Dohatsuten

If you’ve ever watched Anthony Bourdain’s «Beyond Borders» show, going to this restaurant was like that for me: it wasn’t just Japanese. It was Foreign, different than anything I had eaten before. In that spirit (and because it was my birthday), I tried several small plates of dishes I had never heard of (and can’t repeat now, unfortunately). What I can tell you is they were uniformly strange and delicious at the same time. One broth took 3 days to prepare! Highly recommended!

I like the ordering process — choose your base, choose your ramen, choose if you want any extras.
I got tonkotsu ramen with grilled pork and it was über delicious. The pork had a slightly smoky flavor, it was the first time I’ve tried that. The noodles were nice and chewy and the portion size was decent. The egg (half) was properly cooked. It was a very satisfying experience. My friend and I also split agedashi tofu and while it wasn’t particularly special, it was decent.
For a tiny strip mall place on a Sunday at 11:30 am (when they open), it filled up fast.
The service was ok.

Certainly one of the best Ramen in the area!
The place is quite small and the parking lot tends to be overcrowded. As it is often full, the kitchen happens to be overproduction hence the service not super fast but at the end of the day, it worth the wait!

Came here today with my bf for lunch. It was my first visit. I missed the entrance to the parking the first time around, it’s a little obscure. But once you know where it is, it’s easier to slow down ahead of time to turn in.
It was kind of crowded when we arrived and put our name down on the waitlist. We probably waited about 10 minutes. It wasn’t a bad wait considering there were 4 parties ahead of us.
I ordered the spicy miso broth with their dohatsu special, with extra noodles. I LOVE spicy food, and well, it wasn’t spicy to me, but it was all very tasty and savory. I absolutely love that they give you your extra noodles on the side. I’m almost always mystified if I even received any extra noodles at other ramen places but is charged for it. This place gives you a lot. I couldn’t even finish it all, albeit I’ve been fasting for weeks so my stomach shrank a little. I ate most of it! I was pretty satisfied. I’m not hard to please when it comes to ramen though.
All in all, parking was fine, wait times for getting a table, our drink order, our lunch order, drinks and food being served, and getting the bill was all reasonably timed. I’d definitely come back!

They’re known for their Tonkatsu Dohatsuten Ramen. It already comes with a little bit of spice but you can always order more spicy. They use the thinner type of ramen noodles which wasn’t bad at all. In fact, I thought it was quite tasty. If I were to put it on a scale of a more subtle type of ramen (like orenchi) or a really strong flavored one (like ramen dojo), I’d put it more in the middle… maybe a little towards a stronger flavor type. Somewhat reminds me of Men-​oh ramen.
I would also put it just about on par with those ramen places as well. One of the few downsides is that it is a bit oily… but other than that, it is quite tasty!
The service is lacking. But the ramen itself is a solid 4 stars. I would try to come on an off time/​day but would definitely be ready for a wait if I came during prime times. The rating was tittering between a 3 and 4 star (since the rating of 3.5 stars seem somewhat appropriate), but since there aren’t many good ramen places around that area, it gets a 4 star! Try it out!

I’ve been a couple of times to Dohatsuten and I really like their Dohatsuten ramen. It’s definitely my favorite ramen place in Mountain View.
The place is quite small and can be very hot and stuffy. I haven’t experienced great service. It usually takes time for getting your orders taken, and once the waitress was not friendly when we asked about a missing dish. They can get understaffed during peak hours.

If there weren’t so many other fine ramen places in this area, I think that this would rate a little higher. However, I do think it’s appropriate to rate this place as it compares to other options in the area.
We came here for dinner. We planned ahead to arrive relatively early in the evening and were able to be seated instantly. By the time we left about an hour later, there were several groups waiting for our table.
This place touts itself as a ramen and tapas place. Accordingly, we indulged ourselves in both types of offerings. The signature Dohatsuten ramen was quite good. I ordered the tonkotsu broth — always my favorite — and with the added ingredients it made for a fine meal. The regular tonkatsu broth (order with chashu/​pork), however, was strangely lacking in character and flavor. The serving sizes were almost overwhelmingly large, and we had to take some home lest we go into a postprandial coma after ingesting such a large volume of broth and noodles.
We tried a handful of other items from the menu. The gyoza were nothing special; I’m starting to think that all Japanese restaurants order pre-​made dumpling from a large food service company because they all seem the same. The agedashi tofu was fairly good, but there was a strange, bitter aftertaste. The chicken karage was crispy and piping hot.
Regarding the service, after less than a minute at our table, a waitress showed up and asked us if we were ready to order. We asked for a little longer, and with a disinterested sigh she walked off. When we were finally ready to order, we couldn’t seem to get her attention. Eventually, another more responsive and much friendlier waitress came to our table and took our order. She looked after us pretty well.
One little gripe: I really don’t like restaurants that include a a calculation of suggested tip amounts on the receipt. It just seems a little unrefined. What’s more, the tip amount is based on the post-​tax amount, which isn’t technically correct (or so I’ve been taught).
Anyways, this was an acceptable experience, and I imagine that we’ll come here again. There are other equivalent and better choices in the area though.

I’ve been here a few times and while the food is good, I’m giving them a single star for service.
Also, they really need to think about hiring one or two more people on the weekends. They close at 2pm, with a waitlist of 30 people spilling on to the parking lot. With about 25 minutes to close I got fed a line about their staff needing breaks. But at least she offered me to sit outside and eat in 50 degree weather with no heat lamps. Pass.

SLOW SLOW SLOW. im reviewing based on my experience (3 times) dont come here during lunch time because wait times just to get a seat is about 30minutes and counting. now add another 10 minutes so the waiter gets to you. then another 20 minutes to get your food. im standing right here as i wait. this place is really slow and the waiter will not sit you even though there are tables already. it is JUST SLOW. this place is understaffed and needs more employees.
if youre craving for ramen, dont come here because youll lose your appetite out of disappointment by the time you get your food.

Wow! This was the best place I have come across for ramen and seriously one of the best meals I have ever had!
I highly re one t the Dohatsuten Ram with their signature broth.

Dohatsuten has a really funky and small parking lot. The lines drawn can be rather sharp, so when you drive in, you have to do some funky maneuvers to get into the spots.
The menu has a variety of food. I guess their specialty is ramen.
I got the Dohatsuten ramen. The bowl was of a good size. Here are my thoughts on the ramen:
–The bowl was a good size. I thought they gave you a lot of meat, noodles, and broth.
–The noodles were of the completely wrong type. My friend got the same thing and commented on the same noodle problem. They were a bit too thin to be ramen noodles.
–The broth just tasted like salt water, despite it being tonkatsu pork. I guess it was a little oily, sure, but not quite the pork flavor I was seeking.
–There was some chili oil in one concentrated area of the broth. If you mix the oil in, it adds slightly more flavor to the broth.
–The meat was okay. It’s not quite melt in your mouth good, but it’s decent. One of the better ones I’ve had.
We also got a side dish of sesame spinach. It was a bit pricey but I really liked what they did with the spinach here. They blanched it well so you don’t have that horrible gritty teeth taste afterwards, and the sesame paste was a great complement.
Would I come back again? Maybe, if only for the spinach.

I love ramen! Can never get enough ramen when the cold season rolls in!
My SO said this was his favorite ramen place so I had to give it a try as soon as possible. We got here about 15 minutes before they opened for dinner and it wasn’t crowded for a Saturday night, surprising. It did get very busy after the first round of customers so prepare to wait if you don’t come right when they open.
The waitress and servers were very friendly. Because there was so many customers, it did take a while for someone to come and take our order. We tried the karaage and it was delicious, as well as the boiled shrimp dumpling. The sauces that came with them were great compliments. I highly recommend both appetizers.
The ramen itself was great, but I’ve had better. I asked for spicy but it wasn’t really all that spicy. Chili peppers added, but I was hoping for spiciness in the both. The broth was good, but not that flavorful.
I didn’t really like the décor and how dim the lighting was.
Overall, good food, decent service, but I probably wouldn’t make the drive again.

The look of the place almost caused us to turn around and leave, but the traffic jam outside made us stay and we ended up enjoying good food and discovering a new favorite.
We were hungry, stuck in heavy traffic jam on our way to a different restaurant. We chose the wrong lane and the wonderful, kind drivers we shared the road with wouldn’t let us back in, so we entered a side street and that is when we saw the simple sign saying Ramen.
We parked behind the restaurant and the first thing I noticed was their restrooms on the outside of the building, looking exactly like a gas station restrooms. I thought, OK I am not going to the restrooms here.
The glass door we came through was broken, the inside does not look nice, or clean, or appealing in any way. A small room with a few simple tables that probably had its better days long ago. The very dark brown floor with stains does not add much sex appeal to the place.
Surprisingly the food experience was absolutely awesome. We took a few cold tapas plates, Veggie Phở, and the hot iron plate with beef and crispy rice which I forgot its name. That last dish is to die for! the rice is burnt by the hot iron and become very crispy, the beef was seasoned well with exotic tastes, the mushrooms (I believe these were mushrooms) added earthy flavors… now I regret horribly for not taking one dish to go.
The veggie Phở was good.
The service was OK. We had to signal the server to approach us for the order, but she came back at least once to check on us and reacted fast when we asked for the bill.
Until we got the food I thought it is an old, simple restaurant and wondered about their Phở prices. After eating what they serve I know I will come back for that food again. Next time I will check the exact name of this iron dish.

Dohatsuten is the first ramen place I recommend to friends and family who are visiting Mountain View/​Palo Alto. The signature dohatsuten ramen is solid and has a lot of stuff in it (of course you can also choose to omit things you may not like; bean sprouts, for example).
I took my dad here once and he commented, quote: «The noodle is delicious and big amount. I like it very much. It is better than I had in Japan, which having strong pig smell.»
I cannot vouch for his statement regarding pig-​smelling ramen in Japan, but he is right that the quantity here is quite substantial.
Another time I was eating here with a few friends, and after I had finished about ²⁄₃ of my bowl, my bowl literally cracked with a loud pop and the broth started spilling out from the side. The staff immediately came over to clean it up, and they gave me a new fresh, full bowl of ramen. That was pretty sweet. And filling.
Service can be a little spotty though, as often there’s only one server manning the entire place. The restaurant isn’t that big, but when it’s busy it is definitely too much for one person to handle expediently.

Wow, this place was awesome! I’m so glad I found this ramen house because it’s just 10 minutes from my office! The Spicy Miso Ramen was delicious!
My girlfriend was disappointed about the Onigiri… it took forever for them to make them, they were expensive, and not tasty :(so the ramen is the way to go!

It’s an okay place, though parking is limited. Be care driving out of the parking lot, since you have to come out the same way you came in. Service when we went there was OK, though the waitress got of our beverage wrong. She gave us beer when we asked for a Sprite. Bathrooms are located outside near the parking lot.
Food wise, it’s interesting, you choose your noodle, your broth, and style. I chose the Dohatsuten which is their specialty pork broth with ramen noodles. My partner chose the soy based broth. So this is where it was a hit/​miss for us. My dish was quite good. My partner’s dish wasn’t good, it had a very bitter aftertaste.
I should go back to give it a second chance.

This place was okay for ramen. Ordered the vegetable ramen and added spinach and bambu shoots. Got this with vegetarian soy broth. The broths can be a bit misleading because they say soy, salt, yuzu miso, tonkatsu pork, and vegetarian soy. I wouldn’t know that all the others broths except the last one was all pork based. Glad I asked.
Soup was pretty basic and the ramen reminded me of instant ramen or the ramen in a cup. Had a sore throat so it definitely helped sooth it, however, I probably would not come back. It was nothing special and I’ve definitely had better. Also, service was pretty slow.
Thanks for lunch but won’t be back.

I LOVE the ramen here, however today I arrived 10 minutes before opening for lunch (I was the first customer of the day) and I waited for Dohatsuten to open… I entered and was seated first, before any other customers. I’ve eaten here many times and was ready to order, however the waitress proceeded to take the orders from one, two, finally three other tables– at which point I got up and told the host what happened and that I wasn’t going to stay and eat there after such rude and unprofessional service.
There was no apology or any offer of remedy presented, the host was just like «ok» as if he couldn’t care less.
Dohatsuten has failed me, the food is good but it’s hard to enjoy it with such poor service :-(

Craving for Ramen and this is like the closest to home so off we went. Place is tiny with outside seating area to accommodate more customers. Parking is very few so you might end up parking next door. Place is still super busy even after arriving 30 minutes before closing. Ordered Kurabuta Chasu Ramen and Vegetarian Ramen.
Verdict: Food totes hit the spot!

Sometimes I feel a little adventurous and say to myself forget your favorite ramen place and go try something new! Sometimes it pays off but this wasn’t the case.
I ordered the Dahatsuten thinking it should be their best since it is named after the place. I had the soy broth as I read some negative reviews about the pork broth.
The broth was absolutely flavorless except for the garlic of course. A lot of garlic, but hey I never complain about garlic. The toppings were OK. The pork kinda blend and the egg is just a normal egg no flavors whatsoever. The worst thing for me was the noodles. Eeeekkk! So So under not aldente just under done and they tasted so cheap. Not good Not good at all.
The only pro is the fast service and that’s it.