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    Kao Ramen By Mama

    4.1 (475 reviews)
    ModerateRamen
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    KAO RAMEN BY MAMA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids

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    Mama's Ramen (kale ramen noodles and pork). Delicious!!! The broth is sooo flavorful :)
    Kim C.

    Kao will always be my favorite ramen spot. Their broth is so flavorful and they use great ingredients that tie everything together. I miss when they used to put shiitakes in the ramen here but I guess times have changed. The interior is small but they have quite a bit of seating. I love the cozy feel and the mural painting. The staff are always kind and accommodating. We ordered karrage and two different ramens. Everything came out timely and piping hot. I love that I can modify my ramen and that they offer kale ramen noodles and coconut broth. So many places to check out downtown after eating. Definitely give this spot a try :)

    Chicken Katsu Curry
    Crystal O.

    Love this little spot on main st in Ventura! Got the katsu curry and it was delicious and hit the spot!! Definitely coming back for it again! Service was quick and friendly as well

    Marilyn C.

    This was our first time trying Kao Ramen. It was delicious! The lady who was serving the whole restaurant was very friendly and attentive. We had ordered the Kao ramen with chicken and the Mama style ramen. Because of the egg shortage, they would ask if you would like an egg as they do not want to waste. It was a nice ambiance right next to main st. (Which is closed for cars passing through)

    Ramen

    We used to love the ramen here, we just went two weeks ago and the ramen isn't the same they changed the bases of the broth, and pork chasu . The pork chasu was so hard to chew on this time around. Hopefully they go back to making ramen how they used to.

    paula c.

    When looking for a place to eat lunch, my daughter said the best ramen she'd ever had was at in downtown Ventura. After a few quick taps in my phone, I asked "was it Kao Ramen?" Yes it was! Parked around the corner on a Saturday afternoon and arrived around 12:45 and were immediately seated. Overall, they provided friendly service, fun decor and delicious, fresh food. Many options to make the ramen or rice bowl to your liking, like heat level. We ordered a couple Mama Ramen bowls, a pork chashu bowl and a Go Green ramen bowl. We all loved our food and I'd definitely come back.

    Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl
    José Julián V.

    I stop by a couple weeks ago. The food was so good, the girl who took my order was nice and attentive. I liked the ambient of the place, I remember they were playing a good Naruto episode.

    Kao Raman (Tonkotsu Broth)
    Devin B.

    Stopped in on a chilly evening for a warm bowl of ramen and walked right in to a seat! That's always the beauty of a ramen spot you typically never have to wait which is awesome! We walked in were greeted by friendly staff and seated right away. The decor was amazing and the ode to the anime characters was awesome. The menu was simple with plenty of options for everyone to choose from. I went with the classic Kao ramen, the bowl was massive and filling with a perfect blend of flavors. Half way through I added some Szechuan spice to kick it up and it warmed the soul!! All in all delicious quick simple food!!

    Kao Ramen.
    Robyn C.

    This is a nice little restaurant located in downtown Ventura. We came here to eat before a show at the Ventura Theater. I have loved ramen since my daughter introduced it to me several years ago, and I've been to a lot of different ramen places, mostly in Orange County. We are always on the lookout for a good ramen place closer to home. The ramen here was good, not great, but good and enjoyable. I ordered the Miso ramen. You could choose your protein, and I chose the ground pork. The little pork meatballs were a nice addition to my ramen. The broth was tasty but not spectacular. I got level 2 heat and I feel I could go up to level 3 because it wasn't too spicy. The noodles were not too thick and had a little bite to them. My soup came out very warm, but not hot. My daughter ordered the Kao Ramen. She enjoyed it, but again, she said it was just okay. We both felt like it was lacking something and not full of flavor. The service was wonderful. They were attentive and helpful. The restaurant was clean. It is small inside. I'm open to trying again another day when we happen to get downtown again.

    Lou L.

    Food has msg but yummy. There are roaches in the restroom. I hope they don't in the kitchen which is behind the restroom wall/connecting door

    Beef Ramen
    Sherina A.

    There was so much flavor in the food. From their dry dishes to their soup, everything was delicious! The staff were so sweet to us as we celebrated an intimate family bday dinner. Perfect location downtown Ventura; a cute lil spot where there's plenty going on. We will def come back! Thank you so much!

    Miso ramen
    Jaz M.

    After living in Ventura for over a year now, I'm a little mad at myself for not eating here any sooner lol. Conveniently located on Main Street, it's in a area that's so cute with so much to do. Finally stopped by this afternoon and was so impressed! I have been a fan of Rice by Mama and heard they also owned this spot and I will say this spot is another great spot. They have a good menu with great variety. After debating for some time, I went with the Miso Ramen with a spicy level 2. I decided to go with ground pork and no spanich and added bamboo. It was so good! Good bold flavor and the spicy ness was good but I probably could have gone with spicy level number 3. So if you love and enjoy spicy food, defiantly go 3 or higher. The noodles were the best part, very good quality. My girlfriend had the mama style and she loved it as well. Our server was kind and friendly and the service overall was very good. Nothing but good things to say about this place. If your in the mood for a hot bowl of soup/ ramen, please keep them in mind. Why not support a great local buisness such at this one. Thank you for the great food Kao ramen!

    Karrage

    It's a comfortable and chill restaurant server was very kind and respectfully bowed which made it feel very welcoming! Food was delicious!

    I took my lunch break here during my 4th of July all-day shift. It was in an easy-to-find spot on Main Street and was not crowded. It was a small restaurant, but my family and I had plenty of space. Although we dined in, the restaurant's vibe seemed more like a quick bite. We ordered the Salmon Teriyaki Rice Bowl, the Kao Ramen (Tonkotsu Broth), and the Gyudon Bowl. The service was excellent and fast, perfect for a one-hour lunch break. The food was also delicious with a decent portion size.

    Karrage rice bowl

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    6 months ago

    Great ramen. Would absolutely recommend this place everything is great but try the mamas style ramen first. Great service as well.

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    9 months ago

    I order a noodle and a rice dish that were both so tasty. Reheated them for lunch and they were even better the second day. Yum yum yummy

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    Page 1 of 12

    Kao Ramen By Mama Reviews in Other Languages

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    Gotetsu - Kushiyaki and Sake House

    4.6(444 reviews)
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    Absolute gem in Ventura! Food was absolutely the best I've had ever had!…read more Bring everyone you know!

    ~ SMALL SPACE, BIG FLAVOR, A HIDDEN GEM ~…read more Gotetsu is one of those blink and you'll miss it spots, but once you're inside, you know you've found something sooo special!! Cozy, intimate, and very much a hole in the wall izakaya, this place is all about authentic Japanese flavors and perfectly grilled skewers. There is NO sushi here (they make that very clear), just kushiyaki, small plates, and goooood vibes. I've never been to Japan (yet), but I would imagine this is what it would be like walking into a small mom and pop shop there. The open kitchen is tiny but fun to watch, and from pretty much any seat you can see your food being made. It's a GREAT date night spot, order a bunch of dishes and share everything so much fun. We came for dinner and with a rotating menu of skewers and specials we were satisfied and it kept things interesting! Lunch is more limited, with preset options, but the quality still hits. The donburi is solid, the chicken curry is comforting (could use a little more protein), and the skewers, especially pork belly, chicken & onion, and meatballs, are seasoned and grilled really well. Veggie skewers like zucchini and brussels sprouts are simple but still tasty. At dinner, my husband and I loved the spicy garlic edamame, chicken thigh with yuzu pepper, ribeye skewer, gyoza, and the yaki onigiri (grilled rice ball with a crispy outside). Pro move: dip the onigiri into the leftover spicy edamame sauce. Trust. Ordering is easy with scan-and-pay, the owner is hands-on, and you can feel the care put into every dish. Take it easy with the ordering (they are typically skewer by skewer because you can easily rack up a hefty bill!) If you're looking for an authentic Japanese izakaya experience in Ventura, focused on flavor, not trends, Gotetsu absolutely delivers.

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    Strange Beast - Spicy tuna sushi

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    4.2(174 reviews)
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    Strange Beast is definitely a one of a kind bar, but Nick (the bartender) is definitely a one of a…read morekind bartender! I stopped by a couple of days ago, and forgot to post a yelp on the great experience I had with Nick! Not only did he educate me on their cocktail list, but he helped on a personal level with his conversation skills! I wasn't have the best day, not the best couple of weeks. Sitting at the bar top with Nick helped me feel okay again! Great drinks and great personality! Check them out!

    Came here for dinner with my husband and was in awe! Cute romantic dimly lit restaurant with lounge…read morevibes, cool Japanese retro type art, fun cocktails, beautiful bar and tasty Asian food. Their SPICY EDAMAME is addicting! They add the perfect amount of spice and hint of sugar, highly recommend! The DUCK RAMEN was great too! Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted fresh. Loved the enoki mushrooms and yolky boiled egg. Also tried their Godzilla and KAIJUrolls- both were tasty. My husband is not a fan of kewpie mayo so we had it on the side. TIP: ORDER a side of SRIRACHA and a side of GARLIC CHILI OIL. Dipping your sushi in both of these will take your tastebuds to another level!! DRINKS: It was hard to decide between all the different choices. Millennium Falcon Fizz was delicious- reminds me of a Scooby snack, comes with a foamy top. They give you a bottle of water which is nice, but the waitress forgot to give us a refill when we asked for it. Other than that, the staff is friendly and did a good job checking on us. If you're in the area check it out!

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    Strange Beast - Beautiful bar

    Beautiful bar

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    Matna 1631 - Spicy Brisket Ramen

    Matna 1631

    4.6(222 reviews)
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    Great find in Ventura! Asian food has certainly come a looooong way since I was a kid!…read more Was needing a quick bite before swim finals. First, the gal who took our order was super friendly and helpful. The food was really good. Reminded me of We had the original chicken wings, japchae, kimbap, bulgogi bowl and the yuzu and grape ades. All of the dishes were wonderful. Chicken was nice and crispy --good flavor throughout and not greasy at all! The japchae had a great balance of flavors and the shiitake mushrooms, in particular, had really great flavor--must have been marinated for a long time to soak up all the juices! The kimbap was delicious! It was fresh and the pickle in it (Japanese call it takuan, idk what its name in Korean is) was super mild. It didn't overpower the other ingredients. The bulgogi was a solid dish. It had also the glass noodles on one side and plenty of meat and veggies. A good, well-rounded dish. We will come back for bing soo after the kid finishes finals, if it isn't too late! A local regular enthusiastically suggested we try it, so we will be back. The drinks were really delicious as well. Not too sweet and refreshing taste--I think each one is handmade individually. Overall, I highly recommend this place. It has all of the taste of real Korean home cooking at a good price point. You can get quality dishes in a casual in-and-out setting. We will be back for sure!

    I recently tried Matna, and overall the experience was just okay. The food wasn't bad, but the…read moreprices felt way too high for what you get. I ordered the bibimbap and some wings. The bibimbap was very standard -- nothing special or memorable about it. It tasted like a typical Korean bibimbap you can get at many other places, but here it was priced at $12.75, while I've seen similar dishes at other restaurants for under $8. The wings were the same story. A small portion of five wings costs $12.99, and while they tasted fine, they were just ordinary Korean fried wings. Nothing about them really stood out to justify the price. Overall, the food is decent, but there's nothing unique or special that makes the higher prices make sense. In my opinion, the only thing that stands out about this restaurant is that it's overpriced for what it offers.

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    Suisen Ramen

    Suisen Ramen

    4.1(108 reviews)
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    Locally owned & operated
    Minority-owned & operated

    Delicious Ramen on a rainy night. We picked the won-ton Ramen with spicy miso sauce, that was not…read morevery spicy and quite tasty. They had a good selection of sushi. Everything we tried was good and fresh. The place is not fancy at all. The service was excellent despite the fact that it was pretty busy and one server (Ariana?) handled everything including a stream of Door Hub/Grub dash orders. She was hopping! She warned us that the food could take awhile but it wasn't too long until we were eating. You can't beat cold beer and steaming noodles on a blustery New Year's Eve. We will be back.

    Great location! Located right next to the oxnard marina it has beautiful views and a great place…read morefor a scenic walk with your dog. Okay food. I ordered the chashu ramen which did have a generous serving of 5 pieces of pork. But omg they were so TOUGH. It felt like I was chewing forever. I think leaving the pork in the broth longer made them less tough but wow, that was a jaw workout. I was surprised that the ramen didn't come with the usual beansprouts and bamboo shoots but each place is different. I was a little annoyed to pay $2 to add them on additionally but I understand that some people may not like those things in ramen so it is an overall good idea to charge separately. Okay service. My friend and I didn't order any drinks, just had water. But it was a hassle to get a refill. I had asked twice and made multiple attempts to move my empty cup to a more strategic location to signal for water. But eventually my friend just got up and asked for me. I'm all for a fun workplace environment as long as it isnt distracting from actual work responsibilities.

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    U Ramen - 54. Shoyu Ramen

    U Ramen

    4.2(217 reviews)
    7.6 mi
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    I am basing my review on 1 visit, during lunch. There wasn't…read morea line so I was able to be seated immediately. Ambiance- seating inside is generally small tables close together and the dining area is on the smaller side. An open kitchen area is behind the counter, but they also have more kitchen space behind in the back. They layout really reminded me of Tokyo Ramen houses that are designed for solo single eaters (as a lot of Tokyo casual dining is). During my meal, the majority of us at tables were solo eaters, only 1 other table had 2 diners. So I imagine if you're a larger party it, it may be hard to get seating at busier times due to smaller number of tables. Ordered- Tokatsu ShuShu ramen. The noodles were springy and bouncy. The broth is creamy and tasty. I still think I really enjoy Silverlake Ramen's Tonkatsu broth (I don't know what their secret ingredient is that makes it unique) but URamen's is still satisfying. I had 4 pieces of Chashu, 1/2 of a seasoned soft boiled egg. The yolk is seasoned in a very sweet sauce- interesting taste. They add a wonton crisp which is unusual for Ramen bowl! I would've like nori crisp but that's ok. Service- One server was taking care of the lunch crowd. The owners are Thai, and I believe the server is also Thai. She was quite polite. Usually I think most Thai restaurants offer that super kind, and humble service to customers. (I say this as Korean Ame, it's noticeably different than immigrant run Korean or Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants) I do prefer the taste of Silverlake Ramen, BUT they have even more limited seating. The parking and access here is easier and quicker than going to the Collection Annex, so I think this is another solid Ramen place. Note- They are closed on Mondays, and closed between 3-5pm everyday. The first time I came, was during their closed time.

    This place was pretty good. Good amount of ramen…read more The Cali roll was ok, not the best. Really large roll. Service was good. Ambiance was good. I'd come back.

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    53. Spicy Miso Ramen

    Kao Ramen By Mama - ramen - Updated May 2026

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