Buta Japanese Ramen

Very good little ramen spotTasty and felt authentic Service was greatWent there on a Sunday night and it was pretty busyBe aware the parking lot is a mess and the spots are very tight

I ordered the Tahini Old School Ramen, a classic Tonkotsu Ramen with the addition of sesame paste. For $15.95, the bowl came topped with wood-ear mushrooms, green onions, and half a jammy egg. The egg was perfectly cooked for my liking, but I felt the bowl could have benefitted from the crispness of some bean sprouts, which would have cost extra. The ramen overall was a satisfying experience. The highlight was two well cooked slices of Pork Chashu; the fat was melt-in-your mouth tender with the right amount of chew and good depth from a charred exterior. The broth had the deep, meaty flavor I was looking for but wasn't quite as rich and creamy in texture as I'd prefer. The main factor preventing a 5 star review was the texture of Buta's Extra Thin noodles; even though the broth and Chashu were above average, the noodles were a bit mushy and lacked the satisfying chew that really makes a perfect bowl of ramen. The service and ambience of the restaurant were good. It was mostly empty on a Wednesday evening, but it appeared parking would be difficult at a more busy time. I'd recommend visiting Buta if you're in the area, especially if you're a fan of delicious Chashu, but it's not the best in San Diego.

Having a ramen shop right down the street from USD seems like a great idea with many nearby students. Business at Buta Japanese Ramen has appeared to be steady even after the pandemic. We came to get a late dinner and did not have to deal with the headache that is normally the parking situation in The Presidio Plaza. The remodeled interior could seat 32 customers in the main dining area with two more seats adjacent to the service counter. The staff was very engaging and pleasant.Our order consisted of the Chicken Karaage, Crazy Garlic Ramen, and the Golden Curry Ramen with chicken. The last item was mine which I asked for an extra portion of noodles to be added for $2.50. The karaage was nice and crispy with about eight fried pieces of chicken in the dish. The Golden Curry Ramen ingredients were a braised chicken drumstick, creamy curry broth, crispy noodles, lime, green onion, and chili oil. The curry flavor was strong, but it made the broth too thick for my palate. What was more disappointing was that the noodles were mushy instead of light and springy.Perhaps I chose the wrong style of house ramen out of the choices that were available on the menu. The prices seemed reasonable, but the quality of my product was subpar. This was one of the rare occasions in which I did not finish all the contents in the bowl, and I also did not take home any leftovers. I rounded the rating of my dining experience at Buta Japanese Ramen down to three stars.

Stopped by here for lunch and it didn't disappoint! Staff were attentive and friendly. Highlights - Garlic Chicken Karage (4.8/5) must get here - Tonkastu ramen with Chashu (4.5/5) the broth is delicious and they are GENEROUS with the meat!! I loved it Inside, the restaurant was bright and well kept. I'll be back to eat some tasty ramen!

Buta Japanese Restaurant is named as one of the Top 100 Ramen Spots in California by Yelp in 2024. Their motto is "The Only Way to Cook Good Ramen is to Love What We Cook".I ordered their:- Crazy Garlic Ramen - Pork Bone Broth with minced garlic, garlic oil, garlic chips, chashu pork belly, bean sprouts, and seaweed- Calpico DrinkMy bf's daughter tried their:- Golden Curry - Creamy Curry Broth, chicken, crispy noodles, green onion, and chili oil- Milky Green TeaFood and drinks were delicious. We both loved what we ordered. Service was fast and efficient. Ambiance was casual. ENJOY!

4.5 stars. My friend and I finished working out around the corner, and of all the options nearby, I decided I had to check out Buta. It was empty during lunch, and the interior design is super cute. Service is friendly. I was debating between spicy broth OR chashu pork belly, but I was bummed to see there wasn't an option for both on the menu. Ended up with the Spicy Red Buta which was tasty and filling. I learned after the fact that it was voted one of Yelp's top 100 ramen spots in California. Would come back again and try both the Tahini Old School and Crazy Garlic ramen. It was a great place to catch up with my friend and savor our lunch before continuing about our day.

I've been wanting to check this place out since I found out that they had vegan ramen. We came on a Thursday afternoon for late lunch and it wasn't busy. Very impressed by the service and cleanliness of the place. We ordered the vegetable gyoza, shishito peppers, the vegan ramen, and the old school. Vegetable gyoza was fried and shishito peppers themselves were cooked how we like (but sauce wasn't hitting for us). They offer thin and thick noodles. The vegan ramen broth felt "buttery"/creamy and wholesome, but the toppings were not my usual choice (lettuce tomato avocado). Overall it was unique in its buttery broth but not much of a stand out. More of a "yo each their own" moment.I'm open to coming back to try the other vegan option (curry) with thin noods since it peaked my curiosity.

First time coming here and it won't be the last!! This is by far the best broth I've had in San Diego and closest to the ramen I've had in Japan.The restaurant is tucked away on a small strip mall. Parking may be a little hard to find but worth the wait. We ordered the Tahini Old School Ramen and Golden Curry Ramen; both with pork belly. I asked for a side of chili oil to add spice to the tahini ramen and let me just say a little goes a long way! We ordered the garlic chicken karaage as well. It was flavorful, but I do wish it had more of a crunch to it. Don't pass this place up! It's for sure a real hidden gem.

One of our favorite restaurants in SD! They have the best ramen, great service, and a cute/cozy space.

AMAZING. Literally. Amazing food, amazing service. The staff look so happy to be there and they're so nice! The curry was actually so good and the noodles are perfect and the potstickers were crispy instead of soggy! All of it was perfect. Nice setting too. Would go again. If packaged ramen was like this I would never stop eating it!