I only came here to rate the pork belly bao buns that my friends brought back to the Airbnb for me. Food (5/5): To say that these are the best bao buns is an understatement! The pork is crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside and the buns are perfectly steamed! If you like pork belly bao buns, don't hesitate to get these! I'm so sad that I'm leaving the area tomorrow- otherwise, I'd get more! read more

Ramen Gaijin - Pork belly bao buns - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

Stopped here for dinner over the weekend. It's always one of my go-to spots when I'm craving a good bowl of Ramen. This time I got the Shoyu and really enjoyed it. I love all of the ingredients that they add, including the bamboo shoots, and woodear mushrooms. The pork belly was incredibly delicious this time around. It wasn't too fatty, which is why I typically avoid pork belly, and it paired well with the chili oil. There was more seaweed than I've had in previous visits, which made the broth overly salty. Adding the chili oil helped round out the saltiness. If you like bouncier chew to your noodle I recommend the sapporo noodle. There is a $2 up charge to change the noodles, so keep that in mind, but I think it's worth it if that's your preference. For a drink I ordered the sidewinder. I enjoyed how cucumber forward it was, and the spice from the togarashi salt rim made me want to keep sipping. 10/10 great drink. read more

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*3.5: Reason being because of the timing between courses. Beautiful presentation and really delicious food coming out of this kitchen. For a "foreigner" kitchen, the food is really great repping Japanese cuisine. From the apps, small bites, to the ramen very, flavorful and full of flavor. The only thing that was not good was the timing between the apps and the ramen bowls. I know in Japan everything comes out when it's ready. But, in America diners don't like to be rushed and they want to enjoy the overall experience of the food. This not to take anything from the servers they did an excellent job. Enjoy! read more

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You can find good food and ambiance anywhere but where I personally feel they stand out is their service! Our server, Andrew, was such a pleasure to work with. He had great recommendations and a kind personality. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Ahi Tuna Poke Appetizer - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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One of the most well known and popular ramen spots in the area. The reputation is deservedly so. We stopped by for a late dinner and was told their most popular ramen was no longer available as they ran out of the key ingredients. You snooze, you lose! Anyways, we pivoted and order other items. What we ordered was very good. The staff there is very knowledgeable and accommodated our lengthy list of modifications. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Spicy Tantanmen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

Highlights: - lots of good toppings - toothsome noodles - rich broth - friendly staff - [[HIGHLIGHT]]heaters on the patio[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Cons: - none read more

Ramen Gaijin - Shiitake Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Walking with friends from the Barlow to downtown Sebastopol, we ran across a sign in front of Ramen Gaijin that said Happy Hour 2:30 - 4:30. I didn't know they offered happy hour! [[HIGHLIGHT]]You can sit in the bar area or outside for happy hour, so we elected to sit outside. They turned on a heater for us that kept us toasty warm[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. Our server was Ryan and he was outgoing and friendly and checked on us regularly. We decided to try: - Karaage (fried chicken pieces) - Happy buns - Shoyu ramen Our server knew that we were sharing the noodles so he brought out extra bowls and spoons without having to ask. Noodles are made in-house and they try to get locally sourced ingredients for their menu items based on the season. Everything was delicious. Happy buns were pork chasu, butter lettuce, pickled red onion all enclosed in a warm, super soft bun. The karaage was tasty and hot and it came with a side of greens. The shoyu noodles were made with rye noodles and the texture was outstanding. We all enjoyed our afternoon snack. We all wished that they offered smaller bowls of ramen during happy hour so we could have tried other flavors. My personal favorite here is the spicy tan tan ramen. read more

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Absolutely delicious had the gem salad chicken thighs spicy ramen tangerine sorbet and chocolate mochi cake Wow wow wow Service was stellar [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cozy atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Highly recommend read more

Ramen Gaijin - Spicy Spicy Tan Tan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

A Bib Gourmand ramen restaurant in Sebastopol. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is stylish[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], and the ramen was delicious. The staff were attentive, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the atmosphere had a diner-like feel.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Ramen Gaijin - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

This was my first time at Ramen Gaijin! We had a reservation for 8:00 pm on a Friday and were seated immediately. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My only complaint was that our table/seating area was extremely cramped, and we had to basically share a bench with a large party next to us.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered two different donburi dishes as well as a shoyu ramen. The ramen was very flavorful and the perfect portion size. I would recommend the mushroom donburi bow over the poke bowl, as the poke bowl didn't have that much actual poke in it. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere inside was great and I loved the unique paintings and decorations on the walls.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They also have a nice outdoor seating area for use during warmer weather.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]For a ramen shop this place is very large and very packed.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They didn't have any tables available but we were able to get a seat at the tables near the bar.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We sat around for a little bit and eventually got up grabbed some menus for ourselves. About 5 minutes later the waiter showed up to take our order. Then it took another 35 minutes for our food to come which feels pretty long for ramen. Now for the ramen we got the meyer lemon shio and spicy tantanmen. The chicken in the meyer lemon shio was really dry. The noodles were pretty good but everything else didn't feel like it paired well. The spicy tantanmen had good noodles but as I was eating it, it made me think i'd rather being eating shin ramen. For $23 a bowl the portion was small, service was slow and the ramen was okay. read more

I have been coming to Ramen Gajin for years now, and will continue to keep coming back. Service is always kind and attentive, and the food is amazingly flavorful! I went recently and see that they changed up their menu. I'm vegetarian so I tend to get the vegan ramen on menu, that previously included the fried tofu. They recently switched it up and removed the fried tofu from the ramen which is a bummer, but I hope they bring it back! My boyfriend got the Spicy TanTan Men and he loves it! He had nothing but great things to say. He loved the flavor of it, and how spicy it is. Their pickled appetizer (not pictured here) is also different from what I've had before, and I love it! If you loved pickled things, this is for you! read more

Ramen Gaijin - Vegan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Ramen Gajin was delicious! The service was good, and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the restaurant itself was very nice and very clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We got ramen, chicken thighs, the most amazing pickled veggies that were so yummy, and the little gem lettuce, which was also delicious. Everything was full of flavor, and we really enjoyed our meal. I definitely recommend checking this place out! read more

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The service and food were great! We ordered the soyu ramen, gem salad, and ahi rice bowl. Delicious find that is close enough to Sonoma area. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is super casual.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Parking and entrance was a little finch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Entrance is on the side of the building and not from the main road.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Parking entrance is on Petaluma.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

What a great experience and a great meal, we were lucky to have Jonathan as our waiter, and he stuck with us from beginning to end, he gave us great advice, and the food was absolutely fantastic, [[HIGHLIGHT]]they were very busy and they were able to accommodate us outside at a table with our dog[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], Again the service was excellent, and the food was top-notch, the best Ramen we've ever had, will definitely be back, it's worth the drive from the Bay Area. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great location and easy parking, very nice inside and out.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Ramen Gaijin - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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I've never been disappointed by a meal from this restaurant. They truly have the best vegetarian ramen I've ever tasted. Although I adore their cocktails I opted for a Golden State Cider which complimented my meal nicely. The ramen is packed with so much flavor and delicious goodies- I especially love the crispy tofu wedges. The ambience is chill with moderate noise. Service was adequate. I love the murals on display. read more

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Friends suggested this place for lunch. We got here right when they were opened so there was no wait. Ambiance is nice. Hostess was really friendly and welcoming. After we were seated, our server came by with a big warm smile. Their menu consists of ramen, donburi, appetizers, desserts, drinks, etc. I decided on Shitake Miso Ramen because I love mushroom flavored base. Broth was flavorful. It was a bit salty. A solid bowl of ramen overall. I don't know the name of our server but he was awesome. Very attentive and friendly. Price wise, it was on the higher side. I will come back again if i'm in the area. read more

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We decided to stop here while exploring downtown Sebastopol. I have celiac and typically it's hard to find gluten free options at ramen restaurants, however, that was not the case here as they had many celiac safe options, including the fried chicken Kaarage. The waiter was also very knowledgeable about allergies and informed me that it would be fried in a non-gluten fryer which was amazing. We also ordered a garlic potato skewer which had a wonderful sauce on it. The menu was clearly labeled with GF which was great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have a seating area by the bar for happy hour as well as a dining area on the other side of the restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] For drinks, I got the mango cider and my partner got the Negroni. Everything was delicious and we will definitely be back! read more

Ramen Gaijin - Chicken Karaage - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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At $23, it's on the pricey side of ramen but I love the spicy TanTanmen so much that I've traveled over an hour just to come back. I'd consider the spice level a good mild/medium (and am someone who handles spice quite well). You can sub the ramen for gluten free noodles (additional $2), which are thin rice noodles. I really appreciate their GF noodle option! If you have celiac, they can also make this dish completely Gluten Free. What's unique about Ramen Gaijin (besides its funny name) is the veggies they use to top the ramen which are always fresh and delicious: charred cabbage, wooded mushroom, scallions. It comes with a hearty chunk of pork belly and ground pork, plus a 6 min egg. I love sitting in the outdoor dining area on nice days. It helps to make a reservation online through Google ahead of time. Service is always solid. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Spicy Tan Tan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

We have been here a few times. I like sitting in the bar area. Delicious ramen. I ordered pork belly with mine, and spicy. Staff was efficient. read more

We waited for an hour on a Wednesday noon, and we were told the order never went through. The people 30 minutes coming after us got their meals much sooner, and the waiter never asked if we need anything. We actually checked around half an hour to see if appetizer should come first. This is not acceptable considering this restaurant is in Michelin list. We traveled far to taste the ramen read more

Love, love, love this place. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ramen Gaijin has a clean, esthetically pleasing, Asian inspired decor with lots of different seating areas (outside patio, bar, chefs counter and dining room).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I love the chefs counter where you can see the food being made and the time management put in to curate everything on time.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food is always consistent, on-point, and filling. My go-to is the spicy tan tan with GF chicken. (Heads up they only have limited GF options on the menu). read more

Delicious food all around! Had spicy ramen, assorted veggie tempura, and bbq prawn. Fast and attentive service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Casual and pleasant ambience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was fun seeing their crew preparing and cooking at their gallery kitchen.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Will revisit again for sure! read more

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We ordered takeout from here the other day. I got the spicy tan tan Ramen and my partner got the karaage. The Ramen was excellent. It was flavorful and they give you a lot of noodles, which is nice. It was actually spicy, but not like too spicy. I think the star dish, however, was the karaage it was fresh and the sauces were 10/10. They def paired well with the chicken. Also it is fresh doesn't leave you feeling bloated. Service was decent we did do pickup so we did not have much interaction with the staff. But when I went inside it was filled! All tables were busy and it seemed like a vibe! A toasty vibe as everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves! I definitely have to be back to eat here in person. Unfortunately I have no pictures as I was starving when we got the food. But I will soon update with pictures. read more

I'm not from the area and unintentionally came during their happy hour wanting to try some of their ramen. Not sure if it was just happy hour or it's always like this, but the host just told us to sit wherever we like from the bar to the tables, and we were pretty much just left alone for a long time afterwards (10 minutes at least). We weren't provided any water, so we were honestly just confused whether we were supposed to serve ourselves water, and how we were supposed to order. Eventually, someone came and left us a bottle of water and took our orders. I got the shoyu ramen ($23). The overall presentation looked great and you can immediately tell all the ingredients were well made. The noodles were house made, the half egg was nice and runny, and the pork belly was perfectly cooked and shaped with a crispy texture. My only complaint about the taste was that the pork belly was a bit too salty. Overall though, I do think the ramen is overpriced for what you're getting. There's no fancy ingredients involved, and this just fits the description of a well made basic bowl of ramen. Then, when we wanted to pay and leave, it also took more time than we wished to flag someone down for it. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Food Flavors were not great - [[HIGHLIGHT]]terrible cramped, dark corner booth situation[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] - [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ladies restroom was absolutely filthy - floors, equipment, sink faucet corroded - everything felt filthy[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] - makes me wonder what the conditions are like in the kitchen? Won't be back - others in our party felt the same... read more

The food is amazing at this restaurant! We showed up without a reservation and were very lucky to get a table- it is very popular. We started with the pickled vegetables which are beautiful and delicious and we tried the new Little gem salad which had just been added to the menu and it was fabulous, as was everything we ordered. Service was great and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the decor rounds out the experience with some very interesting paintings on the wall.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I've been wanting to try Ramen Gaijin and now that I finally have, I have mixed feelings. It's definitely fusion ramen, and while I enjoy fusion foods and went in knowing this was fusion, this wasn't it for me. I had the spicy tantanmen and fiance had the meyer lemon shio. Both were just ok. There were charred vegetables in mine and I thought the flavor was interesting - a bit bitter but with a kick because of the broth. The pork belly was just ok - it was one big piece while I like mine sliced thin and usually there are multiple pieces of it. Also the fact they give the woodear mushroom whole instead of chopped was interesting. It's quite expensive for a bowel of ramen - $23 before tax. We went on a Friday night and fortunately were able to get a reservation for 2 at 7:30. Service took forever as they were quite packed. The space is modern yet rustic with an open kitchen with bar seating where you can watch the chefs work. Not sure I would come back but I'm glad I got to try it. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Spicy tantanmen and lemon shio ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

Always a great spot lunch or dinner. I love how well the servers know the menu and all the ingredients. I keep coming back for the seasonal menu great service and delicious food. The restaurant itself is such a chill vibe and so friendly with our kids read more

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Came in for happy hour to get away from the pouring rain. First impression... y'all need more staff for all the people eating here. I can't even say the service was "okay." Thankfully, the food was more than "okay." I can tell all the individual ingredients are high quality. It's always a game changer when a restaurant makes the noodles in-house and does it well. The pork belly chashu was very tender, and I love how the skin had that crispy texture... It was a bit too salty though. I'm also a bit disappointed the ramen only came with half an egg. It's $23 for a bowl... a full egg would have been nice. I usually don't order alcohol but I had to try their Tanuki. That was an interesting experience. It kinda reminded me of a flat coca cola drink. Seems very well made but no buzzed feeling after. Rant aside.. I do think this restaurant is unique. It's well positioned to be the best ramen in the region and has been for awhile. I hope there'd be better service my next visit because this is definitely my go-to ramen spot north of Bay Area. read more

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Staff was amazing, and very accommodating. By far out of everything we had (all very good) the best was hands down the dessert. It was delicious. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Ube mochi cake - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

[[HIGHLIGHT]]First time visiting Ramen Gaijin my gf and I came in on a busy Thursday night.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We did not have a reservation but luckily were able to find some seating at the bar. We ordered the shoyu ramen and the spicy tantan ramen. Both were excellent, but the portion sizes were abit small to our liking. I shall be back to try some of the appetizers next time to go along with the ramen. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Shoyu (Left) Spicy Tantan (Right) - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

Love this place. Staff is great and food is of highest quality. The Tanuki alone is worth the trip. I do wish, however, they would change up the menu a bit and add additional izakaya items like okonomiyaki or a greater variety of yakitori skewers (chicken heart/skin, beef tendon, etc.). read more

Rounding up from a 3.5 stars. I must admit that I have mixed feelings about Ramen Gaijin. On the one hand the restaurant is very upfront about what it is trying to be. The word Gaijin literally means foreigner in Japanese. If you are looking for authentic Japanese ramen/Japanese cuisine this is most likely not going to be the place. On the other hand I do have a soft spot for fusion restaurants that can bring a fresh twist to the traditional flavors that one is used to. In this context, I think that Ramen Gaijin does some things really well and others leave me scratching my head. Ambiance wise, the restaurant is modern with an open kitchen design. Fun posters adorn the wall with Japanese style takes on DC and Marvel super heroes. I can see this place being a fun hang out for happy hours or after work. Foodwise, I really enjoyed their Ohitashi salad, the sesame dressing in the salad really pops with some extra acidity that makes it a joy to eat. The combination of the toasted rice added an extra crunch which i enjoyed. I did not enjoy their take on Tantanmen, though I think I can understand what they were going for with charring the vegetables and pork belly to give the dish an extra smoky flavor. In execution however, it just left me with a mouthful of bitter burned vegetables and meat. Also the charred bits from the cabbages flaked apart and went into the soup, which made the soup taste burnt as well. If they could pull back on the char I think it would definitely increase the depth of the flavor of the tantanmen and make it a much more enjoyable eating experience. Service was great. The hostess and servers were all very attentive/helpful and the food came quickly. All in all, I thought it was an interesting experience. I think the restaurant is worth trying if you are in town, but just understand what kind of restaurant you are getting yourself into and adjust your expectations accordingly. read more

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Delicious!!! I got the spicy ramen and my life is changed forever. Best ramen I ever had read more

Ramen Gaijin - Spicy Tan Tan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

Ramen Gaijin is one of my must visit spots when I'm in Sebastopol, especially before I go see a movie at the Rialto. I've been here many times over the past year or so! My favorite items there are the Tomatomen Ramen (a late summer special) and their Tonkotsu Ramen (a winter special). Besides their ramen, I love the steamed bao buns, and I'll always make sure I grab a dessert. In the past, I would always plan an hour and a half to eat here, as service could be slow during busy hours, but I'm happy to say this has greatly improved! It's always great food and great service every time I go. The shop itself is very cute and well decorated, decorated with art that is able to be purchased. read more

Ramen Gaijin - Tomatomen Ramen (late summer special) - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Olivia was our server and I had the spicy pork bowl and my date had the Mizu, which was definitely more than your average miso soup. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambience and the atmosphere was outstanding.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Olivia was prompted in attentive and spent a great deal of time at our table making sure that everything was great. Five stars. read more

Ambience is really nice. I was seated quickly although if it's busy I can see how they might fill up. There is a bar in the back too. Food was delicious. I got the vegan ramen- shiitake miso with tofu and the broth was sooo good. For a ramen that doesn't have meat in it to have that much flavor I was super impressed. The tofu was super crispy and the texture of the soft poached egg was perfect. I'm gluten free so I asked for gf noodles. They gave me rice noodles. Some ramen restaurants have actual gluten free ramen noodles so I was hoping for that but the fact they had an alternative was still good for me. They have lots of drinks even a good amount of NA drinks and the quality of their food seemed really good. Would definitely go back and try out more menu items! read more

Ramen Gaijin - Kiwi lime shrub drink - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Another visit. Another great bowl of ramen. This place never misses. I couldn't resist my favorite tan tan ramen but my husband tried the special Meyer lemon ramen and he loved it. ( I sampled his and really liked it too). Very lovely waiter, easy parking and air conditioning -- and great food. What more could you want? read more

Ramen Gaijin - Spicy Tan Tan Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Sebastopol, California

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Absolutely delicious! The food was incredible and both the inside and outside were very cute. The service wasn't great so the dinner was really long, but we were having a great time so we didn't mind this time. The cocktails were excellent. We got the Hachi's Bloom as well as a margarita. They were both strong and delicious! As an appetizer, we started with the steamed bao, which is probably one of the most incredible dishes I have ever tried! They were saucy and soft, I would have eaten 14 of them if I could. We ordered a couple of the different ramens, and we loved them all! I ordered the shitake miso ramen, which was great! I was a little worried about the fried tofu because it can get weird and mushy, but it was perfect. My friends ordered the shoyu ramen and the spicy tantanmen. Both were very yummy! Overall I would definitely recommend coming here if you are a ramen lover! read more

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