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Tsuruya

4.7 (165 reviews)
ModerateRamen
Open • 4:30 pm - 9:30 PM

Tsuruya Photos

TSURUYA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Dogs allowed

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Tonkotsu
Kyra K.

A rainy day called for ramen! My companion found Tsuruya and suggested we go for dinner. It hit the spot. The restaurant is casual and decently sized. Several tables for smaller groups and pairs, plus seating at the bar. They have some Japanese decor and a TV playing J-Pop. The companion and I sat at the bar. The service was good; our waters were refilled, and everything came out relatively quickly. I had the Tonkotsu Ramen. It was comforting. You have the option of choosing your noodle thickness. I went with Hakata, so it was thin. The noodles tasted fresh and were bouncy. The broth was okay, but not as rich or creamy as the tonkotsu broths that I'm used to. All of the toppings were good; I personally wasn't the biggest fan of the onion, though. Companion enjoyed his Black Garlic Tori Paitan. For the price, it was decent for what you get! For those going to Cal or living in the Berkeley area, Tsuruya is a decent nearby spot for your ramen fix. It's a popular spot and was constantly busy with students. They're easy to spot off Shattuck Ave. with street parking nearby.

Black Garlic oil Tonkatsu
Lilizhu Bo L.

It is our first time here at this place. We were dined in on October 26 in the afternoon. We drove from SF to the Thai temple and found this place from Google. With high ratings at 4.8 with 176 reviews, so we decided to check this place out! Here is my experience; We ordered six dishes; Spicy Tonkatsu, Black Garlic Tonkatsu, Jigoku Tonkatsu, Chicken Karaage, and Fried calamari. The food serves in a timely manner which is great. The chicken Karaage was so good. I would give 10 out of 10. It comes in 4 pieces. Really recommended if you love fried chicken. The fried calamari was so good too. I would give 10 out of 10 too! Really recommended as well. A little salty but we love it!! The spicy Tonkatsu was good. I would give 7.5 out of 10. It tastes similar to Tom Yum soup. The best part I like the most is there was red onions in it as well makes it a little fusion. The Jigoku Tonkatsu was spicy. I would give 6.5 out of 10 because there was only spicy taste in it. If you love spicy food, this dish is the real deal for you (3 fireballs on the menu is real) The black garlic tonkatsu was good. I would give 8 out of 10. It tastes smooth. I would love it more with slightly more black garlic in it. The service is not as expected. There were only 2 main servers. There are 10 people waiting outside. We were waiting for almost an hour and there were two people arrived way after us. But they were seated and their orders were taken before us. The seating system needs to be improved. I worked in the high volume restaurant before. First comes should be the first to be served. Two tables had left with 3 empty seats at the bar. But they just didn't seat anyone waiting outside. Points were taken out because of the wait time and the bad experience in terms of seating system. The ambience was okay. It is a little dark inside and not really ventilated inside. Love the skylight inside the restaurant though. It looks like the restaurant was closed from the outside. So, the restaurant would look so much better with the lights on; just some suggestions. Overall is good! If we live in Berkeley, we would come back another time for another experience. But I would suggest to give it a try! You might have a different view and experience from me :)) Go check it out for yourself!

Deluxe Tori Paitan
James W.

They have 4 bases and one can choose between either pork (Tonkotsu) or chicken (Tori Paitan). They also have the option for vegetarian ramen, but this is limited each day. What's unique is that you can have either the regular Hakata, thin noodles, or the Sapporo, medium thick wavy noodles. You can't make reservations, but they have some seating in the clean alleyway where you can wait. Only downside was that it took over 25 minutes for our ramen to be served, but at least the owner came to our table and apologized for the delay.

Date for a couple in Sept 2025, very affordable
Sun L.

Public street parking only Easy to find, bright pretty logo sign in front But the door is not facing the front of the street, but in the alleyway Location is small, but well organized, decorated and themed Service was very friendly, helpful and fast. Since it was our first time there, we got a quick run down of how we can customized our bowl. Personal comment: I really look earnestly for a good ramen spot. Lost my favorite location in Fremont and been searching since. You guys are now my go to and I will be coming back very soon. The rich broth, the chewy noodles, the vibe ... it's all there. Bonus points for Japanese music and Anime AMV. Thank you SO very much.

Viki N.

This may have become my favorite Hakata Tonkotsu ramen in East Bay...I've grown to like it even more than Marufuku Oakland. The prices are a little lower than average for a standard bowl at $16, and already comes with half an egg. Although it looks very basic, the broth was extremely flavorful and satisfying. There's also two different noodle types depending on your personal preference, and more styles to try. Minor inconveniences due to the location: bathroom is located outside the restaurant which could be extra bad when the weather sucks, and it could be hard to find street parking here (and it's not cheap!)

cute drinks!
Sophie C.

This is my favorite ramen in the East Bay. Such a special spot: quality, flavor, service, ambiance... it checks all of my boxes! I ordered the chicken kaarage and chashu pork croquettes for my Presentation is so intentional here, the dishes were beautiful. The karaage was piping hot and so crispy (freshly fried!) with juicy chicken inside. The croquettes came with 4 to a plate - so rich and savory, with a creamy chashu pork filling with some chunks of the meat... delicious. For my ramen, I got the Hakata-style tonkotsu ramen. They told me it takes 8 hours to prepare the broth, it's silky and so flavorful without it feeling too overwhelmingly rich. I liked the plethora of toppings - onions, spinach, woodear mushroom, green onion, soft boiled egg... and of course the melt in your mouth chashu. Dessert was a highlight! The matcha panna cotta (the owner's specialty) was INCREDIBLE. Red bean and a bit of cream as toppings balanced out the strength of the matcha flavor. The yuzu sorbet was light and refreshing, the candied yuzu was so flavorful. I got to meet the owners Ayako and Joe, both so kind and welcoming!! Small, cozy space, great service, and thoughtful dishes.

Karaage and croquettes - The image shows two plates of fried food on a wooden table. One plate contains fried chicken pieces with a dollop of mayonnaise and a small pile of seasoning or spice mix. The other plate has three croquettes garnished with a small green leaf and yellow flowers, with a small bowl of dipping sauce. There is also a glass of water and an empty white plate visible in the scene.
Winnie V.

We went to Tsuruya in early March and I have not stopped thinking about it since! Literally cannot wait to go back. Def in my top 2 fave ramen spots in the bay along with Mensho. The karaage and croquettes were great. Love being able to get to of my fave types of appetizers in one place. You def don't see croquettes at ramen spots very often, and I don't think I've ever tried a pork one until Tsuruya, but it was soo good. Karaage is def not all created equal, and it was perfectly crispy and juicy here with a nice mayo sauce. I debated for the longest time between the spicy tonkatsu ramen and the jigoku ramen, and ended up settling on the jigoku. They def are not kidding with the spicy level - it was sooo spicy but still so good. Maybe a bit too spicy for me, and I love spice. I def want to go back and try the spicy tonkatsu next time!

Ramen, baby! - The image features a yellow neon sign with the word 'RAMEN' and Japanese characters, alongside an illustration of a bowl of ramen with chopsticks. The sign is mounted on a decorative lattice background, illuminated by the neon glow. Above the sign, there is a large, woven, orange-red lamp providing additional lighting. The setting appears to be indoors, possibly in a restaurant or bar with a cozy ambiance.
Mike M.

In town visiting and so glad we found this place (especially before the line started). The ramen itself is top-notch tonkotsu broth, perfectly cooked noodles, and delicious/thin chashu. The vibes inside are terrific, nice and cozy. Get some chili paste and black garlic oil on the side to zhuzh up to your heart's content. Also, make sure to get deluxe, regular only comes with one slice of chashu. Only drawback for me was the egg could've been marinated longer. Lastly, the portions aren't small, but definitely not as big as I'm used to, so I'd strongly consider ordering extra soup

Tonkatsu ramen - A bowl of ramen contains broth with various toppings including a halved soft-boiled egg, slices of pork, seaweed, chopped green onions, bamboo shoots, and black fungus. The dish is presented in a decorative black bowl on a wooden table, showcasing a variety of ingredients typical of traditional ramen.
Abbie C.

Decent amount of noodles, two options of types. The chashu was very thin and not very tender. The garnishes seemed very fresh, but conservative amount. The flavor was decent, but not amazing for the tonkatsu and jigoku tonkatsu. I have a high tolerance for spicy and the jigoku tonkatsu had my eyes tearing up a good bit. A few hours after the meal my stomach wasn't feeling well which I attribute to the level of the spice. The hojicha panna cotta tasted good.

Montage of images from Tsuruya
Ed U.

This Gourmet Ghetto address has been the home to a revolving door of eateries, the last one being a Thai street food spot called Cousins. In fact, I didn't even notice it turned into a ramen house because the decor change was pretty subtle. The menu is mostly ramen, eight different bowls in all, plus four appetizers (like chicken karaage and edamame) and three desserts. So yes, you can have a three-course meal here if you want. But I'm the standing ramen guy, the type who pretends he's on the platform in Shinjuku station. I ordered the $16.50 Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen with the medium thick Sapporo noodles because of the allure of pork belly chashu. It came out a lot milkier than I expected as the film of the pork bone-based broth and black garlic oil bubbled up to the surface (photo: https://yelp.to/3XPswRdFZP). The ingredients were plentiful. Not only the pork belly but also wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green and red onion, and a soft-boiled ajitama egg. Quite filling though I have to admit tonkotsu is not my favorite broth. I actually prefer miso or shio because I like a less pronounced broth when there are a lot of competitive flavors. I'll come back for a bowl of their paitan ramen sometime. Hopefully the space won't turn into something else. FOOD - 4 stars...pronounced tonkotsu broth with lots of ingredients...wish there were other ramen choices AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...hey, it looks like Cousins SERVICE - 4 stars...a kind server TOTAL - 4 stars...if you like tonkotsu ramen, here's your place RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

Tonkatsu Ramen - A bowl of ramen with sliced pork, green onions, a soft-boiled egg, and seaweed is placed on a wooden table. The ramen is served in a black bowl on a wooden coaster. A bottle of Lucky Make beer and a glass of beer are positioned behind the bowl. The table also has a white spoon and napkin on the right side. The background includes other glasses and bowls, indicating a dining setting.
Adam G.

This place is really good. The portions are fair but not big by any means. Flavor is really good. From the chasu, to the noodles, to the broth- 9/10

Jigoku Tori Paitan
Christy L.

Creamiest and heartiest ramen broth I've ever had! I ordered the spiciest dish on the menu, but next time I would opt for a dish with plain broth. I tried a bit of my friends' dishes and thought the spice overpowered the richness of the broth and clouded the flavors. The place is super cute, reminding me of small ramen booths you can find in Japan. Our server was nice and friendly as well! The place does get busy, so expect a bit of a wait. For parties 5+, they do charge a gratuity fee (if I remember correctly it was either 16 or 18%).

spicy chicken ramen, garlic ramen
k h.

I think this might have been the best ramen shop ive ever been to. The broth is so incredibly creamy, and with so much depth. If you're just okay with spice, don't get the spiciest broth!! We messed up and underestimated the spiciness, but it was still regardless (just hurt a lot). Would recommend the garlic ramen tho!

Spicy tonkotsu

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The food is so good, and the service is great. It's a small place, but it's very cozy. The staff is so nice. The whole vibe is cute.

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Masa Ramen Bistro - BROKE DA MOUTH!

Masa Ramen Bistro

(320 reviews)

$$

Downtown Berkeley

Brief summary: - Good portions - fills up more than its…read moreappearance - Liked the equal balance of the broth and noodles with protein - Close to Trader Joe's - Indoor seating Ramen is a dish that has started sprouting in Berkeley, and this is one of them .I decided to go there for dinner with the family before heading to the Trader Joe's across the street to stock up on groceries. We entered a few minutes before peak dinner times, so there were seats to choose and sit from. By the time we left, mostly all the seats were filled up, so I would suggest coming in early. I liked the naming for each of the ramen dishes, some I recognized the names from Hawai'i. For this round, we ordered 3 different types of ramen: the Kuni, Broke da Mouth, and the Miso Hungry. These orders also came around the same time. A notable elements I liked about the ramen was that the noodles were chewy and springy, and the broth was smooth and easy to drink. I also didn't have the urge to drink lots of water either, so the seasoning was perfect. The other element was that I got to enjoy the ramen's broth and noodles as the stars of the dish, and the proteins, like the pork were supporting roles. For me, what I enjoy ramen are the broth and noodles, so I'm happy that these are prominent in the dish, rather than me having other chow down a thick slab of pork. This restaurant hit the right marks for what a delicious ramen is for me, so I'll come back, and maybe try their other broths.

I thought I had reviewed this place already, but Yelp doesn't seem to think so?…read more I had ramen with a black garlic broth. It was perfectly cooked, service was great, would definitely go back. Ambiance was Christmas music (meh).

Tane Vegan Izakaya - Point Reyes

Tane Vegan Izakaya

(441 reviews)

$$

Downtown Berkeley

Wow wow wow! I didn't think it could be done but this place has perfect vegan Japanese food! It's…read morehard to get in so make sure to make a reservation. Pacifica Roll (10/5 stars) - the best thing we ate, perfect creation of flavors that don't overwhelm each other, it's perfectly savory Poke Salad (5/5) - does it tastes like fish? No. But it's a great combination of textures, you have the chewy king oyster mushrooms and soft fried tofu, the crunch of the veggies and the cashew dressing is addicting Da Bao (5/5) - I didn't like the vegan spam alone (I personally like this other brand more) but here they paired it well with veggies and plum wine sauce that makes it work. The vegan spam here is too smokey for my tastes but together it's good. Roasted Garlic Miso Ramen (2/5) - Honestly, it was the only not good thing we had. The broth was neither garlicky or miso-y. It was very mushroomy. It was all one could taste. The spam did not fit with the ramen and was very jarring to taste in the ramen. Yuzu Matcha (5/5) - It's sour but not too sour. Like it wakes you up witout making your face pucker. Absolutely cannot wait to come back!

First of all, I eat meat. And I love sushi. So I was like..,uh vegan sushi? But tbh it was good…read moreasf! I ordered the Ewa roll and Point Reyes and they were both really Flavorful and filling! I was like..there's no fish in this?! Word?! Idk how they did it but it tasted like seafood. It's a quiet little place without a lot of seating, so consider making a reservation!

Marufuku Ramen - Oakland

Marufuku Ramen - Oakland

(2.2k reviews)

$$

Temescal, North Oakland

If you enjoy Ramen.... this is the place for you. It's a wait for seating, but worth every minute…read more Service was warm and attentive. Special shoutout... to the guy handling the wait list at the door. What an engaging sweetheart. He handled the list, waiting people well..a smiling personality and very helpful... thank you . Food was exceptional... I had pork belly ramen which had great flavor. They also had chicken and beef based ramens. Also noteworthy the meat was fresh (taste the difference). Appetizers had gyoza... (nothing special)...and octopus (Amazing delicacy... I'm talking exceptional food). Flashing lychee drink Very good food...a nice treat. Thank you everyone S

From a gluten-free standpoint, this was disappointing…read more My daughter loves this place. I have never been there because I can't eat gluten and assumed that like most other Ramen places, I couldn't eat there. But my daughter went to lunch with her friends and came home super excited to tell me that they have gluten-free options. so we made a plan and went there. We were about to sit down when I ask the server what the gluten-free options were and she told me that there were no gluten-free options. it turns out that they have gluten-free noodles listed on the menu (which is why my daughter thought they had gluten-free options) but None of their broths are gluten free. The server was really apologetic about the discrepancy. So we ended up going to another restaurant nearby and I didn't get a chance to eat there. My review is only on the gluten-free aspect. I hear good things otherwise.

Ippuku - Sashimi combo: tuna, fatty tuna, sea urchins and ?

Ippuku

(1.5k reviews)

$$$

Downtown Berkeley

Walk-in at Ippuku in Berkeley came with a pretty long wait, and there is no online waitlist which…read moremakes planning difficult. We were seated around 7:30 (which is still prime dinner time imo) only to be told that many of the menu items had already sold out, which was disappointing. The items that were still available were good and we still had a nice time overall. FYI, the non-alcoholic beverage selection is quite limited. At this price point, the wait plus the number of sold out dishes makes us question whether we would come back.

This place has been on my want to go list for a while, and I finally got to try it! We didn't make…read morea reservation and walked in instead. We waited for about 30 min and the restaurant texted us once the table was ready. We ordered quite a few dishes and started with Omakase gushi, which came with chicken breast, thigh with leek, heart, cartilage, and minced chicken. We also ordered the oden set, sasami, tori tataki, gyu-tan, enoki bacon, and buta bara. Evertyhing tasted pretty good, but the most impressive dish was sasami with umeboshi, which was inner bresat with umehad was the inner breast with umeboshi. It was my first time trying raw chicken, and it tasted really good. The chicken breast was really tender, with a tuna-like texture, and without any slimy or odd flavors. Ever since then, I've been telling my friends to try it. The Tori Tataki was seared chicken breast sashimi with ponzu, which tasted a bit plain compared to the sasami. So I would highly recommended to get theeir sasami!

Marugame Udon - Nikutama Udon

Marugame Udon

(919 reviews)

$$

Gourmet Ghetto, Downtown Berkeley

8/10 (this location) | 9/10 overall…read more How can you go wrong with Marugame Udon? Seriously. It's one of those spots that just hits every time. This location gets an 8/10 from me--still solid, still satisfying--but overall, the brand is easily a 9/10 because it's just sooooo good. If you're going for the first time (or even if you're not), do yourself a favor and get the beef or nikutama. The broth is rich, savory, and comforting, and the noodles have that perfect chewy texture that makes every bite worth it. It's simple food done really well. And don't skimp on the tempura. That's where people mess up. Load up your tray--shrimp, sweet potato, whatever catches your eye. It's crispy, fresh, and honestly half the experience. Quick, casual, and consistently delicious. Hard to miss here.

Today I ordered the $5.99 Kake Udon + $1.99 Tamagoyaki as part of the "Eat Under $10 Tempura…read morePromo." The broth temperature was just right, perfect for slurping the soup. However, the tamagoyaki was lukewarm, like it had been sitting on the counter for a while. I wish it had been hot and a little crispy. Yesterday I was at Marugame Udon in San Francisco, so I could compare the Berkeley location versus the San Francisco location. The Berkeley broth tasted much better, and the temperature was just right. The bill came to $8.80 total, which really matches what Marugame advertises with the Eat Under $10 Tempura Promo. I will definitely come back for the Eat Under $10 deal, but next time I'll try a different tempura.

Tsuruya - ramen - Updated May 2026

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