Ramen Izakaya Yu-Gen

This place was recommended by a friend and did not disappoint. My tonkatsu ramen had a flavorful broth and a tasty hard boiled egg. There was also no wait to be seated despite it being 1:00. The noodles are good but nothing special.

Izakaya Yu-Gen’s ramen, for its current prices (~$ 12), are very satisfying, and offers a range of sufficiently different ramen options from the surrounding ramen restaurants. I rank this place above Maru Ichi, Ryowa, and Shalala, but below Dohatsuten.
I’ve tried the chicken and tonkotsu deluxe ramen (~$ 13) and have been happy with their distinction from surrounding ramen shops and overall taste. I’ve also tried their «only 10 per day» dipping noodle, and found only okay, but perhaps dipping noodles just aren’t my thing.

I’m so used to going to ramen houses that have lines out the door, and was surprised to see that we were the first ones there at 5:30PM!
I really like the noodles here for the pork ramen! The noodles were cooked al dente, and were chewy and yummy. I got the extra spicy broth with the Tonkatsu ramen w/​tender & juicy pork belly, and it wasn’t that spicy for me (but I’m Korean, so that makes sense). I wish I just got the Tonkatsu ramen with Cha Shu because I don’t like eating sweet pork belly with my spicy ramen. I’ll try that next time!

Bringing it down to 4 star. After the first time here, our wait time to get food was quite long and I just figured it was a one time thing. However after coming here for the second time, our wait time to get food was just as long. For an order of two dipping ramens, our food took over 30 min. We saw everyone who came before and after us receive their food before us. Even though the server repeatedly apologized, over 30 min for two orders of ramen is just too long.
Last time I came I ordered the tonkotsu deluxe ramen. This time I ordered the dipping ramen and on the menu it noted that they only had 10 orders of these a night. We came around 6:30 and the waiter said that there were plenty left. I had just come back from Japan a couple of weeks ago and had some of the best ramen and dipping ramen (also known as tsukemen) in my life. I knew that nothing could compare to the ones in Japan but I wanted to try it here just for comparison. Overall it was okay and would probabaly just order the tonkatsu ramen again. The pork chashu was super flavorful and tender. The flavor of the broth was okay but nothing special. The low point of the ramen however were the noodles. They tasted over cooked and had no bite to them. I just wouldn’t be able to get myself to order the dipping ramen here again after having set the bar so high in Japan.

I have been a good customer of Katsu Curry since they have been in the back of castro street. I like their katsu and curry because the crispy level and the flavor of curry is quite right for me. Since it’s one of my favorites, I take to-​go after work at least twice a week and the best selection for me has been pork cutlet, medium spicy, and green salad. And here is why I give them one star.
Lately, their customer service and the quality of food disappointed me. They started to put smaller katsu and more rice. They put cabbage without sauce instead of spinach salad with soy sauce. And medium spicy gets spicer. However, all these didn’t happen when I take a table and order. At least for those time that I’ve been. I’m very disappointed at how Katsu Curry treats their customer. I might stop going to this place.

We were walking around downtown Mountain View and trying to figure out what we should eat on a Friday night. We walked pass this restaurant and decided to give it try.
We first ordered the takoyaki (Octopus Balls) for appetizers. The balls were nicely shaped with some delicious sauce surrounding them. As for the noodles, we ordered the «Special Tonkatsu Ramen» and the Ramen with Pork Belly. We also decided to try the Yuzu Liquer. I think this may be my new favorite drink. Too bad you can’t find it at Bevmo’s or Total Wine or something. I may have to drive to Mitsuwa or some other Japanese supermarket to buy it.
After eating all the food, I really feel like this place is definitely comparable to Orenchi Ramen. The only difference is that there isn’t a 2-​hour wait like Orenchi has. I believe I have failed to mention how DELICIOUS and AMAZING their SOFT BOILED EGGS are! They are almost like Orenchi Ramen’s except they are slightly sweeter. I love them and would totally want more of these eggs next time.
In terms of service, their service was quite decent based on the situation that they were in. The restaurant was over half full and only two people were working, so I will cut them some slack in terms of service. They looked really busy.
Overall, I would definitely come back… maybe within the next few weeks. I will crave ramen sooner or later and I choose this ramen place again over other ramen places in the Bay Area. Yummy in my tummy all the way!

My mom and I were wandering around Castro at exactly 2:00pm looking for some lunch.
Unfortunately that’s about the time where everywhere closed so we were feeling frustrated when we stumbled about Ramen Izakaya Yu-​Gen.
The waiters were nice enough to let us be their last guests and I’m glad they did. The ramen here is so good! I was surprised seeing that it was rated so low on Unilocal.But honestly the broth was perfectly seasoned, not ridiculously salted and the chasiew was on point.

Overview:
Better than any other shop around, and 5 stars despite service.
— okay service
— most authentic
— REALLY SPECIAL «Special Tonkotsu Ramen»
— beautiful plating
— reasonable prices
— cool atmosphere (it is a place meant for drinking)
— AMAZING SOFT BOILED EGGS
SERVICE:
(I was expecting a «いらっしゃいませ！» when I came in but no…)
We were sat quickly after spending a long time looking for parking and ordered as soon as we were ready, but when I actually needed something, I saw the my server was talking to the table behind me. So I decided to wait, but after like 5 minutes and realizing she’s not talking about the menu, I turned and said excuse me. Which she just said hold on and continued her conversation a bit longer. To me, talking that much to customers doesn’t make for a professional environment. And she also didn’t seem to grasp the concept of customer-​server respect.
FOOD:
First my boyfriend and I ordered (what he described as) a japanese-​Italian fusion sashimi plate. It was a little spicy and very delicious. Plating was beautiful.
Next came out the Ikagesoage, fried calamari legs. Legs! Not rings nor a mixture of the two!(ahem, Kula sushi.). This was also amazing with the lemon squeezed on top and then dipped in the asian mayo. SOOO great.
And finally, came my Special Tonkotsu Ramen and my boyfriend’s Dipping Noodles with Pork and Fish Soup.
Again, both looked amazing but starting with the Tonkotsu, my boyfriend and I agreed it’s better and far more authentic than Orenchi and any other place in this area! The soup really is SPECIAL Tonkotsu. My boyfriend wanted it even with no noodles left in my bowl. And the soft boiled egg, ahhhh the soft boiled egg… was perfectly on point. When I broke into it my face turned into pure joy. Not only was it truly soft boiled, but delicious as well~
I tried a bit of my boyfriends Dipping Noodles and it was good too (& also my first time seeing something like that!) he seemed to enjoy it. And it looked fun to eat.
In the end we finished all of the things we ordered and the bill came out to about $ 40! Not bad for 4 delicious items. I will definitely come back here. I even tried putting the idea of thanking the owner/​chef for making such delicious food into my boyfriend’s head, but he didn’t get it.
To the owner:
Please work on your team members but thank you for such delicious & authentic food. I’ve never remembered the taste of Tonkotsu or an egg so well until here. I’ll tell everyone I know about this place!
ありがとうございました！

I’ve updated my previous rating of 2 stars. OK, I’m getting used to the curtains and the service has improved greatly. I’ve been there now 5 or 6 times since my last review and this is my go to spot for Tonkatsu. Flavorful broth, good quality noodles, tasty pork belly and Chiashu. The pot stickers are hit or miss (sometimes they are really greasy). Last time I was there I had them add ground pork to my house special tonkatsu, which now puts this place over the top! They should include the ground pork to the soup as a standard ingredient (hint-​hint).

I’ve had both the tonkotsu and the paitan ramen, and the surprising thing for me is that I like their paitan better. The egg and the noodles were perfect. The broth is flavorful, but tastes much lighter than the tonkotsu broth (their tonkotsu is way too oily for my taste) and its less salty.
I was surprised that my paitan came with pork belly. The pork was a disappointment, not a whole lot of flavor, tasted almost boiled. I ended up leaving it in my bowl.
Five spice chicken quarter is somewhat disappointing IMO. It’s juicy, but it lacks spice (very mild, taste basically like roasted chicken).

Didn’t have the ramen but came here for drink and the «izakaya» is pretty solid. There isn’t a ton of izakaya options in the bay but this place is a decent effort. Already had dinner so we were just looking for drinking and snacking and the bar seats here are GREAT. All the chefs kept chatting with us (even taking a sake shot with us) and the prices and food were all really good. Had the octopus (fried) which was deliciously chewy and salty), the dacoyaki (pretty solid… scalding hot), kaarage (really delicious and fresh) and a variety of drinks. Their potato «grain» drink will knock you on the floor but my friend loved the mixed drinks (Japanese vodka mixed with syrup)…the cold sake is a great deal (only $ 8 for prob 4 – 5 shots per person). Overall great place for drinking and light snacking (didn’t have ramen but people seemed to enjoy it).

Stopped by on a Friday night for dinner in downtown Mountain View and was surprised this place still had seats open. We ordered the special tonkotsu ramen and the tonkotsu ramen with pork belly, both of which were really good. The broth was very rich with a strong meat base, which I enjoyed, but may be too strong/​rich for some, so keep that in mind.
It was also nice that you could specify the spiciness of your broth (as some places just default to mild/​medium for all their ramens). The chashu that comes with the special tonkotsu is unfortunately, pretty fatty, which I also enjoyed, but again, isn’t for everyone. The pork belly was quite fatty as well, but not as much so as the chashu (though I think it depends on the pieces you happen to get). As for toppings, there was a soft boiled egg, some bean sprouts, green onions, a piece of nori (seaweed) in the ramen, but not much else. The noodles were the perfect consistency, but the bowl could have done with more toppings for $ 10 – 12.
Service was good, the waiter/​waitresses were enthusiastic and quick to respond to requests. Overall, I enjoyed the taste of the richer broth here, but a bowl of ramen here is pricier than some other places (or maybe it’s just the dinner price again ¯\_(ツ)_/¯). I would come back if I happened to be in the area, but since it is downtown, parking here can be quite the challenge.

Bumping this place up to 5 stars after a recent visit. Here’s a few reasons why:
1. I ordered the chicken paitan ramen with five spiced chicken on a tip from a friend, and it did not disappoint! The chicken ramen itself is pretty good, lighter in flavor than ramen typically is (which I enjoy) but the chicken leg that comes with the ramen is the clear star of the show. It’s huge, full of flavor, and crispy and juicy in all the right ways. Definitely not something available at most ramen joints, and will easily fill you up till you feel like you’re bursting.
2. We were a large party and they forgot one of our orders, which would normally be a ding, but they didn’t charge us for it. Good service!
3. One of our party left her phone at the shop. When we called back, even though it was after hours, they stayed behind until around 11:30pm just so we could pick it up. Great service!
Super friendly service that goes out of the way to help out coupled with great food that will fill you up at a reasonable (Bay Area) price… Clearly deserves an update to five stars.

I walked into Ramen Izakaya Yu-​Gen on a lazy Sunday afternoon when I happened to be strolling down the dog friendly streets of downtown mountain view. As I came across shop after shop of Asian themed restaurants one place in particular hit my fancy, its name Ramen Izakaya Yu-​Gen. Upon entering I noticed it was empty aside from a few people scattered at a few different tables.
The hostess seated my party behind some privacy curtains. The privacy curtains had a cut out for the server to say hello and bring your food etc.
3 beers on tap and which I ordered a Cali Coast, not bad medium bodied with a hint of crispness. very easy drinking.
Tried to order beef slices seared but it was not available.
Also had their version of chicken Karaage. It was OK.
My main lunch dish was dipping noodles. It was interesting yet refined.
Noodles were cold, but dipped into a warm Broth for maximum dipping experience.
There is a limit of 10 dipping noodles per table max. The waiter explained, I guess it made sense.
The dipping noodle broth had an earth taste like a dirt taste JK. Actually it was very smooth with a hint of bonito, squid, octopus, whatever seafood it was.
Call me a purist but I dont really like spice in my Ramen broth. so when they ask how spicy I was thrown for a bit of confusion.
This place is cool, maybe I’ll be back maybe I wont.

This place may not have all the bells and whistles of some other ramen shops in the area.
Pretty simplistic take on ramen unless you add your own toppings; for instance, no corns kernels, bamboo shoots, extra pieces of seaweed or roasted pork. However, for what you get and the cost you pay, not bad at all!
I went with the chicken paitan, and honestly, this was one of the plainer broths I’ve had. Not in a bad way, but when I think of ramen broth, I think of fatty stew that you probably shouldn’t drink after you’re done eating all the noodles, but can’t help but gulp all of. Not so with this broth. It is a clearer broth with a much more mild chicken flavor.
The tonkatsu broth however, was amazingly delicious. Rich, fatty, salty, and full of pork flavor. This was not the dish I ordered, but I heard the pork belly was delicious and definitely worthy of praise.
And lastly, I judge my ramen places partially on the egg you get. I LIVE for a good soft boiled egg, and this one did not disappoint. The soft boiled egg was sweet and salty and just runny enough in the center. Absolutely no complaints!

I was seated at the bar last night 1/​30, and I witnessed a line cook take out a frozen package of takoyaki balls, then defrost them in the microwave. And then deep fry them.
When you eat out, you expect to have items prepared at the restaurant, using fresh ingredients. Not to be served some frozen appetizers I can buy from ranch 99, or any other oriental supermarket.
It really begs the question then that if that appetizer isn’t fresh, and from frozen. What else on their menu is? Its rather unacceptable.
I even took a photo of the appetizers in the microwave. Aside from that the ramen wasn’t even that great, the ambience is nice. But I care largely about the quality of the food I am served.
As a former restaurant line cook myself. Restaurants do not, and should not even have a microwave.

Food was good. Best ramen I’ve had aside from santouka. A bit pricey, but worth it every now and then. Downtown mv near amarin thai across from Hong Kong bistro.
Gustas:
Friendly waiter
Special tonkatsu ramen broth not too salty, but enough flavor
Curry served in lamp like in Japan
Sausage curry very flavorful
Egg yolk perfectly runny!!!
No gusta:
Very limited dinner options
Only tonkatsu and vegetarian broth
$ 1 extra fukujinzuke (red daikon for curry)
Overall would love to come back! We were gonna go to maruichi, but I saw yu gen on the way and changed my mind. Oxtail ramen also available, but it’s around $ 14.50 I think vs other ramen that are about $ 10-​$ 11. I also ordered extra spicy for my broth, but it wasn’t that spicy. My guess is that japanese people don’t really eat spicy.

tldr; Better ramen down the street at Maruichi or Shalala. If you’re here then get the «octopus balls» because they’re second to only ones I’ve had in Japan! The runny sweet egg in the ramen is soft boiled perfection!
Octopus balls aka takoyaki (⁵⁄₅): This was incredible! They serve it in a sizzling hot plate (kind of like an escargot platter) which keeps the takoyaki hot at the table. The skin is nicely caramelized and holds together. In each takoyaki there was also TWO chunks of large octopus. So many takoyaki places serve paste balls.
Special tonkotsu ramen (³⁄₅): I got the medium spicy and there was no spice. My friend who got it on the weekend said there was some redness to his but I didn’t see any of that. Inconsistency. Also the ramen noodles were completely undercooked as mine were incredibly tough. The only saving grace was the soft boiled sweet egg. I have never tasted a ramen egg so good before so I might just go back to get this egg alone. It was perfectly runny and golden in color and slightly sweet. Lastly the broth was okay but too rich /​creamy.

I finally had the chance to come in on New Year’s for some ramen with my friends. I had called 2 days in advance to make sure they were going to b open cuz we knew we were going to b in the Mountain View area. thank god they were open that day n we got the chance to have some ramen plus their small plates.
the exterior really doesn’t look like much. there’s a stand with their current menu for passers by. when we entered the front door, we were very impressed by the mix of urban n industrial look. there’s bottles of sake overhead all lined up. the space is pretty deep lengthwise. there’s booths one after the other on the left side while there’s a bar area for individual customers on the right side. it adds some privacy for customers who aren’t interested in having strangers hear their conversations. (unless u r a loud talker.) very cool design.
the menu includes a few of their Ramens, small plates, some salads, n desserts. we ordered a hot sake, a ramen, n some small plates. my friend also ordered a Pork Cutlet Curry from an additional curry menu they just started using that day! they’ve partnered up with Kobe Curry to include more to their restaurant which adds to the variety of yummy foods.
Pork Cutlet Curry: the curry was good, but not amazing. it was good enough for the price. it was crispy on the outside n not dry on the inside.
Shochiku-​Bai Hot Sake: so warm n good going down my stomach. worth the price.
Tonkatsu Ramen w/​Pork Belly: the Tonkatsu broth was rich, but not too creamy n thick which I really enjoyed. the Pork Belly was just the right size for me. I let my friend have my egg so can’t comment on that. :) maybe next time. but will definitely order this ramen again!
Homemade Pot Stickers: we had to order this cuz it’s homemade n wasn’t disappointed. it was delicious with soy sauce. homemade is ALWAYS better.
Fried Calamari Legs: fried just right. crunchy n not that oily. must dip in the Japanese mayo for added flavor.
Japanese Fried Chicken: so good! it’s so juicy on the inside. (c pic.) they add a piece of paper on the bottom which soaks up whatever oil they had. (wasn’t much oil anyways.)
will definitely b back for more of that Tonkatsu broth n Fried Chicken!

Not too fond of them having a very limited lunch menu (I mean c’mon. 2 items for appetizer on a weekend?!)… but they did deliver when we got our ramen. The broth was rich and delicious! I didn’t remember their ramen being that good the first time we went. so they definitely have improved on their craft.
Definitely a better place to visit for dinner because they offer a larger selection of food such as Takoyaki, Squid Legs, and Croquette… but, if you’re happy with just ramen and karaage… you can come here for lunch.