One of the Most Recognizable Ramen Shops in Palo Alto

Photo by Matthew Hamilton on UnsplashUnsplash

The Bay Area is full of amazing food and restaurants. Out of the thousands of different types of restaurants, Asian cuisine is one that stands out amongst the rest around California and especially in the Bay Area. Every food type gets its fair share of representation whether it be Korean barbeque, hot pot, dim sum, or sushi. With this much variety it can be very difficult at times to stand out from the crowd but there is one place in Palo Alto that is known to have some of the best ramen not just around the Bay Area but in the entire state of California. That ramen shop is called Ramen Nagi.

Ramen Nagi is actually one of the most famous ramen chains in Japan and has experienced continued success in the highly competitive Tokyo ramen world which sits at the undisputed top of the ramen culinary universe. Despite Ramen Nagi's continued history of success, it was not until 2018 that Ramen Nagi built up their first outpost in America. Prior to Ramen Nagi's first ramen shop in the United States, there were over thirty five different Ramen Nagi establishments all over Asia from places like Manila and Shanghai as well as Japan. In 2018, the Ramen Nagi chain decided it was finally time to open their first shop in the United States in Palo Alto. A little while later they would decide to open a second location in San Jose.

Ramen Nagi has been built upon the back of head chef Satoshi Ikuta who had since built up Ramen Nagi back in 2004. He was one of the youngest ramen chefs around in Japan but despite his age he was quick to rise up in the ramen scene in Japan and had his ramen crowned Ramen of the Year in Toyko in 2013. Ever since then, Ramen Nagi has continued to capture the hearts of many and is steadily increasing its influence over the ramen scene not just in Japan but worldwide as well.

At Ramen Nagi, there is a very customizable menu in which customers are able to specify exactly how they would like their bowl of ramen to be made. The customizations are usually ordered on a paper slip beforehand in order to optimize the entire experience. The ordering style is similar to other ramen shops like Ichiran Ramen. At Ramen Nagi, each bowl is ordered in roughly four steps. The first step is to choose a type of broth whether that be the original, squid ink, basil, or spicy broths. The next steps are to choose the advanced customizations such as the saltiness or fattiness of the broth, amount of garlic added and the spiciness of the bowl. Then after that the type of noodle is chosen, either thin or thick, and a firmness is selected for the noodle. Lastly, any additional add ons such as extra meat or an egg can be added.

The customization of each bowl provides such a unique experience that is difficult to find at many ramen shops within the United States. Ramen Nagi is a great ramen shop to visit especially for those that really miss being able to visit a very authentic and traditional ramen shop in Japan. In addition to the ramen bowls, Ramen Nagi also offers a few other items on their menu like Japanese gyoza or karaage to name a few.

Ramen Nagi can be found located at 541 Bryant Street in Palo Alto. Their second location in San Jose can be found located at 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd.

Follow me to see more articles like this.

...

Follow