Nojo Ramen Tavern

We got lucky with a quick seat here at Nojo, and it was at the bar where we saw the chefs do their thing in the kitchen. The open restaurant is a cool concept and always fun to see. The restaurant has a QR code that allows you to pay and take orders through their online app. It makes it convenient and helps with the flow of the restaurant. We ordered the popular items - Spicy Tan Tan, Soy Sauce Ramen and their half and half fries. Spicy Tan Tan had just enough kick to feel a burn but not enough to overpower. Very flavorful and rich. Highly recommend this dish. Soy Sauce Ramen felt lighter and had a more herbal taste which is great for those who want a lighter meal for the night. Half and Half fries are a must try. The truffle oil is incredible. Loved this restaurant. It felt very exciting being inside with it being so lively.

To be honest, I'm pretty underwhelmed. While I thought the food was good, it lacked flavor, especially the chicken ramen. Also, the restaurant is tiny, and we waited for a nice three-person table for over twenty minutes. They put us at the communal table by the door. It was wet and raining, so inconsiderate of their part. They were also really standoffish and made us order with QR codes. This isn't Corona anymore; I want a waiter. Now, the food. I was expecting something visually amazing for $20 something dollars of Ramen. I'd rather go to Hinodeya. The staff also doesn't speak Japanese (which is not a good sign), and the truffle fries and yuzu miso salad again lack the oomph I normally taste in Japanese cuisine. Overrated Ramen spot.

This place has a lot of good reviews, but then I finally went and it was pretty mediocre and kinda underwhelming. $20 is a bit overpriced for ramen that doesn't even have much meat or other toppings. Their rent is probably high in Hayes Valley, I guess. Broth wasn't memorable. Marafuku, Mensho, Ramen Shop, etc. plenty of other better ramen restaurants in the Bay Area with more umani-rich broth and toppings worth your money. Ajisen (chain ramen) in the Westfield/San Francisco Centre mall was better for less than $20.

When ramen is crafted with this much thoughtfulness, it should be cherished. Nojo Ramen Tavern is a traditional Japanese Izakaya and Ramen Bar located on Franklin Street in the heart of San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood mere blocks from San Francisco's Civic Center and the performing arts corridor which hosts everything from the symphony to the opera. Owned by a parent company who owns more than 200 ramen shops throughout Japan, you can't get more authentic than the noodles served in rich paitan broth being crafted by the team at Nojo Ramen Tavern. What sets Nojo Ramen Tavern apart from so many of their competitors is that their paitan broth base comes with soy sauce, which gives the normally thick, cloudy, rich soup, that's a major component of ramen, a darker color. What brought a group of three friends and I here on a recent weekend evening dinner was the fact that we were hungry for a satisfying dinner and we knew they would be fast service to get us in and out as we had a show to see at a nearby theatre. Nojo Ramen Tavern is a first come first serve style of business meaning that if you want a table your entire party must be present in order to be sat but you can be waitlisted for a table if you enter your name and party number on the Yelp tablet in front waiting area so you can wait patiently for your name to be called via text message.Luckily, even though I had yet to make it to the restaurant in time to be seated, they allowed the rest of our party to sit at a tall communal table and order without me until I was able to arrive. Fortunately, I was able to peruse the menu ahead of time and inform fellow diners what I wanted to order. The menu at Nojo Ramen Tavern is separated into categories including their Ramens, Appetizers, Bowls, Dons, and Plates. Of course, each one of us diners came for Ramen and I ordered the Tan-Tan Spicy Miso which had ramen noodles, spicy ground chicken, a soft boiled organic dashi egg, toasted sesame, cilantro, chopped green onions, and something called a spice bomb. Others ordered their Tomato Ramen which had ramen noodles, tomato, shredded chicken tenders, black garlic oil, cilantro, grana padano cheese, lemon and fried garlic; their Dry Spicy Ground Chicken Tossed Noodles which featured flat noodles topped with spicy ground chicken, an soft boiled organic dashi egg, nira chives, cilantro, red onion, shredded nori, bonito flakes and toasted sesame; and their signature Soy Sauce Ramen which features a slow braised whole chicken leg, an organic soft boiled dashi egg, nira chives, black garlic oil, red and green onion and fish powder. Since I ordered ahead, it wouldn't take too long for our food to be delivered to our table, and I was actually taken aback by the sheer size of their meals as they seemed huge at first glance. Thanks to the abundance of their signature paitan broth, I was in ramen noodle and soup heaven. This was one of the first instances where I enjoyed ramen noodles and the soup broth outshined everything else. The rich and flavorful tomato broth, which thankfully was topped with a lot of garlic bits, was the perfect menu item to warm up on a cold evening. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their meal, as the one diner who normally loves spicy food, even found the Dry Spicy Ground Chicken Tossed Noodles even too hot for their taste buds! Our total bill was $92.37 before gratuity was added in, which could be considered on the pricier side, but is in line with what this local area has to offer in terms of dinner. A return visit to Nojo Ramen Tavern just so I could try their Tonkatsu Plate or their Una Don, as there is nothing more authentically Japanese cuisine than deep fried pork cutlet or marinated eel. At Nojo Ramen Tavern there is a little taste of Japan that resides in the Noe Valley neighborhood in San Francisco, and here's to hoping this is just the beginning for them here in the Bay Area.

Food: I think it's mid based off the appetizers and the dry noodle dish I had. The miso cucumber was okay. The yakitori and chicken wings were not particularly too flavorful. I perhaps can't comment too much on yakitori, but with asian chicken wings, I prefer my wings on the crispier side with that "right" amount of seasoning - ya know? My friends seemed to enjoy their respective ramen dishes and I enjoyed mine. The reviews were all pretty positive, but I also feel like a lot of ramen reviews are positive. It was good and tasty, I just was not particularly blown away by my dish. When I get ramen or eat food like this, I want to be blown away by the complex flavor profile. I think there are different degrees of that when it comes to this cuisine, so that's where my review stands. That being said, I could be at 4, or maybe a 5, if I get a wet ramen next time. Service: You order and via the QR code at your table. Super convenient and quick. If you're looking for a sit down, this is not your place. Each QR code is associated with the person and not the table, so you do not pay for everyone, just you, unless you share your phone. Ambiance: Cozy vibe. Very small place, but pretty quick turnaround. You can see the kitchen, which is pretty cool.

I had high hopes for Nojo Ramen, but unfortunately, the experience fell a bit short. The chicken in the ramen wasn't very tasty and arrived lukewarm, which took away from the dish. The tori paitan broth had good flavor, but the overall dish was a bit hard to enjoy. It felt like it was missing that comforting balance ramen is known for.As for the service, it was minimal at best. Beyond being shown to our seats and having food and water brought to us, there wasn't much interaction or attentiveness, which made the experience feel a bit impersonal.While the flavors showed potential, the execution and service left us wanting more. It's a spot with promise, but there's definitely room for improvement.

3.5 star! Originally a 4/5 star, I really enjoyed the salad. I think i would literally come back for just their salad that comes with edamame, radish, golden beets, tomato paired with a toasted sesame dressing. The ramen is good. I did enjoy the Soy Sauce Tori Paitan which came with a whole chicken leg. I thought it was unique since you don't see this type anywhere in other ramen places. It is on the heavier flavor profile side, but the salad helped a lot. -0.5 star due to the mini flies that kept flying around my food while I was dining. They wouldn't leave me alone! It may due to the fact that the restaurant door was wide open, maybe flies flew in?

Nojo Ramen is known for its signature ramen, which includes a whole braised chicken leg. The chicken was flavorful and tender, but the broth itself was a bit too salty.I also ordered the chicken nanban, which was fried chicken intended to be spicy, but it fell short on heat. I would recommend skipping this appetizer, as the house-made sauce wasn't very impressive either.

We decided to find something to eat before heading to the symphony nearby and found this place that we wanted to try out. We got seated pretty quickly, which was a great start to our dining experience. You can order online by scanning the QR code on the table or ask the waiter for a physical menu.Tan-Tan Spicy Miso Paitan: This dish was a highlight! The spicy ground chicken, toasted sesame, cilantro, green onion, organic dashi egg, and spice bomb created a rich and flavorful broth. Highly recommended!Fried Calamari: This side dish was decent. The fried calamari with mayonnaise and chili powder tasted alright, but the squid pieces were a bit small, more like end tail parts.Chicken Nanban Spicy Tartar: I would definitely recommend this dish! The Miyazaki-style chicken fritters dipped in soy vinaigrette and topped with house spicy tartar sauce were delicious. The chicken was tender and juicy, and the spicy tartar sauce added a great kick.Overall, a solid dining experience with some standout dishes. Would definitely come back!

Delicious Ramen spot in Hayes Valley. This Ramen spot is a bit more unique compared to the others because it only has chicken Ramen, which personally I don't mind since I love chicken. I ordered the tan tan spicy Ramen with ground chicken, it was so flavorful. I just wish they put a bit more chicken in it. We also got the shishito peppers, chicken wings and goyza. All the appetizers were so good. I particularly enjoyed the shishito peppers, they were super flavorful compared to any other ones that I've had. I would definitely come back here. Also, service was quick!