Ramenwell
Ramen restaurant · Mission ·
Hearty ramen bowls, Japanese sides, beer, sake & soft-serve
Hearty ramen bowls, Japanese sides, beer, sake & soft-serve
"Ramenwell is an excellent place to cozy up and eat some ramen in the Mission, and also offering some distraction-worthy plates such as panko-encrusted chicken katsu. Slurp up the chicken tantanmen, treat your friend with gluten sensitivities to gluten-free pork ramen, or vegetarians can order a bowl of the Mushroom Lover ramen — there’s truly something for everyone. (And don’t forget to add on soft serve if you can!)" - Dianne de Guzman
"Couldn’t help but double down on this softserve swirl." - Aaron Hutcherson
"At 3378 18th Street the new ramen restaurant from chef/owner Harold Jurado is a work in progress but already focused on refined flavors and a cleaner design that highlights the food and beverages, with a dark ebonized oak bar and tables. The menu centers on three ramen broths—vegetarian (a mushroom-based broth and a spicier vegetarian tantanmen), poultry-based (chicken tantanmen: a spicy broth with ground chicken and ground turkey; and tori paitan featuring a turkey chashu as a pork-free take on braised pork belly), and pork (a 20-hour tonkotsu served with Kurobuta pork belly chashu that Ramenwell cures and marinates before sending to 4505 Burgers & BBQ to be smoked). Bowls are $14 for veggie or chicken and $15 for pork and come with a side of pickles to cut through the broth’s richness. Small plates and sides ($5–$17) include daikon and little gem salads as well as composed dishes such as wagyu tataki carpaccio and hamachi sashimi with umeboshi and bone marrow, and for dessert there’s a soft-serve machine offering matcha and taro—a nod to Jurado’s Chicago spots. Jurado says the menu and design will continue to evolve and he’s inviting customer feedback; hours are Monday–Thursday 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 5 p.m.–11 p.m. (closed Sundays)." - Caleb Pershan
"I'm reporting that Ramenwell, a new restaurant from chef/owner Harold Jurado, will take over the Ken Ken Ramen location and aims to open as soon as this summer. Jurado—who grew up in a family-run Filipino restaurant, led the kitchen at Chicago’s popular (now-closed) Yusho, opened Chicago’s trendsetting Chizakaya, served as opening chef at Jellyfish, and has been opening cafes at Google for Bon Appétit in the Bay Area—plans to focus the menu on ramen with just a few appetizers and to create a staple ramen restaurant rather than pushing many boundaries. One mainstay will be a tantanmen-style ramen made with chili and sesame oil, which he says is his favorite because the Sichuan-influenced broth’s depth of flavor changes as you continue to eat. He will somewhat renovate the Ken Ken space but keep the emphasis on food above atmosphere, operate with a beer and wine license, keep beverages simple, and hint at possibly adding soju or sake cocktails on tap down the line." - Caleb Pershan
"According to a liquor license transfer, a new business called Ramenwell will take over that same space; it is owned by Harold Jurado, a Chicago chef now living in San Francisco and working at Bon Appétit Management Company. Jurado's background includes his family's suburban Filipino restaurant, his role as chef/owner of the now-closed Chizakaya, serving as the opening chef at Jellyfish, and leading the kitchen at Yusho; Eater SF awaits further details on his plans for the 18th Street space." - Caleb Pershan