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    Yatagarasu Ramen Bar

    4.2 (63 reviews)
    ModerateRamen
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

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    Spicy Beef Ramen
    Ellie S.

    We came here on a cold evening. The place was busy, which was a good sign. We were seated right away and service was quick. I got the spicy beefy ramen, and my husband got the miso spicy ramen. I liked his more than my own. It was good, but the flavor wasn't my favorite for beef ramen. His was that classic spicy miso flavor, with huge pieces of pork. Both were good; but the miso was better in my opinion! The menu is quite extensive; and I'd definitely like to come back and try more things!

    Tonkatsu miso
    Tiffany K.

    Bloomington's ramen scene gets a boost with this decent offering. It's surprising that such a bustling college town doesn't offer more culinary diversity or last least, in my opinion, good tasting options. While the ramen itself is enjoyable, I found some of the toppings weren't quite to my taste, but I included them to accommodate my dining companion's preferences. Sharing is caring. I did wish there was a bit more of the Naruto fish cake though, as it adds a unique touch to the dish, and there was only one piece in my bowl. Sad day. As for the atmosphere, it felt a bit damp and could do with a sprucing up.

    Light Shoyu Ramen

    This is one of my ultimate go-tos. For Japanese ramen, this is my favorite place in Bloomington by far! The shoyu ramen (soy sauce) and Takoyaki (fried octopus balls) are my most frequent orders. It's also open quite late, which is great if you're out and want a snack!

    Light Shio Ramen
    Trinity F.

    Best ramen in Bloomington! I've been a fan of this place ever since they opened. My favorite is their Light Shio Ramen and I also love their peach sake! The Light Shio Ramen doesn't leave you feeling full in a "heavy" sort of way (hence the name "Light" I guess) and is a really great option for those who don't want a creamy broth.

    Veggie Spicy Ramen
    Pam H.

    Adorable atmosphere - very cozy and comfortable. Ramen was delicious- the broth was perfectly spiced and the serving was huge. The veggie potstickers were delicious. The edamame was served cold and in some sort of vinegar which I didn't like but everything else was terrific. Prices were good - very reasonable for the quality & quantity of food.

    Tonkotsu Paitan Ramen
    Micaela S.

    Simply delicious! The noodles were tender and tasty. The broth was hot and rich. The service was fast and friendly! It has a fun atmosphere with music and videos in the background, it's a cultural experience. Simply loved it!

    Alyssa W.

    Yatagarasu is such a gem! The vibe inside is super cool and cozy and it makes you want to settle in with a big warm bowl of ramen. It was absolutely delicious. The broth was rich and flavorful the noodles were cooked perfectly and the toppings were fresh and tasty. The pork belly just melted in my mouth and the egg was cooked to perfection. Every bite was pure comfort! If you are craving ramen this spot is a must.

    Jessi A.

    This month our restaurant to try out was Yatagarasu ! From the moment you walk in the door, Bloomington transform into a unique Japanese experience. The decor makes it seem like you're really in Japan (says a person who has never actually been). The seats are also super comfy ! We were seated right away (having got there right as they opened). Our waitress was super friendly ! She offered my partner a fork when she noticed he was having trouble with the chopsticks. I loved having the chopsticks and the soup spoon ! It was a lot of fun. My ramen was super tasty. I don't know how the pork was cooked, but I could have had a whole bowl of just that and noodles. We also had to have some mochi before we left - we chose strawberry. It was so good ! An absolutely delightful experience.

    lunch special menu
    Lea F.

    Yatagarasu Raman Bar was soo good, I'm so glad my friend showed me this spot! We came here for lunch and their lunch specials are pretty great. I ordered the spicy miso ramen with the gyoza. My ramen was just perfect, the right amount of spice and flavor. My egg was cooked perfectly (i value that in my ramen). My friends also devoured their meals. The vibe here was wonderful, very calming with the little videos playing! Server/hostess was super kind and welcoming.

    Gyudon
    Hayley M.

    I loved the look and ambience of the restaurant, and our server was kind and semi-attentive. As far as food, the gyoza was good, and so was the spicy miso ramen, but our other entrees weren't great. The shio ramen was very bland, and the meat on the chashu don and gyu don was more fatty sinew then actual edible meet. It was also very dry and was 90% rice, maybe 10% fatty meat and there was hardly any pickled ginger. If I had gotten the spicy ramen my review would be higher, it was the chashu and gyu don entrees that brought the rating way down.

    Inside
    Cynthia F.

    Visited Bloomington this past weekend and discovered this Ramen place. What a great find! The restaurant had several different seating areas which made for a great atmosphere! The service was good and the food was delicious! We split and ramen between the three of us so the picture is not a full serving.

    Tiffany S.

    Yo where was Yatagarasu from 2016-2018 when I went to school here huh?! Haha I'm glad B-Town has a solid ramen spot now though! I wandered over on a friday night solo dolo to feast. I had to wait just a little bit but once I was seated, service was fast, attentive & friendly! I appreciate the recs! I had the: *Tonkotsu Paitan Spicy Ramen (Pork Broth, Pork Chashu, Tamago, Wood Ear, Menma, Ginger, Green Onion) - I was told the paitan here (vs their other offerings) had a slightly different type of noodle - thinner & less eggy. The broth is also obvi different from a shoyu (soy sauce) or tonkotsu broth. I usually see paitan CHICKEN broth but it was pork here. Either way, it was delicious and actually had a kick to it! it was super flavorful and the noodles were perfect! *Yakitori Chicken - true to being izakaya style, this was a skewer of grilled chicken. I loved that it had grilled green onion too! Flavor was really good! *Beef Tongue - I know it might sound scary but it's fantastic & Yatagarasu's is super good. Like Gyu Kaku (a Japanese BBQ joint), they thinly slice the beef tongue & then grill it. It wasn't chewy or tough. They added some soy glaze on it too so it was pretty flavorful.

    Tonkotsu Miso Spicy Ramen
    Aracely M.

    Yatagarasu recently opened up while I attended school there in Bloomington. There's not too many ramen shops in the area so this was a pleasant surprise. They take advantage of being one of the few ramen shops in the town and charge $15-18 a bowl. Keep this in mind since there are other places in Bloomington who charge $10-12 a bowl and they taste just as a good or better (Sakura 15). There is a lot of ramen noodles to broth so the ratio might bother some but I prefer lots of noodles. The broth is okay but not anything that's rememberable. I will say, the atmosphere of this restaurant is amazing. The decorations and scenery of Yatagarasu will remind you of spunky city life. There's LED signs and tons of beautiful posters and artwork that will make you feel like you stepped foot into Japan. The one downside is it's pretty compact. This is unavoidable since the restaurant is underneath Upstairs and behind Jimmy John's and Insomnia Cookies. They have different levels but most of the tables are pretty close to one another which makes having conversations with your friends pretty awkward. Service is pretty average considering the staff is local IU students and they're pretty orderly and attentive. No complaints about service or staff here! Being on Kirkwood brings disadvantages since the street is always busy, especially during nice weather. Many times I have tried to come to Yatagarasu, I was told there would be a wait of an 1 hour+. This place is busy with big parties and students who stroll from campus. I would plan ahead or make the effort to come here during slow hours. The great advantage of being on Kirkwood is that they're open 'till 3AM! This restaurant is pretty average except for the spectacular interior. I would say if you want a new spot for date night or are looking to get a decent meal at 3AM that isn't fast food, this spot would be a good contender. Other than that, the service is good, the food is okay, but I don't think I see myself coming back.

    The Tonkatsu Shoyu Ramen is excellent!

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    26 days ago

    Authentic tasting Ramen. Worth the trip, did not expect this so far away! Very unique layout. Big Sapporos, you can't go wrong.

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    4 months ago

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    10 months ago

    This place has gotten so much better. Love the apps and the ramen! Glad to have these options in Bloomington.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food, great service, clean environment in the heart of downtown. Will definitely be going back.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Slowest service I've ever had, I haven't even been given my drink and it's been 20 minutes. Absolutely ridiculous.

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    2 years ago

    Absolutely delicious! The best ramen I have had in years! The ambience of the restaurant is very cool and inviting.

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    3 years ago

    Amazing food, my favorite ramen ever!! My friend said she would sell her soul for this ramen any day!!

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best ramen in Btown! Love the vibes of the dining room. Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen, gyoza, and a fat Sapporo plz and ty

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    Ask the Community - Yatagarasu Ramen Bar

    Cafe Bali - Mozzarella sticks

    Cafe Bali

    4.0(54 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    This time I tried the tofu curry rice and a lavender milk tea with grass jelly. Really enjoyed the…read morecurry rice. Not comparable to what you get if you visit a real Japanese curry house, but still delicious. The menu marks it as spicy but, while it was warming and hearty, I didn't think it was very spicy. I like how they prepare their tofu - the texture is perfect for holding sauce. The lavender milk tea was the basic stuff from a premade mix. Not bad but not great. I think they may just have used too much of the mix because the drink was very sweet and a little thick. The grass jelly was also firmer than usual so I suspect this was a premade canned brand of not particularly high quality. I do sometimes like bubble tea made from tea mixes, so I might try different flavours and toppings to see if other options are better. They had regular waiter service this time. I had a different waitress than last time. She mentioned that she had just started, but she was very nice and did great.

    The picture was alittle deceiving. I ordered the crepe cake expecting creamy light and refreshing…read more This one tasted really stale and not fresh at all. The cream between the layers was quite stiffened and dry. You might have needed a knife to cut through the layers. Yes... that bad. I also ordered an americano coffee, the cashier didn't really offer cream or sugar... so I had it black which is fine, but bc of how stale the cake was, it did not help the coffee any. I'm hoping it was just an off day. The young cashier seemed like she did not want to be there and I totally feel her, I remember being that age and not wanting to work, so it may also be a staffing issue as well. Overall, was kind of disappointed in my visit here. But there are other places in Bloomington to try out so no worries.

    Photos
    Cafe Bali - Chicken katsu curry

    Chicken katsu curry

    Cafe Bali - Beef Rendang ( Spicy )

    Beef Rendang ( Spicy )

    Cafe Bali

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    Zero Degrees - Takoyaki Balls and Popcorn Chicken

    Zero Degrees

    3.3(61 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $

    Zero Degrees has east Asian food and drinks including but not limited to bubble tea, ramen,…read moreKorean-style corn dogs, and egg waffles. The store is colourful and cute but not over the top, and the seating is very comfortable. They have wifi. I got a taro meets ube drink with pudding and a pumpkin spice egg waffle (fall special). I haven't had an egg waffle in a while since I don't know of any other place in Bloomington that makes them and I love pumpkin spice, so I was very excited about this waffle, and it did not let me down. The pumpkin spice flavour was nice, the waffle was fluffy and cooked right. They lightly drizzled it with a caramel sauce but the waffle itself wasn't too sweet so it balanced out. I liked the taro meets ube, which was taro milk tea with ube paste. The taro and ube flavours were similar but enhanced each other. I didn't see if I could adjust the sweetness level, but the default wasn't overly sweet. I was able to get this drink with soy milk instead of regular milk, although the barista let me know that the ube paste contains milk that can't be removed. The barista and lady cooking in the back both seemed very friendly. My drink was ready quickly. It took a while, maybe 15 minutes to get my waffle, but they apologized for the wait. There's a 4% charge on card purchases. Bring cash to save a little.

    I went to get my internet set up and I found this cute little boba shop, Zero Degrees ! They have…read moresmoothies, all sorts of teas, boba, and they have a small menu filled with Asian cuisines ! The seating area is adorable and the workers are super sweet ! I love me some boba. So I got a peach tea with popping mango boba. Delicious ! Any time I'm on the side of town, I'm going to make sure to pop (haha get it?) in !

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    Zero Degrees
    Zero Degrees - Chocolate snow ice with passion fruit boba

    Chocolate snow ice with passion fruit boba

    Zero Degrees - Drink suggestions

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    Drink suggestions

    Rush Hour Station - Lemongrass tofu vermicelli salad, Thai iced tea

    Rush Hour Station

    4.1(121 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    I've been wanting to try Rush Hour Station for quite a while, but it just never happens. When…read moremeeting a buddy for lunch he recommended it and I jumped for the chance. RHS bills itself as 'Vietnamese Fusion' and I have no idea what that might mean, but it was good. Very good. We went on a cold day, so eating on the outside deck wasn't an option. The interior is a basic strip mall location with a decent number of tables and plenty of seating, albeit a bit cramped. It's counter service, so it pays to take a look at the menu in advance and know what you want before you arrive. Paid at the counter, and they came to our table with the food very quickly. I had the 'Be Kind to Each Other' Chicken Pho which came with the usual sides of sprouts, basil, lime and noodles. You could upgrade your noodles if you wanted. I also added an order of cajun fries, which doesn't really seem like a 'Vietnamese Fusion' choice, but I love cajun fries so who was I to question them? The Pho was terrific. Loved it. The fries were very very good, though maybe a bit generous on the cajun. Still very good, and I definitely will return for this meal again. Friend ordered the Spam Banh Mi. Seriously???? Well, he did. And he said it was very good. You actually pay $0.50 extra for spam. Again, not sure what world you pay extra for the Spam but he did it. He selected the Fire Engine Tim sauce, which was to be spicy. When I pressed him for more details on the quality he said it could be spicier even with that sauce, but otherwise it was very good. He said to point out on Yelp that "That Diet Coke was clutch" - he may have been making fun of my questioning :) All in all a very good experience and I'll definitely return. I don't find much good pho in Bloomington, so it's nice to have a place for that. I won't be eating Spam anytime soon. I'm giving 4 stars only because the seating was a bit cramped and it was busy inside. I would go 4.5 if it weren't in a strip mall and pretty 'basic' ambiance. And that canned Diet Coke is clutch!

    This is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots for a quick meal in town. The menu is Asian…read morefusion, mainly Vietnamese and Thai. There's a lot of choices on the menu and many entrees are customizable with your choice of protein and/or sauce. The place is very vegan/vegetarian-friendly; they have a handful of vegan protein options and most sauces are vegan, if you do try to order a non-vegan sauce with a vegan protein, they'll check to make sure that's okay, vegannaise is available for banh mi, and they will also remove the egg from the entrees containing egg AND take off the price of the egg. Their food may not be totally traditional but I really enjoy it. The level of "authenticity" will vary depending on what you order and which sauces you get in the customizable entrees. Their banh mi bread is different from the banh mi bread I'm used to but I actually like it a lot more. It's crustier and more tender than the usual banh mi bread, closer to a French-style baguette. They stack on lots of fresh veggies. The tofu is thinly-sliced and fried for tenderness that gives it a somewhat similar texture to deli meat. You can also get any banh mi combo as a wrap with the same ingredients, and while the wrap is good for a change of pace, I have to say I prefer the banh mi because the bread is so good. Their other entrees are also delicious and come in hefty portions. Their mapo tofu is the best vegetarian mapo tofu I've ever had. I usually get a Thai iced tea when I come here. It's strong and just the right amount of sweet. I appreciate the oat milk option! I recently tried the Thai iced coffee and that was also really good. Lastly, the staff who work here are very friendly! It seems like a small operation but they work efficiently so I've never had to wait too long for my order! The only thing that's left to be desired here is that everything is served in takeaway containers and they only have plastic cutlery (except spoons for some reason), but I don't know what they're dealing with in terms of capacity to use actual dining ware, so I am not letting that affect my rating.

    Photos
    Rush Hour Station - The front entrance

    The front entrance

    Rush Hour Station - Sriracha tofu wrap

    Sriracha tofu wrap

    Rush Hour Station - Tofu Thai basil stir fry, Thai coffee

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    Tofu Thai basil stir fry, Thai coffee

    Yatagarasu Ramen Bar - ramen - Updated May 2026

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