Visiting from NYC on a business trip and decided to check this place out. I'm glad I did! Michelle…read moreis the absolute best server, hands down! She was so polite and gracious as soon as we were seated. We got great recommendations from her about the cuisine and how it is prepared. I had the tonkotsu DX ramen and it was amazing! I also enjoyed the Japanese beer selections. Michelle was definitely the highlight of our dining experience. Thank you, Michelle, you made our last full day in SF super fun!

Janiista is a very nice lady and her service is the best. The food quality is excellent.read more

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.

This guy brought a ramen style his grandfather invented in Japan over 60 years ago to San…read moreFrancisco. Taishoken is named after the original Tokyo shop his grandfather opened back in 1951. Their specialty is tsukemen, aka dipping ramen, and it was actually invented by accident when staff started dipping leftover cold noodles into hot broth on summer days. Here in SF, the broth simmers for two full days and the noodles are made fresh in-house daily. The noodles are super chewy and bouncy, and the broth is packed with umami. You dip the noodles into the hot broth before every bite, and honestly it's so satisfying. And when you're almost done, have them pour dashi broth into your remaining dipping sauce so you can drink it like a soup at the end.

My friend and I found this place on TikTok and decided to give it a try! We started with the miso…read morecucumber and spicy hand roll as appetizers, and both were really tasty. The cucumbers were super fresh and crunchy, and the miso flavor wasn't overpowering. The hand roll was delicious too -- honestly, if we had a bigger appetite, we probably would've ordered a few more. For mains, we ordered the two most popular dishes: the tsukemen and the mazesoba. The tsukemen noodles were thick and tasty, and the broth was rich and flavorful, but I definitely found myself wishing there were more toppings or flavors to switch things up with each bite. After about halfway through the bowl, it started to feel repetitive just dipping the same noodles into the same savory broth over and over. My friend felt similarly about the mazesoba. It was flavorful at first, but once everything was mixed together, it became a bit heavy toward the end. That said, if you've never tried either dish before, I'd still recommend checking this place out! The restaurant was clean, the service was friendly, and I liked that you could join the waitlist ahead of time. Just be prepared -- parking in the area can be tough. We probably wouldn't come back since the noodle dishes weren't totally our personal preference, but I'm definitely glad we tried it.

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.

Not usually a big ramen person, but Ushi Taro was so good!!…read more The main stand outs were the meat (tender and slightly medium) and jammy egg (super flavorful)! would definitely come back.

We came here for a late dinner and were surprised there was still a wait. The restaurant is pretty…read moresmall, so I'd probably avoid coming with a larger group. We ordered: Traditional paitan ramen - the roast beef was tender and I liked that the beef broth was lighter than the usual pork broth. The restaurant recommends adding black garlic oil, but I found it quite heavy and unnecessary (not worth the extra charge either). The broth tasted better without it Crispy mushrooms - tasty! I wasn't sure what to expect but these were light, crispy, and perfectly seasoned. Would order this again!

The chicken ramen is really good. Broth is viscous and gelatinous in the best way, without feeling…read moreheavy. Noodles are quite special - they taste so fresh, bouncy with the perfect bite. Salmon hand roll is in taco format - not cheap but very delicious and tender fish, and plenty of ikura.

A popular spot that always seems busy, so we gave it a try. Soy sauce tori paiton was flavorful and…read moresolid, but Tokyo was bitter, not aromatic, from yuzu and "chashu" pork was so dry we thought it was chicken breast, matching with other menu items. Server didnt let us order extra noodles unless everyone gets a bowl of ramen, even though we also ordered small salmon rice bowl (skimpy on meat and all mayonnaise), a salmon hand roll kind of thing (way too expensive for one piece and raw fish not fresh), and a dorayaki (proobably frozen/defrosted), coming to a price equivalent of another ramen if not more. Was overall overpriced and underwhelming. There are many other better restaurants in such a chic and trendy district like Hayes valley.

Crispy mushrooms like no other! They are served piping hot, with a perfectly light crisp batter and…read morejust enough seasoning to make them addictive! Our go to is the traditional paitan ramen with a side of bone marrow plus the black garlic oil. The owner was so nice to give us an extra bone marrow cause he thought the original one they made wasn't big enough. Both were generous portions. Best bone marrow I've had in sooo long! We also had the roasted beef filet starter which was perfectly rare and tender and served with a dipping sauce.

Appreciate this small cozy joint in otherwise super busy Irving and 9th area and their dedication…read moreto a small and focused menu. Ramen is quite subjective though, but here's my thoughts: Noodles: 2/5. Nothing super bad but not my type of noodles. A bit too thick and lack texture Broth: 3/5. A bit less thick than I was expecting based on the look, and a little lighter than I'd prefer given the noodles Meat: 5/5. Nice and tender cuts, easily the best part of the meal when combined with the broth Nice place to swing by if you're in the area and feeling like some beef based ramen, but unfortunately not the top ramen spot in town

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.

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!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​