Sobo Ramen

Very cozy ambiance, attentive staff and quick food service! We tried the agedashi tofu, gyoza and curry katsu ramen -- loved all of them. The tofu was the perfect balance of crispy and soft with the sauce. Gyozas are all freshly made in house topped with delicious crunchy chili oil. Get your katsu on the side of your ramen - the chicken is super tender and juicy.

This was my second time here but I had their home-brewed Thai iced tea for the first time and it was so good! If you never got it from there, I highly recommend you do. Had the karaage as an appetizer and it was perfectly crisp, and the basic tonkotsu ramen with chicken katsu. Good service and a nice and cozy place to dine in!

988 Franklin St, Ste 186 Oakland, CA 94607Sobo Ramen is a Japanese inspired fusion ramen shop, located in Oakland Chinatown. To be exact, it's on the outside of Pacific Renaissance Plaza, along Franklin Street. The Plaza offers underground parking, but I parked on the street. I was at Sobo Ramen for a great Yelp Elite Event (YEE) back in August 2023. I decided to return while shopping in Chinatown. I honestly didn't know they closed at 3pm on Sunday. I walked in around 2:45pm, and they offered me a table. The friendly server said she remembered me from the Yelp Event. She suggested a number of dishes, I ordered the "Glazed Pork Belly Ramen." I had ordered the same ramen dish at the Yelp Event. When I checked-in on the Yelp App, I was offered a free Soju Cocktail. I decided to save it for my next visit. Instead, I ordered the Original Iced Tea. The dining room was clean and polished. The atmosphere was cozy and comfortable, with smooth jazz playing over the speakers. There's several tables and a bar. During our Elite Event, they placed tables together to handle large groups. My ramen came out quickly, as the staff went on their 3pm break. My server took her lunch in the dining room, and was available if I needed anything. Now the food! My initial impression was the bowl of ramen was nice to look at. It was a display of colors.... of pork belly, red onions, scallions/ green onion, and bok choy. I like noodles, and for $17, I would of liked more ramen. The rich broth was slightly salty, so I would probably order something else next time. The pork belly was deliciously tender and easy to eat. I was served two large pieces of pork belly, and two small pieces were underneath.Overall, a nice bowl of ramen with a balance of veggies and meat. I will return and try other dishes. https://www.soboramen.com/aboutus.html

So consistently good. We come up from San Leandro to go to this restaurant. Not too far away it at all and worth the drive. I usually go for the spicy ramen, this time I didn't and I decided just to go with the flow and enjoy my ramen the way it came from the kitchen. First time I've had the cocktail also. The beer selection's pretty good they also have beer from a local brewery, I suggest a lemongrass beer!Definitely worth checking out, this place is legit. We usually find street parking.

I've been going to Sobo for around a decade now and I've seen their various evolutions. At the end the day, this is still a place to get a solid bowl of ramen in the East Bay. Over the years I've seen them try to innovate and experiment with different styles of ramen. You can find miso, tonkatsu, and vegan ramen here. In the past I've also had shio and lobster ramen! This time I went with their spicy Miso ramen. The broth was excellent. Super flavorful with the right level of spice. The chashu portion was generous and the toppings were well balanced. I'm glad this spot has survived COVID and hope they can stay open. Check them out the next time you're in the Chinatown/ downtown Oakland area.

Tucked away in Chinatown outside of the Renaissance plaza is Sobo Ramen. Upon entering you are greeted by the sight of a giant window showing you the ramen being made fresh in the house. Service was quick, but nothing spectacular. I ordered the Mayu ramen which was packed full of flavor. I love the black garlic oil which adds a layer of depth and smokiness to the tonkotsu broth. The meat was tender and flavorful, a melt in your mouth experience. I wish we got more than just one piece for the price of the bowl of ramen. I also got to try a little of the curry chicken katsu ramen, it was nothing spectacular. The chicken katsu was juicy but the broth didn't really have any depth to it. The curry flavor wasn't very strong. If i'm craving ramen and i'm in chinatown I would come again, but i wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Very low tier ramen, I ordered the basic Tonkatsu ramen with the Chicken Katsu and had a very average experience. The broth has no flavor and although the chicken was crispy, the sauce it came with didn't compliment it at all. I mean, just look at the photo...I will not be coming back.

10 dollar lunch special for a good bowl of Tsukemen ramen (dipping noodles). Nothing beats this. Need to return for dinner and try their soju cocktails. Come help support your local businesses.

A blast from the past, I found some time to visit Sobo Ramen again after my first Yelp Elite experience there. They were running a special in October where you can bring a friend for BOGO ramen. Aside from being a good deal, everything was tasty with thoughtful presentation.I got the tan tan numb spicy noodles which they let me sample the first time I visited. As a full menu item now, I can say I'm a huge fan of the heat and flavor combined. We also ordered drinks where my friend got a pretty cocktail while I opted for the kimchi sour beer which sounded interesting to me. They complemented our meals perfectly and gave us a nice buzz.The service was fast and the dining area pretty as usual. Wasn't super busy for lunch but we enjoyed the nice ambience and hope they open another location soon! Shoutout to the owner Stella who I am sure is hard at work making amazing ramen experiences one meal at a time.

The food tastes so-so, the price is also expensive, it feels a bit of a pitfall, and it is a store that I never want to go to again after going to once.