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    Nanban

    3.9 (194 reviews)
    ModerateEmpanadas, Ramen
    Closed 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Order Nanban Takeout or Delivery

    Nanban Photos

    Business Info

    NANBAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Nanban

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    Reviews With Photos

    Miso Ramen with Chicken Nuggets
    Madi N.

    Chicken MADE the ramen!!! So worth the visit and hype! Brother got the fried chicken and also loved it. Definitely a spot to stop by.

    Loaded fries
    Karen H.

    I haven't been to Nanban in a while so we decided to stop by and grab dinner there yesterday night and it was a hit! You order at the counter and take a seat and they'll bring your food out to you. There's only a handful of small tables inside and two tables that seat four each outside under tents so probably not the best place for a big group but it was perfect for our group of four. Nanban has a great selection of Asian soul food offerings with fried chicken, ramen and noodles, and bao buns, and more. We got a variety of items and were super stuffed by the end. Everything was flavorful and my favorite might have been the crispy beer battered cauliflower nugs (which was a huge surprise to me as a meat lover). My friend who was just in Japan said that the shio udon was really good!

    Menu
    Nirmal R.

    Found this hole in a wall randomly on Yelp and we decided to give it a shot. First time we had gotten to go and this time we decided to dine in. We got the ramen and it was nice. The bao bun was a fun lil treat. And the place is small so definitely make sure you come during non rush hours. You seat yourselves. The table we picked wasn't cleaned and no one comes and checks or cleans the table I guess? They only have a few staff so it gets backed up at the counter. It's a nice spot otherwise.

    Rayu Cucumbers
    Julia B.

    Nanban is a Lawrenceville hole in the wall specializing in an interesting mix of various cultures' comfort foods. We specifically went to try the fried chicken, but they also serve ramen & empanadas. To start, we got the cucumbers & cauliflower appetizers. The cucumbers were pickled with a yummy spicy seasoning, and the cauliflower was fried (basically into nuggets) with a delicious coconut sambal sauce (I actually wish there was more sauce on the dish!). Both were quite large, so definitely share apps if you plan to visit. For my entree, I got the gochujang chicken & biscuits. The combination of gochujang glaze & inferno honey sauce on the chicken was super flavorful (tangy & spicy), and the biscuits were fluffy without being too heavy. While the tonkatsu gravy was super flavorful, I actually felt that it was a little too heavy/rich for the rest of the dish. My boyfriend got the fried chicken with Sapporo BBQ sauce, and the chicken was super lightly fried so it was crispy but still juicy without being too breaded. For drinks, we got the lemongrass sweet tea (a good combo with the spicy sauces) & the cucumber fresca (super green tasting). The restaurant is BYOB if you want to go that route. Service was not great (despite the workers being super friendly), in that after bringing our dishes we were never checked in on again. I could have used a knife to cut up my chicken thigh & a drink refill, but we never saw our server again to ask for either thing. Regarding ambiance, as I wrote earlier it definitely is a hole in the wall & there are only about 5 or so tables total - so go early if you want to dine in! Food: B+ Drinks: A Service: C- Ambiance: C+

    Gerald H.

    Found this place and made a point to get here for dinner. SERIOUS TIP! If at all possible - get dropped off or take an Uber. We spent maybe 15-20 minutes trying to find parking. Side streets, main streets are usually packed during high traffic areas. Order at the counter, then it's brought to you. We went with bao buns and ramen. For the buns we went with the pork belly bao, and for me a miso ramen. I substituted pork belly for the tofu, and held the mushrooms- also adding an egg. The bao was very good - succulent pork belly and the soft hug of the bun - a little kick to the sauce but very good. The chicken one also was a nice zing to it as well. As for the ramen - really solid, noodles were a touch overcooked, but the pork belly was perfect. Crispy edges but totally melted in your mouth. Very very good. Highly recommended.

    Vicki K.

    I was really hyped to try nanban but it fell a little flat. I feel like the ramen had too much going on between the fried chicken and toppings. It's a really heavy dish and super filling, but sort of lacked the delicate balance that ramen has. That said the staff was nice. I think next time I'd maybe stick to just the fried chicken or a simpler ramen.

    Tofu Bao Bun
    Maggie Z.

    Great place for takeout or a quick 2-person dinner while you're walking through Lawrenceville. We ordered online and all the food was hot and well packaged when we arrived. The inside is casual and cute, with a small seating section. The person working the front was nice and helpful. Lots of vegetarian options from ramen to bao to empanadas. The tofu bao will have me coming back soon. There's furikake/nori sprinkled on the fries and some appetizers, so be mindful if you don't like the flavor (it meant that I got to eat my friends' fries, so I didn't mind).

    Essie K.

    Nanban was a great surprise. The noodles were delicious with good flavor. The highlight was their biscuits. They had just made a fresh batch when my friend and I were dining. The biscuits were one of the best ones I've tried. Flaky, buttery, and all the goodness!

    Paul J.

    First time visited and loved it! The fried cauliflower stole the show, you must get that. Cucumbers are good. Chicken nuggets were OK. The beef empanada was outstanding. Definitely recommend this place. Plus you can get 10% off alcohol and Beers & Cheers almost next-door. Don't be put off by the very simple exterior, it's definitely worth it!

    Ramen, Bao, Garlic Chili Noodles
    Melissa P.

    Pretty good! An interesting concept. If you poke around online for info about Nanban, it seems like it's more or less billed as an Asian fusion restaurant. But it seems to be Asian comfort food dishes fused with... empanadas and fried chicken? We were looking for noodles so we stuck with the Spicy Garlic Chili Noodles and some ramen. Both were tasty. Be warned that the chili noodles pack a punch. The bao was okay -- I tried the BBQ. All I could really taste was the pork belly though. Real star of the show was the lemongrass tea. Very sweet, so if you're looking for something sugary and refreshing this summer, give it a try. They also seemed to have a walk up window on the sidewalk, which was neat :)

    Shoyu Ramen
    Gabrielle P.

    I visited Nanban for the first time recently with some friends and had a great experience! The restaurant was small, but cozy, and even with a group of 5 we lucked out and were able to find seating. The service was amazing! The employee that helped us was able to answer all our questions and checked in with us throughout the meal. Everyone in our group had ramen. I tried the Shoyu Ramen and it was delish. My only complaint would be that the chicken nuggets were quite large and a bit hard to bite through or break apart into smaller sections. I would absolutely come back though to try the empanadas and bao buns!

    Gochujang Chicken and Biscuits
    Meghan C.

    I had been craving Asian food for a few days, but didn't want our typical, go to Asian food, like Chinese, etc. As much as my husband & I are foodies, we had never actually had Korean Fried Chicken (referred from here on in this post as KFC, not to be confused with the fast food chain!) We had often heard of how KFC takes fried chicken to another level (Look it up. Different process & flavors). So, when my husband had an unexpected day off, we decided to find some place to get some KFC, knowing that there would be other offerings that would also satisfy my craving for that umami, sweet, & spicy profile that I was looking for. When I stumbled across a place that said it offered Asian Soul Food, I perked up! It also made me happy that our adventure would take us to Lawrenceville, which offers a plethora of sights, sounds, smells, & snacks! It's a great foodie neighborhood and lends to walking, window shopping, & people watching, which I love to do! I digress. What we discovered at Nanban Asian Soul Food was a cozy space with absolutely incredible food. Seating is limited, but we arrived at opening time & that helped. The menu options vary from KFC (Including a wide range of dipping sauces!), Sandwiches (they call them Sandos), Ramen, Empanadas, & Bao Buns. (They are not specifically Korean or one particular cuisine. That's the beauty!) We chose KFC nuggets with 2 dipping sauces (Ginger Soy & Coconut Sambal) and Gochujang Chicken & Biscuits. The KFC was super juicy inside & crackly, crispy perfection on the outside. They are made from Thigh meat. (In my opinion it is the tastiest part of a Chicken!). I'm a "saucy girl" and I need my meal to have a good sauce. The sauces were both extremely flavorful. I found the Coconut Sambal to be sweet, yet refreshing. It had a nice brightness to it, as opposed to the richer, earthy Ginger Soy. Both were delicious. But, the absolute star of the show was the Gochujang Chicken and Biscuits. I am not exaggerating when I say that this dish ranks amongst the top I've ever had! Their menu describes it as such: "Thigh & Drumstick coated in Gochujang glaze with biscuit, scallion, Tonkatsu Gravy, and Inferno Honey." For the cost of an entry at a typical fast casual restaurant, we indulged in sheer gourmet cuisine. The chicken had the light, crispy coating found on the nuggets, but had that extra flavor that bone-in meat provides. Cooked perfectly. The Gochujang delivered the beautiful balance of sweet and savory. It hit my palette with a great tangy flavor as well. The biscuits felt like they came from a Southern scratch-made kitchen. Prepared, again, perfectly! Crumbly, yet not dry, balanced with soft & buttery. It offered the perfect texture. The gravy was smooth and had deep pork flavor that cut the Gochujang perfectly. My only complaint? I wanted a gallon of it! Mixing in the scallions and inferno honey added herbaciousness, heat, & a kiss of sweetness to finish off a perfect balance of flavors. We can't wait to go back & continue to explore the menu, but, it will always be an order that includes the Gochujang Chicken & Biscuits! Bonus? We loved the ambiance, including enjoying spicy food with some Rock! The soundtrack was a playlist you could likely find on WDVE! Nothing like some Collective Soul in your ears as you've got "soul food" inspired by Seoul on your taste buds.

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    1 year ago

    So many great vegan options, but I can't bring myself to get anything other than the spicy ramen without egg. It's so good.

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    9 months ago

    Food was great for a quick bite and super friendly service! Outdoor and indoor seating was available.

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    Umami has been a bi weekly rotation in my household! I've brought my family, visiting friends, and…read morecoworkers and all of them have left full and happy excited to return! I highly recommend a reservation as they do not take many walk ins, especially for big parties and definitely take advantage of their happy hour menu (5-6pm). Their HH menu allows you to try some of their most popular bites for a fraction of the cost! Items that we ALWAYS order are the karaage, stir fried udon wit shrimp tempura, at least 3 skewers, the lychee martinis, Takoyaki, and some variation of toro. We try to mix in others every time and have never had a bad bite! Servers are always so kind to us and can't wait until my next visit! Hopefully it's soon!

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