Lorianne L.
Yelp
Review for my first visit to Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen. Apparently, I haven't been to this area in a LONG time, because I didn't realize Castro Street was all closed off. Did this happen during COVID? ha ha! Anyhoo, I called upon my Yelp foodies to find something good for this rainy afternoon. Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen was a great find, thank you!
I met my friend at 11:45 am and there were plenty of seats available. Since I did my research ahead of time, I knew I would order the Tonkotsu Deluxe ramen that comes with cha shu AND pork belly. I've been building up my wimpy nature when it comes to spiciness, so I boldly ordered the Mild instead of Not Spicy option. It was perfect for me! My friend wasn't sure what to order but said she didn't like chicken broth, so I suggested she try the Special Tonkotsu Ramen. She took my advice and also tried the mild spiciness for her broth. Kudos to Yu-Gen, because their broth was stand-out delicious! It was rich, flavorful, and had a luxurious, coat-your-mouth feel. The cha sui and pork belly were tender and the marinated soft-boiled eggs were perfectly jammy. It would've been nice to have bamboo shoots as a garnish, but I didn't want to pay extra for those.
Our ramen came out super fast, and it was the perfect lunch for this cold and rainy day. If broth is important to you, and it should be, you should definitely try Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen. This is a strong 4 star review. I'll need to come back and try other items before granting a 5-star review, but definitely a delicious bowl of ramen.