Lounjin

I love this place. The owner and manager are very nice and sweet, and the ramen is delicious. Although I don’t usually get fancy coffee drinks anywhere but the occasional Starbucks when I’m dying of caffeine deprivation I was glad to have tried Lounjin’s drinks because they are great! Every drink I’ve gotten here – tea, coffee, something blended without coffee, something fancy with tea – has not failed to make me want to get another one at the earliest possible opportunity. I haven’t made a mention of sake so far because it deserves its own praise. Lounjin has a good selection of sake and I (presumably a sake n00b) have received excellent recommendations from the owners.
In addition to the edibles, I also enjoy Lounjin’s atmosphere. I like the art for sale on the walls, and I like the couches as a more casual option for my reading/​computing needs. There is free wi-​fi and plenty of outlets. I wish the café would be open a bit later on Saturdays because is there a better way to spend a Saturday night than in the company of homework and delicious food and drink? Maybe there is, but I guess I just like being a studious nerd, especially in the company of something good to eat. For anyone who would like a peaceful, relaxed atmosphere for whatever purpose – homework, hanging out, meeting friends – I definitely recommend Lounjin.

Wow. This place is a bit expensive ;)!
I came here with D to celebrate that we were together again. (crazy, I know).
They were pretty nice, but not over friendly. I’d come here to grab a sake and study.

All things for all people, or at least all the people likely to be found at a café on the Ave. They have coffee and tea, they have beer and wine (including sake), and they have both ramen and sandwiches. The high tables are better places to sit while eating than while drinking and doing homework, but they make up for it by including couches and whatnot. They do take themselves a bit too seriously, but at least they aren’t trying to be self-​consciously hip — when I was there, the music choice was smooth jazz.
Although I’m not much of a ramen connoisseur, I certainly enjoyed the miso ramen with pork that I had. The broth is flavorful, and there’s a good ratio of tasty toppings to tasty noodles and liquid. They also have curry ramen. Prices are reasonable, with a bowl of ramen running less than $ 8.
Lounjin is a good choice when you’re with a group and everybody wants something different., or just when you’re on the Ave and hungry for ramen.

If you want a coffee/​tea/​beer/​sake and want to avoid an Earl’s like environment, it’s this place.
I’m here now and unlike every other place on the ave right now, it’s actually pleasant to be in here. I was looking for a coffee shop that was not completely packed and I found it. Beer is fine, wish i was hungry so I could try the Ramen everyone on Unilocal are talking about.
I will be back… it’s nice to be on the ave and not feel like you are on the ave.

The atmosphere was nice, and they have a great selection of teas and sake’s– if that’s what you’re going for, then you might be quite satisfied. But don’t come expecting much from the ramen– the broth was watery and the noodles weren’t fresh tasting. The appetizers (which I did not try) looked much more delicious– they may be your best bet

Don’t let the sketchy street scare you. Sure it’s near the Rite-​Aid where various ‘citizens’ of the ave ponder, but take a walk inside, and you’ll be safe.
It has a nice red wall/​black chair décor (standard, modern-​esque feel if you will), and a nice Asian lady who stands behind the counter. Don’t worry you guys, she speaks fluent English and I couldn’t tell what ethnicity she was (Asian people can tell Asian people apart from their accented English).
Anyhow, she made me a wonderful americano and let my friends and I stay for over 4 hours as we were studying. I was surprised as the to limited amount of people, but it was truly a peaceful experience.
If I ever find myself waiting for the bus, I’ll take a seat inside and get some coffee.

SUCH a nice surprise on the Ave!!! Nothing better to meet these chilly fall days than a warm bowl of ramen loaded with veggies and tofu (or chicken/​pork), along with the extraordinarily sunny disposition of the owner. =)
The ambiance could use a little work (the lounge jazz was decidedly cheesy, and I was sure glad the TV wasn’t on) but otherwise I’m sold on this place.
Enjoy!

TO the owner of Lounjin:
Carve out your niche! Pay someone to update your sign so everyone knows what the business is about! Probably untenable at this time, but staying open until 1 or 2am and serving $ 2 bottles of decent beer from a local brewery (say, Hale’s) would make me come here pretty much every day. Be like the Solstice of N 45^th, but better!
I only had the Lounjin Special Ramen, so this review is really about the food.
While it may not be the richest or most authentic broth, everything tasted quite fresh. For about 7 bucks you get fishcake, giant shitake mushroom cap, baby bokchoy, and barbecued pork (there may have been one more topping that I forgot).
It was served at the right temperature (hot!), all toppings were generously portioned, the broth was properly seasoned and clean-​tasting, and the noodles had the right amount of bounce. All of this adds up to a satisfying bowl of noodles.
I would say the broth tastes a little more like bonito than I’m used to, but this isn’t bad – just different. While some may complain that the broth is a little bland, I would say it’s a welcome change from nearby salt-​bombs (see Boom Noodle).
Atmosphere was nice – quiet and relaxing, with the right amount of background noise. The service was excellent, and I suspect it’s because the lady takes great (but well-​deserved) pride in her ramen.
Special notes: if there is live music with a cover, inquire if you may eat without hanging out to listen – I think they would oblige. If you like your ramen spicy, ask and she will add some chili powder when she makes up the broth.
As far as constructive criticism goes, I think the broth could use some homemade chicken or pork stock. The dissolved collagen and other connective tissue would go a long way to balancing out the bonito and help the flavor of the broth «stick to the noodles» which is to me, the ultimate test of any noodle soup.
The barbecued pork is Chinese-​style, not what you would expect to find in an authentic bowl of Japanese ramen, but that’s a-​ok by me.
The fishcake was a little too lukewarm, but it was a super thick slice so maybe that’s why.

Came back here to meet a friend and dived into a giant bowl of Curry Ramen on a wet Seattle day. I can’t express the full deliciousness, but suffice to say that the sweet owner knows her bidness. Spicy yet balanced, full-​bodied but not too over the top (hey just like me! :)
With all the crappy ramen on the Ave, entering Lounjin is entering Nirvana. Plus, the incredibly nice owner will fix you a bowl before 6pm if you ask nice and look hungry. She’s so incredibly nice, she actually blushed when I complimented my meal. BLUSHED.
This is a quiet, delicious oasis across the street from the Buffalo Exchange. Thank you Seattle for putting my two favorite places in one handy, bus-​able location. *Smack*

Hm, I haven’t been here in a while, but stopped in as part of my personal coffee house tasting tour, different place every day is pretty easy in Seattle. I took 2 friends with me. I got a mocha, Bumble Bee got a latte and Thayer got an americano. All three of us thought our drinks were watery and not yummy at all.

The hook that got me was «coffee and sake», but what kept me there was the ramen.
I had always seen this little coffee lounge next door to pagliacci’s passing by on the Ave and wanted to try it. Finally, I stopped in and now, my first Unilocal.
I liked the atmosphere here. I think in a way, it reminded me of some of the coffee shops I had been to in Tokyo: modern, clean, somehow feeling spacious in a small space, and serving coffee and beer for anytime of the day. Also, lounjin features local artists’ work on the walls which I am always a fan of. Nothing pretentious about it which can be the feeling at other coffee shops in Seattle.
The customer service was great. One thing I love about the independent shops are the owners. Although I came a little late for lunch, I asked if they had a lunch menu. The smiling woman behind the counter explained how their specialty was ramen and normally, most of their food items are served for dinner — when they have two people working — but she gladly took my order for ramen and hurried into the back to get it started.
It wasn’t long before I had a bowl of steaming hot noodles in front of me with an iced-​tea on the side. The noodles were great and the broth was tasty. Although this is not exactly traditional Japanese ramen (this special had bok-​choy, barbecued pork, and a huge shiitake mushroom in it), I liked the fusion of ingredients, all of which tasted very, very fresh. A completely satisfactory meal and my tab was less than $ 8.00. Nice.
The smiling woman came over to ask how my food was, a really nice touch and something I wasn’t expecting in such a casual setting.
Although I didn’t end up ordering any of the sake from their collection, nor did I try any of the coffee that others have Unilocaled about, this place hit home for me and now I have reasons to go back.

With all the talk about great ramen, I trekked out pretty late to look for a close location to see what everyone is talking about… I am sitting right now at Lounjin. First impression is «wonderful»! I have to stop enjoy the beautiful soup she just set in front of me– she added extra veggies for me. May favorite is the steaming broth and pork slices;comfort food. It’s not fast food here.
The specialty here is sake, coffee, and appetizers. I will try their other offerings many times over just b/​c the service is so wonderful.

Best coffee on the Ave, and some of the cheapest too. The owners are friendly and make an effort to remember you and your favorites. Lounjin has a nice elegant atmosphere, a great place to study or just chill.
And seriously, it’s pronounced like the verb of lounge. I don’t ever again want to hear some guy on the phone beside me say «oh yeah, I’m at this café called loon-​JIN.» Sigh.

This place has a very nice décor; the place is quiet and has dim lighting with leopard print sofas and nice collection of magazines including a personal favorite: digital photography. Decorating the walls (at the times I have visited) were beautiful photographs by Barry Wong. My friends used to go here for the low price lattes but on the last day before heading back to Europe we all celebrated by trying out the sake. We were very impressed with the selection. I don’t like the unfiltered sakes but I was quite amused with the fruity ones. I really liked the lychee sake and for appetizers we had mochi icecream and tuna poke. They were fabulous.

I haven’t tried their Sake lounge yet, but their coffee is amazing! They brew Zoka coffee and every time I have been there they start up a new pot for me (I get drip coffee). The atmosphere is nice and chill and they have nice little snacks. Also, right now it is still sort of a secret in the U-​District since not many people know about it yet. It is a great place to study or get some work done.