Great staff, delicious ramen that came out very fast (one of my favorite in Metro Detroit so far, especially the jammy egg it was perfectly set), and a very peaceful restaurant environment too. Not my first time there and won't be my last either. read more

This place is awesome! I heard it had closed down and then finally reopened and heard good things so decided to go check it out on a Saturday night. This is counter service so you order then go take a seat and they'll bring it to you. You can get yourself water too at the counter. Prices are quite reasonable also! 16$ for ramen is pretty good when everywhere else it's usually 18 or 19. We got some gyoza as an appetizer and it was delicious with some great crispy bits on it. The ramen itself was very very good, and I like all the ingredients added and the presentation. There is a good amount of pork, greens, and the chili paste adds some nice heat when you mix it in. Overall a really nice bowl of ramen that will certainly fill you up. Everything was clean inside, and service was pretty quick. Overall, highly recommend!! read more

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This was a totally perfect meal. It's bad news for my diet that this place is within walking distance from me. It's a counter service place where you're given a number and the food is brought to you and our food was brought out very promptly. Prices are reasonable and the food was delish. The gyoza were the perfect start to our meal, and the ramen was the perfect portion to get us full on the last slurp. I love their pork belly and the ramen egg was perfect too. The dollop of chili paste on top brought the perfect amount of heat to this dish and I liked how thin their noodles are. Will definitely be back! read more

Kaizen Ramen - Classic Tonkotsu and Gyoza - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

The ramen was very good! I'd say this is now my second favorite ramen spot in the Metro Detroit area. The noodles were nice and chewy and the broth flavor depth was great. I love that the egg was soft boiled and the spice paste they used was just the right amount of heat. It sucks that inflation has caused the price to go since the prices on Yelp show $13 for the bowls and the current prices are actually $15-$17 before tax. They have one vegetarian option and everything else is pork based. You just order at the counter and the cashier will bring the food out to you. The ambiance is a nice clean and open space with cute graphic decor of ramen. I definitely want to go back! read more

Kaizen Ramen - Spicy ground pork ramen and regular pork ramen - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

the ramen is SOOO full of flavor and is really good!! Best ramen spot!! Definitely would go back! read more

Kaizen Ramen - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

We visited on a Sunday afternoon, and it was pleasantly quiet. The selection of options was great, including a variety of vegetarian options. Service was efficient and friendly. Orders are placed at the counter, after which you choose a table and the food is delivered to you. The only minor drawback was that the noodles were quite thin, as I prefer thicker noodles; however, the meal was still very enjoyable overall. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Classic Tonkotsu - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

The food was absolutely delicious perfectly cooked and seasoned! The owner was very nice and helpful in explaining the different options. The establishment was also VERY clean and the music was great. Overall an amazing experience! read more

Was not very crowded when I went there today speedy service and I ordered a half order of fried chicken with rice was very good I would recommend and I would go back again read more

Kaizen Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Such a great spot in Royal Oak. The best ramen around by far! Quick, casual, and delicious. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Classic Tonkotsu - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

I can't believe this ramen place in Royal Oak doesn't have an entry! So I've added it. Very cool aesthetics - there is an awesome robot theme from the sign and when you walk inside the walls are decorated with a stylish robot art mural (the owner said that his sister drew them) and there are original paintings by artists you can find on Instagram, all with the common theme of ramen (and robots or fantastical settings). The ramen is also very good, got the standard tonkatsu variety and it was very flavorful as well as filling. They also offer an assortment of beverages (in addition to free ice water, appreciated on a very hot day) and I got the melon soda. For dessert, ordered a mango mochi and they serve that dish with chocolate Pocky sticks! Service is also exceptional, attentive and prompt, and the food is brought out to you. Very highly recommended - check it out in Royal Oak if you are ever around! read more

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I think the ambiance was cool with new art that's ramen inspired which was neat. You go to the counter to order, and the person was friendly and helpful. We order the miso and tonkatsu and both broths were tasty and flavorful, with depth which was nice. The noodles were chewy but not too much and the charsu was not super fatty and grilled well which I enjoyed. Would go there again! Support a local ramen place' :) read more

Kaizen Ramen - Menú - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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Probably the best bowl of Tonkotsu ramen in the Detroit area. Will definitely return.

Best vegan ramen I Have ever tasted!!!! Wonderful staff. Incredible food!!! You won't be disappointed!

After several years Kaizen has reopened. The food is good and this restaurant is worth supporting over the other franchise/chain place in the same area. read more

This place is awesome, excellent food and great atmosphere with a reasonable price point.

So relieved they're back! My family and I are excited to support them once again. This is the best ramen in Royal Oak--authentic and absolutely delicious. Welcome back! read more

My boyfriend and I stopped here last night, I had bought the Groupon (which you can find here: http://bit.ly/2SdK5kx) a few weeks ago so that we could try it out. The Groupon was a great deal - I think I paid about $15, and otherwise our meal would have been about $36 ... the Groupon includes two bowls of ramen, a side dish, and two fountain drinks or tea. I ordered a bowl of the Classic Tonkotsu, which is broth cooked with pork bones, and has pork belly in it. I am not sure if I've had ramen before or not, so this was my first ramen experience, and the portions seemed large; neither of us finished our entire broth. My boyfriend ordered the Shoyu Ramen, which is made with chicken broth, and also has pork belly. I liked both of the dishes but I liked my broth a bit better. I had Jasmine tea for my drink and they basically give you a Styrofoam cup and a tea bag and send you over to the hot water dispenser they have. For our side, we ordered the potstickers, which were okay - I liked the soy dipping sauce, and the potstickers were nice and crunchy, but next time I'd maybe try the fried chicken, as it looked pretty good. I saw they have various noodles you can substitute too, for an upcharge, which seemed interesting - spicy noodles, etc. They also have gluten-free noodles for no upcharge, which is great. I'd come back here, especially with the Groupon. Their ramen bowls cost $11-13, which is on par with other ramen places in the area, I believe, but there is no tipping involved, which is nice. The restaurant itself had a casual/relaxed vibe, too, which I really liked. I'll probably be back at some point, although I'd want to have a coupon or the Groupon, because otherwise it would be about $22-26 for two people (two bowls of ramen). read more

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My friend Keith kept talking about this new ramen place that opened up in royal oak and insisted on dragging me here to check it out. Now, funny enough when we walked to the door there was a sign that said they were out of noodles, but we still went in. I sat down expecting for someone to come take out orders, but you have to actually order at the counter. I'm not that boogie so that wasn't a issue as a lot of places are like that. That is where we were told that they "had enough noodles for the rest of the customers in the restaurant". I don't know if the restaurant being new in town has anything to do with it but it appears they're having a issue with ordering the correct amount they need, as downtown Royal Oak can get busy. But despite the food shortage debacle, what's most important was that food we did order was worth it. To start we had the vegetable spring rolls which I love. Whenever I can order spring rolls I'm down. My friend ordered the Shoyu ramen which he stated was excellent. In addition he ordered the chicken steamed bun. All of which looked mighty good. I had the vegan ramen and added extra egg and extra crunchy onion. The broth was really flavorful to the point that I wanted to grab the bowl with both hands and just drink haha. I'll definitely be back as I love my ramen. read more

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Reminds me of Urban Ramen of Detroit but much better in taste and service. Ordered the classic tonkotso. Broth was rich in flavor( I could taste the fat and salt). They need to dilute the broth to a lighter color. The ramen noodles actually reminds me of batchoy of iloilo. The pork bun was soft, sweet and savory. I highly recommend trying it. Then again, it is like siopao of the Philippines. For the karaage chicken, it was crispy. It needed the mayo instead of soy sauce at the bottom of the plate. I like the serving at Johnny king. Three items with no drinks cost $25 plus tip totalled $30. Kinda pricy for 1 person or even for 2 sharing a meal. Had to pay for parking too. At least we tried dining here. Great interior and music. We could probably come back in Another winter day. read more

Royal Oak finally has a much needed Ramen spot. Soft pre-opening today for the art of fire show. They were able to open in less than the year+ it's taking for the one on Main. There's a podium at the front with menus. We took the menu to the table of your choice, order at the counter. A pager is given once the order is placed. This is their first day of opening today. It's warm outside but the rich broth flavors will tantalize your nose once you step foot in this noodle oasis. The interior has a modern eclectic vibe, the loungy laid back music humming in the background. Takes a bit of time for your rich brothy goodness to come out. Need a bit of patience since it's their first day today. The ramen soup is well worth the wait. The staff behind the counter is friendly and good about explaining the different soups and what's available on their first day. The tonkatsu broth is very rich and flavorful, tons of depth to it and it's thick. The gf noodles look great for gf and look exactly like ramen to me. The miso Paitan broth is delicious. I love that we can claim such a notable place to our downtown now. There are some handy dandy wipes for before or after your meals. Come and try out Royal Oak's first premier ramen shop. You can tell the broth is made and rooted from a deep rich Japanese recipe. The flavors of their ramen soup broths bring back wonderful memories of the best ramen shops I ventured into while in Tokyo and Kyoto. This is a lovely family owned restaurant too. read more

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This new restaurant was great! I would definitely come back for Ramen. This is a seat yourself, order at the cashier restaurant. They get the food at very fast! The portion size was great too! I even brought some home for the next day! The miso ramen was my favorite so far! We also tried the pork buns, which were yummy too! If you are in the Royal Oak area I would suggest stopping in and giving the ramen a try! read more

Kaizen Ramen - Miso Ramen and a Pork Bun! - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

It's a good-sized restaurant, where you serve most of the things yourself. We came here on a Thursday night and it was not crowded at all. I'm so happy to see a vegan option here, and the vegan ramen is really good! There are so many toppings come with it already, and I love the tofu and mushroom the best. The vegan broth is rich and tasty, I don't feel like the taste is compromised at all with the absence of meat. The only complain I have is they don't have reusable cups for water. The only option is the single-used plastic cup. Otherwise, I'd have a cup of water, but I decided to reduce a plastic cup usage for the sake of the environment. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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Kaizen is much needed in Royal Oak. Japanese restaurants in the area serve mostly sushi. In the winter months it is nice to cozy up to a warm bowl of noodles in broth. The restaurant's concept is casual Japanese dining via counter service and your food arrives quickly after placing your order. I ordered Shoyu ramen and a side of Karaage chicken, basically the Japanese version of boneless fried chicken. The ramen was okay except the broth didn't have much depth of flavor and it had too many noodles. The fried chicken was super salty, so much that I could not finish it. Salt does not = flavor. I might try Kaizen again but not anytime soon. Overly salted food takes time for me to get over. Parking is limited to street and nearby parking structures. read more

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Great new place in Royal Oak! Never had ramen before but I was very happy with this food! My husband and I both got the shoyu ramen and subbed the pork for chicken! It was so good and perfect for the winter time. We also got the chicken app which was delicious. The sauce was so good. The portions were plentiful. We will definitely be back. Also they clean up your dishes for you! read more

Finally go to come here! After a few "failed attempts" I finally walked through the door. Came here for a Saturday lunch. Got in just a bit before noon and the place filled up quickly. You grab a table, menu, then order at the counter. I'm not a huge fan of this model. And it was fine, food was out quickly- well Ramen first and then a chicken bun. You help yourself to condiments and tableware. The ramen was top notch. Great flavor- and the spice level just right. Of course if you're a spice maniac- you may want more. Plus it was a great portion - like the bears- it was just right. The chicken bun was sweet and a bit better with a little heat. This is my new fave ramen place and I'll definitely be back. Place was clean, staff friendly, a bit sparsely decorated. I'll be back. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Miso paitan - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

This was strongly recommended by two friends. I went in on a Friday late afternoon. It wasn't good. Limited pay street parking, nearby pay garages. Inside is a collection of normal and high tables, and an order counter in the back. You get dirty and stained menus on copy paper, order and pay, and then get a table number for them to deliver. It is loud inside. There was a long line, the order taker/cashier wasn't fast, and spoke poorly (not Asian or anything, just not articulate). Ordered. We got 3 side plates, two came out fairly quickly. The third took several times talking to the cashier. The ramen bowls took a very long time, we could see into part of the kitchen and no one was working hard. When they came the broth was good, as were the noodles, but the pork slice was very tough and fatty. They have fountain pop but 75% of the pop was empty and marked with nasty looking postits. Maybe they are better other times. They were poor service and quality this time. read more

Popped in last night before a show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre and had a tasty meal on a cool fall night. I was originally in the mood for ramen but in the end I swerved and went with the pork rice bowl because I thought it would be faster to eat than the ramen. It was simple but tasty--rice topped with thinly sliced pork belly, some greens, thinly sliced onions, crispy garlic and some mayo based sauces. It was no frills but good! I do wish I had gotten the ramen. An egg on top would also have been a welcome addition. The place is counter service so I thought it might be a quicker meal but it was actually pretty slow to get my food. It was busy but not "every seat in the house" so, so I'm not sure what the hold up was. Just worth noting if you're in a hurry. Still faster than a normal sit down restaurant would be but not as fast as I was expecting. Staff here is lovely, though. The gal behind the counter was a peach and super friendly. Seating is plentiful and, though casual, comfortable. It's nice to have this option near the theatre and I look forward to my next visit for some ramen and some of those tasty looking side dishes as well! read more

I ordered the Classic Tonkatsu ramen & added some corn to it I wanted to like this place, I've been looking for a ramen place & Eater Detroit posted an article today!! The portion was very small for the price! The noodles are very thin (they were firm enough) but didn't have the bounce or mouth feel of fresh noodles? It was served in a metal bowl, which made the soup get cold very quickly The broth tasted like it was thickened with corn starch or another thickener? The fish cakes were thinly sliced too The menu said that it was served with spicy miso, but it was actually sriracha!!! Chili oil was also missing :( The pork belly? was thinly sliced but it was shredded read more

Kaizen Ramen - Menu - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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A couple of my friends came here during their grand opening and raved about how authentic the ramen tasted, so I was more than excited to try it out when I had the chance. I ordered the classic tonkatsu ramen and my boyfriend ordered the miso paitan ramen. The pork belly (chashu) melts in your mouth and the broth was rich and savory. The noodles also seemed freshly made, which was quite impressive. We also ordered the karaage chicken, it was crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. All in all, the food came out rather quickly and everything tasted very good. My friends were right; What a great addition to Royal Oak! We are excited to come back and try the other items on the menu!! read more

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It's nice to finally have a good ramen place by us! Before, we'd have to make the trek down to Urban Ramen in Detroit. I honestly think this place is a little better than Urban and it tastes so similar to ramen we got in Japan. The egg is perfectly soft boiled, the pork is perfectly cooked semi fat pork belly, and the noodles are perfect. I hate super soft/overcooked noodles and these were perfect. Most importantly, the broth is awesome. Not too salty and perfectly balanced savory profile. We also ordered the karaage chicken and it was very good! The bun was not bad but wouldn't come here just for that. Overall, a very delicious place and we will be frequenting here often! read more

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This place is perfect for groups. We came in with 9+ people and did not take up the entire shop. You come in, order at the register in the back, wait for your buzzer to ring, and pick up your items. Utensils are right next to the register. The big group tables in the middle of the restaurant had bag hooks. It's super convenient for those of us that don't have functional pockets. This is a win for me. I tried out their tonkotsu ramen. Broth: Not overpowering and well balanced with the saltiness of the toppings. Noodles: Good quality noodles with excellent firmness. The noodle to broth ratio was a bit higher in my bowl that it soaked up a lot of the broth. The staff members were super nice and wanted our feedback on the food. I will come back again to see their improvements. They handled our big group in a timely manner. No one waited super long for their order. read more

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I've tried several ramen restaurants and this one is by far the best! I tried this place roughly a month ago and I was craving it again the same day. The Miso Paitan broth is so delicious and flavorful. I don't get any protein in my ramen and it's still so filling and delicious. The spring rolls are also really great. I have been to this place roughly 10 times within the month. The service is great and quick. I only wish that they were open on Sundays. I think they would be very busy. Especially with winter coming, nothing is better than a bowl of Ramen on a chilly Sunday afternoon. I understand why they would want to be closed but even being open for a few hours would be amazing! Also, sometimes the workers don't really greet you or say bye. The only time this happened was once and it was my first time here. I felt very welcomed by the girl that was working and it made me want to come back! I just wish they had this same energy every time. However, I will definitely keep coming back because the ramen is just too good! read more

Kaizen Ramen - Miso Paitan - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

This restaurant is counter service. You grab your own drinks, napkins, and utensils and they'll bring your order to your table. They have plenty of seating and it's great for groups. My boyfriend and I ordered the tonkotsu and shoyu ramen, gyoza, and karaage chicken. The tonkotsu ramen is extremely rich and creamy as stated on their menu. It was too much for my taste. It's not a broth I'd slurp with my noodles, just something I'd dip my noodles in. The shoyu ramen was much lighter but still had a great flavor. The gyoza was delicious. The karaage chicken was too salty on its own but it'd probably taste great with a side of rice. The portions are small for the price compared to other ramen spots. I've never finished a bowl of ramen but I was able to here and still had room for their side dishes. Not a big issue for me but definitely something to keep in mind if you're starving and want a bang for your buck. We wanted to try their pork buns but $5 for ONE bun doesn't seem like it's worth the price. It's definitely a place worth trying but probably not a place I'd come back to unless I was in the area and craving ramen. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Shoyu ramen on top, tonkotsu ramen on the bottom and gyoza on the left. - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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One the first ramen bar opened in Downtown Detroit area. It's noodle is house-made, and is pretty authentic. The owner is Authentic Japanese chef and his speciality is Tonkotsu broth. However the bar staff is under-trained, so the quality of ramen could vary depends on how well trained they are. If you like authentic ramen, never ever try Vegan Shouyu, that was one of worst ramen I had in my life. Recommend Tonkotsu with high Kotteri flavor. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Classic Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Great side dishes. Especially the chicken karaage is the best. Ramen and buns are delicious. Best in town for sure. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

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I really enjoy the concept of Kaizen Ramen. Grab a menu, order at the counter, food is delivered to your table and employees bus your table for you (more reason to leave a solid tip at the counter!). I've been to Kaizen Ramen twice now, and each time I have gone for the miso paitan. It is absolutely delicious. I've tried both the pork and chicken (free to swap!) and enjoyed each option. The noodles are made fresh in house and the serving of them is generous -- thankfully! I tried the spicy noodle this time, and I loved the added kick of the chili sauce. The ramen bowls are pretty filling, so I haven't been able to try one of the buns or poke bowls, but everything looks awesome. I will have to make room on another visit! Highly recommend this spot in Royal Oak for your ramen fix. Your taste buds will thank you! read more

Kaizen Ramen - The miso paitan, sub chicken with spicy noodles - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Great new ramen place! I have been looking for an authentic ramen house in the Detroit area. The noodle isn't the "squiggly" noodle, it is more straight but I am alright with that because the noodle and broth makes the ramen! Ramen broth was thick and you can make it spicy! The ramen also came out fairly quick which was a surprise. I would recommend this to a friend. I would say though I believe the pork belly was over cooked a bit because it was harder, and my egg was over cooked a bit! but over all (better than Johnny noodle king) read more

Kaizen Ramen - Classic but I made the broth spicy - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan

Small portions, but the flavor is the real deal! Broth was very rich and perfectly coat the noodles. The noodles themselves are a bit firmer, but they're excellent nonetheless.The egg was perfectly cooked as well. Karaage has the perfect crisp on the outside but was still very juicy when biting into it. So glad to have a ramen place even closer to home, and I cannot wait to come back! read more

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This place just opened, and I was excited/nervous about trying it since many have disappointed me. We got here 30 min after they opened and it was already a good amount of people eating. You order then grab a seat, food came out at a pretty decent time. Got the bao buns: pork - really good, Cali - just okay, missing a little something, was really sad I didn't get 2. The portions were big also. You can probably be okay with 3. The star of the place is obviously the ramen. Got the house tonkatsu, the broth is a thick broth, it came out delicious, a little salty (expected for this type) the noodles were cooked well and soaked up the broth nicely. I felt like the pork was a little soft, it was breaking up really easily, if that's your style, fine. Also it was not very fatty which I love. I would definitely come back for their other ramen, we finally have a pretty solid ramen place in the area. Hopefully there won't be long waits for it like the one downtown. The decor is also modern and cute. Has japanese anime eating ramen and cool wall design. read more

Honestly I really wanted to like this place. My friend went a few days before me and said the place was great and noodles were great. I'm not sure if it was the time I went which was 5:05 right when they opened with a long line in front of me and behind me on a Saturday. The broth was good, very hearty, fatty, and viscous. It had great seasoning to it but not light tasting like usual ramen shops I'm used to like Urban Raman here in Detroit or Ippudo in SF or N.Y. I would rate the broth as a 3.5 out of 5 stars. The noodles on the other hand killed the meal, it was very mushy and soggy. I was expecting it to be al dente but it was the total opposite. 1 out of 5 stars for this. So my problem with this place was we ordered extra shiitaki mushrooms in the ramen and to our discovery there was no shiitake mushroom in the bowl. When we asked the guy who brought us our meal, he stated that the mushroom in our bowl was it but we let him know that's not what it looks like. So he proceeds to go in the back after apologizing to get us a side bowl of it but came back and said they were out which is why they didn't provide us any......so my problem here is, they should have told us from the get go and not charged us for it or at least told us when they brought out the ramen...I mean yea let me pay for it and not bring me out the item, substitute it or provide me a refund. I acknowledge the poor guy helping us did his best so I can't fault him so I'll give it a 1 out of 5 for not communicating but a 4 out of 5 for how the guy tried to help (BTW no refund). The atmosphere is great, the apps were okay. We got the Karage Chicken, it was mediocre at best but better than most places I've had in the metro Detroit area. Will I come back? Maybe...probably not anytime soon but I'm hoping it was just a bad day. In the mean time I'll continue to go to Urban Ramen or Johnny Noodle. read more

Kaizen Ramen - Karage - Ramen Near Me - Royal Oak, Michigan