Build Your Own Ramen Bowl in Castro Valley

Vee Eats

There have been more Asian restaurants opening in Castro Valley and I was excited to find a ramen shop that you can customize. Located on Redwood Road and Castro Valley Boulevard, this is a location with tons of other restaurants but Ramen 101 stood out to me. They currently have indoor and outdoor dining but you can also order takeout or delivery from all the third-party delivery apps. The concept behind this restaurant is similar to a fast-food ramen restaurant where you can build your ramen bowl from scratch. From choosing the ramen soup base, spice level, protein, and toppings, everything is customizable and up to the person ordering. They also order a variety of Japanese street snacks like takoyaki which are octopus balls, spam musubi, chicken kaarage, and more.

For my experience, I originally came here when they first opened back at the end of 2019 and didn't have too many expectations. I went for the black garlic medium spicy chashu tonkotsu ramen. The ramen wasn't bad but there wasn't any depth in the flavor. As for the noodles, I felt like they didn’t use fresh noodles since it was overcooked and too soft. The black garlic option doesn't include a soft-boiled egg but I somehow received one. The egg was supposed to be soft-boiled but it was leaning more towards hard-boiled so it was disappointing. However, I was able to try them again during the pandemic and can tell everything has been improved and the quality is much higher. The broth is more rich and flavorful and loved how this was a completely new experience from my first time. I am glad that I tried it again and cannot wait to come back. There are rarely any places in the Bay Area that I have been to where it allows you to build your ramen bowl from scratch.

Ramen 101 has about 8-9 tables available and a counter if you want to sit by the kitchen although there is now more limited seating due to the pandemic. The staff was welcoming and friendly and the food came out rather quickly. The pricing for a bowl of ramen wasn’t too bad as well. I would say it was about $12 for a bowl and appetizers ranges from $5 - $8 depending on the item you choose. Overall, I would recommend you trying this place if you want to build your own bowl of ramen.

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