Waraku

Being a lover or ramen and trying new foods, after looking up places online and their reviews, Wakaru was definitely a must try. The wait was not long at all for a table as I didn’t called ahead to make reservations. Order the kimchi cheese fries to start along w/ a Sukiyaki beef bowl the the Ramen. I believe it was the tonkotsu ramen dx but can’t recall. All the food tasted delicious, fries were crispy. Next time I’m in town I’ll be coming back to try more food here. Can’t forget the bottle of Yuzu, sucks they don’t sell it back at my home town. Such a refreshing soda

It’s not a bad place - but it definitely wasn’t everything I was hoping for it to be. First off, I had my place in the waitlist (which is all by pen and paper) pushed after another party simply walked in and took our table, and the wait staff acted as if we hadn’t already been waiting 30 minutes and it didn’t just happen in front of us. It simply doesn’t feel like an inviting environment. The food is pricey, and just about what you can expect. Not a bad place to get ramen, but the experience left a bad taste in my mouth that the ramen didn’t make up for. It’s not the worst choice out there, but there’s a lot of other good places in Japantown to go to.

Nice ramen spot. Food and service was really good! I had the Black Garlic Deluxe and my wife got the Spicy Tantan Deluxe. Huge portions. Only thing I didn't like was paying the bill. They stand there next to you with a machine and review the bill with you. Then when you go to pay the lowest tipping option is 18% AND it's calculated with the SF Mandate included. Kinda shady in that regard. Other than that, great place for a nice bowl of ramen!

Have you ever had a room temperature ramen broth? Have you had stale, chewy corn? I am trying to understand how that's possible. I was the only person in the restaurant when they opened at 11:30 on a Saturday - did they serve me last night's leftovers?

Last time coming here was in 2015. Had great memories here. Just thought we would revisit. Seems like the restaurant has changed… in many ways. Menu has completely changed. Oh well. Give it a try anyways. Restaurant had two tables when we arrived at their opening at 11:30am. First impression, the server did not want to be there. He wasn’t rude or anything, but he was not pleasant to be around. Food was ok. By the time we were finished eating, there were no more customers around. Sadly, I do not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

I got the black garlic tonkatsu deluxe. It was delicious, I just wished that they had hot chili oil. We also ordered the appetizers and they were good. I like the geso fries alot. There was 1 server only when we came in and he was bussing his tables as well. There were many customers that came in, but they would leave due to the waiting and no service right away. That wasn't a problem to us.

Really nice Ramen place minus the large waiting time! While we had gone to SF Japantown to eat at a different locale, most of the "famous" ramen bars were full. Luckily we found this one and boy weren't disappointed at all! Plus it's easy on the wallet as well 😄

Went on a Saturday afternoon, literally only one guy working while it was busy yet somehow the service was extremely fast considering it was a Saturday, shout to the guy working there. I usually go to marafuku but their wait list is insane. Waraku’s ramen is very comparable to the taste/flavor of marafuku minus the crazy wait list.

I came here for dinner and got on the waitlist through Yelp before arriving. Even though we were on the waitlist for about 30-40 minutes, we still had to wait another 15 minutes past the estimated time range Yelp gave. The interior is fairly small, so the wait wasn't too surprising. They had a jar of raw garlic on the table, and we asked for a garlic press to use with it. I ordered the tsukemen, and while the soup wasn't super concentrated, it was good enough on its own. The noodles came with some sauce already on them, but the other toppings didn't have much flavor. Since the soup wasn't very strong, it didn't add much to the dish. The noodles and egg were cooked well, but the chashu was a bit too charred for my liking. The black garlic ramen had a soup that was a little too strong and salty for my taste, with toppings that were very similar to the tsukemen. The DX version had the kakuni, which was nicely cooked--decently sized, with good flavor and texture. I also got to try the karaage and brussel sprouts. The karaage was pretty good, nice crispy skin and juicy meat. The sizes of the pieces were not that even though. The brussel sprouts tasted just like normal brussel sprouts with bonito flakes on top. Overall, it's a decent ramen spot, but not the best, and probably not worth waiting that long for. It's a good option if you really like garlic, though.

ORDER tonkotsu ramen (5/5) the broth was light and flavorful. the noodles were nice and chewy. i usually don't prefer to eat ramen, but i really enjoyed ramen here at waraku. SERVICE the restaurant is small and we were a big party. coming in, i could tell the host wasn't happy with how large our party was and that kickstarted a not so pleasant visit. since we were a big party, i let the host know that we were okay with being seated separately since most of the tables only seated 4 at most. after a bit of waiting, we got seated. it took awhile for our order to be taken since the host prioritized other smaller tables. after taking our order, everyone at my party got their food way before i did. 2 parties that came after me got their food before i did. i did not get my bowl of ramen until after the 2 parties that came after me were served AND my whole party finished. i understand that my party was large and there was only 1 person working, but it makes no sense for me to get my ramen long after my whole party got and finished their food + others getting served before me. ive read other reviews about there only being 1 worker, so maybe its staffing issue. regardless, the food was good, but not good enough to make up for the bad service. AMBIANCE small restaurant. there is street parking or paid parking close by.

Saturday Lunch Friendly and quick service, was easy to get a table for two Ordered: Black garlic tonkotsu (homemade blackened garlic sesame oil) Tonkotsu ramen dx (braised pork belly slab) Both rich, very good. No complaints - solid bowls of ramen with high quality ingredients.

Black Garlic Ramen very flavorful; Love the pepper, garlicky taste to the pork. Broth was rich and creamy. Very comforting. The restaurant is cozy and low-keyed, good place to just relax and enjoy a nice ramen.

I got the spicy tantan men dx and thought it was just okay. The noodles were a bit too firm for my liking and I didn't think the broth had much complexity in flavor, just a one-note overall spiciness

Located in SF Japantown, this restaurant is simple yet aesthetically beautiful. I feel like it would be just right for a nice "date-night" dinner but just casual enough for a nice family lunch. It fits both occasions. Our server was so sweet. She was helpful and accommodating but I don't think she really spoke to us in English? I feel like she nodded, checked up on us, gave us what we asked for and at the end she said, "Arigato". We did not feel any language barrier because our needs were met. There's something about that that feels authentic and like, did we just go to Japan? LOL. Anyway, she was awesome. The food was super delicious too. I had the Chicken Ramen, and the broth was nice, with sizeable meat pieces and appropriate vegetables. I also thought the egg was seasoned well with a creamy yolk. We were provided with fresh garlic and masher we could put directly on our Ramen--you can put one clove, two cloves, or more...but like warn people around you if you decide to put that much. :-D Highly recommend.

Came here during the cherry blossom festival in Japantown on Sunday afternoon. The service was fast and we were served rather quickly. Most places had a line but this place was only a quick waitlist on Yelp. I got the Tonkatsu ramen the broth was really strong and tasty. The egg was soft boiled decently, but my main issue was that the meat portions are a bit small for the Tonkatsu. If you want more meat like me definitely get the deluxe you get more toppings. The black garlic ramen was really strong in broth with the garlic flavor. The price is also decent around 16 dollars for ramen similar to other places around this area. Overall a decent spot to stop by near Japan town!

When in Japantown, might as well enjoy some ramen. They have a very focused menu, signaling that they specialize in doing a few items really well. The ramen I ordered was very satisfying and filling. Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen DX: Picking the DX version gives you quite a hearty meal! Very big portion of meat, with the thick pork belly being especially tasty. Though my chunk seemed to be a tad fattier than other pork belly pieces. Lots of other nice mix-ins like a runny egg, mushroom, spinach and bamboo. But the real star is the broth. Rich and cloudy tonkotsu. Not quite as a good as Ippudo, but really strong. Plus the funky black garlic added a nice complex to the tone to the mix. Oh yeah, the chewy thick noodles were great too.

Street parking with meter is quite expensive, about $11/hr. Kinda overpriced :( Place is nice and clean inside, feels cozy inside and good service. Food was good but typical ramen. Did not really blow my mind.

Food was pretty decent, staff was nice though. The ramen was pretty salty for our liking, but it wasn't too bad. The egg and chashu tasted yummy though! The kimchi fries were good, though it didn't really have much of a kimchi flavor because it was very cheese forward.

Came here for early dinner before a movie and wasn't busy. It's cute and clean inside and got seated right away. We tried the black garlic ramen and tan tan. Both had great flavors, really filling, and enjoyed the ingredients/add ins. The broth was balanced and not overpowering in flavor and noodles were great texture. I like how they had spice on the table to add in but also fresh garlic with garlic press. I wasn't starving upon arriving so took leftovers home and were still great the next day.

The service and food was great ! I love the fact that Waraku restaurant serves gluten free noodles! I enjoyed the spicy noddles with lots of ingredients in once dish . Nice ambience and clean restaurant ! Parking is easy along the street or across Japan Town building . Highly recommended

Fave ramen spot in the bay. Far surpasses marafuku IMHO. The ramen is sooo flavorful, doesn't matter which one you get. I prefer Black Garlic or Spicy Tantanmen Order a side of chili oil and it perfects the dish. I also LOVE the karaage. A must order as well. Service is quick I have never had to wait for a table and the food comes out so fast. Inside it's casual, cute, clean.

Excellent ramen and customer service. There was no lines when we came around 11:30am. Parking can be tough. The meters are crazy expensive unless you wait until after 6pm to park for free. I highly recommend their black garlic soup. They have a deluxe version, which has more noodles and etc. The noodles were fresh and broth was perfectly flavored just the way I expected it to be. You have an option to squeeze fresh garlic and add the pieces in your soup. They have a small utensil to squeeze garlic. They charge extra for add on toppings.

The service and the food was excellent. I know there is a popular Ramen shop in the mall, but don't overlook this one. The price is comparable to other local Ramen shops. We had the spicy tan tan Ramen, tonkatsu garlic, and tsukenmen.

The food was tasty and our server was super sweet! We ordered Brussels and the Spicy Tantan Men - both super flavorful and fresh. Honestly, I would say this pars to competing against Marafuku - so if you don't want the long wait at Marafuku, I would come here; especially since it is located right across from the Japan Center Mall.

The food is pretty good, but the service was a joke! Yes it was a BIG joke! The waiter (only one?!) shows he hates kids on his face. Yes, he hates kids! Even covered his own ears when my 1 yo toddler cried... I never seen such behavior from a waiter in my life time! I am sure the employer didn't pay him well. He just had so much anger or he is just not right for this job! Trust me! If service sucks doesn't matter, you probably feels okay. But come on! It's Japanese Ramen, besides the tasty ramen, would you have minimum nice manner? Just minimum manner is enough! I hope owner see this and do something.

Very short wait time for us on a weekend but the restaurant was still pretty busy! The food was great, very satisfying and flavorful. I forgot what ramen we got but it was pretty good. The chicken karaage was so bomb!! Very crispy and the mayo and lemon were great additions. The beef bowl was pretty good too but I would try other rice bowls next time. The chicken karaage is a must get. Parking is very hard to come by! You need to either park on the street or park in the public parking garage underneath the japantown mall. Come early to look for parking, it may be a challenge.

Came here for lunch with the niece and hubby x I've been here a few times, and it is always a solid spot for ramen - hubby and I both got the spicy chicken ramen - broth was so flavorful and the noodles were perfectly chewy - always love the egg and this one was on point x Niece got the black garlic tonkotsu which she thoroughly enjoyed x We also ordered edamame which had the perfect amount of salt x Service was quick, friendly and attentive x If you want good ramen in Japantown and don't want to wait in a massive line at that other spot - head here x

I went there on Sunday evening around 6 pm and the place is maybe more than half filled. The restaurant itself is kinda small. The service is kinda slow maybe due to having only one server (at least when I was there). The raman is ok.. the broth is on thinner side unlike Marafuku or Raman Nagi. I went there to try tried spicy chicken tan tan noodles and it was ok. The chicken meat is very tender. Overall I think it's a little pricy for that bowl of noodles.

I like my food with a lot of garlic, so the extra raw garlic they provide for you in your table is a nice touch that is much appreciated. Make sure you ask them for the garlic press. I got the spicy tan tan men with chicken. As you see from the photo, the chicken strips don't look that appetizing and the pork is much better. Japantown has A LOT of options for ramen, so there's a lot of tough competition. This one is average, but is a great option if you don't want to wait in a long line at some of the other places.

I was unaware this was fish broth because it doesn't say but learned what "dashi" flavor was real quick. Imagine if someone who had allergies ate this ! PLEASE SPECIFY (FISH BROTH) it was rather gross not even being funny. The pork was also very burnt. My partner also said her soup tasted "rotten" And then service was really not it. He blatantly told me it wasn't fish broth lol. I see why this place never has people inside it. Just came for a recommendation. A lot better ramen in J-town.

Favourite spot for gluten free ramen! "it actually tastes like the real thing" -- my gluten free friend

Just ate here and loved it! It wasn't wildly busy on a holiday evening, so it was just us for most of the time. We had heard the chicken karage, garlic tonkatsu, and spicy tan tan were the yummiest, so we opted to try all of them!! All quite good!! The chicken karage was so crispy. I loved my spicy tan tan and am looking forward to eating it tomorrow for lunch. The garlic tonkatsu was good too, but my husband said next time he'd probably just opt for the regular tonkatsu. I had some specific questions and requests and the waiter was thoughtful and kind in helping me. Solid 4.2!

I was desperately craving tsukemen, so when I saw that this place sold it, I had my sights set here. It was pretty packed because the Cherry Blossom Festival was happening, but I luckily snagged a seat outside while the weather was decent. I ordered the pork tsukemen, and it came out after a decent amount of time, maybe about 10 minutes give or take. The tsukemen hit the spot--the noodles were firm, the chashu was tender, the dipping sauce had a great umami taste, the egg was marinated perfectly, and the veggies were delicious. The noodles were maybe a tad bit firm, but that's just a nitpick. Service was fine, though I do wish they stopped by more often. They only checked in when they took my order and when I paid at the end of my visit. I wanted more water midway through, and being seated outside, there aren't many workers walking around there. Again, it was packed, so not too big of an issue, but a small observation.

i've now been here twice and I think it may become a go to spot for me! I think this was one of the best bowls of ramen I'd had in awhile. both their chashu and kakuni were stand outs for me, as they both were tender and super flavorful.

Had dinner at Waruku last night with my hubby and friends. We had reservations at 6pm but arrived a bit early and they were able to accommodate us. We sat by the glass window on the street side and was able to people watch, while we ate our ramen! I'm a huge fan of ramen and noodles in general and was excited to try their ramen! You cant really go wrong with any spot around Japantown for ramen ! I ordered the Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen, my hubby ordered the Sukiyaki beef bowl, we also had the seaweed salad, kimchi cheese fries, and the spicy tan tan mein. I asked for the black garlic ramen to be spicy but they were unable to accommodate me unless I paid an extra $1 for the "Spicy Energy Boost" which came in a separate small plate. It was NOT spicy at all. So if you want spicy ramen, I would go with the spicy tan tan ramen! I did enjoy the Chasu and the pork belly, extra toppings and the broth was very creamy but also more on the oily side due to the black garlic oil. Still, a pretty good bowl of ramen..if only I could get some spicy!

Came here on a Saturday afternoon and it was lightly busy. We were seated fairly quickly and our server was very friendly. We ordered the Tsukumen, black garlic DX, and black garlic ramen and karaage. The food was delicious and very tasty.

So I've only done takeout once so far and it was not for the ramen and other house specialties but for the rice donburi (bowl) dishes. The sukiyaki bowl is only $8 and the portions are just right, with a good amount of meat and just the right amount of ginger etc. I got a taste of the meat and it was quite good. My dad got the karaage (Japanese fried chicken) bowl, $7.50, and I did not try it but it seemed like he got a very generous amount of karaage. I got the kakuni pork bowl, which was $9. You get two pieces of perfectly cooked kakuni pork and just the right amount of sauce on the rice. Maybe this was relatively a little expensive for the amount of pork, but kakuni is always expensive so I thought it was okay. I'm giving five stars based on my experience so far with the price-quality-portion size combination.. I imagine I will come here regularly because it's close to where my dad moved to. Also I should mention that I got there about ten minutes before it opened but they let me in and place my order. The man who took my order was very nice about it. The interior is done with what appears to be reclaimed Japanese timbers, with one prominent post piece bearing the signature of the builder? I'm not sure but I hope to get some details on that next time. Anyway I'm really happy about my find!

Posted close time is 9PM. Went in at 8 PM with my girlfriend and was told that we needed to be done in "half an hour". He stood by our table and basically pressured us to order. They didn't have one of the items we ordered. This just told me kitchen closed some prepped items early, and they were not merely out of ingredients. Took garlic off my table and I had to let him know I still wanted it. He just walked off annoyed or hurried without apologizing for trying to snatch garnishes off my table. Dropped off order and I had to inquire which dish was which, to confirm he got it right. He was wrong but didn't care; didn't even bother to adjust. He just walked away. The entire time we dined, we were rushed. I'm incredibly annoyed the pay platform even tries to force an automatic service charge upon the patron. This was definitely one of the worse customer service experiences in a long time. By the time we left, it was 8:46M. So we dined the entire time well within business hours and finished before closing. But this employee simply did not care how he was coming off, to our party or the others.

Not sure why so many high ratings. Mediocre place and nothing to write home about. The noodles in the shoyu ramen and tantan chicken were both pretty good, broth was acceptable, the chicken chunk was fine but not a lot of flavor. The Takoyaki had too much sauce on it and the octopus was like hard chewing gum, overcooked. It's a tourist place in Japan town, I should have known. Probably high ratings from tourists who haven't eaten a lot of ramen.

I give the food, atmosphere and staff all a 5 star rating. I had an issue with DoorDash when ordering the food and the staff was able to help me overcome issues with DoorDash to get the food to my providers on time. They went above and beyond to help me as well as provide delicious food for my customers. I'm so appreciative and can't wait to come back to this restaurant.

Absolutely abysmal service. One star for pretty good food and back of house, but the servers here... unprofessional doesn't cut it. Not only were they generally rude to us, one of them was slamming our food on the table and splashed the broth from the tsukemen onto my pants. She heard me gasp and start wiping my pants, but she just looked at me and left - didn't say a single word, no additional napkins to wipe up. At the end, she wouldn't give us our check before we helped her clean the table. Ridiculous. No wonder they didn't have a line when we showed up, despite Japantown being in full swing of its cherry blossom festival. It's a shame because the quick seating and decent food would have made it a good backup restaurant. They need new staff.

Excellent black tonkotsu ramen. The broth was rich and flavorful and the noodles were chewy and bouncy. Service was friendly and fast. An inviting and clean space.

The restaurant had a very calming environment but the food wasn't the most tasty. The other guests in my party highly recommended this place and it didn't live up to the expectations they set.

Came here on a drizzly day for a late lunch. I put my name down on the list and stood around for a few minutes before I was acknowledged and greeted. I waited for another 15 minutes or so before a table opened up and I was seated. Once I was seated, it didn't take very long for me to place my order and receive my Tonkotsu ramen. The ramen came out piping hot and had a nice bite to it. The portions were just right. To be honest, my experience was soured a bit by the service. Service was lukewarm and curt. I felt like my presence was an annoyance rather than a welcomed, paying customer. Completely understand that it's stressful because they're under staffed, but at the same time, this is not the only Japanese restaurant in Japantown so there is competition for customers. Hope they are able to resolve the staffing issue soon.

Came here for lunch with my buddy and had a great time. The ramen was amazing, the place had a light flow of patrons coming through which made the service attentive. The guy I was with had just come back from Japan and he was also impressed - so that says a lot.

Another amazing visit to Waraku. I love the chicken ramen so much. The egg tastes like custard. Highly recommend!!!

Wandered in here looking for a legit bowl of creamy tonkatsu ramen during a visit to Japantown and let me just say: THIS SOUP IS SOULFUL!!! Robust flavor with the perfect balance of noodles, meat, and veggies. Service was excellent with friendly recommendations of which sake paired best and met my flavor requests. Bottom line: If you're craving excellent quality ramen, a friendly atmosphere, and unmatched service, this is your spot. In fact, we may swing by again for another bowl tomorrow because it's actually that good.

I ordered the impossible ramen which has a soy broth and comes with a boiled egg plus some green onions and bean sprouts. Most of the spice is in the ground impossible meat which is a nice addition for a vegetarian ramen, since most places usually go with just tofu + egg for protein. The soy broth was well made and had the right amount of salt but I prefer the more creamy broth that can be found at at Marufuku. Also ordered the deep fried shishito peppers (which are not deep fried in batter) but wasn't a huge fan. Apparently 1 in 10 shishito peppers have a kick of heat but probability lied once again and I didn't have any like that my order. Overall a good spot to check out but faces some stiff competition with so many ramen options in japantown.

Such a cute restaurant in Japantown! Be careful to check that the restaurant is actually open! For some reason on Apple Maps, it said that Waraku was closed but it was actually open! Try calling in beforehand to make sure the hours are right. The dipping ramen and the rice bowls were so good and flavorful. I would love to come back here to try out more of their menu. The prices for the rice bowls are also extremely reasonable! It was less than $10 for each rice bowl. Haven't seen those prices around before for a dish like that! Highly recommend stopping by this ramen spot in Japantown.

Ordered their Ramen Karaage combo through ubereats and I was so disappointed by the food :/ Spicy Tantan Men - Wasn't spicy and the broth was WAY too salty. Like.... Ridiculously SO salty that I stopped eating after 2 bites. The noodles were cooked really nicely though but the taste really killed it. Karaage - Unsure if I was still overwhelmed by the broth's saltiness but this was also salty for me. Didn't finish this either. Will not come back.

Polite staff with average food. I liked the geso fries. The ramen was decent, but nothing special to write to home about. The food came quickly too. I think Japantown has plenty of better restaurants or dessert places to offer than here. I stopped by here because restaurants in the area were already getting full and I was in a rush to catch the last ferry ride back to Vallejo. Reservations are available since the hostess asked if I had a reservation when I walked in. I don't think a reservation as a must for a small party since I got the last table that seated two at 7PM, which is a common time to eat dinner. If you're coming in with a large party, then reservations are a good idea. There's only one table in the center that seats a party larger than seven.

Great ramen spot! Not a crazy wait or too touristy like some of the other spots. Wish the menu offerings were a bit larger but the food is delicious

One of the best ramen I've ever had. I've come here twice and left both times feeling like I was floating on the clouds. Delicious vegan ramen and kimchi cheese French fries. Staff are sooo friendly and never too crowded. Which perplexes me because it's so good. Why doesn't it have a line out the door?!? Perhaps during rush hour? Anyways, COME HERE IT'S SOO GOOD!

We came on a rainy Saturday around 12 pm, and it was pretty empty inside. By the time we left, it was more crowded. I got the black garlic tonkatsu and my friend got the regular tonkatsu. Initially mine wasn't bad, but the more I ate the more I felt it was overly salty and one-dimensional. My friend didn't like his ramen much. I think my black garlic helped mask it. The noodles are good and thick which I liked. And although I liked that the chashu was nicely charred, it was very thin. Egg was cooked well though. Overall, wouldn't come back, especially because there are so many good ramen restaurants in the area.

When I landed in SF, my goal was to make a beeline for a tsukemen restaurant. Fortunately, Waraku seemed to be one of the few restaurants open during lunch hour. Tsukemen isn't a commonly served dish on the east coast, so I need to get my fix here. Waraku was 100% worth the 5 hour flight and hour and a half train ride to get here (missed a few of my stops...) Needless to say, Waraku was a perfectly tranquil and calming dining experience after the stress of transit. There was only one waitress but she was prompt, polite, and attentive. The chicken karaage was piping hot and crispy. The tsukemen though was everything I've been dreaming of after 2 years away from the west coast. The noodles were firm and bouncy and seasoned with what tasted like a sweet soy sauce. The broth was rich, fatty, and salty. The combination of the two was *chef kiss*! I ordered extra noodles and packed it to fake home. The egg was cooked perfectly with that runny yolk interior, and the mushrooms and bamboo tasted fresh. I've had bamboo that tasted almost fishy in a way, and this was absolutely not the case here. I'm so happy that Waraku serves tsukemen for lunch unlike so many other places!

I ordered 3 different ramens and one appetizer. All of the three are delicious but tsukemen is my favorite! Their noodle is perfectly cooked! Geso is tender but not dry or hard to chew. Def will love to go again!

Great ramen! If you're looking for that one good ramen you had in Tokyo or Osaka this is as close as you get to it in the Bay Area. The toppings were inconsistent when we went back multiple times, but that's the only complaint