Noodle in a Haystack

The 13 Best Restaurants In America - The Infatuation

"This pop-up-turned-restaurant in San Francisco has just 12 seats, and it’s run by a ridiculously charming husband and wife duo that’ll gladly swap Tokyo recs as you dig into chawanmushi from across the counter. Throughout the night, eight Japanese-inspired courses ($210) land in front of you like they were dropped into this mortal dimension from the pearly gates. The two standout bowls of ramen rotate, but they’re always made with custom, impeccably boiled noodles and jazzed up with twists you won’t see on any other tonkotsu bowls around town. It’s damn near impossible to get a reservation here, but once you do, know that you’ll never look at another noodle soup the same way again." - arden shore, team infatuation

Where To Have A Unique Dining Experience In SF - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"You’d be hard-pressed to find a ramen-centered tasting menu anywhere else in the country, much less the city—so novelty alone is one (but not the only) reason to get to Noodle In A Haystack. Another is that Clint and Yoko, the husband-and-wife duo who run this place, are ridiculously charming, so a meal in the 12-seat space ($210 per person) feels more like an intimate dinner party. Also, the creative spins on ramen are flat-out extraordinary. We could go on, but we’ll just say this: you’ll never forget the just-right chew of those custom noodles, or anecdotes about the couple’s house tare recipe you hear during the night. Reservations are notoriously difficult to snag, but keep at it for a meal you’ll be thinking about for a long, long time. Reservations are released on Tock every second Sunday at 9pm for the following month. And while slurping up ramen next to someone you like is fun and all, know that it’s much easier to snag one-person reservations, so maybe a solo noodle date is in order." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong

The 25 Best Restaurants In SF - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"There’s no place like Noodle In A Haystack in the city. This pop-up-turned-restaurant in the Richmond has just 12 seats. It’s run by a ridiculously charming husband and wife duo that’ll gladly swap Tokyo recs as you dig into chawanmushi from across the counter. Throughout the night, eight Japanese-inspired courses ($210) land in front of you like they were dropped into this mortal dimension from the pearly gates. The two standout bowls of ramen rotate, but they’re always made with custom, impeccably boiled noodles and jazzed up with twists you won’t see on any other tonkotsu bowls around town. It’s damn near impossible to get a reservation here, but once you do, know that you’ll never look at another noodle soup the same way again. Reservations are released on Tock every second Sunday at 9pm for the following month. And while slurping up ramen next to someone you like is fun and all, know that it’s much easier to snag one-person reservations, so maybe a solo noodle date is in order." - julia chen 1, lani conway, patrick wong, ricky rodriguez

"This humble counter, located in a nondescript corner building in the Inner Richmond, is one of the city’s hardest-to-snag reservations, with a singular ramen-centered tasting menu that is hotly in-demand. Married couple Yoko and Clint Tan returned from living in Japan with a passion for ramen, which they translated into a homespun business after learning the craft. The results are a testament to their dedication, offering some of the most memorable ramen in the Bay Area. The particular bowl on offer at any given time is subject to the season and the creative impulses of the kitchen, unbound by strict tradition, as in a Szechuan-inflected version straddling the line between tantanmen and mazemen, enriched with peanuts and enlivened with spice." - Michelin Inspector

The Toughest Reservations In SF Right Now (And How To Get Them) - San Francisco - The Infatuation

"Verdict: There’s no other place in the city like Noodle In A Haystack. The 8-ish course meal inspired by ramen ($210) is a nonstop parade of hits. There’s a 16-hour braised pork belly karaage the texture of toasted marshmallow, and a rotating ramen as the main course. It might be topped with crab or pork collar but will star the chewiest noodles you’ll ever encounter. Reservations are released on Tock every second Sunday at 9pm for the following month. And while slurping up ramen next to someone you like is fun and all, know that it’s much easier to snag one-person reservations, so maybe a solo noodle date is in order." - julia chen 1