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KIO Ramen

3.6 (177 reviews)
ModerateRamen, Izakaya, Beer Bar
Closed • 12:00 pm - 8:00 PM

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KIO Ramen Photos

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KIO RAMEN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Casual
Outdoor seating
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - KIO Ramen

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Wall decor
Mercedes Y.

Yesterday (Saturday) was a major day for Lunar New Year celebrations, marking the Year of the Horse. My friends & I went to the event on Balboa Street and cruised 5 blocks to see the vendors on the street. My friend spotted the sushi tacos. After we satisfied seeing everything including part of the parade, music, met up the SF Supervisor, SF Police Captain & Lieutenant, we walked back to Kio. This was my 3rd time visiting Kio. We were lucky we got the table despite of the event. We ordered our own likeness, salmon avocado sushi taco, soft shell crab taco, house ramen. My other friend craved for more taco so she ordered the Unagi sushi taco. All the food was so delish and the fav on the table was the Unagi taco. The restaurant was getting so busy. There were 2 friendly servers and the other guy had a brace on his arm. But he was able to manage taking orders. The restaurant is small and has a nice wall decor. My friends said we shall return and eat more tacos. This is a good to go spot in the neighborhood!

Skip this place
Jack R.

Let's just dive right into this lukewarm ramen....like literally! The ramen (both of them) needed way more ramen and needed to be reheated and hotter. We were the ONLY people in the restaurant, so I'm not sure what went wrong here. The ramen portion is like 5 bites?!? Like kids size. My coworker said the lobster ramen had barely any flavor. Similar with my black garlic ramen. 3 stars average. The soy wings were awful and NOT worth $10. The wings were flavorless and a total waste of money. The crab sandwich was hit or miss. The crab itself was okay. The coleslaw was old and soooo watery and soggy that I couldn't eat the potato bun because it was soggy from that old slaw. YUCK. The fries were sooo skimpy. You can literally count the small portion on my plate. And they were lukewarm. Just plain sad and not worth $19. Total waste of money. I feel like they missed the mark on everything we ordered here.

Soft Shell Crab Sushi Taco
Bry H.

Food was great!!!! The soft shell crab taco was bomb. The ramen broth was amazing. Waited a little bit to get our table. I did have to check my receipt as I accidentally got charged double for the sushi tacos but I believe it was just an honest mistake. Can't wait to try other item on the menu.

8/4/23. BEST TAKOYAKI!!! $10 for 5 pieces. OUTER CRISPY SHELL melts in your mouth, bursting with flavor and a piece of octopus. Must try!
Sharmaine M.

This review is mostly for their TAKOYAKI $10 for 5 pieces. TAKOYAKI: Crispy outer shell, melt in your mouth filling- bursting with flavor and lowkey sweet taste of a piece of octopus. Idk how they make the OUTER SHELL CRISPY like that but it's bomb!!! Tbh, the first time I tried takoyaki, I never liked it cause I thought gosh! So much mushy, batter and chewy octopus. How is this worth it?! Until.. I tried Kio Ramen's Takoyaki!!! Must try =) For Ramen, I suggest their simple House Ramen will do. Be careful tho cause there are days where their ingredients are not fresh. It gave my tummy a couple swirls to the bathroom lol. Nonetheless, the guy who works as a waiter there is very kind and friendly. We definetly appreciate him and his attentiveness. Ambiance of the place is a hole in the wall with Japanese artistic values. It's pretty cool! :) eats ya'll!

Black Garlic Ramen

Had the black garlic ramen- best ramen in the Richmond area! My friend loved her pulled pork sandwich.

Soft-shell crab sandwich
Manuel G.

The oxtail ramen was so incredibly good! The oxtail meat was tender but very flavorful! The noodles had a familiar instant ramen-like shape, but had great texture. The broth had good flavor as well and the egg was cooked just right. I've had ramen with a better tasting egg and slightly more flavorful broth, but this was still really good. I can't wait to come back and get the oxtail ramen again. The softshell crab sandwich was quite flavorful and had a light texture in the crust without feeling greasy. The atmosphere was somewhat simple, but cozy.

Montage of images from KIO Ramen
Ed U.

There must be something about the salty sea air near Ocean Beach that made the blow-up picture of the soft shell crab sandwich look so appetizing. It was hanging on the front door of this cafe, and me of pliable iron will, I couldn't just walk by without going in and trying it. The menu was full of Japanese comfort food favorites with a robust list of ramen and even okanomiyaki. But I stuck with my guns and went with the $19 Soft Shell Crab Sandwich. The crab was intact and prepared according to expectation as it was crunchy crisp. Shredded cabbage and onion mayo were added to the split potato bun (photo: https://bit.ly/3hWQNuA). It was good though the bun was overtoasted. I also didn't care for the dry fries that came with it. The ketchup didn't help matters. I also ordered the $7 Edamame which were warmed up but a bit oversalted (photo: https://bit.ly/3jGqr0i). It was the end of the lunch hour, so there was just one other table occupied with four women yammering away with nary a breath between them. They have too many other temptations for me to ignore this spot. Dishes like curry ramen and katsu sando might just lure me back. FOOD - 3 stars...potato bun, edamame, and fries were off - though the crab ultimately worked AMBIANCE - 4 stars...atmospheric compact spot with enough space SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a bit slow but not unbearable TOTAL - 3 stars...consider this one an incomplete play RELATED - Exploring the Richmond? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2HvkBu7

Easy to find parking, good quality food, perfect customer service. The ambiance is peaceful and clean.

Vegan Kio Special Ramen extra spicy
Me M.

If you are not open at 12:00 noon, and still not at 1:30 PM on a Saturday, change your hours on your website, your door, and on Yelp. Every time we've tried to go near noon or 1:00, you haven't been open, at least 4 times. There is nothing on the phone message about hours or anything restaurant related. Your Ramen is good but your hours posted are very unreliable. Please change your hours to reflect the time you open. I will remove this review when you change your posted hours correctly.

Sunrise.
Annie L.

Came here with the hubby yesterday 3/26 around 3pm for some ramen! We were in the neighborhood and wanted something warm since it was cold and foggy. We were seated right away as we were the only ones in there. The male server quickly bought us iced water. We ordered: -Sunrise Drink -Gyozas -House ramen with chicken -Black Garlic ramen with pork I noticed something wrong right away with the gyozas. They were frozen as the outside was hard as a rock and interior was still a bit frozen. It didn't give me much hope for the ramen. I enjoyed the soup of my black garlic but the pork was hard and not the thin slice of fatty pork that I am used to. This was hard and meaty. My hubby enjoyed the house ramen and he thought the chicken breast was good. We wanted something simple but they do have a bowl of $25 Oxtail Ramen and Lobster ramen (did not see on the menu) but was posted on the wall. Towards the end of our meal, another couple walked in and got seated. A female server came out and offered iced water or tea. We did not get offered tea as I would've wanted that since it was so cold out! Service differs amongst their staff. She was very friendly and bubbly and the male server barely spoke to us. Overall, 3 stars.

Ton Katsu set (front) & Slow Cooked Pork Ramen (back) | IG: @nomwithelaine
Elaine N.

We were looking for a place that is currently doing outdoor dining and found this place! We arrived here last Saturday for a late lunch around 4:25pm and there was no wait. My friend got the Slow Cooked Pork Ramen under the "Chef's Special" section and I got the Ton Katsu set with katsu sauce from the "Teishoku" section. When we got our food and the portion size of the ramen looked a lot smaller than the average ramen bowl that price at other restaurants, so that was a little disappointing. However, when I got my order, it looked a lot bigger and was well presented too. Anyways, now let's talk about the most important part! Both of our orders tasted good and the meat in the ramen was well marinated and very tender. I also love the type of ramen noodles they use because it was chewy. My order was also very good and the ton katsu meat was still moist and not overcooked, but my least favorite part of my order was the seaweed salad part because it had a stronger flavor than what I'm used to. I'd recommend this place for the katsu sets! I wouldn't recommend getting ramen here because of the small portion size for the price you pay, but the ramen did taste good though. I feel the katsu sets here are more worth it.

Chicken Karaage

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11 hours ago

Super cute ramen place with great service and yummy ramen. They also have a selection of sake.

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11 hours ago

Friendly service and piping hot ramen an a cold day was perfect. The beef ramen was well balanced with spice and the beef was very tender.

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2 months ago

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6 months ago

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7 months ago

Delicious!!! Service was great :) Calm and relaxing atmosphere. Plenty of parking in a nice part of town

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7 months ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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7 months ago

Love their ahi tuna burger and the unagi entree! The burger is delicious and filling and comes with fries.

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

Came here with a large group, which they kindly accommodated. Service was good, the food underwhelming.

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Mensho Tokyo - Tori Paitan Ramen

Mensho Tokyo

4.1(3.4k reviews)
4.6 mi•Lower Nob Hill
•$$

I saw many were able to park right outside of the restaurant and it is walkable from Union Square…read more If you are walking and first time SF, the area may feel a little sketchy especially after sundown. I was by myself and wanted to have a quick eat. This place has unique ramen so I decided to come again (also SF/bay area only in the US). Since I was alone, I got to skip the line and only waited 15 minutes. The ramen was great. I would love to come again and try new one. Their duck chashu is SO GOOD. A little salty but works great as a whole. I respect the kitchen and servers because it's so busy and they are very efficient.

We visited Mensho Tokyo SF for our Mother's Day celebration after hearing so many great things…read moreabout the ramen, and we were genuinely excited to try it for the first time. We were a large group of 15, including several kids, and we completely understand that the restaurant is small and accommodating a group our size can be challenging. We waited in line for almost an hour with around 6 children. During the wait, a staff member named Sue came outside, asked how many people were in our group, and handed us menus. Since it was our first visit, we were naturally asking questions and trying to understand the menu. Unfortunately, throughout the interaction, her body language and expressions felt impatient and unwelcoming. There was visible frustration and eye-rolling, which made us feel uncomfortable rather than welcomed. Even after we were seated, the experience continued to feel tense. One of the toddlers in our group started crying briefly -- something fairly common with young children -- and we were told to "keep it low out of respect." While we absolutely respect other diners, the way it was communicated felt lacking in empathy, especially on a busy Mother's Day with families dining out. A small gesture of kindness or understanding could have gone a long way. Instead, my friend felt compelled to take the child outside, which was disappointing. Additionally, after being seated, we had to remind the staff multiple times to come take our orders. What makes this especially unfortunate is that the ramen itself was truly delicious and lived up to the hype. The food was excellent, which is why this experience was so disappointing overall. I hope management takes this feedback seriously because customer service and hospitality matter just as much as the food experience. Unfortunately, this was not the ideal way to end our Mother's Day celebration.

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Mensho Tokyo - Counter seating

Counter seating

Mensho Tokyo - Enoki chips

Enoki chips

Mensho Tokyo - A5 wagyu sushi

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A5 wagyu sushi

HINODEYA Ramen Japantown - Spicy Miso Ramen jt

HINODEYA Ramen Japantown

4.2(2.3k reviews)
3.7 mi•Japantown, Lower Pacific Heights
•$$

Always love the ramen here! It's so rich with flavor. The chashu was a nice, thick cut of pork and…read morenoodles were perfect. Unfortunately, I felt my soup was slightly too salty that day. Otherwise, they're usually consistent with their ramen. Got lucky with no wait time for Sunday lunch. Quick, friendly service.

UPDATE: The owner reached out to us shortly after our visit and handled the situation very…read moreprofessionally. They not only refunded the ramen with the issue but generously refunded the entire meal for our party. I truly appreciate the follow-up, accountability, and care--it made a big difference. I came to Hinodeya Ramen today with my partner, and this visit was really disappointing, especially considering I've been coming here for years. On a positive note, my Tokyo Duck ramen was actually very good, great portion and rich, flavorful broth. We also had gyoza and hot sake, which were enjoyable. Ambiance was a bit noisy. However, my partner ordered the beef sukiyaki ramen, and when it came out, there was a thick, short, wavy hair in the bowl, clearly not something that should ever be in food. This is a serious contamination issue. We tried to get our server's attention, and I understand it was busy, but being busy is not an excuse when it comes to food safety. Eventually, another server came over. We showed him the issue, expecting at least a proper apology or some explanation of what happened. Instead, he just took the bowl away and said a quick "I'm sorry" no explanation, no reassurance, nothing. They brought out a new bowl of ramen, but at that point, the experience was already ruined. It's hard to continue eating normally after something like that, it honestly just stays in your mind. What makes this more frustrating is that I've been here many times before with friends, family, and coworkers, and when everything goes right, it's great. But when something goes wrong, the response is just a simple "sorry" with no accountability or communication. Even on my last visit a few months ago, the broth was bland and the response was the same just "I'm sorry." At a minimum, for an issue this serious, there should be clear communication, reassurance about food safety, and a more professional response. Because of both past and current experiences, I don't think I'll be coming back. I really hope they improve their service and train staff to handle serious situations like this more appropriately.

Photos
HINODEYA Ramen Japantown - Inside restaurant

Inside restaurant

HINODEYA Ramen Japantown - Spicy Miso Ramen

Spicy Miso Ramen

HINODEYA Ramen Japantown - Chicken Karaage and Green Gyoza

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Chicken Karaage and Green Gyoza

Ippudo San Francisco - Karaka Spicy Ramen, 9/10! So much flavor and minced tofu on top

Ippudo San Francisco

3.8(1.6k reviews)
5.1 mi•Union Square, SoMa, Financial District
•$$

Came here after a long day at the Super Bowl experience. We…read moredid a walk-in for four. The wait for a table was 20 mins or we can share a large table with random people and be seated immediately. We were hungry. We went with the large shared table. Pleasantly, there was more than enough room. There were at least 1-2 seats in between the three groups on each side that were there- a solo diner, a small family of 3, and my group of 4. I ordered the Karaka Spicy, my bf ordered Akamaru Modern, his sister ordered Miso, and I don't remember what her friend got- I think it was also Karaka spicy. My bf and I ordered the Treasure plate on the side to share and a side of spicy paste because I know Japanese spicy is barely spicy (from someone who grew up eating SEA spicy). Karaka Spicy had a nicely balance tonkotsu mouth feel and pork flavor. Broth was a little salty. I was correct to assume that it wasn't spicy because I used half of the side of spicy paste and I still didn't think it was spicy enough. Chashu was cooked fine. Notes: - I wished I would've asked if they could swap the thin noodles for the thick ones. I love the chew thicker noodles provide. - Noodles were cooked al dente. Akamaru Modern tasted very similar to Karaka spicy without the spicy. My bf used the other half of the spicy paste as dip for his toppings. He enjoyed it. Miso was a lighter broth (obvi) with a good umami flavor and was not watered down. Solid. She loved it. I have never seen her finish a whole bowl of ramen before. There was a server in training that took our order with the help of the trainer- he did great. Staff was attentive with our waters. Bussers were also quick to notice and remove empty plates and bowls regularly making for an easy clean up after we leave and kept the shared table clutter free. Interior was modern, but casual. They had an expansive menu with vegetarian choices, sushi, buns, karage, etc. and a surprisingly large array of alcohol. I would def like to be back to try some drinks.

We were in the city for the NFL Experience the day before the Super Bowl and were excited to grab a…read moregood bowl of ramen. Unfortunately, IPPUDO didn't live up to expectations. The ramen is served in large bowls, which looks impressive at first, but the actual portion of noodles and toppings felt underwhelming for the price. At that price point, I expected more both in quantity and flavor. We ordered the Dragon Tantan ramen, which the menu describes as spicy. It wasn't spicy at all. We asked our waiter if we could have a little more heat, and he nodded and brought over a tiny dipping-bowl-sized portion of some red paste with no explanation. There was no mention that it would cost extra. After finishing our meal, we were surprised to see a $5 charge on the bill for the "extra spice." We genuinely thought it was complimentary, and if it wasn't, that absolutely should have been communicated before serving it. The lack of transparency was disappointing and unnecessary. Overall: mid food, mid service, and not worth the price -- especially during such an exciting weekend in the city. Unfortunately, we won't be coming back.

Photos
Ippudo San Francisco - Inside. Dining room. Busy on a Sunday early afternoon.

Inside. Dining room. Busy on a Sunday early afternoon.

Ippudo San Francisco - NIRVANA KARAKA (DD)

NIRVANA KARAKA (DD)

Ippudo San Francisco - French fries

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French fries

Taniku Izakaya - Spicy beef ramen

Taniku Izakaya

4.6(341 reviews)
4.2 mi•Tenderloin
•$$

Came here at around 6 PM on a Tuesday and got seated immediately! It got busier about 10 mins…read moreafter. Super cute & decorated inside, and staff was so nice! Okonomoyaki tater tots - 8.5/10 from a potato lover!! This does have some sort of cheese on it so beware if you don't eat it Hamachi Hand Roll - 9/10 SO GOOD. I think the rice is mixed in with soy sauce. It was super flavorful which I wasn't expecting Scallop Hand Roll - 8/10, the yuzu on top was absolutely delicious & scallop was very soft. Kobe Skewer - 7/10, it was good but nothing extraordinary. It'll hit the spot if you like meat skewers Yuzu Tori Skewer - 7/10, same as the kobe skewer, but the yuzu on top was delicious Niku Ramen - 8/10, good portion & very very flavorful. I'm glad that they gave a lot of meat in this. I shared this & they provided an extra bowl without me asking :) It's also not super spicy. Hokkaido Milk Pudding - 8/10, the pudding itself was so good but the sauce was a little too sweet for me. However, my partner has a sweet tooth and loved it :) Will totally come again, everything was so yummy and so glad to have tried it!

I had no idea how popular this restaurant was when I made the reservation. I was just craving…read moreJapanese food and wanted to try somewhere new with friends. When we arrived, there was already a long line out front, which set the tone. The place is small and intimate. The food was out of this world. I got the pork belly skewers, mushrooms in truffle sauce, a unagi hand roll, and a shrimp tempura hand roll. All of it was excellent, but the mushrooms and pork belly truly stood out. Every dish felt like it was made with deep care and intention. Our server was attentive throughout. We had a fantastic time. Definitely make a reservation before you go!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Photos
Taniku Izakaya - Interior

Interior

Taniku Izakaya - Scallop corn chowder - FIRE !

Scallop corn chowder - FIRE !

Taniku Izakaya - Calamari

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Calamari

HINODEYA Ramen Union Square - Chicken and silver noodles awaiting the broth

HINODEYA Ramen Union Square

4.1(543 reviews)
4.9 mi•Union Square
•$$

Stumbled upon this place as I was walking in the neighborhood and decided to stop by for lunch. I…read morewas seated right away and was given water and a menu within the minute. I ordered the spicy edamame and the yu-Lin-chi. The edamame definitely has a kick to them and the chicken was great. Nicely coated.

Ive eaten my fair share of Japanese ramen and know my ramen pretty well. Yelp and Google both had…read moreHinodeya higher rated than Ippudo (I wasn't in the mood to battle whatever mob scene might be happening at Mensho), and this place was literally right across the street from my hotel, so I made a mad dash for this place as it was friggin' cold in SF on a late Spring day. If you try to come here around 6-7pm, there is a long line waiting to get seated, but it moves fast. I kept peeking out of my hotel window and by 7:30pm, line was almost non existent, so that's when I went down to get dinner. When I arrived, I was immediately shown a seat inside. You can sit outside too as lots of tables right on the street but it was way too cold for me. Service was quick and I ordered a Yuzu Zen (vegan) ramen. I wanted to try something different than their signature ramen. This ramen was cooked in the traditional Japanese Buddhist temple way, which was a bonus for me. I am a practicing Buddhist and have meditated at various different temple organizations and I enjoy temple cooking as its usually lighter but still very soul nourishing. The broth is lighter and its a vegan dashi broth and comes with zest of yuzu (its like a Japanese lemon), bamboo shoots, crispy kale and sweet fried tofu. I enjoyed this bowl of noodles with soup and the broth was hot, so it warmed me up. I was not really a fan of the inari (sweet fried tofu) as it was just too sweet for me. Service was a little slow towards the end as I was itching to pay and go for an evening stroll, but otherwise, a good experience. I'd come back again when nearby.

Photos
HINODEYA Ramen Union Square - Inside

Inside

HINODEYA Ramen Union Square - Crispy Chicken Karaage

Crispy Chicken Karaage

HINODEYA Ramen Union Square - Warm or cold sake at Hinodeya

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Warm or cold sake at Hinodeya

KIO Ramen - ramen - Updated May 2026

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