I was never much of a ramen fiend until I was introduced to Ramen Halu. People always raved about Ryowa, which I never thought was all that great. I liked the negitoro donburi combo at that other ramen place in Milpitas that I can’t even remember now. And then I found Ramen Halu.

The first time I went, I had the Shoyu (soy sauce) ramen. it was good. The cha-shu was memorable though – perfectly fatty and tender and tasty – which is the reason I came back again. On my return trip, I tried the signature Halu Ramen dish, and let me say, I have never stopped eating it. The broth, which has visible tiny chunks of pork fat afloat is so perfectly sweet and tasty. I usually don’t drink my ramen broth b/c it tends to be too salty for me, but with Halu Ramen, I can’t stop drinking it! The thick ramen noodles are crunchy and silky and smooth. The texture is just supremely satisfying. Add in the perfect cha-shu, and I come here every week.

On top of that, their service is really friendly. They are a little slow at times (they’re always completely full and don’t have many servers, so you can’t blame them), but I was blown away by what I experienced yesterday. I had a bit of a headache, so after we placed our orders, my boyfriend rushed out to try to find me some tylenol. It took a bit longer than we thought, and the waiter noticed his bowl of ramen sitting on the table, untouched, for quite a while. He graciously offered to make him a brand new bowl when my boyfriend returned. It turned out he came back just about a minute after they took his bowl away, but they did make him a brand new bowl and didn’t charge us for it either! I thought that kind of service was just impeccable.

I love Ramen Halu. I eat there almost every week.

I’ve been on a ramen quest before one summer. It was the summer after I got back from Japan. I had ramen in Kyoto, and following that my parents took me to Ramen Halu.

People tend to think of ramen as Chinese, and while the noodles themselves come from from Chinese cuisine, this type of dish is from Japan. No, this is not your Top Ramen in a package, or any of those cup and noodles you’ve eaten. This is the TRUE and authentic Ramen.

Ramen Halu offers a small and cozy venue that’s fun to eat at. The menu is simple for those who haven’t had ramen before. The portion is fair, and I have to say I’m satisfied with a bowl of rice (this is how the Japanese eat their ramen. Noodles + rice, although that’s not as instinctive to me being Chinese). The taste of the soup makes ramen special. They leave it brewing for 18 hours and so you get a very strong and flavorful broth that accompanies the noodles well.

The price is a little high and they’ve raised prices since outstanding reviews from The Mercury News.

Authentic? You bet. Like all Japanese foods, MSG and saltiness are to be expected. That’s exactly what you get here. If you’re not used to it, that’s understandable, but this is what you would be getting in Japan. You can always tell them to lighten up on the salt which is what my parents prefer.

The only problem with this place is the wait. I usually show up 15 minutes before opening, and there will be a line already. If you show up anywhere in the middle of opening hours, expect to wait. After all, the restaurant only seats 20 or so

I just remembered, the BLACK SESAME ICE CREAM is really good!

There is always a long line outside this place, so prepare to wait. I usually browse the Indian grocery store next door while I wait, and pick up a pack of spiced banana chips there each time.

I’ve had several of the ramen dishes over the last few years. All of them are really tasty, but also really salty, so load up on barley iced tea (yum). I prefer the ramen with soup over the one with the dipping sauce. It’s great that they don’t pack any MSG into the ramen here, which is why it’s my favorite ramen joint.

The edamame is really good, I suspect that they boil it when you order it instead of giving you a plate that’s been sitting out soggily for hours. So it still has a nice crunch.

Probably one of the more authentic ramen joints I’ve been to in the U.S. This shop feels like you’re walking into a restaurant in Japan. Small and unassuming, there’s nothing spectacular about the interior at all. However the young staff are all speaking Japanese as they rush around serving up the hot bowls of ramen with their bleached blond hair and funky style.

The menu is pretty simple, you pick from 4 types of ramen and then from an assortment of toppings. They have both thin and thick noodles. You can see the guy in the back cooking the noodles in a giant pot. Food is served pretty fast, and they’ve also got some side dishes and small desserts to check out.

It’s not cheap for a ramen place, but in my opinion still worth it!

Favorite ramen place in the Bay Area… fresh ramen, lots of Asian veg, real-homemade-authentic broth… and huge portions. A little expensive; but just means you don’t eat there every week.

This is a great ramen shop. It is probably the best in the bay area. They don’t have as much selection as some of the other places, but it is the best all around. The broth is slow cooked so it is tasty, but the noodles aren’t quite as good as Maruichi on Castro. It is a only a single store space so there can be a wait, but it is worth it.

hands down best ramen outside of japan
yes it is salty, but thats how ramen is

their “HALU” ramen is the best thing on the menu
they sometimes have seasonal specials which have always impressed me. i had a cold sweet and sour shio ramen, and a pumkin with parmesan cheese ramen.
oh and get soboro rice