Ramen Gaijin
Ramen restaurant · Sebastopol ·
Housemade noodles, Japanese gastropub fare, and craft brews
Housemade noodles, Japanese gastropub fare, and craft brews
"“Gaijin” is the none-too-polite Japanese term for a foreigner, but the American chefs of this noodle joint clearly take pride in their outsider status, fusing local ingredients with traditional technique. It's surely one of the best bowls of ramen around, and you can smell the soup before you're even past the front door.The best seats are at the counter, where you can chat with the chef as he assembles bowls of light, fresh shoyu ramen filled with thick house-made rye noodles and caramelized pork belly chashu. Appetizers are also notable, like the karaage: crunchy-coated, tender chicken thighs with miso ranch. Desserts, such as the black-sesame ice cream over miso-salted caramel, matcha meringue and coconut flakes, mix sweet and savory for the win." - Michelin Inspector
"A Bib Gourmand Japanese spot from the same team behind Khom Loi, where atmosphere counts nearly as much as the cooking, especially the inviting Japanese‑style counter seating." - J'nai Gaither
"Regional ramen styles, housemade noodles, and izakaya plates have made this Sebastopol restaurant one of the most popular in Sonoma County." - Dianne de Guzman, Clair Lorell, Paolo Bicchieri
"The shoyu broth at Ramen Gaijin is a thing of beauty: deep, dark, and intensely flavored. Even though chef-owners Matthew Williams and Moishe Hahn-Schuman aren’t from Japan, they’ve lovingly translated the flavors they found there, including ramen, fried chicken karaage donburi, and a satisfying wintry curry." - Maria C. Hunt
"This authentic ramen and Japanese gastropub is a welcome–and unique–addition to the Sonoma food scene. Serving up handmade noodles, small batch sauces, and yaktori meats, it also offers a changing menu of robata-yaki and small plate izakaya dishes. The space is seriously laid-back and the drink menu is solid and includes several local craft brews. "
