This is my favorite ramen shop. Without a doubt, it’s the best ramen I’ve had in my life.

When you first enter you’re greeted with an enthusiastic traditional japanese greeting, so don’t be too startled. Seating is somewhat limited, so you might have to wait ten minutes or so, but turnover is pretty fast. I prefer the counter or a table as opposed to the more traditional Japanese tables, where you sit on the floor. If you do end up sitting at the Japanese style tables, make sure you wear your good pair of socks, since you’ll have to remove your shoes. (The staff is often nice enough to neatly arrange your shoes, should you just quickly kick them off.)

The menu is pretty simple, they’re a ramen shop, and pretty much everyone orders ramen. In fact, everyone orders the “Hakata ramen” with whatever toppings you choose.

When you order, the waiter will ask you how you like your noodles (soft, medium, or firm), how strong you like your soup base, (weak, medium, or strong), and how much oil you like in your broth (weak, medium, or strong). I usually order all medium because I’m lazy, but feel free to play around with the combinations.

Speaking of combinations, they have some pretty good combination meals. These usually include Hakata Ramen, rice, gyoza, a special dish (check the daily special board), and a beer/soft drink. Beer goes great with most japanese food and ramen is included. If you’re in a good mood, order a round for the servers, they’ll gladly drink with you.

The service at Hakata is great. The staff is always friendly and very accommodating. Sometimes they can be a little slow bringing the check when it’s really busy, but a gentle reminder will set things right. Actually, I’m not sure if they’re slow because they get bombarded, or because they don’t want to look like they’re rushing you out the door to make space. In either case, it’s not a big deal.

On a side note, they serve cold tea or hot tea by default (free of charge), which is very refreshing, especially since I love tea.

After your meal is done and paid for, the staff will generally shout a loud thank you for you, as one of the servers kindly holds the door open.

Overall, this is my favorite place for ramen for both the food and the service. Check it out if you’re ever in the south bay area.

P.S. They stay open till 5 am every New Year’s Eve. It’s a great place to go when you’re starving after some late night celebrating. The vibe is very festive and I’ve ended all my New Year’s celebrations there the last several years. Warning, they’re very popular on that night, so the wait can be in excess of 30 minutes. They seat on a first come basis.

I love this place. Brought my friends there and they all love it too.

Great ramen place. I like the d-set for lunch, which comes with ramen and spam masubi. You can customize the how cooked the ramin is, the strength of broth and even the amount of oil. If you’re hungry, you can get an additional scoop of ramen.