Eats - Japanese - Ramen

Himawari Ramen
202 E. 2nd Ave., San Mateo, CA 94401
650/375-1005
www.himawaritei.com
The latest addition to the San Mateo ramen race. We went after finding this place by accident. They have a few styles of ramen, although I would say that they excel at shoyu flavor soup. There are other items on the menu, and the atmosphere is far more upbeat and modern than Santa (whose tonkotsu ramen is still the best). Service was about on par with Santa. Parking can be tight, but see if there's space by the post office. 04/04

We return for lunch. The place is gaining in popularity judging from the number of emails I've received praising it. I had the fatty pork shio ramen, which was wonderful. I finished the entire bowl in nothing flat. 12/21/04

Ramen Club
723 California Dr., Burlingame CA 94010
650/347-3690
Overall: ****
I actually like this place better than Sanka in San Mateo. The soup is clear and tastier. Service is equally slow, however, so leave yourself 45 mins. at lunch hour. The lunch combos are enormous, easily enough for two people with ramen, grilled fish or other main dish, salads, pickles, rice, etc. 08/02

Ramen Halu
375-M S. Saratoga Ave.
San Jose (near Stevens Creek Blvd across from Garden City)
Phone: 408/246-3933 www.ramenhalu.com
Hours: Mon-Tue, Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Thu 6 p.m.-9:30 p.m. ; Sun 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Sun; closed Wed
Cash only
Overall: ****
We went here after seeing an article in the San Jose Metro. It's right down the street from the big Japanese grocery store on Saratoga, which is a good thing because the food at the grocery store sucks. The place is pretty small, maybe 10 tables, and sparely decorated except for two big surfboards hanging from the walls. The menu is simple. We went for BBQ pork ramen, which came with plenty of thinly sliced pork, woodear mushrooms, spinach, and other accesories. I'm not sure if they always do this, but the noodles were firmer than at other ramen houses. My friend didn't like that so much, but I loved it. The soup is tasty and a lighter version of the tonkotsu-style than I had expected, flecked with floating bits of pork fat. The wait can be long. We stood outside for about 20 mins waiting (about as long as it took to eat) but the food was worth it. We'll be back. 02/04

Went for dinner and was disappointed. True, I ordered badly: "The Works" which includes every topping you can order is excessive. The soup cooled off very quickly, so I left most of mine behind. 05/16/04

Ramen House Ryowa
859 Villa St. (a side street off Castro)
Mountain View, CA 94041
650/965-8829
M-F: 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.; 5:30 p.m.–11 p.m.
Sat: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun: 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m.
Rating: ***
Members of my team at work recommended this place, and were willing to drive 20 mins to get there. It's a fairly large ramen place with about 20 seats, most of which are counter seats. When you sit at the counter, your knees bang against a small package shelf, apparently to prevent lingering. Turnover is brisk, so don't be put off by a line, but don't go with more than 3-4 people unless you don't mind being split up. There are really only a few menu items, so ordering is easy. The house special ramen has a tasty broth with miso (I think), al dente noodles, and the usual pork slices, etc. and comes with a side order of gyoza (potstickers). There's kimchee, vinegar (for the gyoza), soy sauce, and spicy oil on the condiment trays. Overall, I still like Ramen Club in Burlingame better. NOTE: There's a "pearl tea" joint across the street for dessert. The Kiwi Fantasy (I think that's what it was called) was great, since I can't have powdered milk. 06/03

Santa
944 El Camino Real - NEW LOCATION
San Mateo, CA 94401
Overall: ***
The busiest ramen joint in San Mateo. If you want a seat at lunch, get there at 11:30; the place only holds about 30 people and waits can be up to 30 mins. I think they are serving tonkotsu-style ramen here, which has a cloudy, fattier broth (according to worldramen.net, tonkotsu originated in Kyushu). The curry pork flavor is interesting, although I prefer the less fatty soy sauce-flavor with kimchee. The stewed pork is also nice. Be sure to order the lunch plate option, which includes decent karaage (deep-fried marinated chicken thigh) with rice and exactly two tiny pieces of pickle for a buck. You can also add a hard boiled egg on the side. 05/02

Update 10/11/03: They're building a huge building across the street, so the sidestreets are blocked or restricted for parking. If you go around the back and park by the railroad tracks, there's usually space.

Update 11/2007: They've moved to bigger digs. Food is the same though, as are the lines. The new location is right off of Hwy 92 and El Camino Real (south exit) in the little minimall. Parking is a nightmare still because there's also a small Japanese grocery in the same complex and other businesses. We waited for about 20 mins. They were out of a few things, but they had the tonkotsu, which is pretty much the only reason for going. They didn't have the lunch set (with karaage and pickles) which I loved. Frankly, I'd rather just go to Himawari in downtown San Mateo (see review above) and miss the crowd. Santa is still legendary though, among Asians on the peninsula.