Ramen Lab

Ramen Lab is such a unique spot in San Jose! The ramen is flavorful, creative, and served with fresh ingredients that really stand out. The atmosphere is modern yet cozy, and it feels like a hidden gem in the area. Service is friendly and quick, making it an overall great experience. Definitely worth checking out if you’re a ramen lover!

Took my son here the other day and I loved it so much that I brought my daughter here as well!😍🤌 What a beautiful and creative unique concept. The noodles are delicious and you can pick your toppings! So innovative on how they make you prepare your meal and enjoy your creation! This Places is so cool and unique! You have to come and check it out.! 🤌👍🤩 Thank you!

Was definitely an experience. Staff are polite and helpful. They just need to have more seating. I understand that its difficult since its so small. But the atmosphere was unique with the 2 walls stacked with different noodle packs to choose from. Also have a kiosk to order from with pictures to make it easy.

I tried the ramen here and really enjoyed it—it has a flavor that’s very similar to Korean food, which I personally love. It felt familiar and comforting. I also ordered the premium chicken side dish that came with the ramen, and while it was definitely a unique and new taste, it wasn’t quite to my liking. Still, it’s worth a try if you’re curious!

So many choices of Korean ramen! I’m so happy I can enjoy ramen here in the same style as in Korea.

Yummy ramen - customizable instant ramen with toppings and friendly owner

Good service, I ordered tonkotsu ramen, delicious soup, cool and airy space. Come and experience it.

Formerly known as What The Cup. They still have the awesome What the Cup fries! Get extra beef because it’s totally worth it! Huge choice of instant ramen but at the moment they still offer the What the Cup Ramen. GET IT! Please keep the What the Cup Tonkotsu broth!!!! 💕 I was very sad when I came in a couple months ago to see it covered up on the menu!

Always great service from the employees. Food is ready quickly. I think they should have stuck with What The Cup bc Ramen Lab seems a little gimmicky. I will always give business to this spot since they don't seem to get much. lol @ the user who says they have been to Michellin Star Korean Restaurants below

I entered the building and, although the directions were clearly posted, I was still unsure where to start. There was no host stand near the door and no one greeted me upon arrival. The space itself looked super cute and fun, which made the experience a bit confusing rather than off-putting. I may give it another try and ask for assistance next time, but I'm still on the fence.

9/30/2025 So now it's all over the news that Ramen lab should be called "Rotten Lab" Ramen Lab, and the shop next door owned by the same people have had a host of health code violations. It appears that my previous reviews were on point. 3/11/2025 So I came back to actually try it with my daughter (see my photos) We came in, the girl at the counter was helpful, but we had sticker shock. 2 instant ramen with a hard boiled egg, some beef, green onions, sprouts, and gyoza with 2 sodas, $40. We're not exactly strangers to Ramen, but at this price there's better ramen to be had around the bay area with fresh, not instant noodles. The add-ins looked somewhat unappetizing. The egg was squished into a little salsa cup and refrigerated. At first we thought it was a side of mayo. Beef was cold as well. I guess in the larger picture, I've been to plenty of ramen places where the soft boiled egg was stored cold, but never misshapen like this one was. The Korean beef was OK. Thinly sliced, just enough to make a sandwich. Gyoza had no texture. It was steamed, but it wasn't fried at all. Like the egg, 2 of them were squished into a little salsa cup and refrigerated. We both left feeling pretty hungry, went down the street and got some ice cream. Overall the experience was what I expected it to be from seeing it the day before. The same inefficiencies I pointed out and single chokepoint with the touchscreen I can validate having used it. 3/10/2025 You know what I hate... When yelpers give something a good rating because it's trending. Came here yesterday (3/9) got really frustrated and walked out. Let me explain. Ramen Lab is the latest trending yelp fixation. Built into a former Taqueria, which was formerly a Taco Bravo, which was formerly a Taco Bell, this old and dated building of 70's fast food retro architecture sits across from a halfway decent sushi restaurant serving the same kind of ramen you can get at K shops in Santa Clara for $1 or $2 a package, only for $3 to $6 a package. Different add-ins from spam to an egg and everything in between can be added. With a cutesy kawaii logo, brightly painted in neon orange and green. It's a little more than that though, and here's where the biggest problem is. You order from a touch screen... but there's only a single touch screen. On the wall there's a few pictures of options to try, but the bulk of the menu is inside of this single touch screen kiosk. A single chokepoint. So I'm behind this family of 4, and they're going through every single menu option they can trying to find something they want. I saw a young lady go up to the cashier next to the kiosk, but she didn't say a thing like, "Oh I can help the next person in line" She just sort of stood there a minute staring at people, the disappeared. They easily spent a good 8 minutes. I saw a Pho place next door and decided I'd just walk over there. I wasn't going to stand around waiting. Not to mention my wife has dietary restrictions, and my son had a stomach bug. If they had simple printed out some menus... or put up a QR code to an online menu.. that might have kept me in the store. Better yet, get a QR code linked system that allows me to order and pay from my phone! That would be excellent. (another ramen shop I go to in Campbell does this, I think it's just a standard Clover POS system) I'll probably give it another try soon but hopefully they'll improve how you order.

We were the only ones there yet service took quite a bit of time. Maybe I should have opted for their instant ramen selections instead. Gavin and I were on our way back from his saxophone lesson that evening and quite frankly I was too lazy to cook or even heat up our food at home. I quickly regretted my decision to come here. It's pricey, food took some time to be brought out, and I didn't connect between the price and taste of the food. Our eggs were overcooked however, the char siu were tender. Skip the Korean corn dogs.

Came to stop by for the ramen lab experience and I would say, I'm not impressed or wasn't expecting a big impression. The place is really quiet and smal, while with limited staff, I was able to pick out my ramen and got my drinks. I would say it's on the pricier end for instant ramen. I ordered a side of beef and it was nice that they had toppings on the side. Something I can do at home for the price but you pay for the experience.

Can you make this at home for cheaper? Yes. But I think the experience of coming here you should definitely try at least once. First pick out your ramen choice from the endless wall of options, order at the kiosk or front desk if you want to add on sides to your order. They will give you the bowl and instructions on how to use the machine for your ramen type. There are different settings for dry ramen and soup ramen. Add your sides and enjoy! I added pork, mozzarella, and a boiled egg to mine and it was perfect. The water machine really cooks the noodles to perfection every time. Love that they give corn, lime, and green onions for free. The only one thing I didn't like was that the egg was boiled all the way through. I would have preferred a soft boiled egg with ramen. Overall it was a cool experience but def pricey for what you get.

Unfortunately the food here really isn't good. My brother is a big fan of instant ramen, and for something you can make at home, it's really overpriced. I had the loaded fries and tteokbokki, we didn't finish anything we ordered and now we both have stomachaches. The machines are out of order as well, so really you're paying someone to make instant ramen instead of the (I guess) point of the restaurant which is using the machines. It's pretty cramped in there with not much room and a few too many tables for the space. There is a parking lot with plenty of spaces attached.

I came here mainly for the experience. You basically start by ordering on the kiosk, then they hand you your bowl and you head over to the wall to choose your noodles. Once you choose your noodle, you go over to the other side to add your hot water and wait for your number to be called to pick up your toppings. I tried one of their green grape pouch drinks, and it was really good. The noodles themselves were just okay. I know you could make this at home but, this place is mainly for the experience.

Great experience! Great option if you want a quick bite. I love how customizable it is and it's not too expensive. The beef is tender and sweet and all the toppings were fresh. The WTC fries definitely lean more towards the sweeter side bc of the sauces and the addition of kimchi balances everything out well!

I've never been to a build your own ramen bar & considering a flight to Korea is quite pricy, I figured I could try this spot out. It seems like it replaced What the Cup in Santa Teresa! Ordering at the kiosk was convenient!! I decided to purchase the shin ramyun stir fry with spicy beef flavor with green onion, chicken, and corn as add ons. This totalled to around $10, which I was surprised by. I also ordered a shine muscat-ade pouch drink for $3. Quite yummy and helped with tempering the spice level of my order, but reminded me a bit of grape cough syrup. The ramen machines were broken during my visit so they made my order for me in the kitchen, I like that you can also control how much spice you put in your bowl since they don't do it for you. Overall unique experience. I don't know if I would come back just in terms of the price point!

I love the concept of this place. Yes, it is expensive for instant noodles that you could make at home, but sometimes you just want to go out or be in a different setting lol. The first time I went here, I really enjoyed the experience of picking my ramen, adding hot water and other toppings. However, the water machines have been off the last couple times that I came back. Now, they bring your ramen in the back and cook it for you. That takes away from the experience and makes it less enjoyable.

I came here after hearing good things about the place. There was plenty of parking when I arrived on a Sunday evening after my taiko class. The place was kinda small and busy, but I managed to grab a seat next to a family of five. Unfortunately, the noodle cooking machines were out of order, so the server told me I could order through the kiosk and give them the packet of noodles I wanted to eat. They had a wide variety of noodles to choose from, along with drinks and snacks. It took about 20 minutes for my noodles to arrive, topped with green onion, egg, corn, cheese, and spam. The server also gave me some red paste to add extra flavor to the soup, which definitely made it tastier and spicier. I've had better soup at other places for the same price, but it was worth at least trying.

We went here during a Friday lunch. It's located next to Kenzo's AYCE sushi. There was plenty of parking available as they share parking space with Kenzo's sushi. As soon as we walked in, I noticed how small the restaurant is. There was like 6-8 tables only. It was crowded when we arrived so I had to maneuver through other folks looking for their choice of instant ramen packs. The concept is you have the option to make your own instant ramen or order the ramen and other Japanese/Korean hot foods from the menu. There is one kiosk in the front by the kitchen where you place your order. There you can order additional toppings for your ramen and appetizers. Then you choose your premium instant ramen packs located on two of the walls around the restaurant. They also offer Japanese/Korean snacks and drinks you can purchase as well. Once you're able to get a table, you wait for the server to come drop off your order. The server will give instructions for how to cook your instant ramen from the multiple machine burners offered at the front. The service was friendly and efficient. My son loves ramen so he loves this make your own instant ramen concept. Just remember the more toppings you order for your ramen it can add up. My son only wanted a hard boiled egg in addition to his ramen so he was a cheap date. Lol. My sweet and chilli chicken Gang Jeong was drenched with sauce but it was good. It looks like we'll be back as my son loves ramen. He's already planning what toppings to add to his ramen next time around.

Tried this on a random Thursday evening and was not disappointed! I will say I was a little shocked at the sticker price of the ramen - $5.50/ramen (because I've been so used to purchasing an 18 pack shin ramen for $15 at costco so less than $1/ramen) but it was balanced out by the more decently priced chicken ($12) and bulgogi bowls ($13). In total for 2 dishes and a ramen, it was no more than $35 and for a dinner out for 2, I don't think that's half bad! My husband and I went to one of these ramen labs in Korea and thought it was fun that the idea made it to the Bay Area. It was only aboht 10 minutes south of us in South SJ, so it was very accessible and easy parking. My husband picked out a seafood ramen, one which I haven't seen at the grocery so at least it felt like something new. I'd definitely come back to try the other bowls and ramen!

Came for the experience - If you're planning to get all the toppings and extras, you might end up paying $15-$20 for a bowl of ramen. The selection is pretty diverse, there were some noodle packets that I would never have had the chance to try. It's definitely not fresh ramen quality, but it's decent for something quick.

Honestly a fun experience people should try. If you're looking for something quick easy to eat, this is for you. Don't expect super high quality foods, but expect the feeling of home. Lots of great toppings such as corn and cheese. And a good variety of sides like beef and pork. Lots of noodle options here that you can customize to your liking! I'd say if you miss little ramen shops at Korea and Japan, then come here!!!

Live near by but did not know this place was here. Not too big inside, enough seats for about 15 people. Glad it was not busy in the early afternoon. Definitely had to ask the staff how this place works. Either you can choose from one of the many different Ramen options that they have on the wall, or you can order one of the soups that they make. They have bento boxes that we didn't try and other appetizers. Definitely worth trying again since we know what to do now. Only negative was for my kids, the chairs are pretty low and the table is too high for them to sit and eat. They had to sit on their knees on the chair. I ended up trying one of the mushroom noodle packets with extra meat, which was pretty good, my youngest son just got the plain udon, he liked, my oldest got the tonkatsu ramen that they make, he liked it. Definitely worth a try for the experience, but go there knowing that they have a few options and might take a bit to order. Rookie mistake. Make sure you take the toppings out of the paper before you put the water in. ‍

It's really nice seeing What The Cup get rebranded into this new shop. When we walked into the store, you can see shelves of instant ramen all over the wall to choose from. Even though there's a self-serve kiosk, the host/owner were super helpful and offered us such great hospitality. You start off by walking over to the shelves to pick out your desired instant noodle, then you head over to the kiosk to add any additional toppings of your choice. Afterwards the host gives you a bowl where you put your instant ramen in. Finally, you put it on this heat induction where it cooks your noodles to perfection! I ordered the seafood jjampong and my girlfriend got the spicy Jin Ramen. Both were super flavorful and the noodles were cooked evenly with the additional toppings that we ordered. It was really cool seeing how they still had their old menu items such as their house made ramen, rice bowls and even bento boxes. A feedback that I would say is that the toppings are a tad bit on the pricer side. The instant ramen is already 5 bucks and the toppings you add can rack up if you aren't paying attention. Overall, not a bad place for the experience and I would highly recommend anyone who loves instant ramen.

Ramen Lab is a cozy ramen shop with a variety of ramen choices and some kitchen cooked items. You are able to pick your ramen and cook them with a Korean ramen maker, which is really cool! You are also able to purchase add-ons to your ramen, like Korean beef and egg. Employees are pleasant to interact with and are approachable. Overall, this is a nice spot to get a quick eat!

Definitely one of my go to's friendly service clean cute ambiance love coming here!!

I got the sweet chili chicken and the lemon pepper chicken with fries. The fried chickens were the right kind of crunchy which I liked and the sweet sour one was delicious. The lemon pepper was alright, I feel it needed more seasoning and the fries were pretty normal. The room is interesting with the ramens on the walls and the music, just wish it was tad warmer tempature. The cashier seemed also friendly, and she even brought it to our table which was nice :)

First time trying Ramen lab. Name is different on the outside. I came here wanting to see what it was all about. It's basically like cooking your ramen from home. They didn't have much choices in stock when I came here I was disappointed. Although the experience was cool. I had to ask how to use the machine to boil my noodles because I didn't see any instructions. You can order additional toppings and it will add up. They sell other made to order items as well if you don't want to do the ramen.

Instant ramen tastes like instant ramen, it's acceptable with beef topping that I added to the order . Very trending concept, kids has some fun experience. The service was take half an hour to get your order, so unorganized, one line , one ordering machine. So chaotic inside, table were cramped, bad setup. And Someone stole our chair , just like that. Terrible rice cake, watered down , yucks. I'm not coming back here.

I have been here when this place was called "What The Cup" for ramen and it was always good and on point. I went there today to check out their new concept of cooking your own ramen with your choice of ramen. Unfortunately ALL their ramen machine is broken. There was like 10 of them. Not sure what the problem is but the owner said it will be back up and running I. A few days. Giving them a 3 for now as I was diasppointed that I didn't get to try it today. The 4 of us did order from their original "What The Cup" menu. Parking was good cuz next door wasn't open. smal little spot that picked up and got busy real fast!

When we went it was quite busy so you really had to be on the lookout to get a table. The experience is pretty cool itself. You go around the room to find which ramen you'd like. Then you go to the order kiosk to ring up your ramen, drinks, and any add-ons you'd like. They give you a bowl and your add-ons and you can head to a ramen heating station to heat up your bowl. I enjoyed my ramen and the drink packets. I would definitely recommend the fries too!

Checked out the hype of ramen lab When we got there, it was empty and quite nice inside As we got our table, the place got packed real quick! Over all we will go back as it's an awesome experience

I had a great experience at Ramen Lab! I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen, and it was amazing. The broth was rich and creamy with deep flavor, and the noodles were cooked perfectly. The chashu pork was tender and flavorful definitely the highlight of the bowl. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and the staff were friendly and attentive. Everything came out quickly, and the portions were generous. I'll definitely be coming back. Highly recommend if you're craving a solid bowl of ramen!

Interesting experience. A lot of the old restaurant is still there in the kitchen. We decided to try this place since I heard a buzz about it. Apparently there was a lot of buzz because there was a lot of people in there. I couldn't tell if people were waiting to order or waiting to sit. The way to do it is that you order on the kiosk. You order the base noodles and then the toppings. You can also order appetizers. The kimchi fries are really good. Then you choose your noodles in the walls surrounding the restaurant. If you are lucky you have a set until the server brings your bowl and toppings. Then you cook your own noodles using the cool machine that spouts water and heats it up. The noodles were noodles. There was nothing really special about it. Now the Kimchi fries were very good. When you see people standing around it's because they were looking for a table. We decided to sit in the long table sharing it with other people. This generation fear sharing tables. You snooze, you wait. Overall: it's just ok. If you want to pay a lot for instant noodles this is your place. I would return, but only if I can pay less

After 5 days of the last posted negative review, the machines are still not functional. Wait time continues to be 30 minutes and longer. We are highly disappointed in the overall experience. Parking is accessible, disability accessible. Tables cramped, food quality is 2/10. Meat is pretty good for the price. Don't order the kimchi unless you like sweet, soggy Napa cabbage. If you came here from TikTok, you will be greatly disappointed

Again, the machine isn't working. I honestly don't think these machine ever worked. Very disappointed. I have been year many times over the last 8mo. I've been going here since it was What The Cup. I think it's the same owners and they just switched concepts cuz they still have What The Cup menu incorporated into their Ramen Lab me you. Parking is small and shared with Kenzo sushi and seating/tables can get filled up fast when it gets busy! I prefer them keeping the tables instead of the 3 gigantic ramen cups

Do not go here! They were just on the news for having unsanitary kitchen with room temperature broth and chicken left overnight.

This place was fun walking in. Pretty cool concept to make your own ramen. But for the price i don't think i will come back. I can make my own ramen at home and add my own ingredients.

The location was pleasantly cozy. The machines were currently down, but the kitchen does cook it for you. They do have variety of Ramen, majority of the wall however are spicy. They have variety of drinks too, if you need to feel refreshed after a spicy ramen. Overall, we would recommend and come back.

Came here on a Sunday night and it was completely empty. I love that the walls are lined up with a galore of ramen! It was fun to just see all the different types of ramen they offered! I went with the Jin mild as I've never had it before and added beef and corn to my bowl. It was a cool experience, I wanted to make it myself but the machines are down at the moment but overall still cool to try! My bowl came out to be about $11. For instant ramen it is a little expensive but it's for the experience which I enjoyed! We also ordered the salt and pepper chicken. I really liked that they added rice cakes, it was so good and chewy!! I see the concept and think if they did a build your own bowl with a toppings bar it would be more enticing! Overall, I see the vision!

We have attempted to go there three times and it's closed? The operational hours need to be updated. Is it closed?

Saw on the news that they were serving food that was not stored properly and left out over night.

What a fun experience. My son loved see his noodles get cooked. They have so many variety of noodles especially cheesy ones. The staff was extremely helpful and walked us through the cooking process. Will definitely coming back to try other items on the menu!

If you want a really unique dining experience that you'd normally only get in Japan or Korea, then check out Ramen Lab. We passed by this place on our way to another ramen restaurant. In retrospect, Ramen Lab would have been more fun and interesting and we should've gone here first. But that's OK, we've gone back twice in one day with a new group each time. So what makes Ramen Lab unique? You don't just go to a table, get a menu, order, receive the food and then pay before leaving. Instead, you are greeted by a friendly service team member who will tell you the process. You order the ramen experience on a kiosk (and other food items like onigiri, bento boxes, etc are also available). From there, you pick one of the many ramen options and bring it back to the automatic ramen stations where the machine will automatically provide water and heat to prepare your ramen. Once it's done, you just take your ramen back to a table and enjoy your meal. If you ordered other kitchen food options then those will be brought to you too. It's just a different experience from the regular dining experience. The price is affordable and the experience was unique. Ramen restaurants are a dime a dozen in the Bay Area so it was a pleasant surprise to see something like Ramen Lab here. If you are dining alone, it's just a good time like what you may see in Korean dramas. If you have a big group then it's still a fun experience because it's unlikely anyone else in the group has seen something like Ramen Lab.

The place is very easy to find food is amazing and the environment is family friendly Staff was perfect very helpful definitely coming back again

This is my favorite ramen shop, I felt like I as back in Korea! I can't get good k street food anywhere else. The cashier was phenomenally nice and the noodles are aesthetically pleasing.

Very good! Kids had fun looking at the Ramens and choosing toppings. Tteok-bokki with cheese is so yummy.

First off, the ramen machine isn't even working--yet the slogan on the wall proudly says "Make Your Ramen." False advertising much? So instead, I'm paying $5.50 for someone to put water in an instant ramen I could've bought at the supermarket. What's the point? The miso ramen soup was barely warm, the mozzarella sticks were dry, and the curry had a weird sour taste. As for the chicken katsu--it was dry and tasted like it was fried in oil that's been reused one too many times. Yikes. Seriously, don't waste your time or money here. This was a one-and-done visit for me.

Fun experience with family of choosing ramen and different toppings. Quick service and fun music.

Awesome choices of ramen. Lots of variety of drinks and snacks as well. Ramen lab also offers hot items such as different types of asian snacks. Great experience. Clean place and nice employees.

The food was pretty good for the price and, had lots of snacks I got a plain ramen and customized it and it was delightful

Great concept but machines don't work. The other food is good. Fries with meat on top and mango sauce is always good.

Saw this place on Instagram & decided to give it a try. They offer DIY ramen bowls which I find fascinating. Unfortunately the water machine does not currently work to make the ramen yourself so the kitchen would cook it for you. Hope they get this fixed soon. This place gives me the same vibes I got when I visited Korea from the selection of items they offer!

Great experience! Many choices of ramen to pick from (I did think there would be more but they had a good amount). We went around 1pm (very busy as it is lunch time). There are various tables to sit at There is only one self serve kiosk though, so be ready to wait in line. Snack counter had some snacks (not full). Drinks looked yummy but there wasn't a wide selection. Overall a fun and unique experience, would recommend!

Kinda overpriced Ordered 2 tonakatsu ramen, one with spice and one without. For some reason the one with spice did not come with meat. We asked the person at the register and she said we needed to add it. Weird because we didn't "add" any thing extra to thw one without spice. Our friend order tonakatsu ramen as well and didn't add anything extra except for spice and his came with meat too. All of our ramen did not come with egg, so no sure if you were supposed to "add" The bulgugi fries was really good, will order that again. Korean toast got soggy quick. Rose tteok-bokki was on the sweeter side but good but we also ordered a large and what we got was definitely not a large. The hotteok was too sweet for me. The machines were not working when we came so we gave our package noodles to the staff to cook in the back. There were only 2 workers working at the time, one at register and one cooking.