Tonkatsu: excellent
Spicy garlicky cucumbers
House Orange Soda, light and refreshing, not sugar-heavy
Large Kaarage
Carbonaramen
interior
interior
interior
noodles, ramen and noodles, ramen, food, noodle dish, noodle soup
interior
Garlic Chicken Karaage, Miso Eggplant and Crispy Garlic Tofu
crepes, interior
interior
interior
Creamy Tom Yum
Garlic Chicken Karaage
It was that good!
Miso ramen
Crispy Garlic Tofu
Bonus item: dessert! Not on the menu yet. It was described as a peanut butter with chocolate shell. Yummy!
Spicy garlicky cucumbers
Winna Winna of the night: Carbonaramen!
Sierra R.
Oct 18, 2024
this spot is fantastic! I actually really enjoyed the vegan spicy ramen and I am not a vegetarian (and a very picky eater). The noodles are the PERFECT texture. I just wish you could get them in some of the other dishes (they won't let you substitute noodle type. My fiancé got the new school shoyu ramen with the thinner noodles and it was also good but we decided the vegan spicy was the winner mostly bc of the noodles. We also tried the garlic green beans which were great! Kinda a sesame soy sweet/savory garlic flavor. Side note: when the wait time was bit longer we we're able to hop across the street to grab a drink and play some games at the local dive bar.
Read More
Toria H.
Oct 25, 2024
We thoroughly enjoyed eating here. Arrived at the dinner hour rush and were seated at the bar and greeted quickly soon after. Most of these places that I have bookmarked over time have been recommended to me and I mostly go in "blind" to avoid putting any place too high on its pedestal. I will honestly say that Toya can stay on that pedestal! I also did not have any idea how many vegan alternatives there would be so a nice surprise bonus.What we had:Miso Eggplant - order 100 of theseSpicy Tom-Yum-Men - I thought it was good but not nearly close to "spicy" as they advertise, add the egg, I loved the type of noodles provided in thisShio Al Tartufo - super rich and tastyToki Highball - This is the reason why I am knocking my star down to 4. We paid $13 for our highball which is generally known to be a lesser alcohol drink similar to a cider or light beer. We should have paid $13 for 2, not 1.I felt as though the remaining of the prices were very fair (we actually stayed under $100 with tip woo!) and we were very full after our dinner but that Highball soured me a little. I would absolutely come back but I would not feed my nostalgia and go straight for a true cocktail or stick with a canned drink.
Read More
Hank J.
Oct 12, 2024
To start, the food is amazing - so good that we've come here two weekends in a row. Every starter we ordered was fantastic. The tenderloin tonkatsu is easily the best tonkatsu we've had (including tonkatsu we've had in Japan). The Seaweed Cesar is a very unique and tasty take on a Cesar. As far as ramen goes, it's hands down the best we've had in a long time. The Shoyu Black blew all 5 of us away. The New School was just as good. The desert, specially the black sesame cheesecake, is a tasty Japanese twist on a classic. So good we ordered it both visits.The excellence doesn't stop at the food. The service and ambiance is just as good. Both waiters we've had were great and the atmosphere is low-key and comfortable. All in all this is quite easily the best restaurant in Portland. You won't be disappointed
Read More
Nicol L.
Nov 1, 2024
We were seated pretty quickly on a Saturday night! The interior is so sleek. Loved the decoration and the ambiance. Their appetizers were quite small in portion sizes but I thought their ramen was well portioned. I had the mala mazeman and I think I was expecting it to taste more like mala but it wasn't spicy at all. The Tom yum that my partner got was super yummy and creamy.
Read More
Andrew A.
Oct 4, 2024
Portland does ramen well. I enjoy my goto spots, but Toya is another level! The House Orange Soda was light and refreshing, not overly sweet like a mainstream version.Tonkatsu was a hit, we preferred the darker of the two dipping sauces.The Crispy Gay Gee was the only dish that underwhelmed. "Spam" in the menu description caught my attention, but the filling tasted normal. I wonder if steamed would have been better? Mind you, I'd certainly consume a plate of it without being asked. Loved the flavor of Miso Eggplant, an ample portion too.While the O.G. Abura Soba was delicious, the star of the show was the Carbonaramen. It's worth mentioning that my favorite Italian dish is Carbonara. The chicken butter puts it over the top as does the golden egg. A superb fusion dish.The few desserts were creative, we opted for the peanut butter panna cotta.The large space filled right after the Friday 4:30 p.m. opening. Service was attentive, friendly and efficient. Yes, it's higher-end, but price points seemed very fair.
Read More
Kathy V.
Oct 1, 2024
Came here on a Monday for an early dinner with a friend because we wanted to check this place out. The interior is super modern and clean. All staff members provided phenomenal service! I forgot our servers name but he was so kind and attentive so shout out to him for his great service. We started with the tonkatsu rib as the appetizer. It was pretty good, but nothing out of this world. The pork was super meaty and not as juicy as I thought it would be, so maybe I would go with the loin next time. The breading was a little bit crispy and was lightly seasoned. It came with two dipping sauces: a tom yum and a ketchup-bbq like sauce. I preferred the ketchup based one with the pork rib more, the tom yum one tasted really good itself but with the pork loin it reminded me of cheese cheetos? As for ramen, I got the tom yum ramen and my friend got the shoyu black. I found the shoyu black to be more to my liking since it was a richer and more fatty broth. The tom yum was very light in taste, not overly salty or sour. Both soups had one VERY thin slice of meat, which was kinda disappointing given at this price point. I opted to add an egg into my tom yum, but it was only half an egg so do keep that in mind if you choose to add! Overall an okay spot for ramen, but this would not be my first pick. As there are many other spots in the portland area, I do have a high standard when it comes to ramen.
Read More
Wendy S.
Jul 17, 2024
Believe it or not, I liked the soupless ramen the most this place. We also like the chicken karaage to much that we ordered another one. This is def not your typical chicken karaage. The sweet, savory and garlicky flavor gave it a lot more depth. The ramen was ok to me. The brother lacked flavor but I did enjoy the texture of the noodles. I would skip the cucumbers next time. Server was very attentive and nice. Street parking but we found a spot quickly on a weekday evening.
Read More
Ploy N.
Sep 18, 2024
Creative fusion ramens and appetizers! We all enjoyed our bowl of noodles. I got the Shio Al Tartufo which was refreshing with the shio broth but still rich with the truffle paste. The thin noodles were well-cooked and the meats in there worked very well with the flavors.The OG Abura Soba was also delicious. I loved the thicker noodles here and the fatty pork added a lot of flavors and texture to the bowl. Wish it could have been spicier.For appetizers, the Crispy Gau Gee, Fried Ota Tofu, and Kanpachi were all tasty. The Kanpachi was overpriced for what it is but the fried items were freshly made and crispy through and through.
Read More
Phil N.
Jun 2, 2024
When I walked into Toya Ramen, the ambiance immediately sets the stage for a memorable dining experience. The dining area has been reimagined completely since switching over from Danwei Canting, the restaurant that occupied this space. The minimalist decor is accentuated by Japanese touches, and created the perfect balance between modernity and tradition in an intimate setting.I'll start by disclosing that I'm not the biggest ramen fan...I often seek out highly regarded ramen places in town and in my travels and aside from a few experiences, most of the time I just prefer other asian noodle soups over ramen. I'm part Chinese and Vietnamese and I just prefer my noodle soups to have lots of toppings and proteins in them, and that's usually my issue with ramen, since they typically emphasize their broths by not bombarding each bowl with a ton of veggies and meats. Toya Ramen seemed to find a perfect middle ground approach. Since they aren't trying to be a pure authentic Japanese experience, I felt like they aren't trapped by this same Japanese minimalism that I personally don't love. There was far more toppings and protein than you typically see in your bowl which made me happy. What also made me happy was how creative the menu was and how it borrowed elements from Italian (the Carbonaramen caught my eye) , Chinese, and Thai cuisines. Toya Ramen takes great pride in crafting each bowl with precision and care, and uses quality ingredients to create a symphony of flavors. The noodles all appear to be made in house and freshly made. As good as the noodle dishes were, the true stars of the show were the starters. On my two visits, I over ordered and ate maybe 1/2 of their appetizers and nearly all of them blew me away and were so good that before I finished my meal, I texted my circle of friends and told them they had to visit this restaurant and perhaps share an entree just to go extra heavy on the appetizers. The fried rice, wok fried beans, crispy tofu, miso eggplant, karagge, crispy tofu, were all amazing...and even some of the more simple dishes were executed so perfectly that it blew me away despite not being able to hide behind their simplicity. I was saddened that one of my favorites, the pea tips were no longer on the menu as those were probably the best pea tips I've ever eaten. Beyond the food itself, what truly sets Toya Ramen apart is the impeccable service. The staff here are not only knowledgeable about the menu but also passionate about sharing their love for Japanese cuisine with every guest. In conclusion, with its exceptional food, inviting ambiance, and top-notch service, it's no wonder that this new gem has quickly become a new favorite for me. When you consider the price point of Toya and compare it to other ramen restaurants, asian noodle soup places, or even food carts, you'll find that the combination of what they offer is a tier above the competition.
Read More
Jesse C.
Jun 19, 2024
Definitely a ramen spot to add to the list! I've been here twice now, and neither times have disappointed. Everything from the service to food is immaculate. Both times were with groups of 4-5 people and we didn't have to wait to be seated either times. I have tried the broth and broth-less ramen, both super delicious! However, I will say that I liked the dry ramen better, I like the texture of the noodles. I also tried some of the appetizers: spicy garlicky cucumbers and garlic chicken karaage. The cucumbers were good but the chicken karaage was probably my favorite thing there. It was flavorful and crispy and not too much breading (the way I prefer my fried chicken). The restaurant also has a clean feel to it with large windows which gives it so much natural lighting. I'll definitely be returning next time I crave a bowl of ramen.
Read More