Shin Sen Gumi Hakata Ramen - Fountain Valley

Food: I've been to multiple locations of this chain, and have not been disappointed at any. The ramen always hits the spot, especially on the colder winter days now. The lunch deals especially are so worth it. The prices are unbeatable with respect to how much you get. Definitely the best lunch spot to go to! Service: Alexis is the best! I called ahead with multiple questions regarding the lunch menu, and she assisted so kindly, even when I arrived she remembered and made sure if it was me. Service is exceptional. Ambiance: this is rather a small restaurant setting so on busy days definitely expect a wait. The doors are operated with some sort of AC, so if you sit close to the door you might feel a slight breeze on colder days, but makes it even better that they sell hot ramen soup!

Stopped by for a quick lunch by myself. I was seated very quickly, although I was a little confused about ordering with the paper. The waiter was nice and showed me how. Overall I thought the ramen was decent, but a bit on the saltier side. I'd probably come back if I'm in the area and in need of a quick bite.

Likes:+ The ramen is decent. I like the various condiments on the side.+ The fried pork ear is tasty and really crunchy.+ Polite, helpful staff.+ They have two restrooms.+ The food comes out pretty quick.+ Weeknights they open late, until 11pm.+ It's amusing when the staff shout Japanese back and forth. Adds to the Japanese vibe.. But when I said "sumimasen, okanjo kudasai" (Excuse me, check please), they managed to guess it means I'm asking for the check. heehee. They miss the opportunity to play Japanese music to further add to the Japanese ambience.. I wonder why the restaurant is separated in half.Non-likes:- The portion is small. After one bowl of ramen I was still hungry and needed another.- Very narrow restaurant. Only one walkway thin enough for one person. Easy to bump heads and elbows.- Limited seating.- The restroom kinda smells and looks a little dirty. And no paper towels.- The sides are kind of expensive.I had:$13.75 Hakata Ramen +$7.50 Fried Pork Ear +$14.75 Hakata Dandan Men +$3.50 Flavored egg + tax= $42.96

Very small tight place. Waited about 25 minutes before we were seated and there was a constant flux of people waiting in line. We ordered the half order of gyoza, curry fried chicken, small takana fried rice, small spicy takana fried rice and the Hakata ramen. Everything came out quickly and tasted good on a cold night. My favorite was the curry chicken and takana fried rice. It satisfied the hunger in my tummy.

I will drive miles and miles to this place. I recently brought my hubby and he has also crowned this as best of all things Ramen. It's a little hole in the wall and no nonsense. I feel like I'm in dining in Japan at one of the authentic ramen joints. What I love the most is the number of add-ins. I always get the pork cutlet, boiled egg, and spicy Takana for my Hakata Ramen. I add the ebi fry shrimp which is so crunchy and goes well with the tartar sauce. My hubby ordered the Dan Dan Ramen and couldn't stop raving about it. I come here at least once a month even though it's 30 minutes out of my way. My fav ramen spot of all time. I love how they say goodbye as you are leaving!

Smart to make reservations as this place gets packed very quickly. Really traditional decor and you order with a paper and pen ordering yakitori and other small dishes. Great flavors in the pork belly and beef, meatballs were great and the food came out in a timely manner with good service.

Solid ramen place! Got the karaage and regular bowl of ramen!Karaage - 10/10 super juicy and squeezing the lemon on the top of chicken made it so delicious! It's was super flavorful Ramen - 8/10 great broth and solid noodles. I opted out of the green onions and ginger. I also added some chilli and chili oil to my ramen to make it have a slight kick. Tip: On Mondays they have ramen for $9.50!

Great ambiance with tables open to the kitchen. Service is quick and friendly. We ordered two Hakata Ramens for $9.50 each-Monday special is a great value. Here are my comments on the food:- Customizable options before you order, very easy, and they actually follow what you put. My partner and I could distinguish the differences in what we ordered.- Broth has a great pork taste, very deep and rich.- Chashu pork is on the thinner side, not as juicy as I would have liked.- Noodles were perfectly cooked; I ordered them firm, and they had a nice bite.- Chashu fried rice is delicious-my favorite side that I tried there.Overall, I will definitely be coming back regularly to this place. Great value, amazing service, and clean, quality food. Love it.

I was disappointed the flavored eggs in the ramen was salty w no other flavor. I like their yakitori (4 stars) but unfortunately my husband doesn't like it so we took out the Hakata ramen, the broth was salty n also the flavor not to my taste, I'm pretty much done w ramen but I'm also tired of Pho Bo too! I just got off the Celebrity Constellation I wanted to review it but it's not in the Yelp data base, they had an amazing ramen w a lobster tail n only $17!! Lobster broth! The chicken was not bad but the sauce caused it to lose the crunchiness. If I go back I'll be sure to ask for the sauce to put on the side.

A Fountain Valley staple! Congratulations on 23 years of business. They had an anniversary sale this weekend for 50% off ramen, only $6.25 a bowl. Service was speedy! There was a table to check people in at the door with order forms, orders taken quickly and food was ready. We arrived early at 10:30am, and they let us in before opening time. No wait at all, even faster than normal days. Ramen can be customized: firmness of noodle, intensity of soup base, amount of oil, and additional add on toppings. Bowl comes with 2 slices of chashu pork, noodles, sesame, ginger and green onion.