So tonight was my first night coming here. I've been wanting to try and find a ramen place close to home. It's not too bad. Walking in it was weird at first because you don't notice it's actually connected to the Japanese restaurant right next to it. It's bigger inside then what it looks like from the outside. I ordered the Kimchi Ramen, my husband got the spicy Ramen, and my sister in law played it safe and got the gyoza appetizer. You can tell they were made pretty fresh. The flavor of my ramen was pretty good. My husband said his was ok. He didn't like the flavoring of his, then again he is super picky. When I tried it, there was a little bit of a strange taste. Maybe it was me not sure. But I didn't like the taste either. The staff is super friendly and attentive. Not too bad for a place being close to home. If i have a spur of moment wanting ramen I would go back. read more

Gunco Ramen - Kimchi Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

I love their salted butter ramen here! I'm not a big fan of other ramen broths, but This reminds me of chicken flavored maruchan (which is my fave)! It's really good with the added ingredients like bean sprouts, pork, etc. I enjoy how there's a good place in my hometown. Their other choices from the menu are great too :) I would recommend. read more

Cleanliness- 3 Service- 5 Food- 3.5 Ambiance- 2 I've been craving ramen lately, but didn't feel like making the lonely trek to Convoy by myself (that's the area for all authentic Asian food and markets for those of you not from San Diego). I ordered the spicy ramen and the dragon roll today. The sushi was probably the most unappealing looking sushi I've ever had, although it tasted just fine. I did eat all of it! But not because it was the food porn-looking kinds. I felt the tempura shrimp at the ends wasn't fried long enough, the dough was a bit pale or crispy as I'm accustomed to. The ramen was interesting. I'm not an expert on what ramen is supposed to include... but I was hoping for a boiled egg, a bit more meat, and more of the toppings (green onion and whatever else). It only came with two pieces if mediocre tasting meat, bamboo shoots that were the funkiest bamboo I've ever had, it tasted fermented. Is that normal? And the white piece of... I don't know but it had the pink swirl in it. The broth was delicious! Very, very tasty, one of my favorites I've ever tried. But that was it for my tastebud experience. I tried to order plain ramen to-go for my roommate, as she's picky. She had lived in Japan and that's about the only thing she would eat when at restaurants. There was a bit of a language barrier (LB), because when I asked for plain ramen they got me yakisoba noodles since I asked for "just noodles in broth," then explained to me when it was delivered that they don't do ramen to-go. But that's no big deal! (I've studied Arabic extensively, and I know the struggle of a LB. Please don't be rude to your servers! Poor English doesn't mean no intelligence!) I wasn't charged for the mistake. Would I come back here for Asian food? If I was desperate and didn't feel like driving to Convoy, yes. But I think I'd rather make the drive in the future. Oh! Almost forgot ambiance. This place could really use a remodel. It's unorganized, unsanitary, there are shelves from Costco and unmatched dishes out in the open. There are also toothbrushes and multiple razors on top of the shelves in the restroom (Gross! Or maybe just I feel like that should be done at home). I like to feel like I'm dining somewhere as good or better in cleanliness than my home, and this did not feel that way whatsoever. read more

Gunco Ramen - Spicy ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Gunco Ramen and Kanpai seem to be the same restaurant. Went here on a recent San Diego trip and was quite pleased. Food and saki were excellent and reasonably priced. Service was a little slow- they may have been short-staffed. Don't come here looking for beautiful decor, Gunco has the very serviceable, family run feel. The good news is they pour energy into the food, not the ambiance.... read more

I am giving 1 star for service , if I could have gave 0 stars I would of, it was a bummer we weren't able to try the ramen. Service was horrible and they weren't even busy. I could understand if they were busy and backed up but no that was not the case after 30 minutes of sitting there and not even being asked what we liked to drink we decided to get up and leave. FYI we are weren't the only ones that got up and left!!!! Step your service skills up read more

I've used Yelp a couple times within the past few months because I've been in search of a good place for ramen in SD. I tried this place recently and wasn't impressed. I had the premium black barbeque pork ramen and my boyfriend had the sashimi special B. It's not a place I would visit again. The prices are a little high considering the food was only average. Though the service was good and the waitress was very helpful, it's not enough for me to give it a second chance. read more

I do love their noodles here, but only really like a few of their broths... I wish they had more non seafood ramen options... they are just a little too fishy for me and the salt butter reminds me of maruchan. But They do have good happy hour specials from $3-7 so you can get a lot for a little $$$. Ramen portions are pretty big too read more

2.5 stars Yelp has only steered me wrong twice before, this would be the third time. Using yelp and where, I ended up here looking for Ramen. The restaurant itself looks dated and a little under kept. We tried the chasu Ramen with salt broth, grilled squid and deep fried shrimp combo. The Ramen had a greasy feeling and taste to the broth, it was pretty watered down on top of that. Lacked flavor. For what I paid, the amount of Ramen and pork was severely lacking. The pork, Ramen and bamboo shoots had a sub par quality to them. The grilled squid was rubbery and had a heavy squid taste and not in a good way. The deep fried squid was the best part of the meal, happily mediocre. Pickled veggies usually taste pickled, but these tasted like they just tossed them oil and vinegar. Good and attentive service, but the food wasn't that great. Seems like the restaurant has a lot of variety, but I won't be back to try anything else. I actually left the restaurant hungry. Went across the street and got some .99c chinese food. read more

Got the spicy ramen (it literally had 2 very small pieces of pork) , had some dumpling things they were greasy . Fried tofu was way too greasy . The best item of my order was the sprite I ordered . I definitely won't be coming back. read more

Pretty disappointed with the food I got here recently. Had ordered the champon ramen and boneless rib meat appetizer. The ramen was a handful of Ramen noodles, a handful of bean sprouts, handful of carrots and cabbage, and maybe a hint of pork, squid, 3 mini shrimp and fish cake slices. That's their version of ramen. The ribmeat appetizer was overcooked and tough. And did I mention the appetizer was almost 8 bucks and you got maybe half a rib worth of meat? Definitely not coming back here anytime soon. Oh but the coke from the soda fountain was good. read more

My dad took me to eat here sometime back in 2003, and I had completely forgotten about this place until sometime last year when I was at Kanpai sushi next door. Probably the reason I blew this place off way back then and never came back was because after my pops took me here, I tried to order take-out one night but they said they didn't allow take-out/pick-up food. Maybe it was because they didn't want their recipes stolen? Or perhaps they were too cheap to buy the Styrofoam soup cups. Whatever the case, I have since returned and have enjoyed their hot bowls of ramen and chanpon which is a favorite of mine. I only recommend the chanpon if you like seafood since it has shrimp, octopus and squid slices. And, although I love the spicy ramen, it might do a number on your stomach if your not used to different spices from other parts of the world. I know this firsthand, but I will still order it in the future. They also have a long list of imported sakes both hot and cold which is cool since some sushi places only have a few choices. I really like coming here since the staff is always nice and very welcoming. The restaurant itself isn't usually busy so you can choose where you'd like to sit most days. The prices on everything even the grilled pieces of fish are more than fair and priced reasonably which is why I will continue to come and eat here. I haven't asked yet, but I have a feeling they do currently sell food to go now. Took them long enough to realize they were losing potential sales! read more

The chanpon was very good! It was also very filling. There were a generous amount of toppings. I can't say the same for my mother's spicy ramen, though. She kept comparing all the things mine had while she only got two pieces of meat in her soup. She quite frankly did not enjoy it, and it was just okay to me. However, the service quick. It took only about five minutes for us to get our ramen. The waitress was also very nice. I would want to come back here mainly because its close by. read more

Honestly I am not well versed in what constitutes a good ramen. As a kid I used to eat those cheap packets that you boil and put the flavored seasoning packet in. I ordered the basic ramen and the broth tasted kind of off. Hard to put my finger on it but I guess it tasted soapy? It seemed to come with a few slices of pork belly that was a little tough and chewy and not very flavorful. I prefer Kanpai to this place. read more

Amazing, amazing, amazing!! I should t review this place so I can have it all to myself. Had udon noodles, a mixed plate and ramen. It was all so good I overate. read more

My girlfriend and i are very big in ramen joints and we have this joke about us being critics on different ramen spots around San Diego. Well this place was very disappointing. The noodles sucked and tasted like plastic which wasn't very appetizing. The broth had no flavor and THERE WAS NO DAMN EGG!!! My girlfriend only ate a couple of bites and she was done. She also got a roll which was pretty good. In my personal opinion. Just come for the sushi. read more

Great whole in the wall place. Awesome delicious Ramen. Authentic Japanese food. The shrimp tempura is a must try!

From all the great reviews on the ramen wanted to try it. And as I walked in there was no body to greet me or to sit me down. Weird but there's two entrances. Finally after 5min a lady said asked me what I wanted to order and I wasn't feeling good so I wanted to do Take out. Found out that the soups are not for take out bummer.. So didn't get anything. But the service I can only imagine the worst read more

First off, the food is very good, and very homestyle. I had the curry rice with the pork cutlet, while my friend had the katsudon. The portions were quite large and the food was served VERY hot. The katsudon was probably the finest I've ever been served in a restaurant, and will definitely merit a return trip or six. The curry was also quite good, and was not the usual pre-mixed box curry too many places use. Service was attentive and cheerful., prices were also very reasonable - especially for the quantity of food. Cons: as mentioned in previous reviews, parking here is dicey, as the parking lot is poorly laid out - I expect that busy nights mat make this worse. The ambience is a little shabby, so not really a place to take if you're trying to impress, but it is certainly capable in the food department, which is what really matters when all is said and done. I intend to work my way through their menu in the next few months, so there may be further updates as I do so... read more

I've been going there for about two years, good food, great sushi chefs. The owner the older woman always rushes her customers, wouldn't allow me to sit down at a table, because I was eating alone. The food fantastic, never been amused with the rush pace. I'm retired and want relax. What really pissed me off, there Was a very young couple ahead of me at the cash register? (The OWN, YES THE SAME ONE THAT RUSHES ALL HER CUSTOMS) RANG THE COUPLE UP, THEY PAID, RECEIVED LOOSE CHANGE, AND PUT IT IN HER PURSE. THE GREEDY OWNER HAD THE NERVE. these are her words as close as I remember. "Did you leave a tip on the table? The young couple said no? The owner made a comment "WHY YOU NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR SERVICE? no ma'am the service was good! So why don't you leave ME a tip. The couple was embraced and went to their car and scraped up 3.00, and went back in and put it on the table. I watched it with my own eyes. What a GREEDY HAG. read more

Went to lunch with a friend today. Last time he had the better dish, so this time we both ordered it. The spicy ramen tingles your lips, but also has a pleasant flavor. The broth is quite salty, but I really enjoy it. Both times we've gone here, my friend has felt a little woozy afterwards and we've wondered if there is something in the broth he is reacting to. I don't feel any kind of buzz afterwards, just a warm feeling. read more

Very authentic ramen. Having lived in Japan for three years, this is the closest I've had since having lived there.

Excellent meal!! The menu provides so many choices to choose from. The Chashumen was great. I'll be back. read more

I love the ramen from Tajima on convoy so I've been wanting to find ramen close to where I live in Chula Vista. This was the only restaurant that I could find and the reviews on yelp were pretty good so I decided to give it a try. Originally, I wanted to take the ramen to-go, but they said they do not offer ramen to-go (why, I have no idea why they would turn away business like that), so I came with my husband on a different night. As somebody else pointed out, the restaurant is dated and needs some TLC, especially the upholstered chairs that had visible stains and perhaps they could get new water glasses because ours looked extremely worn and old that I did not even drink my water. From what I could see, there was only one other party in the restaurant besides us, but even so, the service was not great. We ordered 2 bbq pork ramen and the gyoza - the menu mentions that the broth is salt, shoyu or miso, but the waitress did not ask which broth we wanted and was about to walk away, so I asked which broth was most like tonkotsu. She said no we don't have tonkotsu, which wasn't really my question, so I just ended up telling her the shoyu. When the waitress came out with our food she only brought one ramen and the gyoza and walked away. We waited a couple minutes thinking that maybe she couldn't carry it all out at once, but when she did not return with the other ramen, we asked her about it. She apologized and brought another one out for us shortly thereafter. The gyoza was very greasy and soggy. It appeared to be the frozen kind, but even if it was, I don't see how they could miss frying it enough to get it somewhat crispy and draining some of the grease off before plating it. As for the ramen, it was an even bigger disappointment. You could see pools of grease at the top of the soup, the noodles looked like they were not cooked enough and not fresh, the broth was salty and had no depth like the one from Tajima, the BBQ pork was tough and did not taste good, and instead of getting a half soy sauce marinated egg like I am used to getting at Tajima, I got a slice of fish cake which I do not like and a bunch of bamboo shoots. They also do not have fried garlic chips to go with the soup to give it some kind of flavor aside from the salty soy sauce flavor. The BBQ pork ramen was $7.95 (more than what Tajima charges) and the gyoza was $5.50, so our bill was $28 after the tip and tax and it was honestly the worst $28 I've spent at a restaurant. That being said, I would rather drive 30 some miles to go to Tajima and get the ramen there. read more

It's pretty sad that I couldn't find ramen as good as those rames in LA area. I've always gone to OC only for ramen (ShinSenGumi). I've tried the ramen in Tajima, Chopstix, Ichiro, Osaka Kitchen (now closed) and none of them are as good as or even close to ShinSenGumi. However, I found this Gunco Ramen ( the big restaurant's name is Kanpai but they have a small part of the restaurant called Gunco Ramen), they have a varieties of ramen and I've tried two (Hakata Ramen and Chanpon), they both are very good. The Hakata ramen is kind of different from the one in ShinSenGumi but it's as delicious as that one. It's very tasty. The portion are really big too, good service and cheap. For those San Diegan that are craving for Japanese ramen, finally we have one good ramen place in San Diego. Highly recommended. The cons: location is not very convenient. I live in La Jolla so it's pretty far for me. But I'll still come to this place. I wish they open a branch in Convoy. read more

pros...there are very few ramen places here in chula vista, or south san diego for that matter. so just by not having competition this place gets good marks. i would have to say when i am in the mood for ramen, which means when the weather looks cold and gloomy i will go here. i haven't went recently but it looks as if it is all the same. my favorites are simple and easy ramen, cha shu ramen most of the time. this is the roasted chinese style pork in the soup base with ramen. very good when you want it simple and tasty. but for a more complex form i usually go for the 'champon' ramen, more of a mix of stuff in the ramen but both really good. cons...the parking is bad in this plaza in general. so i would get here early. the place is small so if you were planning on bring a lot of people might not be the best choice. read more

This restaurant is the delicious alternative to cup noodles. I guess it's also authentic because your neighbors will make a make a point of slurping loudly while they read their Japanese newspaper. read more

Excellent ramen. I tried their special black pork ramen and hakata ramen. Both have really well balanced flavor. The hakata ramen broth imo tasted better than izakaya masa, but not as good as shin sen gumi in Orange county. Other than ramen, they also have a small variety of yakitori. I tried the chicken gizzar and it was cooked perfectly. Overall, great food and excellent service. read more

I had the Spicy Ramen! Came at lunch time and sat right down..friendly staff great service! The Ramen had a kick to it! It's what I needed on a cold day! Will defiantly be back! read more

Same exact restaurant as Kanpai, just the side of the restaurant that usually holds the larger partiers or where guests are seated when the main room is packed. Same food, same service but it may be a bit slower if you are sitting on this side. read more

This is a good place to go and have a nice cup of ramen and sushi! Service is always great from a super nice japanise lady! My kids love this place! read more

Good food but horrible service. Had the spicy Ramen, spicy wings, large sake and large Asahi

Spicy Ramen was delicious, attentive service and they have happy hour !

I love ramen but I wanted to try a closer location so I used google. It had very good reviews on google so my family and I decided to give it a try. My son and I had the spicy ramen and it smelled horrid! I noticed the smell as soon as the waiter came near me with it. I didn't know if maybe it was just me but then I heard the people next to us complain about the smell of their ramen as well. I don't know what kind of ramen they had but apparently it also smelled. NEVER AGAIN! read more

Ramen was good and sukiyaki was on point though smaller in serving its the best option if you dont like driving 20mins going to Convoy for some japanese ramen. read more

dankest ramen i have ever had. especially when ill or on a rainy or cold day. its quiet during weekdays and prices arent bad. recommend to fans of bomb ass ramen! (; read more

Gunco Ramen - spicy ramen, oolong tea, and egg rolls! bein' a fatty today. (: - Japanese Near Me - Chula Vista, California

The food was delicious, but the Spicy Ramen lacked vegetables and meats. Wish I would've picked the curry instead or the chanpon.

Been here twice. The first time for lunch. The food was good. Second time went with friends for drinks. There happy hour is great. two 60 oz pitcher and and two large saki for under 20 bucks. The server was very attentive and cheerful. The prices are reasonable for the food. read more

Here's the low down...this is the first Japanese restaurant I've ever been to that was actually owned by, well, Japanese. Anyhow, it's pretty good quality ramen...broth seems to be well tended to in spite of the slight instant soup base flavor. The only problem I had was that the noodles had the same taste and texture of Ichiban Ramen, which I was a fan of when I was a kid. That, and it seems like the broth had a sprinkle of the Ichiban soup base powder...probably for the MSG. I'd probably go here again, but I can't say that it replaces my two all time favorites, but if left with no choice, could possibly make this a regular spot. Aside from that, the only real negative aspect is that no one here seems to know how to park properly...like no one sees the bright white lines painted on black pavement. read more

the wakame ramen has a very nice and calm but flavorful broth. it's my favorite and it's filling, but doesn't give you that heavy, guilty kind of full. the pork in the soup is also very tender and only adds a light flavor to the ramen. not overwhelming at all. consistently perfect combination! all time favorite ramen! read more