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Where to Curl Up with a Bowl of Ramen in San Francisco Right Now

Finding the best ramen in San Francisco can be challenging. Ramen is a classic Japanese dish consisting of noodles and other ingredients.

sapporo miso at san francisco ramen restaurants

Some ramen dishes include eggs, mushrooms, broth, and green onions. Ramen dishes are diverse and include vegetables to boost the flavor and texture.

San Francisco is rife with some of the best ramen restaurants in the United States, and there are so many options that it can be overwhelming.

However, I have narrowed down the top restaurants with the best ramen dishes in the city. Check out my list of the best ramen in San Francisco below!


Hinodeya Ramen Bar

1737 Buchanan St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415-216-5011
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Hinodeya Ramen Bar offers vegan and vegetarian options for those who do not consume meat or dairy ingredients, making them a unique restaurant in the San Francisco area.

This restaurant also has plenty of choices for vegetables like peppers and mixed leaves to add to your ramen bowl.

Hinodeya Ramen Bar’s specialty is their house ramen, a dish including a seasoned broth with scallops and pork, topped with bamboo shoots, a soft-boiled egg, and nori. They also have a creamy ramen bowl that is plant-based and includes fried sweet tofu.

I recommend trying the creamy chicken ramen, which offers plenty of seafood flavor mingled with familiar chicken in a velvety broth.

Of course, you’ll want to start with the Otsumami “tapas.” The Takowasa is my particular favorite, but I’ve always loved octopus.


Iza Ramen

237 Fillmore St, San Francisco, CA 94117
Phone: 415-926-8173
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Iza Ramen has three ramen bowls on its menu and options for plenty of additional toppings on the side.

This restaurant offers their house ramen, Iza Tsukemen, and a Vegetarian Miso Ramen. More toppings for your ramen bowl can help create bold and exciting flavors for your whole meal.

These additional toppings include a slew of options, including everything from BBQ pork, butter corn, cloud ear mushroom, black garlic oil, and toasted crispy seaweed!

Personally, I prefer adding takana, spicy green onion, and spicy kimchi for a bit of kick to my ramen.

I also recommend the Iza Ramen house ramen bowl. This bowl includes pork, chicken, vegetable broth, and rather than topped with chashu, you get barbeque pork.

The bean sprouts and the toasted seaweed give a nice crispy texture to the soup, giving you everything you want in a meal: deliciousness and excellent mouthfeel.


Marufuku Ramen

1581 Webster St #235, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415-872-9786
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Marufuku Ramen is a perfect location to grab a unique and flavorful ramen bowl. Every ramen bowl from this restaurant holds such unexpected flavors that this will soon become your favorite restaurant in all of San Francisco.

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I don’t usually enjoy a vegetable ramen bowl, but the Marufuku Ramen offerings make this bowl one of the best I’ve ever had.

This bowl is full of rich and creamy broth, stunning vegetables, and toppings that add robust flavors to the whole meal.

My personal favorite here is adding a jammy egg to the bowl as the runny yolk gives extra umami to the whole experience.


Mensho Tokyo SF

672 Geary St, San Francisco, CA 94102
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Mensho Tokyo SF has many options for stunning and delicious ramen dishes, including some vegan options that will have those who do not eat meat or dairy products watering at the mouth.

This restaurant also offers separate categories for each ramen noodle bowl and allows patrons to choose their spice level.

I recommend the Vegan Mazesoba ramen bowl because it combines the rooty texture of kale with the flavors of green onion, chives, and pickled ginger.

Typically, if you’re lucky enough to get a vegetarian or vegan option for ramen, the broth is a bonito-free miso. This is a refreshing change!


Nojo Ramen Tavern

231 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone: 415-896-4587
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Nojo Ramen Tavern offers a quaint and cozy location to enjoy your ramen bowl. This location has plenty of ramen options on the menu and includes vegan and vegetarian options.

Additionally, there are spicy and mild ramen bowls to enjoy. Toppings to your ramen bowl can make even more bold flavors.

I recommend the soy sauce ramen bowl. This bowl is Nojo Ramen Tavern’s signature house dish and includes chives, chicken leg, black garlic oil, and an organic dashi egg.

If I’m just feeling peckish, I’ll opt for the fried shishito, which is bright yet crispy, paired with the nojo fries (French fries with delicious okonomiyaki sauce) or the gyoza.


IPPUDO SAN FRANCISCO

18 Yerba Buena Ln, San Francisco, CA 94103
Phone: 415-348-1202
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Ippudo San Francisco may only have three ramen bowl offerings, but these three options are full of flavor and are made with only the finest ingredients in the area.

The Shiromaru Classic ramen bowl includes signature dashi, thin noodles, and pork belly chashu. This dish also has notes of sesame, mushrooms, ginger, and scallions.

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The Akamaru Modern ramen bowl includes pork broth, noodles, and a secret miso paste. This dish has pork belly, cabbage, and mushrooms to create a bold and robust flavor.

However, I recommend the final option: the Karaka Spicy ramen bowl. This bowl is spicy and is topped with a mixture of spices sure to burn your tongue.

The kikurage mushrooms melt in your mouth, and the crunch of the chashu with the creamy layer of fat is the perfect antidote to the heavy spice.


Coco’s Ramen

3319 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Phone: 415-648-7722
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Coco’s Ramen does ramen bowls like no one else. This restaurant includes stunning and mouth watering seafood ramen that will make anyone want to pull over and immediately give this meal a go.

The Seafood Ramen bowl from Coco’s Ramen contains a chicken base, scallions, shrimp, scallops, clams, and bean sprouts.

I suggest you start your meal with the seaweed salad and two skewers of beef tongue. I know it’s unusual, but it’s delicious!

I always follow it up with the seafood ramen with black garlic, extra spicy. It’s packed with flavor but doesn’t have a heavy finish.


Izakaya Sozai

1500 Irving St, San Francisco, CA 94122
Phone: 415-371-9721
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Izakaya Sozai offers plenty of ramen bowls with iconic flavors. The Tonkotsu ramen bowl and the veggie ramen bowl both have bountiful flavors and ingredients to make them some of the best ramen bowls in San Francisco.

If you really feel like treating yourself, I suggest the Wagyu Nigiri. It’s so tender that it positively melts in your mouth. The bluefin tuna sashimi is also a must for those special occasions.


Jijime

5524 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94121
Phone: 415-221-5353
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Jijime is a unique restaurant that has four ramen bowl offerings:

  • Tonkotsu Ramen
  • Tonkotsu Sesame Ramen
  • Kuro Ramen
  • Gyoza Ramen

I recommend the Kuro Ramen bowl because it contains a creamy pork broth and one of my favorites: black garlic oil.

Of course, I always get the fried ika legs to start with. They’re crunchy and come with a creamy spicy mayo, perfect for dipping!


Waraku

1638 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415-292-3388
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Waraku is iconic for its spicy and original ramen bowl offerings. This location has plenty of spicy ramen bowls to enjoy, alongside those that offer mild yet robust flavorings.

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This restaurant also has plenty of toppings to add to your ramen bowl, like impossible spicy meat, a plant-based meat alternative.

I recommend the Chicken Shoyu Ramen bowl. This bowl uses a chicken soup base, plenty of green onions, spinach, seaweed, bamboo shoots, and a soft-boiled egg.

Adding spicy ground chicken to this bowl can add to the flavor and bring this mild dish to a whole new level!


21 Taste House

1109 Ocean Ave, San Francisco, CA 94112
Phone: 415-205-7984
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21 Taste House is no stranger to plentiful ramen bowl offerings! This restaurant has over 14 options for ramen bowls.

In addition, you can include any toppings you would like in your ramen bowl to create a plentiful bowl of robust and stunning flavors.

I recommend the Hakata Style Ramen bowl, which includes roasted pork, a flavored egg, foraged mushrooms, and seasonal vegetables that will alternate depending on availability.

Although the bowl’s flavor may change depending on the season, this bowl will always be delicious and offer visitors a full and enticing meal.


Kaiju Eats Ramen & Izakaya

3409 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118
Phone: 415-742-4309
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Kaiju Eats Ramen & Izakaya is a perfect location to get some of the most unique ramen flavors in San Francisco. This location has unexpected combinations of flavors, like a mixture of fried potato and Kobe beef.

There are ten ramen bowl options offered at Kaiju Eats Ramen & Izakaya, including varieties that mingle curry and coconut flavors.

I recommend the Jaeger Ramen bowl because it has garlic, grilled ham, and a curry stew that includes potato and an egg. This bowl offers spicy and bold flavors that will make your mouth and stomach very happy!


Ramen Yamadaya

1728 Buchanan St floor 2, San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: 415-795-4164
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Ramen Yamadaya offers plenty of ramen options. These include options with pork bone broth, soy sauce, mushrooms, miso, and vegan ramen bowls.

Each ramen bowl comes complete with several ingredients that can boost the flavor profile of each bowl.

I recommend the Spicy Miso ramen bowl from Ramen Yamadaya because it contains a delicious amalgamation of flavors and ingredients. This bowl includes onions, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, corn, and a soft egg.

I have found that these flavors work perfectly together, and it may be the best ramen bowl I’ve ever had!


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Written by Brian Nagele

Brian attended West Virginia University, then started his career in the IT industry before following his passion for marketing and hospitality. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant and bar industry.

As a former restaurant owner, he knows about running a food business and loves to eat and enjoy cocktails on a regular basis. He constantly travels to new cities tasting and reviewing the most popular spots.

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