Noraneko

Some of the best bang for the Buck ramen in Portland, as long as you go after midnight (unlisted base price of $ 6). Even if you don’t, the food is pretty delish and they also have chuhai (a Japanese liquor).

Atmosphere is good, service was on point, and the food tasted just fine — only complaint is the pricing.
I didn’t realize my $ 9 bowl only came with a very basic noodle combo with some chopped chives, three tiny-​thin strips of chicken (or pork?), and a couple radishes. I didn’t realize the point was to add items to it, for a cost. Looks like that’s the way to go based on other pics, but damn nine bucks for some broth and noodles is pretty steep, I don’t care who ya are.
The menu didn’t make it obvious to add items (maybe I just totally missed it), and the staff didn’t ask or point it out (no complaints there, though, I was a dumb noob).
For what it is, there are plenty of other top-​notch ramen spots around town for cheaper.
As others mentioned, it’s in the lovely SE industrial area under the bridge and by the tracks. All those words equal transient wildlife camping near your parked car (especially if spots are full and you have to park down the block). Don’t keep anything inside unless you want a busted window.

The ramen is delicious and flavorful. The fried chicken is freaking amazing. The gyoza is like a little packet of sunshine. But OMG, the parfait Sunday was over the top! I’ll come back just for that amazing parfait. So good! Good job team!

I came to noraneko based on Unilocal reviews, but was kind of let down. I had the shio ramen with special egg and chasyu. it was okay. nothing special. noodles were kind of hard. watery broth. I would put this maybe one step above or on the same level as boxer ramen on the other side of town. it doesn’t even come close to kukai. I liked the menma and the clean bathrooms though.

Not going to lie, this place definitely isn’t located in the best area. It looked super sketch from the outside as it’s located under a bridge, not well-​lit, and seems very isolated. It’s a lot better once you’re inside though. Parking is available right in front of the restaurant.
SERVICE: Service overall was whatevers. Our group had to wave the servers down a few times for water and the check. Food took forever to come out.
POPCORN: This was really interesting! Recommend getting this snack because it only costs $ 2. It’s popcorn baked/​seasoned with like a Japanese seasoning– the seasoned red pepper you usually sprinkle into ramen. Super addicting.
TORI KARA AGE: Loved this as well. I’m from LA and this reminds me of Kyochon’s Fried Chicken. It’s delicious and worth the hype. The fried chicken is boneless and has a fried skin that’s not too bready nor too thick/​oily. You’ll love it.
GYOZA: You have the option to order 3 or 6 panfried pork dumplings, priced $ 4 and $ 7 respectively. These gyozas were on the oily side for my preference. It was just okay to me.
MISO RAMEN: I have had my fair share of ramens from LA and I just thought this was okay. I added the CLASSIC CHASYU (pork) and SPECIAL EGG (soft boiled egg). It would have been a plain ramen bowl otherwise.
Despite the location and the service, I’d come back to this restaurant to eat it again but would never crave it.

First of let me say that I already know it’s a little much to expect going to a sit down place in a time crunch. I was headed to a movie tonight and running late… Of course. I came in as a single on a Friday night and was seated incredibly fast. I was ready to order almost immediately and my drinks came out super fast. I ordered the vegan ramen and it was delicious. I’ve been looking forward to another ramen place I can eat at being a vegan and wasn’t disappointed the broth was so good and the food was piping hot and also came out incredibly fast and they had no issues letting me pay early and even brought me a to go bowl since I was in a bit of a hurry in case I needed it. I DIDN’T! It was so tasty I finished pretty much everything. I don’t know my waiters name even though I looked for it on the ticket to include in this review but he was incredibly attentive and friendly. Thanks guys! I’m fed and on time for my movie! Thanks for helping a perpetually late lady be punctual!
–Sarah

I just had noraneko for the first time, and it was pretty darn good. I got the Shio, opting to add pork belly chasyu and a special egg, as well as a side of fried chicken.
The stars of the dish were, by far, the pork belly and the noodles. The pork was a perfect, delicate balance of meat and fat. The noodles were light and fluffy, generally tying the dish together very well.
The fried chicken (tori kara age), was absolutely incredibly. It was the first time in awhile that I’ve genuinely thought, «What in the world is that?» — in a very good way. In short, get some!

Seems expensive for a bowl of ramen for this type of casual, order and sit down place. It’s $ 9 for ramen and broth but it’s another few dollars for each topping you want (e.g. soft boiled egg, meats, tofu). Add in a beverage and this will be a solid $ 20 lunch. It’s okay if that’s what you’re expecting I guess. I thought the bowls were $ 9 with things included going in.
Good news is — the noodles are PERFECT portion and texture and doneness. And the pork belly is thick and delicious.
Bad news is — the broth is too meager in portion. There is only barely enough broth to cover the noodles. And there are no spicy sauce options to add to the soup. The broth itself is fine but nothing to write home about.
I like the style of the place. It’s casual — order and sit down but the space is designed so that it feels kind of private wherever you are. I could see it being pretty busy on a weekend evening.
In conclusion — go here if you have a ramen craving for noodles over broth, and stick with the basics.

Considering its Portland, it’s is a very good Japanese food joint. The menu is very close to the menu in other Ramen houses in Tokyo. The miso Ramen was ok, but the shoyu Ramen was very close to authentic. Tastes almost what you’ll eat at a market in Tokyo.
The pork belly was tender and very tasty. It tastes a little different but I know it’s like that because it’s American bred and raised pork. Pork in Asia has a richer flavor and a different texture. The ambience is very nice and feels like a real Ramen house, even the background noise.
So, all in all, yes, I would come back for more.

The ramen is super a la carte, $ 8 for base with noodles + other add ins which will make the price for a «full» ramen at about $ 12.
the ramen was alright, but didn’t leave me super impressed.
the fried chicken was surprisingly very good. GET IT! it’s perfect crispiness and stands out.
service was a bit lacking.

Small portions, bland broth, expensive (and tiny!) protein add-​ons.
Nice try, Noraneko.

I’ve eaten here thrice now and every visit has been good. Wait staff doesn’t care if you exist but I’ve come to expect that kind of service from hipster joints and Portland’s work force. They weren’t rude as they were at another ramen joint… just indifferent.
Meanwhile, the food… which is why we come here was pure and simple, delicious! I had the Shoyu Noodles with the Chasu Pork. Flavorful broth is simple and not complicated… freshly ground sesame seeds and chili paste allow you to season as little our as much as you like. for me just a couple grinds of sesame is enough! Chewy, pillowy noodles care a wonderful need for the Pork Belly… and what a year that was… delicate and fatty and ridiculously flavorful, you must add this to your noodles! To those who would complain about the price, you should really try noodles somewhere else… that’s the going rate for a bowl of noodles anywhere…$ 8 is average… Yes, you pay $ 3 for the Chasu, but having cooked pork belly a lot, I know that to hit this level of tenderness requires 3 hours of braising and time is money, not to mention that the price of pork belly has gone through the roof given our love for bacon! In closing… these aren’t dorm room noodles they are hardy and fresh and fantastic… and on a cold rainy day they are simply remarkable.

I work by this place, and I probably come here for lunch once a week. I didn’t think it could compete with Boke down the street, but it definitely holds its own. Their ramen doesn’t have as many seasonal veggies, but for me that’s a plus. Their mushroom ramen broth comes highly recommended, but even as a mushroom lover, I still like the miso broth best.
Service is quick, 5 – 10 minutes when you call ahead. The biggest downside is the price. Protein, egg, and add ons all cost extra, and there’s a take out fee.
Even so, this place is worth checking out.

Kind meh, a little fishy. Fluff if you ask me. Not worth the price.
Had the pork base and it tasted incredibly fishy.
Might just not be my cup of soup, but I will not be trying it again.
$ 8 for base with noodles, $ 1 for an egg, and $ 4 for meat added. Definitely wasn’t a $ 13 bowl of soup.

Thank goodness a ramen place that opens past midnight! This shall be my favorite spot to satiate my late night ramen cravings (which is like, ALL THE TIME!).
Being a lover of bland food, I actually find their shio ramen a little too bland. How is this possible? But if you are opting for something on the lighter side, this is a good choice. My favorite is actually the shoyu ramen with its rich, darker broth that went really nicely with the special egg and the bouncy ramen noodles. I think the broth adds a lot more depth to it.
At $ 8 a bowl without any fixings, the price is a little on the higher side, especially if you want to add an egg for $ 1, chashu slices for $ 3 ($ 4 for both pork belly and regular chashu) and other toppings. BUT, the ramen happy hour here is worth it! I think they have happy hour till 6pm, and reverse happy hour again after midnight, so that’s a pretty sweet deal.
I also LOVED their fried chicken. Juicy, tender and crispy, it’s pretty amazing!

Noraneko is a bit off the beaten track, 4 blocks south from another ramen restaurant (Boke Bowl), and literally in the shadow of the Hawthorne bridge.
Things I really like about it:
* the ramen and it’s price point — it’s 8 or 9 bucks a bowl, compared to the 10 – 13 at Boke. The ramens are a bit hard to compare directly since they’re stylistically different, but I do feel Boke is expensive for what it is, while Noraneko feels priced more fairly. The only addon I’ve tried is the egg ($ 1), and it’s fantastic — I’d guess a 64 or 65 degree egg, with a yolk that’s that perfect spot between solid and runny.
* happy hour — I think it’s daily from 4 to 6 and includes drink and food specials
* tori kara age — fantastic Japanese style fried chicken, with a great spice to it.
* sui-​gyoza — I’m a fan of boiled dumplings, and being able to get a bit on the side of my ramen is perfect
* cocktails — I’ve only had the Boulevardier (basically a negroni with rye instead of gin), but it was fantastic, and just having the option of a full bar is always a plus.
* walking distance from my home and the office
They’ve got daily dinner specials as well. I really want to try wandering down here on Wednesday for the katsu kare ($ 10 for a fried pork cutlet and Japanese curry; we’ll see if they give Kale a run for the money).

Everything is so salty :(Service and staff were very nice, but man… even with the beer, I couldn’t wash that salty taste out. The chicken karaage was pretty good, ate that quickly, but when it came to the main course, I couldn’t finish it. Noodles were overcooked (soft-​ish) and then pork chasu was so salty I couldn’t eat more than one piece. The broth seemed to soak up all that salt as well.
It’s great that this place is open late, but you gotta have a high salt tolerance.

After a delayed flight in and a far-​too-​long experience at the car rental, we were too late to hit up Biwa for dinner, but fortunately found out that Noraneko was their sister restaurant that was open til 2:30 am on Fridays — score.
This place is awesome for the following reasons:
+ BEER SELECTION (lots of local, delicious stuff, including some great dark stouts)
+ TORI KARA AGE (some of the best ever, ferrealz)
+ MISO RAMEN w/​EGG & CHASYU (big enough to share!)
I especially liked the garlic press with fresh cloves, so you can add your desired amount to the ramen (although I vote you give customers more than just 3!). Overall, delicious late night eats that I’ll keep in mind next time I fly in!

Wham bam, thank you, Ma’am !!
I surely busted a noodle here. Tucked under the Hawthorne. Kinda lonely. We played musical chairs before ordering. Two bowls of ramen. Shio and Miso. A side of boiled pork dumplings. Coke and tea. $ 33 for a quickie. Done in 30 mins.
Hey… it’s just ramen.
oh…and they have bitchin’ take home containers.

Admittedly, I’m no ramen scientist. I just really, really love the stuff and aim to stuff my face with it whenever and wherever available. Luckily, this has led to some incredible ramen experiences all over the world. On the flip side, it’s led to some experiences that made me question whether anything that you can buy 10 of for $ 1 should qualify as food.
Long story short, Noraneko was pretty high up on the yardstick of delicious ramen I’ve put in my mouth. Over time, I’ve tried all four of their broths, and without a doubt the veggie/​mushroom and the shoyu are the stand outs with the Goldilocks effect of not too rich, not too flat, not too salty, not too bland. Both are slightly floral and definitely stuff-​your-​face-​worthy, which is especially impressive for a vegetarian stock base. And yes, the tori kara age is a must order.
But let’s be real: there are not many things better than warm ramen on cold Portland nights. Add the stylistic touches of being tucked under an iconic bridge, a design-​forward minimalistic setting, and some kick-​me-​in-​the-​face happy hour offers, there’s really not much not to like.