San Francisco

Gone are the days when the only ramen noodles you ate were of the plastic-wrapped, 25-cent variety. Here are the days when you get down with definitely not that. With your newly refined ramen palate comes a need for a newly refined list of the Bay’s best ramen, so here it is: 15 spots doing the best broth-y, noodle-y wonderment the Bay Area has to offer.

Ken Ken Ramen


The Mission

You’re ordering: Tonkotsu Ramen

Can ramen be sexy? Ken Ken's ramen definitely tries. This Mission spot’s tonkotsu (available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only) is classic, from the broth that packs a strong, salty-porky punch, to the noodles made from flour imported from Hokkaido. But it’s the clubhouse-leading "onsen" egg that all others are judged by. Oh, and sit at the ramen bar for the best experience.

Izakaya Sozai
Inner Sunset

You’re ordering: Ritsu Tonkotsu Ramen

Sure, this Inner Sunset spot is known for its sake and chicken skewers, but turns out it’s known for the wrong thing. Sozai’s tonkotsu broth is the closest the city has to Orenchi’s -- Sozai suggests you have your ramen "after sake", but whenever you have it, add the fried egg. Always, ​always add the fried egg.

Ramen Halu
San Jose

You’re ordering: Tsukemen

You know how you love to dip French fries in ketchup, wings in blue cheese, and carrot sticks in ranch? Well, this deconstructed ramen comes with the noodles and the rest of the ingredients separate from the sauce, which means, that's right: DIPPING! The sauce itself is a shoyu ramen broth, blending tonkotsu and soy sauce for a noticeably sweet taste. Maybe the best part is when you finish the noodles and drink the dipping sauce/clear broth together -- it’s essentially a ramen cocktail minus the booze. It’s also maybe the worst part though because, well, there's no booze.

Ramen Izakaya Goku
The Mission

You’re ordering: Veggie Miso Potage Ramen

This place will make you a vegetarian ramen believer. Tofu serves in place of chashu slices, green noodles are made by Goku with spinach, and there's basically an entire produce stand of vegetables in the broth. It’s genius, and you won't feel sluggish afterwards, which, we're told, is a good thing.

Santouka Ramen
San Jose You’re ordering: Shio Ramen Does it seem strange to add more salt to one of the saltiest dishes known to mankind? Yeah. That’s exactly what shio ramen is: tonkotsu broth with more salt tossed in. And we're definitely not complaining, especially since Santouka’s bowl is filled with delicious chashu pork. Oh, and just so you know, Santouka Ramen is technically located in a supermarket, but that's OK because it's a Japanese supermarket and it's amazing.

Orenchi Ramen
Santa Clara

You’re ordering: Orenchi Ramen

The line might be three hours long. And you might just make it in before they serve their maximum 500 bowls. But the agony will be well worth it once you go to town on your tonkotsu bowl. The fatty Kurobuta pork soup is simmered for 18 hours (18! Hours!) and is lightened with chicken broth. Chashu, liquid egg yolk, bamboo shoots, enoki mushrooms, and sliced green onion garnishes are in perfect ratio to one other, making each bite, well, perfect. There's an Orenchi opening soon in San Francisco, which is fantastic, because we don't wait in line enough around these parts.

Ramen Dojo
San Mateo

You’re ordering: Spicy Garlic Ramen

Spicy garlic ramen is the claim to fame at Kazunori Kobayashi’s shop. You get to choose how spicy you want it, but if you get "mild", the rest of the world will judge. The crowds keep coming back to this charming spot and it's likely because the garlic oil works magic with the addition of a scoop of "chicken gravy", essentially an umami knockout of ground chicken, shiitake mushroom, and ginger. Think of it as chicken butter. That's right: chicken butter.

Bar Terra
St. Helena

You’re ordering: "Ramen"

Okay, fine. Napa isn't technically in the Bay Area, but we couldn't leave this beautiful bowl of ramen (courtesy of the James Beard-winning Hiro Sone) off of the list. Bar Terra’s "Tokyo broth" crosses all sorts of ramen borders with a pork- and fish-based broth that's finished with a splash of toasted garlic oil. Ultimately, what makes this possibly the most complete, thoughtful, and traditional ramen in the "Bay Area" are the ingredients themselves. Spinach and leeks are added for a garnish. The "ajitama egg" is a Jidori egg that's just one notch beyond a liquid yolk. It has both pork trotter and jowl from the coveted Kurobuta breed. Pair it with a Cab because you're in Napa and that's what you do there.

Maru Ichi Japanese Noodle House
Mountain View

You’re ordering: Kuro Ramen

On top of a light tonkotsu broth that’s heavy on the cinnamon and allspice notes, you’ll find an oil slick. The good news is that this oil slick is environmentally friendly, and is actually just an intensely browned garlic oil layer that adds a serious earthy funk to the soup. And... it might also stain your teeth. Oh, please. You've done far worse damage with cheap red wine. PLUS, they make their own noodles and kimchi. Totally worth it.

Nojo
Hayes Valley

You’re ordering: Nojo Ramen

This just might be the city's best ramen, so it's a bummer that it's only available during weekend brunch. Still, you can cure your too-much-whiskey-last-night-over with fancy eggs and bacon anytime. Chef Greg Dunmore throws a winning ramen change-up with a stunning shoyu broth and grilled chicken confit. It's like chicken noodle soup, only one million billion times better.

Hapa Ramen
Embarcadero

You’re ordering: Big Daddy Ramen

You'll feel like a Big Daddy when you're sitting outside the Ferry Building, slurping down this bowl of tonkotsu with slow-cooked pork belly and... wait for it... fried chicken. Yup, fried chicken on ramen. Life just keeps getting better. And if that wasn't enough? An indoor spot is on its way, so that you can keep slurping all winter long.

Ramen Taka
Santa Clara

You’re ordering: Hakata Char Siu Ramen

The customary tonkotsu broth hits all the right dense, fatty notes, and might be a bit more restrained with salt than the norm. What will be different about this Hakata-style bowl are the noodles and extremely thin char siu pork slices -- the noodles have a stiffer texture than the usual springy, soft noodles (like an al dente linguine), plus there’s pickled ginger and sesame seeds on top that the char siu is fanned over, so it literally looks like a flower with petals of meat.

Ramen Shop
Rockridge, Oakland

You’re ordering: Veggie Shoyu Meyer Lemon Ramen

Yes it's a 90-minute wait. And yes, it's in Oakland. But there's a reason the line for this joint is now longer than the one for Zachary's Pizza across the street. This is high-art ramen. The chefs have experience in both Japan and Chez Panisse, which your mouth will give thanks for when it tastes the veggie ramen. The mellow broth is crowned by summer squash, two types of mushrooms, tomato confit, and a salt-cured egg. Hate waiting? They're expanding next door, which should help cut down on the long lines.

Santa Ramen
San Mateo

You’re ordering: Miso Ramen with Stewed Pork

Give the miso a try here. It’s vivid with citrus and nuttiness. Oh, and you must add the stewed pork. The miso broth comes with corn, so all together, the ramen tastes like a summer barbecue translated into noodles and soup. Everything you love about life, now in one tasty bowl.

Ramen Shalala
Mountain View

You’re ordering: Shalala Miso Ramen (Spice Level 2)

It's not that we don't think you can handle Spice Level 3, but... we don't think you can handle Spice Level 3. Other things to know: Shalala is a rare ramen shop, in that it offers three sizes (small, medium, and large) and specializes in miso broths (you also get to choose the spice levels, but you figured that out already). The pork belly in this particular ramen is perfectly tender and there are just enough corn kernels so that no slurp is without one. Oh, and don't forget to order it with an egg.