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    Menya Shono

    3.8 (317 reviews)
    ModerateRamen
    Closed 11:30 am - 2:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM

    Order Menya Shono Takeout or Delivery

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    Nori Calamari
    Millie B.

    The good. My Ginjo ramen is good and the calamari is good. I don't frequent a ramen restaurant but this place had absolutely amazing ramen. The pork is cooked to perfection. That's the good..... Now the service. On a rainy Sunday night, the restaurant was busy but still had open tables and people were also starting to depart. We waited a good 10 mins before someone came to acknowledge our presence. I had to go to the cashier to point out that's a couple of groups wanting to put our name down for a table. That's one. Upon checkin we were told that our orders will take 35-40 mins since they are packed. Not an issue. The other not so good is that half the ramen menu is not available. No miso etc... bummer. Now, I would have appreciated it if when they warned us of the late food service, menu changes should have been advised as well. They didn't have an extensive menu so not sure why that was not communicated.

    Sonja P.

    Mensho is my absolute favorite ramen; so in the area I decided to try Menya Shono, as they operate under the same umbrella. It seemed like it had a lot of my favorites like enoki chips. A little bit more low key and spacious than other the menshos. The tables were quite small and for 2 ramens and 2 appetizers they had to connect another small table. Service was a bit slow, but friendly. I had the tsukemen and it was amazing. It was different but the dipping sauce was creamy and flavorful. An added broth wasn't needed, if it was offered. The Ginjo was perfectly balanced with a nice creaminess as well. We couldn't finish it but was a good the next day. Great option if youre in the area. Street parking, but didn't seem too hard to get.

    Dirty Table first customer of the day
    Kenji Y.

    The ramen here is pretty darn good, but the service was horrible. The staff had a very rushed attitude. We were left standing at the entrance even though there was no one else in the restaurant. The worker seemed either too busy or too annoyed to help. Even after we were seated, I had to go up to the cash register to place our order and walked up to the cash register to pay at the end. The table was sticky all over. The ramen is expensive, but good.

    Tori Toripaitan Ramen Original
    Makana A.

    I love the true authenticity that Menya Shono brings. So many places claim to be "authentic" Japanese restaurants, but Menya Shono truly delivers flavors straight from Japan. It's an absolute gem. I had the Toripaitan Ramen Original, and it was fantastic. The broth was super rich, and the toppings were well balanced. The noodles were cooked perfectly, just the right texture. The only downside was the service and cleanliness. When I arrived, I was one of the first customers for lunch, but the table I got was extremely sticky, which made me wonder if it was ever wiped down. On top of that, the staff ignored me for a while when I walked in. He seemed busy, but it felt awkward. That said, the ramen itself was so delicious that I'd definitely come back and give it another try. I'm hoping the service and cleanliness improve, because the food truly deserves it!

    Marielena L.

    I tried this ramen spot recently and really enjoyed a few highlights. The corn was extremely good--sweet, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. The fried chicken also stood out with a really nice texture, crispy on the outside and juicy inside. For my main dish, I went with the Tsukemen. It was something totally new for me since it comes out cold and you dip it into a very rich broth. While I'm glad I tried it, I don't think I'd order it again. The corn was definitely my favorite part of the meal, and I'd be open to coming back to try some of their other ramen options instead.

    Blaze ramen
    Kathy E.

    After trying this restaurant any other ramen spot will never live up to this place for you. I always get the blaze ramen and it's the perfect bowl. It is a bit pricey but I've never left not full. Depending on what time and day you visit it will be busy which can make service slower but appetizers always come out fast. Ambience is chill , not overwhelming at all

    Vegan tan tan men
    Joyce L.

    I think we got lucky here! Menya Shono usually has loooooooong waits at other locations but not at San Rafael. We were able to pop in and get a table immediately. The service is decent and there are plenty of traditional options as well as vegan options too. By default, I like to order the vegan tantan but I forget how ridiculously THICK the broth is. It's almost like a soupy bowl of sesame butter. It's not my preference but the soup itself is still jam packed with flavor. The overly thick texture of the "soup" made me full really quickly. I'd personally prefer it to be thinned out a little. The first time I ordered that ramen, I asked for a side of broth but was denied. I just have to remember not to order this next time... The fixins were very very generous. I usually would welcome this but I found it all to be too overwhelming with the super thick soup and the oily chunk of mushroom. The vegan miso was much less overwhelming but sadly was "under"whelming in comparison. I think the Oakland location does a much better job overall. Given that there's no wait for this spot, I'd say it's worth the tradeoff.

    Jessica O.

    We came here for Sunday lunch, and the ramen we got definitely hit the spot on a rainy afternoon. The dining space is clean and modern, and the ambiance was quite calm and relaxed. I ordered the classic ginjo ramen, which came with a rich and creamy chicken broth. The thick ramen noodles were cooked perfectly to a nice bouncy texture, which made for the perfect bite with the flavorful broth. The toppings felt a little lacking to me, I thought it was kinda weird that the classic did not come with an egg. I did enjoy the 2 slices of thin-cut pork chashu, they were smokey and tender. The fried burdock on top was pretty good, I liked the flavor and texture once it soaked up the broth. I appreciated the fact that there wasn't too much on top. I've had bowls where there was so much fried burdock that it was hard to enjoy the ramen underneath. Definitely a pricey option, but the quality of ramen and ingredients makes for a solid bowl of ramen. My bf enjoyed the spicy vegan miso with a ramen egg added in, I think this one of the better vegan ramens we've tried. If you have a bigger appetite, definitely go for the deluxe over the classic, the toppings seem to be a lot better for only a dollar or two difference. Overall, a solid choice for ramen in an area that lacks good Asian food.

    Shoyu ramen
    Vic C.

    We go to Menya Shono at least a couple times a month - it's easily our favorite ramen spot in the area. Other ramen restaurants in Marin are fine, but this place is clearly a step above. Their broths are full of flavor and not just salt bombs, and their ingredients are all quality -- with perfectly cooked eggs, chewy noodles and melt in your mouth chashu pork. My husband and I almost always get the Shoyu chintan ramen, but we've tried many types and have never been disappointed. our family members have even tried the vegan tantanmen and raved about it. Service can be a bit slow at times but usually friendly. And the ambience is casual enough where we don't feel bad bringing our young kids who are also big ramen fans.

    GKO Deluxe, way too oily and cold meat, soggy noodles :-(
    Lena H.

    We came here for lunch several times and I think the ramen quality had gone downhill since. I had a team lunch here today and I ordered the GKO deluxe ramen for $25. The broth was way too thick and way too oily that each bite is overly greasy while the ramen noodle is a little too soft. The lingering taste with soggy thick noodle with too much grease sucks. The various garlic flavor didn't blend in well. I love ramens but feel like this ramen restaurant has not met up with the expectation since my last visits. I don't think I would enjoy another ramen again at this restaurant after this time. Service was not very attentive neither and I had to wave down the waiter to order and to get the bill. One man going around the restaurant while an automatic 20% service charge is added to the bill.

    The Original - House-made Noodles in Fish & Chicken Broth topped with Chicken Chashu, Marinated Egg, Fried Red Ginger, Burdock Root
    Danny K.

    I've been going to Menya Shono and Mensho for years so a review is long overdue for this San Rafael location. Chef and owner Tomaharu Shono opened Mensho in 2005, and the first U.S. location was opened in 2016 in San Francisco. 5 years later, he opened a location in San Rafael, then Union City and Oakland in subsequent years. Clearly Chef Shono has some affinity for the Bay Area. And the Bay Area is fortunate for it! His ramen is some of, if not the best outside of Japan. The San Rafael location is much larger than Mensho SF with vaulted ceilings and an open kitchen. It has a large stainless steel bar back with many taps for beer with about a quarter of them actually in use. Perhaps it used to be a brewery space. There are crates printed with Mensho along with large explanations of aspects of their ramen such as the farm to table approach and the properties of the grains used for the noodles. Starting from the appetizers, there are the Corn Ribs which are buttery, roasted, and cut into bite-sized strips. Then there are the Enoki Chips, an airy mound of delicately thin and fried enoki mushrooms. Perfectly fried chicken karaage with a slice of lemon. There's also Mentaiko Takoyaki, Nori Calamari, Chashu Rice and Vegan Karaage. Then there's the ramen. Chef Shono is known for his signature Tori Paitan, a thick and creamy chicken broth, fried garlic, chashu, sesame and burdock. The SF location has a matcha variant of it, but San Rafael does not. There is also Mazesoba, Tsukemen, Miso Ramen, and a vegetarian Tantanmen. But my favorite that I just drove 2 hours for this weekend was the Chintan Shio Ramen. There is so much craft that goes into it from the chewy and thin wheat noodles, roasted duck medallions, smoked chashu, perfectly marinated and custard-like ajitama and clear flavorful complex and sublime broth, it's as good as it gets outside of Tokyo. If it takes a bit longer than the average ramen place for it to get to your table, it's because they are taking extra time to make it perfect. Sadly, the much closer Union City location's Chintan Shio does not compare favorably to the San Rafael location. Me and my partner both felt that it doesn't taste as fresh, and the broth and noodles of the Shio there have somewhat of an oddly packaged ramen taste. I have traveled for a few weeks to Tokyo and Kyoto trying different kinds of ramen in Ginza, Roppongi Hills, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Harajuku. Menya Shono holds up well to native Japanese ramen. It's the most authentic Japanese ramen you'll find in the U.S. I'd reckon many San Rafael residents don't know how lucky they are to have one of the best ramen restaurants in town. I wish we had one in the South Bay, except that the lines would be ridiculous. It would definitely thin out the lines at Ramen Nagi and Tsujita.

    Chicken chashu ramen
    Jenny H.

    We got seated pretty fast! The staff are nice. Parking was a bit hard to find but there was a public parking lot nearby which we found after making a round or two. The bathroom at the restaurant is down a hallway so make sure you follow the signs. We got three appetizers. The chashu rice was good and was $6. The chicken karage was really good ($7). There was a corn wings which is just corn cob slices with tajin ($7.50). The corn cob is nice to nibble on lol. My favorite was the chicken karage. The appetizers are a small size though so don't expect a lot. We got the chicken chashu ramen and the blaze ramen. We wanted it extra spicy but saw we were charged $2 each for hot sauce so $4. Other ramen places I've been to have never done this before so I was a bit surprised. Other than that, my experience was good.

    DX Ginjo Toripaitan Ramen (couldn't wait and had a few bites)
    Samantha G.

    No doubt about it, this is VERY good ramen. But as others have mentioned the broth is almost too rich and thick. For the price on DoorDash, I'm really disappointed in the portion size. There are a few other options around the area that provide double the amount for half the price. The quality of meat was great, but the Enoki Mushroom Chashu was unreal. First time trying it, and it was absolutely delicious. I can't speak to the service or ambiance personally since I ordered to-go, but we're local and walk by often. It looks great inside, and I see the pictures on Yelp and see the portions seem to be much larger for dining in. I wouldn't come here very often due to the price. It's a deterrent. $29 for this. But it definitely will be a spot I treat myself too every once in a while because the taste is phenomenal.

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    We have a branch in Union City and delight to serve you there!

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    4 months ago

    Veggie ramen is amazing now!! Best in Marin. The hot sauce is delicious, mushroom in ramen are really good.

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    Menya Shono Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Menya Shono

    Can they handle parties of 8 - 10 people? Are there reservations?

    Yes, you can make reservation online

    Is there parking available?

    There are city parking lots nearby and also a lot street meter parkings.

    Is there a chicken-base broth? Only tonkotsu, or true shoyu?

    Yes there are several

    Are you open for lunch, or will you be in the near future?

    They are open for lunch. Check their hours.

    Is it possible to get the non-vegan ramen without the pork chashu?

    Yes you can delete things as you wish. Adding things will usually cost extra.

    When will you guys available for takeout?

    I saw Door Dash orders on the table last weekend!

    View All 9 Questions

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    Menya Shono - ramen - Updated May 2026

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