Tsuruya

This place has amazing food, we ordered the spicy ramens and creamy pork croquettes. Very worth it, prices are super fair for being in Berkeley. Only downside parking can be difficult and it does get busy quick. They do a good job of not leaving you without a server for too long. Highly recommend this spot for a cozy ramen moment.

Found this place serendipitously and was delightfully surprised by the delicious food! One of the best ramen places that I have tried personally! Recommendations 1. Limited Vegetarian Ramen - the restaurant has only one vegetarian option however, it is one of the best vegetarian ramens I have had! Flavorful and light broth, with perfect textured noodles, and lots of vegetables with tofu. Absolutely must try for vegetarians! 2. Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen - Exquisite broth, thin straight noodles with wood ear mushrooms and egg. My friend who had this reported that it is the best ramen they have ever had! 3. Fried Calamari - Very crispy, perfect amount of batter, wonderful taste! 4. Panna Cotta - Creamy, coffee flavored dessert. Nice way to end a meal! The atmosphere is lovely with efficient and fast service. We did not have to wait long to get a table and there is parking nearby. Highly recommend trying this place!

Ordered the deluxe chicken and pork ramen - both were really good! Prefer their thicker Sapporo noodles over the thin ones. The matcha panna cotta was super tasty too. Place is clean and the staff are friendly and quick!

really tasty and authentic ramen! the owner is also very kind :) always a great time here and the food is delicious and comforting! the veg ramen is also always flavorful! its also so affordable for students, which is amazing.

Better than many ramen places in Japan. Been here many times now and they offer friendly service and consistent quality at a reasonable price. Indoor seating has a mix of bar seating, high chairs, and tables for larger parties. Broths: Both the tonkotsu ramen and the tori paitan ramen are solid. The broths have much more flavor than those from other restaurants and it really feels like the restaurant put in the time and effort to make a truly good soup. Another thing that I like is that the broth isn’t too salty so you can actually drink it. Egg: Egg is important. For some reason, lots of restaurants have inconsistent ramen eggs that are overcooked or cured for too long. But the ramen eggs here are consistently done properly - jellied/cured yolk and not overcooked. Noodles: You can choose to have thick noodles or thin noodles. Both are good and done to a slightly firmer consistency which is nice. Chashu: Both the chicken chashu and the pork belly chashu are good. The meat is tender and not tough. The chicken chashu is rolled around some yuzu which is a really nice touch. Toppings: Toppings go well with the broths. Chicken karaage: Batter is light and the chicken is juicy. The chicken-shaped plate is also very cute!

Delicious ramen, and a very friendly staff. 100% recommended. * Tojuko | ($2 more) gives you chashu, egg, spinach, and Nori. *Kaedama ($4) | an extra serving of noodles in case you ate them all, but have broth left, and want more noodles.

Great new place to get your authentic fix of ramen. Tonkotsu is flavorful, thick, and porky. Tori Paitan is a chicken broth ramen and they are amazingly chickeny showing tons of flavor you can get with Chicken! Noodles are chewy and very clingy to the soup which I like. The atmosphere is cozy and everyone working here are very friendly. Amazing experience and would recommend anyone around to give it a try! There was a bit of wait after ordering, but looking at what I am served with, I can see the details they are coming up to craft this bowl of ramen are well worth it! Coming here during soft opening, they don’t currently have a menu to look. Today they were serving 3 kinds: Tonkotsu, Tori Paitan, Miso Tonkotsu all of which can be made spicy.

Angela & Elliot Zhang

Ramen quality deserved 5 stars. Atmosphere and Service - so so and there’s room for improvement. First, please do not make people wait outside a cold alley. Invert a tablet for people to put in their phone numbers for waitlist. So you can text when your table is ready for the party. Or pay a little bit for Yelp or Google to form your waitlist. Second, please use a QR code for customers to order food at the table. It’s fastest and it would not make any mistakes by the servers. Third, hire more servers as they’re already busy enough. If you claim you’re authentic Japanese Ramen, then do it more efficiently. You can turn your tables quicker that way. One last thing, ask to take out the red onion in your ramen. It doesn’t belong in tradition noodle soup.

Ali

Can't stop thinking about that vegetarian ramen I had. Added a medium amount of spicy paste to make it more flavorful but I think I might need to add a bit more next visit! The broth was the best part. Made me feel so warm inside. The yuzu sorbet was GREAT! loved.

Madhuri Jain

We ordered vegetarian ramen and it was amazing! The service was excellent. The people are really kind! I forgot my purse in the restaurant and the server came running after us till a block to return us our purse! Really appreciate their food and service. Will definitely come here again.

James Wang

They have 4 bases and one can choose between either pork (Tonkotsu) or chicken (Tori Paitan). They also have the option for vegetarian ramen, but this is limited each day. What's unique is that you can have either the regular Hakata, thin noodles, or the Sapporo, medium thick wavy noodles. You can't make reservations, but they have some seating in the clean alleyway where you can wait. Only downside was that it took over 25 minutes for our ramen to be served, but at least the owner came to our table and apologized for the delay.

Victoria

Had the most amazing ramen here! Best in Berkeley, hands down! So tasty. Really good value for money, Atmosphere was a vibe. Staff were just lovely. Such a good night! 💜

Eric Barriere

Hidden in an alleyway is where you’ll find Tsuruya, this place offers high quality ramen, appetizers, and Sake. Service is amazing everyone working was nice and friendly, the atmosphere is cozy and intimate as seating is limited and close to one another. I highly recommend you try this spot if you are craving to try something new.

Sabrina G

Best ramen I’ve ever had. Broth was flavorful, the noodles were delicious, and the spice level was fantastic (I have an insanely high spice tolerance, so be aware before ordering). It was extremely lively, so if you’re looking for somewhere quiet—bring headphones. Quick customer service, they’re extremely attentive, and the owner was extremely kind. Will return.

Sarah Hernandez

A bit of a wait to get a table, but it was well worth it! Vegetarian ramen was excellent. I’m less of a fan of the matcha panna cotta, but it was still yummy.

nimita mishra

really tasty and authentic ramen! the owner is also very kind :) always a great time here and the food is delicious and comforting! the veg ramen is also always flavorful! its also so affordable for students, which is amazing.

Rosie Chen

Ordered the deluxe chicken and pork ramen - both were really good! Prefer their thicker Sapporo noodles over the thin ones. The matcha panna cotta was super tasty too. Place is clean and the staff are friendly and quick!

nes atayde

Delicious ramen, and a very friendly staff. 100% recommended. * Tojuko | ($2 more) gives you chashu, egg, spinach, and Nori. *Kaedama ($4) | an extra serving of noodles in case you ate them all, but have broth left, and want more noodles.

Sylvain Francois

Fantastic! The menu is very limited, which is often a good signal for the kitchen, and the 4 different ramen we tried were excellent, especially the black garlic one. Drinks were great and desserts exceptional, very subtle. Small inside, very cosy, nice and attentive service.

Richard Zamora

This place has amazing food, we ordered the spicy ramens and creamy pork croquettes. Very worth it, prices are super fair for being in Berkeley. Only downside parking can be difficult and it does get busy quick. They do a good job of not leaving you without a server for too long. Highly recommend this spot for a cozy ramen moment.

Owee Angare

Found this place serendipitously and was delightfully surprised by the delicious food! One of the best ramen places that I have tried personally! Recommendations 1. Limited Vegetarian Ramen - the restaurant has only one vegetarian option however, it is one of the best vegetarian ramens I have had! Flavorful and light broth, with perfect textured noodles, and lots of vegetables with tofu. Absolutely must try for vegetarians! 2. Spicy Tonkatsu Ramen - Exquisite broth, thin straight noodles with wood ear mushrooms and egg. My friend who had this reported that it is the best ramen they have ever had! 3. Fried Calamari - Very crispy, perfect amount of batter, wonderful taste! 4. Panna Cotta - Creamy, coffee flavored dessert. Nice way to end a meal! The atmosphere is lovely with efficient and fast service. We did not have to wait long to get a table and there is parking nearby. Highly recommend trying this place!

Daniel Zheng

Better than many ramen places in Japan. Been here many times now and they offer friendly service and consistent quality at a reasonable price. Indoor seating has a mix of bar seating, high chairs, and tables for larger parties. Broths: Both the tonkotsu ramen and the tori paitan ramen are solid. The broths have much more flavor than those from other restaurants and it really feels like the restaurant put in the time and effort to make a truly good soup. Another thing that I like is that the broth isn’t too salty so you can actually drink it. Egg: Egg is important. For some reason, lots of restaurants have inconsistent ramen eggs that are overcooked or cured for too long. But the ramen eggs here are consistently done properly - jellied/cured yolk and not overcooked. Noodles: You can choose to have thick noodles or thin noodles. Both are good and done to a slightly firmer consistency which is nice. Chashu: Both the chicken chashu and the pork belly chashu are good. The meat is tender and not tough. The chicken chashu is rolled around some yuzu which is a really nice touch. Toppings: Toppings go well with the broths. Chicken karaage: Batter is light and the chicken is juicy. The chicken-shaped plate is also very cute!

Ming Zeng

Firm noodle, rich soup. Jigoku Tonkosu is very spicy, even though I can eat authentic sichuan food. But the taste is good.

Jashanjot Singh

Finally I found a good ramen spot in East bay. It’s a hidden gem, family owned. Welcoming staff, easy to get seated right away. We got spicy paitan and garlic paitan ramen. Broth is flavorful, meat is tender. Highly recommended!

Five stars for the incredible staff and delicious food! We tried the vegetarian ramen (the only veggie option, but it’s a winner!) and loved the beautiful atmosphere. The highlight of our night was the legendary service. After leaving my purse behind, a server ran all the way outside to catch us and return it. It is rare to find such kind and honest people. If you want great food and even better service, eat here!

Just had a fantastic “spicy tonkotsu” here. Such rich flavors, deeply savory. Perhaps the best ramen in the East Bay at this time. Definitely coming back soon. They also offer a few interesting beers from Japan that I had not seen before. I tried “Baeren” from Iwate and really liked it.

poorvi garg

Five stars for the incredible staff and delicious food! We tried the vegetarian ramen (the only veggie option, but it’s a winner!) and loved the beautiful atmosphere. The highlight of our night was the legendary service. After leaving my purse behind, a server ran all the way outside to catch us and return it. It is rare to find such kind and honest people. If you want great food and even better service, eat here!

Simple, clean, well done fare. Got the kara'age, which was very solidly done. I had the deluxe version of the spicy tonkotsu. A very pleasant kick, definitely friendly spice levels for those who tend to distance themselves from that kind of thrill-seking spice level. Some of the best chashu I've had in North America: massive and melt-in-your-mouth. The inclusion of fine diced raw red onion was admittedly odd, but might be there to compensate for the fact that American scallions tend to be incredibly mild.

Tucker

Simple, clean, well done fare. Got the kara'age, which was very solidly done. I had the deluxe version of the spicy tonkotsu. A very pleasant kick, definitely friendly spice levels for those who tend to distance themselves from that kind of thrill-seking spice level. Some of the best chashu I've had in North America: massive and melt-in-your-mouth. The inclusion of fine diced raw red onion was admittedly odd, but might be there to compensate for the fact that American scallions tend to be incredibly mild.

Rachel Liu

I would not recommend this place. I've gone here multiple times in the past, and it's been a few months since my last visit. I came back last night since I remember the ramen here being decent but I think it's gotten worse in quality and taste. Another reviewer mentioned the same thing where it doesn't taste as good as it used to and fewer people are coming back. I ordered the spicy tonkatsu ramen and I felt the soup was not hot but just lukewarm. The pork was not tender and only one piece making the portion size somewhat small for the $18 price. It was mostly noodles or onions in the ramen, so not much value for what you're paying. Most importantly, I ate the egg after almost finishing my bowl and it was extremely SOUR that I had a look of disgust on my face. 🤢 I've eaten at many ramen places and have had this happen only one other time at a ghetto obscure ramen location but I expected better quality from here. The egg was definitely spoiled because I puked the next morning and had some stomach issues which never happens to me after eating ramen. This place may not be hygenic with how they served me an inedible egg, and the quality is down so I will also not return here. I would recommend going to Marafuku for ramen. I've ordered takeout from them and dined in many times without any food mishaps. They also serve you a whole egg (not half like Tsuruyu) with a good amount of pork, and I've never had a sour experience with them... Marafuku has never let me down! Also Sobo Ramen which is nearby is another gem that gives you bigger ramen portions, whole egg, and has great service.