AFURI Houston Heights

We’ve tried the Afuri ramen at the restaurant once and ordered for the same food again on ubereats today because we love the taste. The soup of Yuzu Shio ramen is still great, which is exactly my favorite fresh taste. The Tsukemen sauce is cold, so we had to heat it up on our own and tasted still great. The fried egg is our recommendation, a must try!!! The kids menu is a plus for families with kids.

Plenty of spacious and free parking! Never too long a wait even on a Friday night. The delicious yuzu-tsuyu ramen hits the spot every time, and their salmon tataki is pure perfection! Everything we order is always delectable and presented well. Flavors are all clean, purposeful, and innovative in every dish they serve. Menu is easy to navigate. Love that there are seasonal dishes and happy hour appetizers to try all their offerings at a very reasonable price for the quality you’re receiving! Dessert was delicious. Will definitely be adding this as a staple to the ramen rotation and looking forward to all their new dishes. Beautiful open view of the kitchen. Their broth pot is awesome in its sheer size! Everything is clean, sleek, and modern without being pretentious or overpriced. We keep coming back for more Japanese culinary creations from this reputable chain! So glad our friend recommended that we try them right after she got back from Japan!

First timing trying Afuri and their tonkatsu ramen was delicious, the broth, noodles and topping was on point. we also try their sushi roll and charashi bowl with was not great at all. I would only recommend the ramen and stay away from the sushi.

I had a bit of a weird experience with my latest visit to Afuri- my best friend was in town and I wanted to grab some of the best ramen I can think of and loved their drinks the last time I visited. I placed the order ahead of time on their website, and showed up to pick up, with the staff still looking for cups to fill my drinks.. I was offered 8oz cups (when I paid for 16 oz cups), because they had run out of packaging. While I understand that, I asked if this was supposed to be the same price, to which the hostess said "uhmmmm let me ask." The nice woman making the drinks ended up grabbing me an upgrade and apologizing for the inconvenience and invited me back to check out the happy hour. I love this place and it was a close save on the customer service front. I still really love their product and the ramen and establishment are still very high on my list, I hope theyre able to get the packaging issue straightened out. :)

Was a great place to go!! Wife has celiac so gluten free is absolute. They boil the noodles separately. She got the tonkatsu, only small complaint is she wanted it a little more spicy. The atmosphere was great. Parking is easy to get. The cold brew is great also with the Ube foam.

AFURI brings a true taste of Japan to Houston — the yuzu shio ramen was light, flavorful, and just like what you’d expect to find in Tokyo. The ingredients were fresh, the broth was well-balanced, and the noodles had the perfect texture. As someone who knows Japanese food, I really appreciated the authenticity. That said, I found the menu a bit confusing, especially for first-time visitors who may not be familiar with the style or ingredients. Clearer explanations or photos would make the ordering experience more accessible. Still, the food quality was excellent, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for real Japanese ramen in Houston.

First time trying this place, there’s was always long waiting line when I was visiting Tokyo so I’m very surprised that Huston have one too! The ramen was to die for! They have such special flavors like yuzu or hazelnut broth/hazelnut tan tan for vegans like me. Since most ramen places only offer vegetarian ramen which tastes the same everywhere, I would definitely say this place is special. If you’re craving ramen or comfort food, this is the perfect place for you! But the only thing I wanted to add is that at night they have this blue lighting which is not flattering, makes all the photo looks like they were taken in a night club or something. I would love it if it could be more warm and elegant lighting decor.

I was seriously craving ramen and wanted to try somewhere new. I spent ages googling places, and Afuri caught my eye. Just the pictures of their ramen looked amazing! My friend and I went after work, and wow, we were blown away! The broth was so incredibly rich, and I loved the thin noodles. The service was top-notch – they were always there when we needed anything. I'm definitely going back!

So glad to have a solid ramen spot in the heights! The yuzu tsukemen is so fresh and light, and the noodles have a great bite. I always crave it! They also have an all day happy hour through the end of March! Such a great deal with options ranging from chicken karaage and crispy buta gyoza, which were both delicious and easy to share. Service was so so friendly. The manager gave us a complimentary basque cheesecake due to a glass bottle getting knocked over by accident, and he also kindly gave us a bowl of tonkotsu tantan on the house. Will definitely be coming back again and again.

Beautiful interior with a nice ambiance. Definitely a good place to bring friends and out of towners. I had high hopes as this is a Japanese ramen shop with locations in Japan. Unfortunately I ventured a bit too far outside of my pallet and did not select the right item on this trip. Yuzu ratan ramen- 3/5. Unfortunately there the yuzu base is a bit too sour for my tongue so it tasted too acidic for me. I would've preferred the more traditional tonkotsu so I will try that next time. The chashu pork was actually great as it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Strawberry milk tea- 3/5. Heavy handed in the ice. Not viscous. Fruity flavor mixed with coconut water There are many options like tsukumen and donburi but I did not get a chance to try on this trip. They also had a happy hour menu that I will try next time.

I came here with friends after the rodeo for a late night bite. It was around 930 when we arrived so not busy and we were seated right away. We ordered an assortment of appetizers - fried chicken, dumplings, and fried egg, plus several types of ramen. The fried egg was delicious and the chicken was so good. I enjoyed the ramen, especially the spicy one. And I had a glass of house bubbles. Reasonable prices and good service. @azfitfoodfun

Stopped by with my friend on Saturday for dinner they weren't super busy so we got a table right away. The restaurant is very pretty, it's kind of dim, and overall it has a nice vibe. Our server was really nice, he was one of two servers and even still he was really attentive. We started off with the Shrimp Tempura Roll, it was good we both enjoyed it. I had the Tonkatsu Shio Ramen, it was good but it lacked a bit of flavor and I think my friend felt the same way about her ramen. The restaurant is so nice that I'd definitely come back and try it again.

One of my friends comes here almost weekly and raved about the yuzu ramen so I just had to try it. I quite like the atmosphere here, it's more of a modern Japanese restaurant. While the citrus taste was strong in the yuzu shoyu ramen, I didn't feel as if it was overpowering because the saltiness of the soy sauce base helped balanced it out well. Took albacore donburi to-go for a friend and he absolutely loved it, said the tuna was extremely fresh. Next time I come, I'll need to try the tsukemen.

Afuri is one of the new ramen places in Houston so I had to check it out! We ordered the gyoza and brussel sprouts to start. I think I preferred the brussel sprouts, lots of flavor and healthy to boot. I ordered the tonkotsu ramen which was standard. I couldn't really notice a difference from other restaurants tonkotsu. As others have said, not too many dumpling options. Service was friendly and fast. It's a bit dim with the lighting at night but it is a trendy new spot. Lots of parking available in their parking spot.

I'm in love with this place! The appetizers and the vibe/lighting of this place is so good. The ramen was perfect, good noodles and broth. Kinda wished the egg was seasoned with some soy and the ramen to have come with more bok choy, but overall, I liked this restaurant a lot.

Really had a good time here! The food wasn't too expensive and tasted good. I had the tonstanksu ramen which is not bad - I added spicy but beware it's VERY spicy! The salmon hand roll was okay. The crispy bok choy was AWESOME. The karaage don chicken was very yummy. Even though it's called "ramen and dumpling" I didn't see many dumpling options. We will come back again soon!

My friend highly recommended this place (and this specific dish) to me and I'm glad that I was finally able to try! Service and ambiance were good, thankfully we came during rush hour on a weekday so there was happy hour going on and it wasn't packed yet. My yuzu-tsuyu was super refreshing and satisfying, opposite of the usual rich, heaviness of traditional ramen. I definitely need to come back and try more of their menu.

Had a really delicious lunch here recently - large restaurant with plenty of seating, and better yet - parking! So rare in this area. Staff was very friendly and attentive throughout our visit. I opted for their lunch special which consists of a fountain drink, small plate appetizer, and any ramen. I had the crispy gyoza and tonkotsu ramen and both were a hit; I have been thinking about how delicious it was and want to go back soon! Glad to have another solid ramen option in our area. As another Yelper says - the crispy bok choy is legit. My friend ordered it and I had major envy.

We came across an ad on fb and see adequate rating reviews so we gave it a try to support another restaurant in the Heights of Houston. We were pretty disappointed and probably not returning. First impressions, clean, new, spacious with certain seatings range from bright (closer to the bar) and dark (toward the wall on the left). Service: disappointed! Our waiter initially pour water over the table onto the menu. He didn't realize it the whole entire time and did not give us any extra napkins throughout. Never once he would refill our water drinks. He kept asking if we need anything without really paying attention to what happened at the table. He couldn't explain the menu to new customer to explore different options and tried to explain in a way to get this job over with. The two kudos for service are that our waiter asked for allergies and accommodating with our off menu alcoholic drink. However, when payment at the table, I found it rude to stand in front of customer before giving tips (I feel a certain pressure) and also was told to skip the survey part. I guess they don't need to know how to improve. Food: plain and not tasty! Hotate carpaccio - all I can taste is the after fishy smell/taste of the not so fresh scallop drenched in excessive yuzu sauce.. The silver lining to this dish is the fresh herbs and strawberry. Ramen: broth is plain & nutty, egg noodle thin type similar to Chinese rather than Japanese dish, mushroom and scallion are excessive in the bowl without taste and I guess was added for texture but not even taste good, pork - 1 slide of thick small pork piece without any seasoning, egg - perfect cook but taste like boiled egg without the shoyu seasoning like most ramen places we had. Drinks: the 2 stars I gave are for the amazing drinks (cocktails) they had and the clean new facility. Their cocktails were so good and a tad more on the sweeter side which I like. They do have quite a large variety of drinks/sake and you can also request off menu drinks. Overall, I'm not quite sure I would be back for their food nor their service. We went on a Sunday night and it's not even crowded. We definitely recommend their operation manager for this chain to make some changes before another potential ramen place might not be able to compete with so many ramens options out there in Houston.

Afuri Ramen & Dumpling has a lot going for it--friendly staff, an open kitchen concept, and some standout dishes. My favorite was definitely the karaage. The crispy skin, mild hint of spice, and well-balanced seasoning made it a must-try. It was perfectly fried and full of flavor. The ramen was good but didn't quite hit the mark for me, especially considering the price. I was expecting a bit more depth in the broth, but it was still enjoyable. The drink menu is also somewhat limited, which was surprising given that they have an indoor bar. What really stood out was the open kitchen design. No matter where you sit, you get a clear view of the chefs preparing and cooking meals, which adds a unique touch and gives the place a lot of character. Overall, a solid spot for ramen lovers, on a Wednesday night the place was pretty packed!

Afuri Ramen + Dumpling is a fantastic addition to the Houston Heights dining scene, offering a taste of authentic Japanese ramen. The restaurant is named after Mount Afuri, a sacred mountain in Japan known for its pure spring water, and where the restaurant had their first location at the foot of the mountain. Afuri is known for its Yuzu Shio ramen and its commitment to using GMO-free ingredients and no MSG. Afuri first opened in Tokyo in 2003 and has since expanded to over 28 locations worldwide. The Heights location opened on November 1, 2024 and has quickly gained popularity. The restaurant has a spacious and modern interior with minimalist decor and a welcoming outdoor patio. They also offer a free private parking lot with plenty of spaces. We visited around 2 pm on a Sunday with our 1-year-old and were seated immediately. The restaurant is family-friendly, with plenty of high chairs, and we noticed several other families dining with young children. Here's what we ordered: [NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES] +Yuzu Limeade (yuzu, lime, and soda) for $5 - Refreshing and very citrusy. - 4/5 +Housemade Ginger Ale (ginger, lime, bitters, and soda) for $5 - Had a nice spicy kick from the ginger. - 4/5 [STARTERS] +Yuzu Shio Edamame (edamame, yuzu shio sauce, black pepper, and garlic chips) for $6 - I wasn't a fan of the yuzu shio sauce--it overpowered the edamame. - 2.5/5 [APPETIZERS] +Tuna Tartare (spicy tuna, chives, salmon caviar, yuzu kosho ponzu, microgreens, fried leeks, wasabi, and gyoza chips) for $18 - Unfortunately, this dish was drenched in yuzu kosho ponzu sauce, making it overly salty and masking the tuna's flavor. - 3/5 [RAMEN] +Tonkotsu Tantan (spicy miso tare, tonkotsu broth, pork crumbles, bok choy, shiitake mushroom, leeks, chili oil, and thick noodles) for $16.80 - The broth was rich and had a good amount of spice. I wasn't a fan of the shiitake mushrooms and was disappointed that a seasoned egg wasn't included--I had to pay an additional $3 for it. It would also be great if they offered corn as a topping option. - 4/5 The ramen was the star of the meal, with a flavorful and comforting broth that made it worth the visit. However, the starters and appetizers didn't live up to expectations--the flavors were either too overpowering or not well-balanced. Afuri Ramen + Dumpling excels in its ramen offerings and has a comfortable, family-friendly atmosphere that makes it a great spot for any time of day. With some adjustments to the small plates, this could easily become a five-star dining experience. I look forward to returning to try more of their signature dishes.

The restaurant is well decorated and spacious with an open concept. One of the first things I noticed was that it smelled like a KBBQ restaurant so you can expect to smell when you leave after eating. This was off putting to me and I did not enjoy breathing in the burnt smell the whole time we were there. For our appetizers, we ordered the Tori Karaage and Buta Gyoza. Both were pretty good and the portions were generous. For ramen, we ordered the Tonkotsu Shio and Tonkotsu Tan Tan. They do not let you substitute the noodles for thick vs thin. The broth was decent for both. The tonkotsu shio came with chashu that was super dry. I think the way the grill it made it too dry and was the reason why the restaurant smelled like something was burning. The tonkotsu tan tan came with thick noodles. The noodles were clumped together, which affected the overall eating experience. Service from the waiters was great, but the kitchen was super backed up and took a long time to prepare the food. There's a large parking lot so finding parking shouldn't be an issue.

I've been wanting to try this ramen place since they opened in Houston, since they have locations in LA and Tokyo also. Beautiful casual restaurant with modern and high ceilings. Service was good as well. I might be a bit of a ramen snob since we were just in Japan a few months ago, so the tonkatsu ramen was not my fav. Chicken karaage felt a little short, gyoza was good, edamame was ok. Overall, the food was just ok but just didn't wow me. I might need to go back and try their famous yuzu chicken ramen next time and give another try.

Nut allergy friendly: Some drinks have nuts (pistachio) and they have one ramen with nuts, but the dishes I ordered were okay! Parking: Plenty in the lot in the back We dropped in around 6PM on a Saturday evening and got seating easily, but they got packed by 7PM! Order to Appetizers: 9-13 minutes Order to Ramen: 23-27 minutes Service: Spectacular. Very attentive, and even celebrated one of our birthdays! For five people, we ordered: -Hotate Carpaccio: ?/10 I didn't try this as I have a slight strawberry allergy, but it was well received around the table. -Spicy Tori Karaage: 8/10 Would say they nailed the flavor, excellent presentation, but it does not hit the crispiness necessary. Not as crispy as Korean Fried Chicken but very solid for Karaage. Five pieces made it perfectly sharable with our group. -Everyone got their own ramen and I got the tonkatsu tantanmen (4.5/5) and tried my friend's tonkatsu Shio (3/5). I didn't realize my tonkatsu tantanmen did not come with an egg; highly recommend adding one. Overall, they are very light on the proteins (one piece of pork) which is very disappointing. The thick noodle is far superior to the thin noodle in my opinion. Excellent texture, perfect amount of noodle. The shiitake mushrooms were excellently cooked and paired very well. Drinks: -Endomame (3/5): I didn't like this as much, but my friend really enjoyed it. I'd recommend if you enjoy mint flavors or muted vegetable flavors. -Lychee Afuri Chuhai (4/5): Basically like a lychee cream soda. Mix it up and use the straw because drinking from the top basically was just seltzer water. Desserts: My friends got a basque Cheesecake and said it was delicious! I did not sample because of the nuts. Overall, might be the best ramen in the area, competing with several long standing places in Houston. Awesome to have them around.

My friend and I coincidentally tried Afuri Ramen as they were revamping their menu. They rolled out a new happy hour menu that we gladly took advantage of. Located in the heights, they actually have a ton of parking available and the inside of the restaurant is very spacious. We ordered the crispy ramen egg and a salmon poke taco as starters off the happy hour menu. My friend liked her poke taco and the crispy ramen eggs paired very well with the ramen. I got their new egg mazeman and she got the tonkotsu tantan. It came with ikura, Tobiko, wasabi Tobiko, yuzu, celery, chives, and wasabi soy. Im not going to lie I didn't even read the description before ordering it and thought there was going to be meat. I personally am not even a big fan of yuzu flavored foods so this dish was just ok for me. The ikura and Tobiko added some citrusy and somewhat briny flavor. I had to get used to the texture since it was basically just noodles with popping boba. The egg was really creamy and reminiscent of those eggs in Japan. The crispy ramen egg pairs very well with it as well. I think I would come back and just try one of their regular ramens instead

Overall a nice clean bowl of ramen that was a break from the heavy, oily consistency that you generally find. There were also other food offerings to add to or if someone in your party isn't feeling ramen. We tried a sushi roll and dumplings which were both average. Parking isn't too bad! Located in a shopping center with a quite large space compared to other ramen locations. A great option if you want high quality, clean ramen...

Well lit and modern decor. Multiple seating layouts with near open kitchen design while getting to watch the chefs in the back. Smells like burnt Korean bbq so we definitely smelled after leaving the restaurant. Service was relatively slow, but servers were attentive, and food service was even slower. Can't switch out for thick noodles for the Shio unlike other ramen shops where you can switch between thin and thick noodles. Be careful-- Long wait starts at 7pm. Intro to whisky- suntory, hatozaki, tenjaku (my favorite). Tori Karaage- 5/5 came with 2 pieces of shishito peppers and great breading. Buta gyoza- 4.5/5 amazing crisp and flavor and comes with 6 pieces Tonkotsu shio-3/5 overcooked pork chashu but good bold broth Tonkotsu tan tan- 3/5 egg noodles were too chewy and stuck together as if left out for too long. Broth was good and pretty spicy. I came here for my bday dinner and they have a rewards program but you need to sign up ahead of time in order to get the $15 coupon. So I couldn't make use of it since I signed up the same day. Unfortunately we didn't like it enough to come back other than their karaage.

Ok this is now our favorite ramen place in Houston (and I think we've gone to almost all the places believe me) My husband had just gone to one of the locations in Tokyo two months ago and he says this is about 90% as good as the one over there. I got the yuzu shio ramen and I have to say the broth is so refreshing and tasty. Paired with a citrusy drink would make this perfect and bring out that flavor. The noodles are also good but the toppings are average. We also had gyoza and the crispy bok choy. The gyoza didn't taste like it came out of a box compared to many other ramen places that serve it. I do wish it came with a better sauce to dip it in though.

I really really really wanted to like this place since it came from Japan and it's hard to find a ramen spot with a yuzu flavor profile, but the food left us feeling meh. Ordered the Yuzu Tsuyu (dipping ramen) and Yuzu Shoyu and both definitely had hints of yuzu but nothing noteworthy. Noodles were okay, seasoned egg was not very seasoned, and the broths/ noodles were both warm, not hot for some reason. Needless to say, they became cold very quickly and took away from the experience. Hoping it's a one off, because I heard so many good things!

I visited here about a week ago for lunch. There were a few groups waiting, but we got seated right away at a table for two. The place was pretty busy given the amount of staff there, so it took a little while for someone to greet us. Since it was our first time, we ordered a few items to try: the Buta Gyoza and Spicy Tori Karaage. The gyoza was good--crispy on the outside, but the inside was a bit chewy for my taste. Still, it was tasty! The Spicy Tori Karaage was the highlight. It was perfectly seasoned, crispy, and was a large portion. We also tried the Albacore Tataki, which was fresh and delicious. For rolls, we ordered the Spicy Tempura and the Vegetable Roll. The Spicy Tempura was fantastic and had that nice crunch that I love in a tempura roll. The Vegetable Roll was fresh and light. Both rolls were small though so I wouldn't recommend just having those as a meal. The plates came out as they were ready rather than in a set order. I noticed some mix-ups with dishes going to the wrong tables probably due to the new staff. I also ordered a handroll, which never arrived which was probably sent to the wrong table. They're still working out some kinks with service, but I'm sure it will improve. Overall, I'm looking forward to coming back to try the ramen!

I had a bit of a weird experience with my latest visit to Afuri- my best friend was in town and I wanted to grab some of the best ramen I can think of and loved their drinks the last time I visited. I placed the order ahead of time on their website, and showed up to pick up, with the staff still looking for cups to fill my drinks.. I was offered 8oz cups (when I paid for 16 oz cups), because they had run out of packaging. While I understand that, I asked if this was supposed to be the same price, to which the hostess said "uhmmmm let me ask." The nice woman making the drinks ended up grabbing me an upgrade and apologizing for the inconvenience and invited me back to check out the happy hour. I love this place and it was a close save on the customer service front. I still really love their product and the ramen and establishment are still very high on my list, I hope theyre able to get the packaging issue straightened out. :)

The restaurant itself is decorated nicely. Tons of brightly lit parking lot. Service was okay but slow, but they were slightly busy and had a couple of people waiting to be seated. The food itself was decent besides the ramen. The charsiu that came with the ramen tasted like it was cooked in burnt oil, as that's all it tasted like. The broth was very light and lacked the depth of flavor of any other ramen I had here in the US or in Japan. Also, I ordered a side of bamboo, which tasted like it came out of the can and onto the plate. The gyoza was crispy and was very juicy as for the sauce it just tasted like mayo and sriracha. Overall nothing too special here that I noted from my experience.

Got to visit this Tokyo based ramen shop that just opened up in the Heights! There's ample parking as it is in a strip. We came on a weekday afternoon and the place was pretty empty. It's amazing how big the dining area both inside and outside. They can definitely fit a lot of people in here! We were seated right next to the room where they make the noodles. It's all glass so you can see the process. Pretty cool to see a ramen shop actually make their own noods. For appetizer we got the spicy tori karaage - the karaage itself was good and it sits on spicy mayo which was nice. For ramen I got the Tonkotsu Tantan and my wife go the Yuzu Shio. The Tantan had a good creamy broth, ground pork and big pieces of shiitake. My wife didn't enjoy her ramen as much as I did mine. She did get a chicken broth and may have been too light for her. Service was also pretty fast, but like I mentioned we were the only ones there. I am a little confused though as to where the dumplings were on the menu. Maybe I had to ask. Overall I had a solid meal, and unfortunately my wife thought it was a miss. Still willing to give them another shot in the future. I still prefer a couple places in the area over Afuri in terms of go to ramen spots, but it's a nice addition and everyone should give them a shot. Also cool that they have a big inside dining area and a nice patio with TV's outside.

Waited about 45 minutes for a table on a Saturday and the place was pretty busy. Once they let us know our table was ready we were promptly seated and our orders taken. However, it did take quite a while for our food to come out, but it was rather busy as they have just opened. Our waiter was fun and helpful, but towards the end as he got more tables he followed up with us less and less. We ordered the scallop carpaccio for an appetizer and this was absolutely delicious. The strawberry and scallops paired nicely together. As for the ramen I got the tonkatsu shio which was a little too porky for my taste. The broth was alright in my opinion and the egg that comes with it is not anything great to write home about. The chashu itself was tender and smoky and the noodles were cooked perfectly. Another thing is you cannot customize the noodles (thin vs thick) and after the waiter explained why I understood. I got to try the tantan tonkotsu as well as the yuzu ratan. The tantan tonkotsu was my favorite--rich, creamy, and spicy. The yuzu ratan was interesting because it almost tasted like a fusion of tom yum and szechuan flavors. The restaurant itself is super open with lots of seating, and the kitchen is open to view as well. You can watch them cook all parts of your ramen, and you can watch the noodles themselves be made.

Newly opened place with a great ambiance and lighting indoors. I liked the open concept of the kitchen that allows you to watch the cooks/staff prepare some of the dishes! The food was overall delicious! I was disappointed with the crispy gyoza appetizer as it was quite flavorless and oily. The sauce made it marginally better but not enough to make up for the taste. The star of the night was the Yuzu Ratan ramen! Definitely made up for the gyoza - the ramen was jam packed with lots of flavor and the broth had so much depth and even a slight kick.

Felt checking a new spot for Ramen on a chilly evening in Houston. We passed this shopping center enough times. First impression was wow there is a ton of seating for a ramen spot in Houston. We were quickly sat since it wasn't too busy. The waiter took a bit to come over to take our orders. We started off with the edamame. The flavor was good. It almost had a hint of citrus. We liked that overall. I personally decided to try the albacore don which I thought would be more of a poke bowl. It had the tuna, raw onion and rice. The sauce was good and by the end had a kick. Overall though most of it was missing flavor. The parts without the sauce was meh. The ramen that my husband had had a great broth. Missed the name of it. Sorry! The noodles and broth definitely good. The dry noodles with dipping sauce had a different flavor. More like dipping in soy sauce. Overall I feel of the entrees I'd only want to do the ramen again. As far as the service, I was disappointed that we didn't really have anyone one come back until it was time to check out. There was beyond enough employees working. However they were all too involved in their own conversations instead of checking on customers. I would have liked the chance to order more sauce or a drink. While it was a nice location, I don't believe I would go back on my own since there are better options around that do the same thing for a better cost.

Ambiance: 4/5 The interior was modern with lots of countertop seating. Open kitchen and had a glass room where you could watch them make the noodles which was cool! Service: 4/5 Our waitress was really nice and checked on us a good amount. Food came out pretty quickly too (5~10 mins). Food: Surprisingly, I actually liked the appetizers more than the ramen. - The Tuna Tartare topped with ikura came with wonton chips and was my favorite. (5/5) - The Crispy Bok Choy wasn't crispy but the flavors were good, I also love bok choy in general. Looked a little big at first but my friend and I finished it. (4/5) - Yuzu Shio Ramen was light and refreshing, perfect for if you're looking for ramen that isn't so heavy. The egg was cold though which threw us off. (4/5) - Tonkotsu Shio Ramen was a little on the heavier/oily side compared to other tonkotsu ramen ive tried but still good. (3.5/5)

Afuri is a Japanese restaurant specializing in ramen located in the Heights and has become one of my favorite ramen places in Houston. I have noticed that tonkotsu ramen is more common and popular among many ramen restaurants in Houston. However, I personally prefer something shio ramen, which has a chicken broth base. Afuri has both! I have tried their Yuzu Shio (without the yuzu), Tonkotsu Shio, and the Tonkotsu Tan Tan. You can also customize your own ramen bowl with the shio broth, which I thought was neat. All three broths were great. The shio was light and refreshing and was one of my favorites. The tonkostsu shio was rich and light and not as heavy as other tonkotsus I have had. The tonkotsu tan tan was another favorite. Spice tolerance is subjective, but I would say it is not that spicy. However, there was a nice depth to the broth, and I really liked the thick noodles that come with it. They were bouncy, and you can tell it was made in their restaurant. We had a tuna tartare, which was fresh, but I do wish it has more than four gyoza chips. I also had an albacore tuna handroll on one of my visits during happy hour. It was fresh and reasonably priced. The inside is very very spacious. There's some free parking in the back, but it is shared with other establishments in the plaza. The staff and service were nice and friendly, and everything came out in a very timely manner. Overall, a Afuri has become one of my favorite ramen restaurants in Houston. I especially really like their shio Ramen and tan ran tonkotsu.

Lovely ambiance for a cozy night. The energy was just right here - not too loud but bustling enough. We arrived for an early dinner and got seated right away, though the restaurant was clearly getting busy nearing peak hours. The open concept space is pretty cool because can see the cooks preparing food as well as the dumpling machine The ramen itself had an interesting mix of flavors. Maybe it's just what we ordered but we were a bit underwhelmed. The Yuzu Ratan comes with thin noodles and had a strong tangy taste. The Yuzu Tsuyu was a bit more tame and I actually liked this one better because of the thicker noodles. The Crispy Ramen Egg appetizer was my favorite item - gooey egg with a delicious curry dip! I'm open to try this spot again, maybe next time with more appetizers and dumplings.

Upon walking in, the first thing you notice is how big, clean, and organized the restaurant is. I love that you can see all of the chefs cooking. And when I saw the restaurant is spotless, I mean it is actually spotless. Our server was wonderful, and honest, which is extremely appreciated. So both my partner and I got the Yuzu shio with chicken but made it spicy. I hate to say it, but we did not enjoy is. It was extremely vinegar-y and citrusy. The chicken was very overcooked and lacked flavor. We were pretty disappointed because the main reason we came here is because our favorite ramen place got shut down and this place received lots of hype via social media. However, if a strong citrus flavor, or in general, just a flavor unlike typical ramen is what you're looking for, this may be the place for you!

TL;DR: This place is such a logistical mess and does not have it together. Food is just OK and absolutely not worth the wait. As some reviews have already mentioned, this place still doesn't really have any of their logistics nailed down. I figured since some of those negative reviews were a month ago closer to when they opened, they would've ironed it out by now. But that wasn't the case. Came in around 6:25pm on a Monday. After waiting about ten minutes for a few tables to clear we were seated. We already knew what we wanted to order while waiting, but still had to wait another ten minutes after being seated before we could even flag down a waiter to take our order. So from about 6:45pm, this was the following timeline of when we received each item we ordered: - Fried bok choy @ 6:58pm - Pistachio sour @ 6:59pm - Spicy tempura roll @ 7:03pm - Hotate carpaccio @ 7:08pm - Tonkotsu tan tan @ 7:30pm - Tonkatsu shio @ 7:34pm - Yuzu tsuyu and Kara Tsuyu @ 7:38pm - Spicy Tori Karaage @ 7:47pm - Cheesecake @ 7:59pm I have never in my life in the many ramen shops I've been to seen the staff struggle to get stuff out of the kitchen. It also didn't help that the front of house staff were rotating different duties like cleaning/bussing tables, being a hostess, taking orders etc. It felt impossible to get a hold of our waiter for anything. We also had to double check on the karaage about halfway through our waiting since we assumed it'd be an appetizer but turns out they didn't even put the order in so it ended up showing up after we got our mains. Even after we were ready to leave, it took nearly 20 minutes to finally pay our bill. As for the food, it was extremely mediocre. Nothing felt particularly remarkable. The portions were pretty small and I found the ramen which I assumed would be the star of the show to be just OK. Definitely not something I'd wait almost an hour for. Price-wise this place also doesn't really provide any great value. Total with tip rounded out to be about $180 for 4 people. My advice to the management is their back of house just simply needs to optimize how to get orders out faster and their front of house has to do a better job at delegating people to different sections instead of running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to do everything. This place is not worth the hype it has been getting from social media influencers.

A sold B for their ramen. The broth was great but the egg they used isn't seasoned. For apps, we ordered the fried eggs and Gyoza. The gyoza didn't show up until after we finished our entrees. The waitress also got my wife's ramen order wrong. My guess is this restaurant is still working out the kinks - we will eventually be back in a few months and give it a second shot.

Was excited to try this place because it's close to home but was sorely disappointed. There's plenty of free parking. The ambiance was great and the service was friendly but the food was sub par. The ramen we ordered was barely luke warm. We saw other tables with steaming bowls of ramen so not sure what happened with ours. The rolls were very bland. The other apps were ok but nothing to write home about. Not sure if I will be back.

Walking in and was immediately greeted. Came around noon on a Friday and wasn't too packed yet but after 30 minutes the place was full. Place is cool with an open view of the kitchen and noodle shop. They make their noodles in-house. Service is quick! We placed our order and food arrived within 5 minutes. For apps, we started with crispy bok choy (4/5 - reminds me of Brussels sprouts), salmon hand roll (3/5 - nothing special), tori karaage (4/5 - get the spicy one instead). For ramen, we got tonkotsu shio (4/5 - broth was excellent, noodles were well Al dente, eggs slightly overcooked, pork belly was delish, I think broth could've been bit creamier) and the yuzu-tsuyu with cold noodles. (3/5 - i think the broth needed to be a saltier and thicker for the sauce to hold onto the noodles. I also wasn't sure if the broth was suppose to come out cold too but if so order the hot noodle version instead. Also, I would ask for some lime slices to put on the noodles. Noodles just needed a bit acidity to it.) Overall, I would come back again. Vibes were cool and definitely would come back for drinks. They had some whiskey and sake flights I would like to try.

Came here for my birthday dinner and this place did not disappoint! I will say I'm not a big ramen fan, but the cold spicy dipping ramen here was good, and I also really liked that they had sushi options as well (the scallop strawberry carpaccio and chopped scallop handroll was so delicious and fresh!). The service here was also top tier, everyone was super friendly and you also get a reward for your birthday (if I remember correctly, it was $15 off!). The interior is also super nice, and I loved all the small lighting fixtures that they have as well as the open kitchen concept.

I loved this place! Everything I had here was delicious. I love the atmosphere and service was excellent. I also like how the parking lot seems to have plenty of spots given its location. The ramen was so flavorful and I enjoyed the spice in it. It wasn't too spicy at all, but gave the ramen even more flavor! I can't wait to go back again.

Ample parking and lots of seats. There is a 20% service charge added automatically if you have a large group. The portions aren't huge but the service was good. Sit inside for date night and snag a seat on the patio if you're there with your littles (there's cornhole!). I really like the crispy bok choy, and I heard the dipping noodles were delicious!

The place is very clean and the bathrooms smelled nice. The waitress was nice and answered all the questions for the first timers. The food came out pretty quickly. I got the yuzu shio. It was very light and refreshing. I tried the Japanese fried chicken and it was pretty tasty. I asked to sub the egg for bok choy but saw there was a charge for the bok choy. I didn't get my itemized receipt until after I paid. I would've liked to have been notified that there'd be a charge.

Stopped by Afuri for take out for the wife and I. She's nursing, so spices can be an issue for her and the baby. They were very accommodating to separate the spices so my wife could add as she needed. The two ramens were ordered were delicious and the gyoza was an absolute home run. Can't wait to try the food in the actual restaurant, since take out is never the same..

Had a good dinner here. Place is nicely decorated. Staff were very friendly and helpful with suggestions. We enjoyed our food but nothing blew us away. I do like the uniqueness of their cocktail menu, but wasn't a huge fan of my drink: Endomame. We both got the tonkotsu shio ramen which was much better after asking for some chili oil+paste for the broth. My favorite dish was probably the pan fried nuts gyoza. Overall, good (not amazing) meal, but I'll be back to try more menu items.

It's been YEARS since I've found a ramen place that I've liked which has resulted in me never wanting to eat ramen at a restaurant. I came here for a friend's birthday dinner with a very critical palette. They absolutely exceeded expectations. For my appetizer, I tried the spicy karaage and it was so juicy and flavorful. Such a generous portion too for an appetizer! The yuzu-tsuyu blew me away. The noodles were the perfect thickness and texture and the braised pork belly was quite tender. The dipping sauce was light, citrusy, and refreshing. I ordered another round of noodles because of how good the dipping sauce was. This restaurant has restored my faith in the Houston ramen scene and I will be thinking about that sauce often.

I'm not normally a fan of going out for ramen, but it was really good here. We got the tuna tartare and that was tasty, i loved the ikura topping. The gyozas were okay, I personally didn't really like it. Ube milk tea was also okay, nothing special about it. I would definitely come back for the ramen. They had a nice interior, and good parking too.

This is yuzu heaven. I really wanted to try yuzu ramen in Japan but didn't get the chance to, so I was really happy to see Afuri open up in Houston. We went on a Friday evening, arrived around 7:00PM. Wait was approximately 20 minutes. The restaurant is small and cozy, with bar tables and booths. It's very dimly lit and it remained crowded from the moment we entered to the moment we left. Yuzu is their speciality, it seems. Everything we tried had some yuzu in it. I thought it would be excessive and that my tongue would go numb from all the yuzu, but everything worked well together. We got the tori karaage, which had a lovely yuzu egg salad sauce. We also had the crispy ramen eggs, which were just panko-battered soft boiled eggs. They were a fun texture and came with a mild tonkatsu sauce. We shared a yuzu limeade, which was a strong yuzu flavored soda, reminiscent of yuzu soda from Japan. Then for the main course, we had a yuzu shio and a yuzu shoyu ramen. The yuzu shio was a light, refreshing broth. The yuzu shoyu was also light, but with a much deeper flavor of the shoyu with the yuzu being more of an aftertaste. The noodles were cooked perfectly, just the right amount of crispiness. It came with half a ramen egg and one piece of chashu, with each ramen being $14.50. Unlike the typical tonkotsu ramen, this was a very light broth, not heavy at all, and the portion was just right, to feel full but not bloated. Then we wrapped up with the yuzu basque cheesecake. Absolutely delicious with the yuzu sauce breaking up the heaviness of the cheesecake and the candied hazelnuts adding an extra hint of sweetness and texture. It was not too sweet and it was quickly devoured. Overall, absolutely delicious. We will definitely need to come back to try their other options. Service was good and they allow you to pay simply via online. I'm not sure how much they are relying on the honor system, but we did not get our dessert till after we paid so maybe they have it worked out. This is definitely a lot pricier than most ramen places, with our bill totaling $75 for 2 and leaving satisfied but not overly stuffed, with no leftovers. However, the food was worth it and I can't wait to come back.

Houston's newest ramen shop is from Japan. It's really good with different styles of ramen on the menu for you to come back and try them all. There's plenty of parking space for this shopping plaza. I tried the Yuzu-Tsuyu and request to make it spicy. The sweet citrus flavor of the dipping sauce works really well! The Crispy bok choy and Crispy ramen eggs were really great starters. The Afuri roll was just average. The Ube milk tea was really refreshing and tasty, The Housemade Ginger ale was just okay. I would still come back to try the other food on the menu. The service was really good I hope on the busy grand opening will be just as good of the service I had. The only dessert on the menu, Basque Cheesecake was a good way to end my meal for the night, it's definitely a must get.

Ambiance was modern and clean. Our service was actually pretty decent contrary to other reviews. Walked in at 5:20ish pm on a Friday and was quickly seated. We ordered everything in 1 go and everything came out in a timely manner. The dumplings were crisp and probably would be my favorite out of everything we had here. They tasted very clean and had a good crisp to them. The sake flight was ok, nothing out of the ordinary but i didn't think it was bad for its value. The ramen broth had good flavorful and I enjoyed it, but the portions were pretty small compared to other ramen places around the same price point. Overall decent ramen place.

I was excited to try Afuri because we're finally getting into ramen weather in Houston. We went there for lunch on a weekday and it was pretty empty so we got seated right away. The interior is really cute (but cold! Bring a sweater!) and there are a ton of seating options (tables and booths, and larger tables for a big group). The drink menu has a lot of options including NA drinks. I really wanted to try the ube milk tea, but it was only offered iced, and it was already so cold in the restaurant that I opted against getting a cold drink. I wish there were a hot version of the ube milk tea! We started with the Crispy Bok Choi, the Tuna Tartare, and the Aburi Salmon roll. The bok choi was great and I would recommend trying this dish. I had never had bok choi prepared this way. The leaves were light and crispy and had a nice soy dressing and crispy garlic bits on top. It was delicious. I was not a fan of the tuna tartare. I'm used to the tuna in tuna tartare being cut in slightly bigger pieces, but this was almost like minced tuna, like what you would find in a minced/chopped spicy tuna roll. I expect tuna tartare to be more in "chunks" if that makes sense, and not minced. The ponzu dressing was also way too overpowering. I like ponzu, but this was soaked, and it was just too much. The gyoza chips were fine, but I wouldn't order this dish again. The Aburi salmon roll was just okay. The fish was fresh, but the roll as a whole was kind of bland, and the salmon wasn't even really seared well. I usually don't dip my sushi in soy sauce because I like being able to taste the fish and the roll itself, but this one was pretty lacking in flavor. For the entree, I ordered the Tonkotsu Shio ramen which was a pork tonkotsu broth with straight thin noodles, black garlic oil, pickled ginger, kikurage mushrooms, scallion, sesame, and 1 piece of chashu. I had wanted to try it with the thick wavy noodles instead of the thin straight noodles, and most Ramen places will allow you to switch out the type of noodle for no extra charge. But here, I was told by the waitress that they weren't able to switch the type of noodle because of "the way the noodles are layered with the broth." I'm not really sure what that means, but she suggested that I get the wavy noodles on the side, for an extra charge. I opted not to do this, because I didn't think I would be able to eat that much anyway. The ramen was a little disappointing. The broth was not very flavorful, the chashu had a weird taste to it that I can't really figure out what it was, and portion size was smaller than other ramen restaurants. The egg also wasn't marinated. Usually ramen is served with a soy marinated egg, but this was just a half of a regular soft boiled egg. Overall, I was really excited to try Afuri and left a bit disappointed. I love ramen, but there are so many other ramen restaurants in Houston that I enjoyed more than Afuri. Maybe it's just growing pains since they're still relatively new, so I'm willing to give it another shot in a few months (hopefully before it gets too hot out again!) but in the meantime, I'll be falling back on my tried and true ramen spots.

Food was decent overall. 4/5. Service ok. A soy type sauce should also be offered with the gyoza other then mayo. Tonkotsu ramen lacked something but couldn't identify it. Bok choy was good but not very crispy and needed a bit of soy. I will try it again in a few months. Also, if you're only going to only have 2 individual restrooms for a restaurant they should be unisex (it's 2025 and all genders can be equally disgusting). I shouldn't have to wait 5 minutes to use a restroom. Take employee's phones before they go so customers don't have to wait so long. Not just a knock here but all restaurants. They stay in there for 10 minutes on their phones..... I will add that to any review I post here forward.