Tsuruya

First of all, the vibe just reminds me of a typical ramen shop in Japan. Anytime it feels that way right when I walk in, I feel like the ramen is going to be a good experience.The service was super friendly and this place had one vegan option which is good enough for me. The prices were slightly less expensive compared to others in the area which was nice but then that left little for me to give to my bf to supplement his bowl of ramen. The vegan ramen was excellent! The broth was rich and flavorful and the noodles had the perfect amount of bite to them.The bf ordered the tori paitan and completely demolished it. Needless to say, we'll be back for more the next time we're in Berkeley!

This Gourmet Ghetto address has been the home to a revolving door of eateries, the last one being a Thai street food spot called Cousins. In fact, I didn't even notice it turned into a ramen house because the decor change was pretty subtle. The menu is mostly ramen, eight different bowls in all, plus four appetizers (like chicken karaage and edamame) and three desserts.So yes, you can have a three-course meal here if you want. But I'm the standing ramen guy, the type who pretends he's on the platform in Shinjuku station. I ordered the $16.50 Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen with the medium thick Sapporo noodles because of the allure of pork belly chashu. It came out a lot milkier than I expected as the film of the pork bone-based broth and black garlic oil bubbled up to the surface (photo: https://yelp.to/3XPswRdFZP).The ingredients were plentiful. Not only the pork belly but also wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green and red onion, and a soft-boiled ajitama egg. Quite filling though I have to admit tonkotsu is not my favorite broth. I actually prefer miso or shio because I like a less pronounced broth when there are a lot of competitive flavors. I'll come back for a bowl of their paitan ramen sometime. Hopefully the space won't turn into something else.FOOD - 4 stars...pronounced tonkotsu broth with lots of ingredients...wish there were other ramen choicesAMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...hey, it looks like CousinsSERVICE - 4 stars...a kind serverTOTAL - 4 stars...if you like tonkotsu ramen, here's your placeRELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

Decent place for ramen! Stopped by for weekend dinner and had to join a waitlist, but we didn't end up waiting too long. I ordered the spicy tonkotsu, and the broth was nicely flavored and just mildly spicy. My friend who ordered the jigoku paitan confirmed that to be very spicy (but tasty). Overall, cozy spot to stop by for a casual meal with friends!

Seriously, this is my new favorite ramen spot! Tsuruya felt like I was invited into someone's home and given a nice home cooked meal. The ramen was excellent. The service was excellent. Aya runs this place with her husband, Joe, and she is legit the sweetest thing ever! She came by to serve us and chat with us, telling us the history of her family and the business. We tried out the creamy pork croquettes (delicious!) and the Spicy Tonkatsu as well as the Black Garlic Tonkatsu. Usually the black garlic oil makes the ramen oily, but not here. The flavor was fantastic! I really enjoyed my Spicy Tonkatsu as well. It had the perfect amount of spice! For both our ramens, we got the Sapporo noodles (thicker, wavy noodles), which was such a great choice. Also this place has Sake and Beer! There's no drink menu, but we noticed the bottles on the counter. We got the beer from Aya's home town, Yokohama, in Japan - the Kirin Ichiban. Pretty smooth with a nice amount of hops. The place is small, so I recommend coming early or just be ready to wait outside. I can't wait to bring more friends to this place. My boyfriend and I had a special experience and we want to thank Tsuruya for their great hospitality and delicious food! We'll be back!

Berkeley often has the perfect weather for ramen, so Tsuruya is definitely in the right spot. I visited Tsuruya with a friend on a weekday evening - they take walk-ins only, and fortunately, we just beat the dinner rush and were seated right away. With four broths and two noodle types to choose from, the menu is short and straightforward. I ordered the spicy tonkotsu with the Hakata (thin) noodles, and my friend and I decided order the pork croquettes to share.Our croquettes came out first - they were served perfectly crispy on the outside, and the pork's smokiness paired well with the sweet dipping sauce. Our ramen followed quickly, and the spicy broth warmed my soul. While I wish there were more toppings given the volume of soup and noodles, everything tasted fresh and high quality. The chashu was tender and not overly-fatty (one of my biggest grievances with ramen), and the noodles were cooked to the optimal texture and chewiness. The broth was well-spiced yet not too hot, and I really liked the touch of citrus that cut through the richness. I have already bookmarked Tsuruya for a return visit, and I plan to try their Sapporo (thick) noodles next time.

Was visiting Berkeley while we were in the area and found this spot on yelp. Came in and was greeted with super friendly staff. Dimly lit interior with warm staff. Cozy ramen spot! We ordered a bunch of appetizers such as the karaage, calamari, and the croquette. All of them were pretty good. I think personally I would order the karaage again, it was juicy with a good portion. The calamari wasn't as crispy as I wished it to be but still good. I think the croquette balls were a hybrid of takoyaki and croquette, but I wished it was just one or the other. Ramen: Jigoku Tonkotsu : This was a spicy tonkotsu (pork bone) ramen. Very good and rich flavor. Even though I ordered it spicy, I can still taste the depth of the rich and velvety pork soup. Really enjoyed it, I was especially craving spicy soup too. If you like the heat, I would definitely give it a try. Tonkotsu : Definitely a good tonkotsu broth, super rich, and without the spiciness you can definitely taste the rich and savory broth. What sets Tsuruya apart from other ramen places is that you can choose their noodle size, and their hakata noodles are thin and the soup basically coats every strand of noodle. I really enjoyed the thinner noodles, would definitely visit again!

The food was amazing! You can tell the quality of the ramen and the broth was very flavorful and tasty. The noodles with thick or thin was great as well, we had the black garlic tori paitan and spicy tori paitan and it was delicious! My new favorite ramen spot! Also the matcha panna cotta was great, it gave me nostalgia of the matcha pudding in japan so I walked out happy! Service was very friendly and attentive! The ambiance was a chill vibe it definitely felt like I was in Japan again!

This cute little spot was such a great dinner date spot. The wait wasn't too long and the staff were all so friendly! We ordered hakata jigoku ramen, black garlic skinny noodle, and a tonkatsu ramen. EVERYONE loved theirs, the spicy one was actually very spicy. So spicy lovers, prepare to meet your match. Otherwise their broth was still very flavorful. I loved my black garlic initially but after it cools down I and sits, I feel like it started to taste a little bitter? Not as noticeable when it's hot. Eat quickly! Chicken karaage is a must have. So crisp, light, juicy, perfectly seasoned. Doesn't feel oily at all-- a must order!

What a cute spot. Love the interior. Lady that runs the front is fantastic. Very sweet and attentive. Legitimately one of the best meals I have had in East bay period. For me the medium wavy noodle has a better chewier texture that's more my speed: I had the thin straight noodles in mine. They were good. But the medium wavy was a step above. The spiciest ramen they have I wouldn't say is especially spicy but does have some heat and great flavor. Best chashu I have ever had. Will be back. Thank you for a wonderful meal.

Very nice environment and foodDefinitely choose deluxe ramenPortion is not large but there are delicious toppings and meat. I especially like the chicken broth. The amount noodles can be more, and it'll be perfect