the end. I'd recommend ordering more dishes at once so you can enjoy more food in between orders. Would definitely come back again to try the rest of their menu. We wanted to try the Japanese sweet potato but they had sold out that night. The oysters, sashimi, and udon also looked quite good!

wow we went to the brewery across the street from Kai and wound up getting some fried chicken and…read morefried rice! the chicken was "dynamite" and the fried tofu GF rice (made especially for me) was some of the best fried rice I've ever had. we highly recommend their food!!!

Can't say enough about how much we love this place during the pandemic and continue to love it as a…read morestaple for delivery in our home.

I really like the veggie dumplings Wonderful texture and…read moretaste The decor is very homey, one of my top spots to eat in downtown

What a gem!!!! I was a bit skeptical when I saw we needed to find the place in/on an alley, but we…read morepursued it and WOW! Those green beans are fantastic! The veggie dumplings are sublime!!! And my husband raved about the chicken fried rice!!!! I definitely wish there was a place like this back home, but now we know where to eat when we pass through town.

One of my favorite places in Eugene. Cozy little ramen spot that I have come to love. Seating is at…read morethe counter or tables both inside and out (fear not, there are heaters outside on the cold nights). I've been coming here for my ramen fix for almost 5 years and I have never had a bad bowl of ramen and you can't go wrong with any menu item. I've come to love the wakame, nin-niku, butter corn, miso...the broth is good to the last drop, but it can be a sodium bomb--be forewarned. Jun-san & Leland-san are super friendly. It's counter service only and after you order, your piping hot bowl of ramen is brought to your table. It was always a great bowl of comfort food from my home away from home in SF Bay Area when visiting UO. I will miss this place!!

This place is pretty popular. I mean, who wouldn't want a good comfort meal of noodles and hot soup…read moreon a chilly (or not so chilly) day? There's lots of college students having dinner there when I went. And they all looked like they were enjoying their meal and having a good time. My daughters and I were greeted fairly quick by a really nice guy. He told us what were the favorites, which was basically all of it. lol We opted for the potstickers, butter corn ramen and char shu ramen. IMO, the ramen does its purpose the way it should be. It's cheap, tasty and fills the belly. Thank you for having this awesome place for people to enjoy.

The chicken tacos here are amazing!…read more A fusion of flavor. I can't wait to try other items on the menu! The staff are very friendly. So, if you're in the area it's a no miss.

Cute little spot. Has parking on the side too! Street parking can vary depending on time of day!…read moreStarted off inside to view the menu and was surprised by the store nourish is in. The food spot is tucked near the front door and here you can view the menus. Outside is a small window to order from. The store itself is separate and has a lot of items and drinks. Pretty cool store to cruise through! Then you go back outside to order. Tortillas are made of sweet potatoes. I liked that option instead of corn but I wish the tortilla was a little firmer. More cooked. Toppings were a great combo to the taco protein of your choice. Very nice taco! The food took a few minutes so don't be in a hurry! I personally prefer my food to "take its time" so then I know it's being freshly prepared! Totally recommend.

If you are a ramen fan then this restaurant is a must if you are in Eugene. The owner is very…read morefriendly and curtious as well as the staff. The food is amazing, from the noodles made on premises to the rich and flavorful broths. A must try is the Tokyo salad. The mix of greens, lightly fried onions and thier tasty dressing really gets my taste buds dancing. You cant go wrong with any of the ramen dishes on the menu and they have quite a variety to satisfy a wide range of tastes. There are also add ons like corn or a soft boiled egg to really specialize your ramen experience. So if you are craving ramen and are in the Eugene area, run dont walk to Tokyo Tonkatsu. You will not be sorry.

Great little spot for some Japanese food in downtown Eugene…read more We ordered some Chicken Katsu Donburi, Pork Katsu spare, and the Bulgogi plate. All the food was good. The staff were very friendly, helpful, and attentive. The restaurant had plenty of seating inside, no outdoor seating. For some good Japanese food, come check this place out. Happy Nom Nom.

I had an amazing time here at Tiger Mama! I've heard from many local people saying that this place…read moreis the best and I have to agree. It reminds me of a mid-scale, small family owned, hot spot in the Silverlake/Los Angeles area where everybody goes for good food and a fun evening out. We were seated next to the doll from Squid Game. It was perfect spot because it felt like we were in the middle of the room to see everything. We joked that the Squid Game girl should speak every so often. lol Had a few of the Tiger Bomb (beer and shot of soju) drinks to start and for appetizer, we started out with a half order of the honey soy KFC. Those wings were crispy and delicious! For dinner, I opted for the bulgogi bi bim bap. It came sizzling in the cast iron bowl. I was surprised at how much meat they put in this dish. I was expecting just a few small pieces but they load it up for you. It was really good and I like how the sizzling pot was hot enough to actually crisp up the rice on the bottom. My friend had the beef bulgogi japchae. It was a big portion and since I was only allowed to try a little bit, it was all i needed to know that it was delicious. Decor was cute and service was good. Our waiter came and checked on us a few times. I'm excited to come here again next month!

I just ate at Tiger Mama in the Whit for the first time, and it was amazing…read more Tiger Mama has that Korean pocha feel, where the food, drinks, and atmosphere all belong together. I stopped in for a drink while my to go order was being made and had a Tiger Bomb, a beer with a shot of soju mixed in. The drink was great, and the service was incredibly hospitable. Even though I was just waiting on a to go order, they offered me complimentary banchan, little bites of cabbage, carrots, and cucumber, to snack on while I drank and waited. That was much more hospitality than I expected from simply picking up food. The prices are very reasonable for what you get. The portions are generous, everything tasted fresh, and the food felt genuinely high quality. The Korean fried chicken is really, really good. I got the Volcano sauce, and it is legitimately hot. Not restaurant spicy. Actually spicy. I eat the spiciest of the spicy food, and this was a good 8 out of 10 for me, which is probably a 15 out of 10 for most people. It has serious heat, but plenty of flavor underneath it. The dry rub chicken balanced it perfectly, with a tangy, acidic, savory flavor that cut through the richness and paired really well with the Volcano sauce. Crispy chicken, acid, spice, and a cold beer is a pretty hard combination to beat. I also got the kimbap with spicy pork, and that was amazing too. The rice and fillings tasted really fresh, the pork had a great savory sweetness and heat, and the vegetables added freshness and texture. Every bite had a little bit of everything. Between the food, Tiger Bomb, complimentary banchan, and service, I was already thinking I had found a new place I really liked. Then I got home. The only real downside was unfortunately the tteokbokki, which is ironic because that was the entire reason I found Tiger Mama. It was literally the term I typed into Yelp that led me there. And this is where the review gets complicated. Flavor wise, it was amazing. The sauce was sweet, tangy, savory, and a little spicy, with that deep gochujang flavor you want from tteokbokki. The fish cakes were tender, plentiful, and full of flavor. There were glass noodles, mandu, and half a hard boiled egg, giving it a lot of different textures. It felt like a more elaborate, modern take on the classic Korean dish. The rice cakes themselves were fantastic. Great size, wonderfully tender and chewy, and soaked in that delicious sauce. Honestly, the tteok I did receive might be the best I have had while dining out. My problem was that I received three of them. Three individual rice cakes. In an $18 order of tteokbokki. That was genuinely disappointing. Tteokbokki was why I came here. It was what I searched for and what drew me in. The menu picture showed plentiful, delicious little rice pillows sitting in sauce, which was exactly what I had been craving. Instead, I got a large serving of glass noodles, fish cakes, mandu, sauce, egg, and three rice cakes in a dish named after the rice cakes. If this had been the only thing I ordered, I could easily see myself leaving a sour one star review and never going back. But that would not represent the experience I had. Everything else was too good. As someone who loves Korean cuisine, both cooking it at home and eating it out, I can tell there is a lot of care put into this food. Even the tteokbokki was excellent in every respect except the rice cake quantity. The sauce was perfect, the fish cakes were great, the mandu was a nice surprise, and the sweet, spicy, tangy, savory flavors worked ridiculously well together. It also pairs really well with a beer. Or six. Unfortunately, I live too far away to have noticed until I got home, and they were already closed. I'll call tomorrow, and based on the service I received, I'm confident they'll make it right. Three rice cakes for $18 was genuinely disappointing, but I'm not going to let what seems like one portioning mistake outweigh an otherwise excellent experience. The food, atmosphere, hospitality, and care put into everything were too good. Tiger Mama is a great addition to the Whit, and I'll absolutely be back. Especially for more tteokbokki. Hopefully next time, more than three.

The space inside this little downtown restaurant is so cute and cozy. We came at a lunchtime…read moremid-week, so service was quick. The food here was lovely! I enjoyed the miso soup that came with the bento lunch, but the gyoza were my favorite bit. So crunchy and delicious, especially with the sauce. The other elements of the lunch bento were quite delicious as well, and I'd be delighted to try more of their menu when I return.

It's been a few years since my last review and that was based on my take out experience. This time…read moreit's for my dine on experience. Definitely better than expected, we walked in and it didn't seem like any tables were available, but there was seating near the back. Service was quick, after placing our order, the food was brought pretty fast. We ordered sushi, katsu curry, poke bowl & gyudon. Everything was delicious, I enjoyed the flavor of my gyudon and the katsu curry was tasty too. My only complaint was the poke bowl--it seemed deceptively big, but the bowl was mostly filler, with rice and greens and some tuna poke on top. Nonetheless our meal was filling, but I'm not sure if I would order the poke bowl again. Overall, our dining experience was good--I wouldn't hesitate to return.