Crane Ramen
16 Sw 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32601
Crane Ramen Menu
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-
Address :
16 Sw 1st Ave
Gainesville, FL, 32601 - Phone (352) 727-7422
- Website https://craneramen.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 4:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Coty S.
Welcome to Gainesville, Florida--- a quaint, humble college town where all the ramen critics reside. These critics are well experienced and versed in the complex flavors and ways of ramen from their worldly travels and ramen dining. Crane Ramen is the FIRST and ONLY ramen restaurant to ever open in Alachua County. We can help keep them in business, or we can sit around and discuss the complexity of the broth in comparison to Pho (FYI pho and ramen are not the same thing). While Japan is geographically close to South Korea, let's not put kimchi paste in the tonkotsu, ok? Let's rethink that. Maybe next time, I'll switch to Shio and request a pat of butter and corn. Brussel sprouts mixed with burnt pork left a bitter taste in my mouth. But, let's wash all that strange away with something as familiar as fried chicken. Wait, it is fried chicken (karaage)! Let's be romantic for a moment. Gainesville is full of mystery and enchantment, barefoot hippies, and sacred forests. Maybe it is those things called books that are read often there. But, when people move to Gainesville they are suddenly inspired to do and create great things. The city also makes it very easy to open your own business, so small businesses are able to thrive and endure the years. Have you witnessed it yet? Crane is yet another example of what can be, and should inspire all of us. Just sitting in the beautiful atmosphere of Gainesville's only ramen restaurant, where The Strand used to be for many years, in one of the only original buildings still standing along the cobblestone streets of downtown, basking in the glow of the gallery lighting hitting natural wood walls, and hearing a setlist from DJ Donna's Monday Night UC Old Wave from my teenage years.... was I dreaming, or did I really eat at Crane? Gainesville, please do not whine too much, because this magical unicorn might just disappear. All that will be left is a story to tell your Gainesville grandchildren, about the ramen restaurant that once existed in the emerald city.
(4)Damien S.
Habanero heat is a culinary Janus. One face presents the opportunity to burn some bros seeking to simply survive a challenge, and maybe win a T-shirt or a name on the wall of flame. The other, an adventure in towing the fire line while capturing the light, fruit flavor of the chili. Crane had me at black sesame habanero ramen ($12). It had me at the joyously tender noodles, the ample pork, the glorious yolk on the six minute egg. And then Crane lost me on the souped-up paitan broth. No toasted nuttiness from the black sesame seeds. No richness from that perfect yolk. No salt. No acid. It's simply the burn of the habanero, and texture from etcetera. And while the appropriate warning from the cordial, involved staff is appreciated, it doesn't negate the confusion set by the lack of any other flavor in the dish. Are you a contest entree that'll get me a free meal if I finish it in ten minutes, or are you a visual, balanced appreciation of elevated noodles? To my experience, it's yet to make up its mind. Paired with the Tokyo Snake Bite ($8) - a hot-around-the-collar yuzu and rye shandy over Stiegl's Radler, sporting a thick Togarashi spice rim. It's surprisingly sweet for all those tart and sour ingredients, and drank like a juicy, candied michelada. Kicking myself for arriving after the tonkotsu had sold out, and for not grabbing the pork belly buns while I had the chance. (My neighbors did, and they smelled marvelous.) All the more reason to return and discover the black sesame habanero ramen is a simple misstep in what Crane's kitchen is capable of.
(3)Jeanne T.
I'm no expert in ramen, but I know when something lacks flavor. I actually tried the black sesame ramen first. The flavored sounded good but when it came out..I was afraid. The waitress saw me take my first bite and she came right over. She knew something was wrong, she said they were still working out this dish. Ummm ok. I sent it back not to long after. It also had huge pieces of pulled pork, which is strange. Ramen is some what of a delicate dish to me and crane did not do it justice. The other ramen I got lacked flavor, but presentation was good. Two stars for honesty and good service. Get the high tables or booth, those little chairs aren't comfortable.
(2)Corey P.
Crane Ramen is not even open yet and I can safely say they are going to be a fantastic addition to the Gainesville food scene. I came hoping to find some vegan options and came pretty close with a veggie miso ramen and some kimchi brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts had some shrimp oil and I'm unsure if the veggie miso was completely vegan. As far as atmosphere and taste go, everything was awesome. The ramen itself had a great toothsome quality but not at all chewy. The broth was seasoned well and the vegetables were well chosen (though there could have been some more of them). The decor is modern and charming with their awesome logo flying high and slapped on the backs of the cooks. Will definitely be returning.
(5)Evan W.
Great service and atmosphere. Had lunch, delicious veggie miso ramen, veggie dumplings and chicken w savory mayo. Everything was fresh and yummy. Only criticisms--for lunch the ramen should be a little cheaper than $12, and the fried chicken could use a little seasoning in the breading.
(4)Passion P.
Gorgeous small space, mixed open kitchen, small tables. A lot of care have gone into the design, the training of staff, the atmosphere, and the overall emphasis on high service and quality ingredients. Gainesville desperately needs more casual dining places with a higher bar for quality/service/atmosphere. Price point ($10-14 a bowl) keeps mass undergrads away.... In short, thank you for not pandering to the lowest common denominator. I had the chicken ramen and it was flavorful and filling: chicken had both crispiness and tenderness and was perfectly shredded. Ramen does not have as deep a broth as pho, which I am more familiar with: their broth was delicious, delicate, and well balanced. It seems like they have taken to heart early feedback about broth being too salty/too greasy, through there is a garlic oil they put in the broth that some may not like. I look forward to returning, when I will try the house-made gyoza and the kimchee brussel sprouts and the grilled pork ramen. For vegans (not me), no one should expect a Ramen place to prioritize you, so you have two options: kimchee brussel sprouts appetizer/made to order miso vegetable ramen. I went at 5 on Friday and there was tons of seating. Tip: Don't come with more than 4 people. Good stuff!
(4)Jennifer K.
The atmosphere is nice, and we didn't have to wait to be seated on a Friday. I agree with many of the other reviewers that the broth is not so flavorful. It's also disappointing that there is only one vegetarian ramen option. I do kind of feel like I could boil up some Top Ramen and throw in some accoutrements and be more satisfied. :/
(3)Chris C.
Love it. Don't eat here if you're going to be fussy about eggs and noodle tenderness. The egg is supposed to be soft boiled and the noodles are nice and chewy. Don't eat here if you're going to be fussy and demand more salt in your broth or vegan options ( who cares about vegans, its traditional ramen- not meant to be vegan). It's good ramen, too many opinions spoil the soup. If you are one of these people, I'm sorry but save the sitting space for people who can come in with a smile, sit down, eat some good food, and depart without leaving much of a trace. It's a small space so don't plan on camping out. Eat & get out. Take your heartfelt date night conversation someplace where you're not sitting on stools. Will definitely continue to eat here. Love the atmosphere. Especially on chilly or rainy Gainesville nights. Particularly beautiful at sunset. PS. Order the chili oil for everything! The Brussels sprouts are awesome. Keep up the awesome work, Y'all!
(4)Van H.
When a restaurant with a lot of hype opens up, especially ones that cater to a new niche, there are lots of expectations. I wouldn't say that Crane Ramen met them all for me. I ordered the Shoyu Ramen. The broth was flavorful but could have been a little less salty. The chatsu pork was cooked well, much better than the first time I had it prior to their grand opening. What lacked was the eggs and ramen add ons. Ramen isn't just noodles and protein - there needs to be more substance. Even if the noodles didn't come with vegetables, there should be vegetables as add on options. I also don't believe a bowl of ramen should be more than $11, especially for a bowl containing just broth, noodles, and protein. I have had a good ramen and even in New York, I did not pay more than $11 for a bowl. I would come back here, but not necessarily for the ramen. Their appetizers, especially the kimchi Brussels, outshine the ramen by a long shot.
(3)Dave J.
I am so happy to have a legit ramen place. I am really surprised the score is currently only 3 and a half, as it was completely packed when I was there and the food was awesome. I liked the pork and the broth so much more than any of the good ramen places I have been in Seattle. That's probably because their meat is from our local farmers market. It's a bit expensive, but easily worth it if your hungry. Perhaps they could do half bowls in the future, but part of eating ramen in my experience is having a giant bowl. I wish I had tried the hot sauce, but I had the chili oil and it wasn't very hot. They give you good water for free.
(5)Andrew H.
Such a great experience! The food was delicious, the drink selection was great, and the atmosphere very fitting. Will indeed be coming back soon!
(5)Gloria H.
The ramen broth was too bland and the noodles weren't anything spectacular. Not enough add on options either. I can make instant ramen that tastes better.
(2)Chad W.
My fiance and I ate here and we were amazed. The food was great, really nice atmosphere, the staff was extremely nice, and it didn't cost too much. Will definitely return many times.
(5)Amanda H.
I WANT TO EAT RAMEN ALL THE TIME NOW AAAAHHHH. I strongly, strongly recommend getting the Kimchi Brussels as an appetizer, I would eat it every day if I could. I caution you against the Chicken ramen (the real name starts with a "P.") If you are coming to Crane for exciting asian flavors you will be disappointed as I was, because it just takes like normal chicken soup -- super good chicken soup, to be sure, but just chicken soup. Ya feel? All the other ones I've had/tasted are way more exciting and delicious.
(4)Daniel B.
Never had ramen like this before. Very glad they had a step-by-step guide to how to eat it authentically. Parking is hard to find. Food is a bit overpriced, but not too badly so. I had the paitan chicken, which was mainly chicken (of course), vegetables, and ramen, with an egg. The service was excellent. I left quite full and satisfied!
(4)Caitlin M.
I'm a vegan, so I got the only entree available on the menu, the mushroom miso ramen. It was really salty, I actually kept adding water from our table to it in hopes of diluting it. I also ordered half a carafe of sake, which was delicious but both items were so overpriced, even if the soup had been good. My bill was $21, $25 with tip. The soup was awful the next day, with the noodles kind of dissolving into the broth. Maybe the salt started to break them down? Not worth the $25, or the wait.
(1)Rijaab M.
I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of Crane Ramen, and my first experience was decent, but nothing to write home about. Upon arriving, I was told there would be a short wait for my table for two. Although this is definitely not a problem for me, I usually like a place to wait so I don't have to awkwardly linger in front of the restaurant! When we were seated, we weren't waited upon for 10 minutes, until our waitress took our order. Looking at the menu, there were very few vegetarian options, with only one for the ramen! As a most-of-the-time vegetarian, I was a little disappointed. My friend and I ordered kimchi Brussels sprouts (without lardons) to share, and we were super happy with it! The Brussels sprouts were nicely charred with some other vegetables and mixed in a delicious kimchi sauce, and topped with nori. I ordered the veggie miso ramen for my main course. First off: the serving size here is huge! The bowls are much deeper than they appear, so you definitely won't be leaving hungry. The veggie ramen came with miso broth, ramen noodles, and a variety of fresh vegetables. I think that they intended for the fresh vegetables to cook in the hot broth, but my broth was nowhere near hot enough to cook my vegetables. The broth tasted nice, but lacked salt. The ramen noodles themselves were delicious though! Overall, Crane Ramen is nice once, but I don't see myself going back. A lack of vegetarian options, along with lackluster service made what could be a great addition to Gainesville's food scene, a very "meh" experience.
(3)Matthew O.
It's great seeing new restaurants come into Gainesville and providing a more diverse set of choices for food. Having gone 3 times, I've tried the majority of the ramen on the menu. The pork belly is cooked really well. It has a nice springiness, great texture, and is very tender. I personally enjoy soup bases and broths on the lighter side. The soup base can be a bit salty at times and feel quite heavy. The noodles were cooked pretty well but also felt heavy towards the end. Overall, I think it is well worth it to give the place a try. It can be a bit pricey and the wait can be very long, upwards of 45 minutes because of how small the place is. But the servers and staff are friendly and the food is decent
(3)Andrew Z.
Came here for lunch today and was impressed with the food they were putting out. Didn't have to wait at all for a table and the staff was very courteous! Can't wait to come back!
(5)Kerby F.
We waited an hour (big surprise) on a Thursday for seating. There's no waiting area, so you're told to leave and they'll call you. Whatever, right? The place is new, people want their ramen... expect to wait a while. Once seated, however, we weren't very impressed. At $12 a bowl, it's already pricy; in Japan you can get a bowl for around 500-1000 yen (less than 5-10 USD in the current market). I understand they tried to make it more high-end, but I don't think the money goes into the food, considering my party ordered most of the ramen bowls they offered and everyone left dissatisfied. The broth is vital for a good bowl of ramen, and Crane Ramen really needs to rework their broth. It LOOKS dense, but it's rather watery and fairly flavorless with an intense oily film problem. On top of that, the noodles were sort of al dente, which I've never experienced with ramen shops before. I wonder if you request softer noodles if they would comply? We also ordered their gyoza, which took longer than the ramen to come out despite being an appetizer. Their gyoza was good, but the dipping sauce was lacking (maybe not enough rice vinegar?). The dumplings were cooked nicely, with a slight crunch and flavorful taste. The toppings in the ramen were nice. The egg was cooked properly and the pork was tender and moist. The amount of scallion was appropriate; not too overwhelming but enough to add to the dish. It's a shame they charge $1+ for add ons to the dish, even if its seasonings. I understand if they wouldn't want to muddle their flavors with cover-up sauces... but... their broth really needed help. :/ We also liked the glass bottle of water they give you to pour your own water. While I suppose it could come off as lazy, it's convenient for busy hours in consideration of their small(ish) serving glasses. Kinda irrelevant, but worth mentioning. Would I come here again? Probably not. I hope they learn as they grow as a business, because I feel like they could be really successful in Gainesville.
(2)W M.
Truly wonderful. The service is excellent and the ramen is fabulous. The flavors are rich and satisfying. Along with ramen I recommend the crispy chicken thigh appetizer-they are insanely good.
(5)Claudia P.
I've been to Crane Ramen two times now, both for dinner. I've tried the Chicken, Vegetable, and Pork ramen. I would say stick to the Pork ramen. The broth for the chicken and vegetable were very bland with very little flavor (I disagree with previous posts saying it's too fatty/oily). We also ordered the appetizers (fried chicken and pot stickers) and were very underwhelmed. Small portions for such a high price, $12 for ramen bowl. Good customer service, very attentive but almost to the point of hovering. The interior design is on point and very sophisticated/NYC style so you're really paying for the atmosphere.
(3)Ryan E.
Very sleek and comfortable interior with great wait staff. Brussel sprout appetizer was delicious but overpriced for the portion. Good cheap house wine. The ramen was unimpressive, slightly flavorless and the noodles were not true ramen noodles and more like spaghetti. Overall not a filling meal, overpriced and they made you pay for hot sauce for your ramen. This is america. Free sauce. Whatttt
(2)Yoshimi M.
came here while visiting some friends and was told that authentic ramen joint just opened up. I was excited. Recently I visited NYC solely to eat ramen, which is the food I miss the most from back home. I seriously ate ramen almost every meal while I stayed there. I kinda had high expectation for this place after seeing some pictures and reading reviews on Yelp. The set up of the restaurant was typical ramen joint with some modern touch. I ordered Chicken Paitan Ramen and my friend ordered Tonkotsu Ramen. The food came out after 15 minutes or so. There were 4 of us. My ramen wasn't hot. It was lukewarm, which is a huge turn off for me. I expected it to be piping hot. At least that's how we, Japanese, eat ramen. I was disappointed already. Paitan Soup is supposed to be richer and thicker soup, but it wasn't really flavorful. There wasn't really depth in the flavor...like it was missing something. Noodles were a little over done for my taste. I also didn't really enjoy the salad leaves in my soup (I think they were some spring mix and kale!?) I tried Tonkotsu soup, but it was also missing that creaminess and rich flavor. i really wanted to like this place, but for me, it totally missed the mark. Maybe I'm just too harsh when it comes to ramen. I might give it another try when I visit again.
(3)Coty S.
Welcome to Gainesville, Florida--- a quaint, humble college town where all the ramen critics reside. These critics are well experienced and versed in the complex flavors and ways of ramen from their worldly travels and ramen dining. Crane Ramen is the FIRST and ONLY ramen restaurant to ever open in Alachua County. We can help keep them in business, or we can sit around and discuss the complexity of the broth in comparison to Pho (FYI pho and ramen are not the same thing). While Japan is geographically close to South Korea, let's not put kimchi paste in the tonkotsu, ok? Let's rethink that. Maybe next time, I'll switch to Shio and request a pat of butter and corn. Brussel sprouts mixed with burnt pork left a bitter taste in my mouth. But, let's wash all that strange away with something as familiar as fried chicken. Wait, it is fried chicken (karaage)! Let's be romantic for a moment. Gainesville is full of mystery and enchantment, barefoot hippies, and sacred forests. Maybe it is those things called books that are read often there. But, when people move to Gainesville they are suddenly inspired to do and create great things. The city also makes it very easy to open your own business, so small businesses are able to thrive and endure the years. Have you witnessed it yet? Crane is yet another example of what can be, and should inspire all of us. Just sitting in the beautiful atmosphere of Gainesville's only ramen restaurant, where The Strand used to be for many years, in one of the only original buildings still standing along the cobblestone streets of downtown, basking in the glow of the gallery lighting hitting natural wood walls, and hearing a setlist from DJ Donna's Monday Night UC Old Wave from my teenage years.... was I dreaming, or did I really eat at Crane? Gainesville, please do not whine too much, because this magical unicorn might just disappear. All that will be left is a story to tell your Gainesville grandchildren, about the ramen restaurant that once existed in the emerald city.
(4)Damien S.
Habanero heat is a culinary Janus. One face presents the opportunity to burn some bros seeking to simply survive a challenge, and maybe win a T-shirt or a name on the wall of flame. The other, an adventure in towing the fire line while capturing the light, fruit flavor of the chili. Crane had me at black sesame habanero ramen ($12). It had me at the joyously tender noodles, the ample pork, the glorious yolk on the six minute egg. And then Crane lost me on the souped-up paitan broth. No toasted nuttiness from the black sesame seeds. No richness from that perfect yolk. No salt. No acid. It's simply the burn of the habanero, and texture from etcetera. And while the appropriate warning from the cordial, involved staff is appreciated, it doesn't negate the confusion set by the lack of any other flavor in the dish. Are you a contest entree that'll get me a free meal if I finish it in ten minutes, or are you a visual, balanced appreciation of elevated noodles? To my experience, it's yet to make up its mind. Paired with the Tokyo Snake Bite ($8) - a hot-around-the-collar yuzu and rye shandy over Stiegl's Radler, sporting a thick Togarashi spice rim. It's surprisingly sweet for all those tart and sour ingredients, and drank like a juicy, candied michelada. Kicking myself for arriving after the tonkotsu had sold out, and for not grabbing the pork belly buns while I had the chance. (My neighbors did, and they smelled marvelous.) All the more reason to return and discover the black sesame habanero ramen is a simple misstep in what Crane's kitchen is capable of.
(3)Rithi C.
3.5/5 stars. I've never been to a ramen shop before; the only prior experience I have with ramen is with those packages you find at the grocery store. I've heard that ramen shops are common in Asian countries and I was excited to see that there was one here in Gainesville. The feel of the restaurant is between casual and upscale. You could definitely bring a date here (granted that they enjoy/wouldn't mind trying ramen). Each seat has a comic instructional guide (drawn in a cartoon style reminiscent of old Mickey Mouse clips) on the suggested way to eat your ramen. Since this shop is probably where many people try ramen for the first time, it's sure to come in handy. There aren't many options on the menu, though it's printed that desserts are soon going to be a new addition. I ordered a tonkutsu (sp?), pork belly wrapped in spring onion (don't remember what they were called), and a cherry yuzu. The cherry yuzu is a drink made with cherries and the eponymous yuzu, an East Asian citrus fruit. I love drinks that infuse cherry, but this beverage had a watered-down taste with only a hint of cherry. The pork belly was nice and tender and was my favorite part of the meal. The ramen itself was more flavorful than the supermarket kind, but nothing particularly caught my attention. Our waitress provided average service and did not seem to be very in to her job. I try not to let one experience with a waiter/waitress overshadow the entire dining experience, but she could certainly do much better. I gave Crane Ramen 3.5/5 stars: I'll have to come back and try a different type of ramen and drink to see if I have a better dining experience.
(3)Ana B.
It kills me to give such a poor review for an establishment I was highly anticipating I would love. I just honestly could not even eat my ramen. It was so salty and had an off putting taste. I got the chicken broth by the way so not a complex, "scary" flavor. What is weird is a couple of my friends warned me that they had the same experience but others loved it. I guess it is all in what you order. I definitely liked my roomate's ramen better, the soy sauce based one. I will say I love the atmosphere and the waters on the table. But I will say I loved the chicken buns. LOVED. Probably only reason for the 3 stars.
(3)Jason G.
Very nice atmosphere. Food was tasty. Very clean place. I ordered the "spicy" pork Ramen paitan and it was delicious. I was, however, looking for something a little spicier and when I asked for extra spicy house sauce I was told that it would cost an extra dollar. This is my reason for 5 to 4 stars. I was turned off to have to pay more for a $12 bowl if broth and noodles to make it to my liking. I will come back again though and may change my review to 5 stars next time.
(4)Kevin C.
Description: Before Crane Ramen even opened, I was checking in on their facebook page quite frequently eagerly awaiting their official arrival. When it finally did, I didn't end up going... but hey I have now! I'm actually glad I didn't go to their opening week as I heard it was pretty chaotic. Btw, I went here about a few months ago. I remember my experience pretty well though for several reasons. Food & Service: First reason is the location and atmosphere. Great spot downtown and inside is very clean and simple, exactly the kind of place I like. Only problem might be it's a little tight and crowded. Anyways, I went with my friends pretty late so there wasn't much of a wait and they were nice enough to accommodate us at one table. Our waiter was kind but her knowledge of ramen was very thin. Regardless, we were hungry and ordered quickly. I got the shoyu ramen. The food came out fast but looking back, I wish it didn't. All of our ramen bowls were not very flavorful. And when I say not very flavorful, I mean the broth was way under seasoned. The noodles were overcooked and stuck together as well. Final Thoughts: Let me be clear, if they were charging like $7.50 a bowl, I'd honestly come back just because I enjoy a bowl of real ramen from time to time, especially in the winter. $12.00 though plus tip, that's asking for too much. My point is, the restaurant looks nice, the egg and pork were actually pretty good, but the price and essential parts of the ramen were lacking. If they can cut their costs or deliver a much more superb ramen, I'll be back. In the meantime, I'll stick to instant ramen with my own added creations.
(3)Darcy F.
Lots of people have been raving about this place, but my husband and I weren't very impressed. The decor was cool, the vibe was good, the food ...mediocre. We went for lunch a month or so after it opened. It was busy, but the wait wasn't long. We each ordered a SMALL appetizer and noodle bowl. I'm vegan and their was only one ramen option, which was surprising to me. The bowls were not as flavorful as we had hoped. We each asked for a side of hot sauce ...which you had to pay extra for. I had to use my entire side of hot sauce to get enough flavor. Total sodium bomb too. It was expensive. Approximately $40 before tip for lunch and we didn't even have any drinks. I think it's a little too pricy for what it is. The atmosphere was cool, it didn't really feel like Gainesville in there, but we are in Gainesville and all I wanted was a delicious bowl of noodles, not a mediocre $40 lunch.
(3)Michelle V.
The first time I went here... 2 hour wait, I am not sure of the long wait made me super hungry, but the ramen tasted amazing to me! But then I hyped up my friend and we went and we were disappointed. It didn't taste as good as I remembered. The idea of it is great, we needed a ramen place in gainesville, but I just feel like the space is too small.
(3)Antoinette O.
Yelp removed my original update, so I'm back here to say once again that Crane Ramen sucks because the food is flavorless, they don't have seating accommodations for people with children and refuse to make any, and they don't do take out. I could excuse the aforementioned if they at least allowed me to give them another shot by buying my food to go, but they won't even do that. One star.
(1)Mike W.
I had heard a lot about Crane, both very good and not-so-good, so I was very keen to try it myself. First off, a bit of advice: if you're concerned about having the best experience here possible, I'd suggest coming on a week-night versus weekend and coming early in the evening. Friends who have dined here and were not fully impressed mostly cite the sheer chaos of how busy this small restaurant can get. So, if you're worried about that or don't want to wait very long for a table, come during the week, come early. I had not problems on a Monday night at all. The space is small but the atmosphere they've created is sleek yet cozy, Japanese-influenced but not cloyingly so. They're done an ace job with the limitations of their space and also their desire to include a full bar for cocktails and a decent amount of seating, plus a partially-open kitchen. In one of the photos I took I tried to get the essence of this wabi-sabi atmosphere, but really, it has to be experienced in person. The staff is both friendly and knows their stuff. I talked with two of the waitresses and one chef at length about ramen and Japanese food in general and they're obviously on top of their game--truly passionate about what they have going here. I had the shoyu ramen and also the pork gyoza. Both were nearly perfect. The ramen's broth was robust and savory but not overly salty. The gyoza were a delight: finally, I mean FINALLY, someone really did gyoza right! So many gyoza in Gainesville seem like they just well might be from the frozen section of the local Asian groceries, but not these. They were clearly made fresh and fried perfectly. Also, the ramen was an ample serving and served hot with the ramen noodles themselves of nearly ideal texture. I also had the sunomono salad--cucumbers, turnips, and other seasoned nama veggies--and it was superb, as well. Indeed, everything about the experience was nearly ideal. I can see if someone heard the hype about Crane and came here like on a date only to discover a long wait for a table, then it was noisy and seemed chaotic, they might be disappointed, but again, that can be avoided by coming at non-peak times. Also keep in mind ramen is simple comfort food, and Crane takes great pride in what they are serving but they do not try to gussie it up, either. There is really nothing I would change about Crane, and that's about the highest praise I can offer for any restaurant--even better than five stars.
(5)Nan T.
Good veggies pickled on site. Delicious pork broth and tender meat. High quality ingredients. Cold, filtered table water. Nice decor and very good service.
(4)Sue A.
I went for the first time today because Crane Ramen was having a promotion for 1/2 off all ramen. My friends and I waited approx. 30 minutes before being seated. I ordered the Shio ramen. I was looking forward to a very flavorful broth and great ramen noodles, but both were extremely bland. The noodles tasted somewhat undercooked to me. I had to flavor the broth with salt and spicy sesame oil, but that was nothing special. I was hoping for a "gourmet" ramen experience, but it had me wanting the flavorful and much cheaper Korean instant ramen, of any kind, instead. I would not pay $11.25 for specialty ramen from Crane Ramen. Drinks, staff, and service though, were excellent. The establishment is small without generous seating.
(2)Darshan P.
I really like Ramen. But I don't know if this place was worth the wait just yet. For one, we put our names on the waiting list and they totally skipped our name. The new host was nice about it and gave us some good free Saki. I had the Tonkatsu which on their menu was pork belly and chashu in ramen. The pork belly was the best part- very tender and flavorful. However, the broth was just not quite right. It was very salty and especially oily. The noodles were too thick and starchy. My girlfriend and I ordered the same thing, however she had her hot sauce mixed in and wanted extra.. whereas I had mine on the side. I ended up getting more hot sauce at the end of the day and mine was spicier and tastier but she had to pay $1.00 extra for extra sauce - which was just petty. I would prob go back to this place if I'm craving ramen but I was expecting a little bit more.
(3)Kristin D.
I got the paitan chicken and hubby got the shoyu and both were super satisfying. They weren't quite what you'd get in Japan but they were closer than most other American interpretations we've had. We loved our waiter (I believe her name was Katherine?) because she was very funny, personable, and attentive. Can't forget to mention that the cocktails were refreshing and generous. My only suggestions for improvement are: provide an udon option and carry Yamazaki (our all-time favorite whiskey, let alone favorite Japanese whiskey). We will definitely be coming back the next chance we get!
(5)Elayne D.
My husband and I dined at Crane Ramen last evening. The ambience and music was perfect. Concerning the food the broth was very fatty and did not have much flavor also there was very little meat and vegetables in the noodle bowl. We thought the price was a little high for the ingredients. Not terribly impressed unfortunately.
(2)Joel G.
Crane Ramen has kept me coming back again and again. Working downtown there are a lot of options for lunch, but I still make it to Crane about once a week. The first thing that hits you when you walk in is the atmosphere. It's very friendly, and has an authentic feel. I've been for casual lunches and business meetings, and it's been perfect for both. Crane's appetizers haven't let me down yet. My favorite is the kimchi brussel sprouts, which are cooked in such a way that you get a mouthful of flavor, while skipping the bitterness that brussel sprouts usually have. A number of dining companions who are firmly anti-brussel sprouts have even admitted to really enjoying these. Recently, they've added steamed pork buns, which I also enjoyed (although not as much as the brussel sprouts) No matter what ramen you choose, you're going to be in for a treat: this is the best ramen I've had in Gainesville. I usually stick with the tonkotsu, which is one of their spicier ramens, and is a lot of what keeps me coming back. On top of excellent noodles and just the right amount of heat, the portion sizes are very generous, and I've struggled to finish all of it on a few occasions. Most recently, I tried their pulled pork ramen, another new addition, and was very impressed. I hope they keep it on the menu, as I'll be looking forward to having it again next time I'm back. Overall, I highly recommend Crane Ramen for lunch downtown (and probably dinner, though I have only been for lunch). The food and feel are right on the money, and they're constantly adding new dishes to their menu, so there's always a new reason to keep coming back.
(5)Jessica D.
Aw man, I can't believe there are negative reviews about this place! We visited Gainesville this weekend and seeing the negative reviews about Crane Ramen almost stopped me from going here but eating here is one of the things I'll never regret in my life. Being a seasoned ramen eater and also being Asian and very much in touch with my culture, I think it's very safe to say that this place deserves the 5 stars I'm giving it (I'm not bragging I'm just letting you know about my credibility.) Crane Ramen is a New York style ramen joint (I was telling my boyfriend that I felt like we were in NY again and then our waitress happened to mention that this place was New York style) that caters to the younger crowd but I did see a dad with his daughter here and a few middle aged couples. It's not really somewhere you'd take your kids. Space is ample but seating is limited. However, service is very quick. I think I saw one of the reviews for this place say that you're supposed to just eat quickly and get out? That isn't the case at all lol. You can stay as long as you want; the staff isn't going to give you nasty looks if you decide to sit and chat. Ramen is considered a quick food, it just happens to be that you can't spend an hour eating ramen, it makes no sense. For $11-12 you get a heaping amount of noodles. We ended up with some leftovers! Boyfriend got the tonkatsu and I got the shoyu. He was happy to find that his bowl had a good amount of meat. Broth is *very* flavorful. Both of our soups had a very intriguing and aromatic taste. Woody and sweet and salty. We also ordered their gyoza. I wanna believe that their gyoza is homemade....It didn't seem like the type that comes frozen but you never know. Gyoza lacked flavor but was stuffed with a good amount of meat so it was worth the $6. Wouldn't order it again though. I think it just needed more salt maybe. Work on the seasoning for your dumplings, Crane Ramen ~ Interior is super nice, I loved it there! Very posh and modern. Music was at a good level. Staff was very clean, attractive, and friendly. Our waitress was great, we really liked her. Wish I remembered her name but we walked in about to pass out from hunger so I don't think either of us were paying attention when she introduced herself ha ha ha. It was packed but we were still seated quickly, had our orders promptly taken, and food served within a few minutes. We came during the lunch rush. Good for groups of 3 - 5, possibly 6 people but it's better with two people. Also, a few things things - when you eat any type of Asian noodle soup use your chopsticks and spoon at the same time! Use both at once. It's more efficient and proper. Also, don't lift your bowl like Naruto supposedly does. When Naruto eats he's portrayed as a starving boy. If you want to lift your bowl to drink the broth, just do it at neck level. Don't sit up straight and lift it so high that you have to jut your chin all the way out or strain your neck. Just casually pick up the bowl and sip as you would with a hot cup of tea. Or, if you don't want to dribble just tilt your bowl ever so slightly and collect the soup in your spoon. Simple as that. Don't try to copy anime, my friends. There's a reason why it's fiction, a cartoon. Lastly, there's a great cafe just a short walk away from the restaurant called Volta coffee that you can go to for some after meal coffee :- )
(5)James O.
I'm really hesitant about leaving a review, especially because it is such a new restaurant and I'm sure they will have a steep learning curve, but I felt I needed to add my two cents in the hopes that the next time I come back to Crane Ramen I can give it a 5 star review. (My experience last night was actually worth 2 stars, but again...new restaurant...) Crane Ramen has a unique niche, of no points for guessing this...ramen. However my soup last night only really deserves to call itself Ramen like my 50c packets from Target do. The noodles were of much the same consistency, with two tiny slivers of cold, tough pork belly (think deli cut style, 1 or 2 sizes up from paper thin). I was sitting at the noodle bar, it was easy to see why. The meat is all mass produced before hand, and they literally just have huge pots of salty broth that they ladle out into a bowl, and then throw the previously cooked/now refrigerated meat onto. Remind me again why I just paid 12 bucks for this? I think revising the menu in either lowering the prices, or raising the quality of the food is certainly one improvement I would make. I bought both a ramen bowl and some of the gyozas, and was still hungry later. I shouldn't have to spend 20 bucks for one person and still feel hungry. Another, which I think will correct itself in time/practice; is the wait-staff/chefs. It was a 15 minute wait at the noodle bar before I even met my waiter. I think the chefs should also take better care with the vegetarian food/non-vegetarian food. Sitting at the noodle bar I could easily watch as the chef's used the same chopsticks to place the few ingredients on top. Also, add a vegan option, there were two customers that were sitting next to me but had to walk out because of no vegan option. Again, I'm posting all this in the hopes that the next time I come back it will be a better experience.
(3)R M.
Great location, service, and atmosphere, but the price doesn't match the quality. Had the steam buns and the pork tonkatsu ramen bowl. These are not $12 but sub $8 quality. Broth was not as complex as their placemats claim and the ramen were a bit undercooked. It wasn't bad just not great. Were it a cheaper meal I'd go back.
(3)Xinkai Q.
Great and authentic Japanese ramen
(5)AP A.
This is a tiny, trendy all-local home-made ramen establishment. Pros: It was a lot of ramen, and I got three meals out of it. Cons: I probably got three meals because I didn't like it but didn't want to waste it. I ordered a bowl of spicy ramen for $12. It was all spice, but no flavor. My coworkers ordered Shoyu, which was flavorful, but they also ordered garlic oil add-ons to make it better. If my $12 ramen isnt good without add-ons, what am I doing here? I looked at the menu on their website before we went. They did not have the same items, and told me I was looking at their old menu. Um. Update your website? It seems pretty pretentious. There are disposable paper placemats that dictate proper ramen etiquette. The placemat says if it takes more than 10 minutes to eat, you have ruined the meal. Be sure to slurp. Use a spoon for eggs, but otherwise slurp up with your chopsticks. This placemat really set a bad tone for me. I truly do not understand the hype.
(2)Bo L.
I give it credit for being the only ramen joint in town and diversifying Gville's Asian food options which consist of mainly Panda Express, Bento, and... Dragonfly. Our table ordered the Tonkatsu and the chicken based ramen. Ignoring the fact that the Tonkatsu means deep breaded fried pork in Japanese, which is misleading enough since the meat that comes with the ramen is pork belly and cha su, the broth was extremely salty. All three of us who ordered it felt it was too salty and we couldn't finish it. The world is divided into two groups of people: broth people and noodle people. I am a broth person, I value broth more than the texture or flavor of my noodles (as long as they are appropriately al dente). Also it was slightly too oily. Salty oily broth is an instant mood killer. The Good: Pork belly and Cha su was cooked fine and well flavored. Chicken was a better option. Apps were good, especially that Kimchee one with the mushrooms, delicious. Appropriately priced as well. But the broth! It's a ramen place, you gotta master the broth. You want your customers to chug the soup and ask for to go containers. 3 stars.
(3)Drew L.
This place is dressed up nice but the food was awful bland. Meaning tasteless. Meaning blasé! It was like eating a bowl of noodles served in the same water in which they started - without adding anything else. The egg in the soup was flavorful as was the pork, though not spectacular by any means either. The only other 'flavor' came from the Sriracha hot sauce on the side of the bowl. That's just lazy.
(1)Amy C.
Great atmosphere! It is a tiny restaurant so for those of you who are claustrophobic proceed with caution. It is an upscale ramen place for a fancy dinner with mostly meat options. Go there with a date or alone because it's a very intimate setting. The noodles are delicious! And the service personnel are very patient!
(5)Alan C.
Crane Ramen is open! After trying out their pop-up event at The Vine, I got to go and try out two bowls, the Shoyu and Paitan Chicken today. The broths have definitely been adjusted and are now very rich but not too salty, the meat is also well seasoned, and noodles were not overcooked. Overall pretty authentic to the Japanese Ramen out on the West Coast and in Japan. A few gripes I had with the ramen: 1) Not enough veggies; again the broth is very rich and some bok choy or other veggies to cut out a bit of the richness would have been nice. (Then again, I find most restaurants never serve enough vegetables nowadays...) 2) They charge for side dipping sauces. At $12/bowl of ramen, I'd hope that chili sauce would be free either at the table or upon request. 3) The staff could be a bit more peppy/attentive. There weren't many people when I went but the staff seemed tired and uninterested in interacting with the customers. Overall the food has great potential, hopefully they'll work out the kinks in the coming weeks.
(4)Jonathan C.
Note: Reviewed during Soft Opening Forget your Maruchans, your Yakisobas, your Cup Noodles. Lets make this clear: your instant noodles that you get at the market are NOT REAL Ramen. When college kids say they love ramen they really mean instant noodles, those cheap plastic packages visually burned into your brain. Face it: unless you watched Naruto or lived in other culinary diverse regions, you think ramen is high sodium, bland soupy clouded noodles. If you've actually experienced real ramen noodle soups, congratulations, let's talk about Crane Ramen. If you've never had real authentically made ramen prepare to be blown away, at Crane Ramen. Crane Ramen is the first standalone ramen shop to venture into Gainesville as far back as I can remember. Heck, I've even considered opening one here. After hitting up other shops in Orlando and Manhattan I longed for a comparable shop to open here. Come December 1st that dream will come true, but I was lucky to sample the food in a "soft launch" where the shop opened its doors to 100 bowls of ramen a day for three days. I'll skip the details about wait times getting into the shop since it was a limited run. Also, note I will say shop all the time in this review but it is a Japanese noodle dining restaurant complete with waiter service. I'm still going to say shop. The decor of the restaurant (read: shop) is simple yet elegant. I did like the banners of the shop logo hanging on one side of the wall, with a vibrant mural or wall art. Occupancy for the shop is 41, so with a full crew it may only serve max 31 guests for full booking. It is an open kitchen and a long counter bar with seating, just like a sushi bar or a noodle cart in Japan. And there are high stool table seating across from the bar seating. The front seating is padded backrests on the walls, but small stools for the table's opposite side. Our server Jewel, one of the two waitresses for the service and by far the prettiest "girl with glasses look" I've seen, brought us a wine-bottle-shaped glass bottle of water and small 6-8 ounce glass tumbles, reminiscent of the glasses I used when eating at restaurants in Asia. Use of the bottle was an interesting design but pouring such liquids from bottle always leads to drips if one is not versed in pouring wine bottles. But a neat idea nonetheless. But let's get to the food before I end up recalling how awesome the blonde waitress was at service. As opposed to other ramen shops I've frequented whose menu includes additional noodle types (ie soba, udon) this one is strictly ramen. And ramen is a distinct type of noodle, like your spaghetti or bow tie, but a Japanese noodle type that's best when it's made fresh. Shops usually stock the main types of ramen noodle bowls with the staples of a shio (salt and butter flavoring broth) a shoyu (soy based broth) and a tonkotsu (pork-bone simmering broth). Today's menu lacked the latter type but did have the first two. The shop instead has Paitan (白湯) which is still a simmering of bones to make the broth white and milky like a tonkotsu but slightly different. I opted for the spicy Paitan bowl while my friend ordered the shoyu bowl. (Note: yes you vegetarians also have a bowl that uses miso flavorings) Also on the side we got gyoza, which is like chinese potstickers (like those crappy things you get at Applebee's or Chilli's, but way better) I liked the gyoza it thought it could have had some more substance than being just a meat paste like a ravioli, but that's my preference. So, now the cute server brought out our meals, and they were as I visualized: delicious. My bowl came with chashu pork, a staple meat and deliciously flavorful, half a hard boiled egg, and some other trimmings. My friends shoyu came with nearly the same fixings. NOTE: EAT THE THING IMMEDIATELY!! This is not a steak. Ramen has the sweet spot of being perfect right as its being served and if you don't get that thing down in less than ten minutes the ramen will get mushy like a risotto and dumb people complaining even though it's their fault because they took a picture or chatted or something else. EAT IT FAST. The ramen shows its freshness by its bounciness of the noodle when you chew. The broth of the Paitan was also good as a white broth even without it trying to be a tonkotsu substitute. I liked that my egg was actually medium boiled so it had a custardy yolk. After literally inhaling the bowl I felt full; you will get that with real ramen, not instant hard noodles. The flavor is perfect with the thought of it NOT being full of sodium. The food still shines, and I hope a real tonkotsu choice will be added in the future. Hopefully they can also sort the bottle issue: we had a bottle to pour but later on they took our bottle and poured it for us. Still, overall great. Cooks service great, wait staff great. Jewel cute. Can't wait to come back and try some other bowl.
(4)Tessa T.
I have to say I was really excited for a ramen place to come around and now I'm just meh about it. It's a small place so I wouldn't recommend bringing a huge party. We ordered the Shio and Tonkatsu Ramens and unfortunately both were rather mediocre. The broth was very bland and the for different soups, it was a very similar taste. Also, as a service related issue, the soups sometimes came out lukewarm. They say you get a marinated egg in your soup but it's just a normal soft boiled egg. Overall, it's okay. Not great or anything living up to the hype. Prices are really expensive at $12 a bowl. I would have paid $6-7 for what we got, but the things they did do right is the pickled bamboo shots. Those are amazing. I would eat an entire bowl. The pork was good as well, slightly under seasoned, but still delicious.
(3)Peter Y.
Open two weeks and damn good ramen. Their broth is worth it. Order pork shoulder and not pork belly
(5)Paetyn M.
This is not a five star rating because it's good. This place got five stars from me because I will come back every chance I get. The service is always nice. The waiters are kind and attentive. They are always at your table, refilling drinks, making sure you have everything. If there is a problem they don't get frustrated with you. They fix it for you. It's amazing. The atmosphere is really casual. You can just go and relax while having a bowl of delicious ramen. The place is comfortable and you don't feel out of place no matter how dressed up or down. The food is wonderful. I love ramen, and I've had a lot of ramen from homemade to store bought. This falls slightly, and only slightly under homemade. The noodles are fresh, the in residence taste like they just came from the garden, and the broth is not too heavy or too salty. It's hot and spicy if you like that way, or mild and creamy. You have options and they are great. Don't walk into this restaurant thinking the food will change you life. Walk in thinking that you want something tasty, warm, and pretty darn healthy and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
(5)Lilli C.
I have been here multiple times and it's been amazing every time. The waiters are always very nice and food very high quality. Authentic comfort food and awesome atmosphere. A friend also said when he came with kids the chef was extremely nice and made sure they were taken care of. Great for everyone. Only thing if you don't like anything spicy be sure to ask your waiter which bowls are spicy.
(5)Anna M.
FOOD - 3 STARS: Broth was very oily and bland. Unfortunately, the oilyness and blandness of the broth made the noodles taste very buttery, but the texture was great. The few pieces of meat were incredibly big and almost impossible to eat without a knife, which meant that I couldn't easily have a bite of meat with each mouthful of ramen...I ate the huge slab in one go at the end; the meat was very tender and flavorful though. My ramen with spicy sauce had the sauce smeared on the upper inside of the bowl and I had to attempt to use the noodles to scrape it off to get it into my soup -- didn't quite work as there wasn't enough of the sauce. I wish I had the option to get the egg fried on top/in my ramen rather than half a soft boiled egg and sitting on top, but that's just personal preference and didn't bother asking. The amount of garnishings in my bowl looked nothing like the pictures online. The lack of addons was very disappointing for a $12 bowl of noodles, meat, egg and onions. CUSTOMER SERVICE - 2 STARS: Server refused to answer my repeated question on why a second form of ID was needed until I asked if it was because I had an English name...the reasoning was because the picture apparently didn't look like me. Manager hovered around us after that, making sure everything was fine. I definitely look like my ID, but I guess that's what happens when a ramen restaurant managed by white hipsters hires white servers that must think all Asians look the same. At least the hostess outside doing the seatings and reservations was very friendly and helpful. CLEANLINESS - 2 STARS: I saw at least two beards that I feel like should have had beard nets, and the cooks up front behind the bar were not wearing gloves. Watching this up close since I'm sitting at the bar, I paid attention to both cooks fairly closely, and while the guy that was actually cooking the meat appeared to be fine and used chopsticks for mostly everything, the other guy was garnishing the food and I wish I had never eaten my egg after watching him and his hands and his beard. OTHER THOUGHTS: I saw 'Echiban' listed at least three times under the drinks menu. I assumed they meant 'Ichiban' as in Kirin Ichiban but didn't ask and thought they meant something else since the beer does have its name in English on the bottles. Server also butchered the pronunciation of "gyoza" and "sake." CONCLUSION: I've had way better in Northern VA and Seattle. The buttery noodles, server, and beards were enough to turn me off. I will not be coming here again unless friends really insist.
(2)Christopher D.
Consistent and Delicious Ramen! We have been eating here since it first opened, and although things were a bit chaotic at first, they are operating on all cylinders now. Intimate setting makes for a cozy meal, but we routinely take out. When you get your food to-go, they provide the broth in a separate container which makes it easy to reheat and pour over when you get home - never fails - always delicious.
(5)Charles D.
Gainesville finally has a go-to lunch spot downtown. The ramen is world class, great service (although the small space often necessitates longer waits at popular times), and specials that rotate frequently and never disappoint. The spicy pulled pork is a particular favorite.
(5)Sara K.
I really enjoyed Crane Ramen. My husband and I just moved back to Gainesville after fives years in NYC, and Crane made us feel like we were back in the city in a cozy little restaurant. The decor and ambiance were great and we enjoyed the food. The pork bun appetizer was delicious! We will definitely be back.
(4)Chris B.
If you're into the Ramen thing, this is near the top. A great addition to Downtown Gainesville. Be prepared for a line at night. I recommend passing the time next door at The Bull.
(4)Ryan N.
Save your self $11.99 and buy some ramen noodles from the store and add some roast pork from the deli. This is what you basically get at Crane Ramen. The atmosphere is very chill and the wait staff seems knowledgeable on what they are trying to sell. It's just not worth the money. I personally will not eat here again as I have had 2 noodle bowls and I'm still hungry.
(1)Brandi R.
Was ok...we had tried ramen for the first time in Savannah ga and loved it! So when we got back I was excited to try this place. Id agree hype was exaggerated, soup was not that hot didnt have much to choose from...and noodles were not cooked still really chewy. Flavor wasnt that great...tasted like miso which i ordered the pork belly, so it didnt blend well. Kinda disappointedto say the least
(3)Ping N.
They ran out of chasu pork so it was replaced with pork belly. Excellent replacement. The pork belly ramen was really really good! I'm glad that this is a place in Gainesville!
(5)Ace B.
Wtf is up with the negative reviews?!! This place rules!! There's a reason why the wait is almost an hour sometimes...because they do it right! Besides a great noodle the broth is what did it for me, a lot of ramen spots over salt the sh*t out of it and crane nailed it! Perfect balance, Even the vegetarian dish had an intense faux/carnivorous zing to it which is tough to nail. Haterz be damned! Crane 4 lyfe
(5)Lisa S.
We read prior reviews and got there by 5PM. I ordered the Kontoksu and it was sublime. Delightful. Complex and perfect. The serviced was excellent but we felt rushed - which is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars. They have a full bar but we were not drinking....so, maybe that was why they were pushing us to finish. It was absolutely worth it!
(4)Erica G.
Hostess was overwhelmed on a Saturday night. Once we were seated things were smoother. Tonkatsu ramen was on point. Cocktails were delicious. Will return for more.
(4)Alex J.
This place is a game changer! Coming from NYC I've had plenty of Ramen; This place is up there with the best I've had. Nothing will disappoint. Their broth is full, balanced, and complete. The owner Fred has sent Gainesville a huge blessing!
(5)Therese O.
It was ok. I like the decor, but the ramen is just meh for the price.
(2)Jaya B.
So I'm only giving two stars due to the experience but I hope Crane Ramen will take these reviews as constructive criticism so as to better improve the quality of dining service. Let it be known that I am fully aware that Crane Ramen is an avant-garde restaurant so there are hiccups, which is to be expected. My boyfriend and I arrived around 6:30 and found a line out the door. When peering into the restaurant, I understood why. There are roughly 10 tables and a bar. The hostess quoted that the wait would be an hour. Having worked in F&B for quite some time, I knew it would be longer. But we had already came all the way downtown with the intentions of trying Crane Ramen so we decided to stick it out...in the cold.... for an hour and 45 minutes! The decor is magnificent. You can really tell that they spent a lot on aesthetics. I wish they used a little of that cash for comfortability. The tables are tiny and the chairs seemed like step stools. Nonetheless, it was a different and unique atmosphere for Gainesville. Now, on to the food. As stated below, the menu is very limited. There are only about 4 appetizers and 5 main dishes. My boyfriend had the pork belly bowl, which he stated was watery and bland (this was suppose to be their "heaviest" dish). He added 2 sides of hot sauce ($1 each). I had the roasted chicken bow. Both were mediocre at best. The chicken was unflavored and dry which was strange considering it was in a broth. The noodles were very good and not at all what I was expected. The broth was was greasy, lacking flavor, and contained HAIR. Yes. HAIR. A curly black hair was found tangled in with my noodles. The kitchen is visible and the chefs are clearly seen... with large uncovered beards. If your kitchen is going to be visible to the guests, at least put on the impression of sanitation. I would have mentioned it to the waiter but I was impatient to leave considering how long I waited to eat. And he seemed a bit bogged down Needless to say, I didn't enjoy my experience at Crane Ramen. There are a lot of factors that I hope will be improved. 1. The training. If you're going to have a hostess at least have a method on how long wait times actually are. 2. Follow sanitary restaurant protocol which includes having CHEFS cover up their facial hair with a net (come on, even Chipotle does that!). 3. Have a diverse menu with some depth that can appeal to everyone or lowering the prices for bland food.
(2)Tracy M.
I've eaten at noodle shops in New York and Atlanta and Crane Ramen is my favorite! The layers of flavor in my noodle bowl were fabulous. Hoping that they open a location in ATL. My family and I stopped here for lunch on our way Orlando and we were all raving about it several days later.
(5)Stephanie H.
the longest wait ever, and putting your name has no use...the food is just fair.. definitely nit worth the wait
(1)Peter B.
The ramen was tasteless and cost $12 a bowl. This place is only populate because people like the novelty of a ramen shop. Liquid Ginger is better
(1)Nathan G.
I really like this spot. Me and my GF have gone twice now, big fan of the Ramen I thought the one with the pork belly made the broth a little heavy but other than that pretty solid. Be cool if they did a specialty Ramen each day to mix it up since the menu is limited.
(4)Michael R.
I am a little hesitant to change to a 5 star, since the noodle quality last time was really a bummer and the prices are kind of high, but I went here for lunch today and everything was essentially perfect. They had tsukemen available as the special, which used tonkotsu broth, and they were perfectly firm. My friend who got the shouyu ramen said his was good as well, much better than last time. Lunch is really empty (probably because they don't lower their prices) but this leads to a better product from what I can tell.
(4)Peter V.
Its good but not amazing. Lots of room for improvement. Might wait a few months and see if they get any better.
(3)Paul B.
I went to Crane Ramen again last night and found it even better than I did the first time I went there. The ramen was terrific, the atmosphere full of good energy.
(4)Fred S.
Great ramen. Just go.
(5)Kevin C.
Description: Before Crane Ramen even opened, I was checking in on their facebook page quite frequently eagerly awaiting their official arrival. When it finally did, I didn't end up going... but hey I have now! I'm actually glad I didn't go to their opening week as I heard it was pretty chaotic. Btw, I went here about a few months ago. I remember my experience pretty well though for several reasons. Food & Service: First reason is the location and atmosphere. Great spot downtown and inside is very clean and simple, exactly the kind of place I like. Only problem might be it's a little tight and crowded. Anyways, I went with my friends pretty late so there wasn't much of a wait and they were nice enough to accommodate us at one table. Our waiter was kind but her knowledge of ramen was very thin. Regardless, we were hungry and ordered quickly. I got the shoyu ramen. The food came out fast but looking back, I wish it didn't. All of our ramen bowls were not very flavorful. And when I say not very flavorful, I mean the broth was way under seasoned. The noodles were overcooked and stuck together as well. Final Thoughts: Let me be clear, if they were charging like $7.50 a bowl, I'd honestly come back just because I enjoy a bowl of real ramen from time to time, especially in the winter. $12.00 though plus tip, that's asking for too much. My point is, the restaurant looks nice, the egg and pork were actually pretty good, but the price and essential parts of the ramen were lacking. If they can cut their costs or deliver a much more superb ramen, I'll be back. In the meantime, I'll stick to instant ramen with my own added creations.
(3)Elayne D.
My husband and I dined at Crane Ramen last evening. The ambience and music was perfect. Concerning the food the broth was very fatty and did not have much flavor also there was very little meat and vegetables in the noodle bowl. We thought the price was a little high for the ingredients. Not terribly impressed unfortunately.
(2)Van H.
When a restaurant with a lot of hype opens up, especially ones that cater to a new niche, there are lots of expectations. I wouldn't say that Crane Ramen met them all for me. I ordered the Shoyu Ramen. The broth was flavorful but could have been a little less salty. The chatsu pork was cooked well, much better than the first time I had it prior to their grand opening. What lacked was the eggs and ramen add ons. Ramen isn't just noodles and protein - there needs to be more substance. Even if the noodles didn't come with vegetables, there should be vegetables as add on options. I also don't believe a bowl of ramen should be more than $11, especially for a bowl containing just broth, noodles, and protein. I have had a good ramen and even in New York, I did not pay more than $11 for a bowl. I would come back here, but not necessarily for the ramen. Their appetizers, especially the kimchi Brussels, outshine the ramen by a long shot.
(3)Darcy F.
Lots of people have been raving about this place, but my husband and I weren't very impressed. The decor was cool, the vibe was good, the food ...mediocre. We went for lunch a month or so after it opened. It was busy, but the wait wasn't long. We each ordered a SMALL appetizer and noodle bowl. I'm vegan and their was only one ramen option, which was surprising to me. The bowls were not as flavorful as we had hoped. We each asked for a side of hot sauce ...which you had to pay extra for. I had to use my entire side of hot sauce to get enough flavor. Total sodium bomb too. It was expensive. Approximately $40 before tip for lunch and we didn't even have any drinks. I think it's a little too pricy for what it is. The atmosphere was cool, it didn't really feel like Gainesville in there, but we are in Gainesville and all I wanted was a delicious bowl of noodles, not a mediocre $40 lunch.
(3)Mike W.
I had heard a lot about Crane, both very good and not-so-good, so I was very keen to try it myself. First off, a bit of advice: if you're concerned about having the best experience here possible, I'd suggest coming on a week-night versus weekend and coming early in the evening. Friends who have dined here and were not fully impressed mostly cite the sheer chaos of how busy this small restaurant can get. So, if you're worried about that or don't want to wait very long for a table, come during the week, come early. I had not problems on a Monday night at all. The space is small but the atmosphere they've created is sleek yet cozy, Japanese-influenced but not cloyingly so. They're done an ace job with the limitations of their space and also their desire to include a full bar for cocktails and a decent amount of seating, plus a partially-open kitchen. In one of the photos I took I tried to get the essence of this wabi-sabi atmosphere, but really, it has to be experienced in person. The staff is both friendly and knows their stuff. I talked with two of the waitresses and one chef at length about ramen and Japanese food in general and they're obviously on top of their game--truly passionate about what they have going here. I had the shoyu ramen and also the pork gyoza. Both were nearly perfect. The ramen's broth was robust and savory but not overly salty. The gyoza were a delight: finally, I mean FINALLY, someone really did gyoza right! So many gyoza in Gainesville seem like they just well might be from the frozen section of the local Asian groceries, but not these. They were clearly made fresh and fried perfectly. Also, the ramen was an ample serving and served hot with the ramen noodles themselves of nearly ideal texture. I also had the sunomono salad--cucumbers, turnips, and other seasoned nama veggies--and it was superb, as well. Indeed, everything about the experience was nearly ideal. I can see if someone heard the hype about Crane and came here like on a date only to discover a long wait for a table, then it was noisy and seemed chaotic, they might be disappointed, but again, that can be avoided by coming at non-peak times. Also keep in mind ramen is simple comfort food, and Crane takes great pride in what they are serving but they do not try to gussie it up, either. There is really nothing I would change about Crane, and that's about the highest praise I can offer for any restaurant--even better than five stars.
(5)Nan T.
Good veggies pickled on site. Delicious pork broth and tender meat. High quality ingredients. Cold, filtered table water. Nice decor and very good service.
(4)Sue A.
I went for the first time today because Crane Ramen was having a promotion for 1/2 off all ramen. My friends and I waited approx. 30 minutes before being seated. I ordered the Shio ramen. I was looking forward to a very flavorful broth and great ramen noodles, but both were extremely bland. The noodles tasted somewhat undercooked to me. I had to flavor the broth with salt and spicy sesame oil, but that was nothing special. I was hoping for a "gourmet" ramen experience, but it had me wanting the flavorful and much cheaper Korean instant ramen, of any kind, instead. I would not pay $11.25 for specialty ramen from Crane Ramen. Drinks, staff, and service though, were excellent. The establishment is small without generous seating.
(2)Amanda H.
I WANT TO EAT RAMEN ALL THE TIME NOW AAAAHHHH. I strongly, strongly recommend getting the Kimchi Brussels as an appetizer, I would eat it every day if I could. I caution you against the Chicken ramen (the real name starts with a "P.") If you are coming to Crane for exciting asian flavors you will be disappointed as I was, because it just takes like normal chicken soup -- super good chicken soup, to be sure, but just chicken soup. Ya feel? All the other ones I've had/tasted are way more exciting and delicious.
(4)Daniel B.
Never had ramen like this before. Very glad they had a step-by-step guide to how to eat it authentically. Parking is hard to find. Food is a bit overpriced, but not too badly so. I had the paitan chicken, which was mainly chicken (of course), vegetables, and ramen, with an egg. The service was excellent. I left quite full and satisfied!
(4)Caitlin M.
I'm a vegan, so I got the only entree available on the menu, the mushroom miso ramen. It was really salty, I actually kept adding water from our table to it in hopes of diluting it. I also ordered half a carafe of sake, which was delicious but both items were so overpriced, even if the soup had been good. My bill was $21, $25 with tip. The soup was awful the next day, with the noodles kind of dissolving into the broth. Maybe the salt started to break them down? Not worth the $25, or the wait.
(1)Rijaab M.
I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of Crane Ramen, and my first experience was decent, but nothing to write home about. Upon arriving, I was told there would be a short wait for my table for two. Although this is definitely not a problem for me, I usually like a place to wait so I don't have to awkwardly linger in front of the restaurant! When we were seated, we weren't waited upon for 10 minutes, until our waitress took our order. Looking at the menu, there were very few vegetarian options, with only one for the ramen! As a most-of-the-time vegetarian, I was a little disappointed. My friend and I ordered kimchi Brussels sprouts (without lardons) to share, and we were super happy with it! The Brussels sprouts were nicely charred with some other vegetables and mixed in a delicious kimchi sauce, and topped with nori. I ordered the veggie miso ramen for my main course. First off: the serving size here is huge! The bowls are much deeper than they appear, so you definitely won't be leaving hungry. The veggie ramen came with miso broth, ramen noodles, and a variety of fresh vegetables. I think that they intended for the fresh vegetables to cook in the hot broth, but my broth was nowhere near hot enough to cook my vegetables. The broth tasted nice, but lacked salt. The ramen noodles themselves were delicious though! Overall, Crane Ramen is nice once, but I don't see myself going back. A lack of vegetarian options, along with lackluster service made what could be a great addition to Gainesville's food scene, a very "meh" experience.
(3)Matthew O.
It's great seeing new restaurants come into Gainesville and providing a more diverse set of choices for food. Having gone 3 times, I've tried the majority of the ramen on the menu. The pork belly is cooked really well. It has a nice springiness, great texture, and is very tender. I personally enjoy soup bases and broths on the lighter side. The soup base can be a bit salty at times and feel quite heavy. The noodles were cooked pretty well but also felt heavy towards the end. Overall, I think it is well worth it to give the place a try. It can be a bit pricey and the wait can be very long, upwards of 45 minutes because of how small the place is. But the servers and staff are friendly and the food is decent
(3)Andrew Z.
Came here for lunch today and was impressed with the food they were putting out. Didn't have to wait at all for a table and the staff was very courteous! Can't wait to come back!
(5)Sara K.
I really enjoyed Crane Ramen. My husband and I just moved back to Gainesville after fives years in NYC, and Crane made us feel like we were back in the city in a cozy little restaurant. The decor and ambiance were great and we enjoyed the food. The pork bun appetizer was delicious! We will definitely be back.
(4)Chris B.
If you're into the Ramen thing, this is near the top. A great addition to Downtown Gainesville. Be prepared for a line at night. I recommend passing the time next door at The Bull.
(4)Ryan N.
Save your self $11.99 and buy some ramen noodles from the store and add some roast pork from the deli. This is what you basically get at Crane Ramen. The atmosphere is very chill and the wait staff seems knowledgeable on what they are trying to sell. It's just not worth the money. I personally will not eat here again as I have had 2 noodle bowls and I'm still hungry.
(1)Brandi R.
Was ok...we had tried ramen for the first time in Savannah ga and loved it! So when we got back I was excited to try this place. Id agree hype was exaggerated, soup was not that hot didnt have much to choose from...and noodles were not cooked still really chewy. Flavor wasnt that great...tasted like miso which i ordered the pork belly, so it didnt blend well. Kinda disappointedto say the least
(3)Ping N.
They ran out of chasu pork so it was replaced with pork belly. Excellent replacement. The pork belly ramen was really really good! I'm glad that this is a place in Gainesville!
(5)Ace B.
Wtf is up with the negative reviews?!! This place rules!! There's a reason why the wait is almost an hour sometimes...because they do it right! Besides a great noodle the broth is what did it for me, a lot of ramen spots over salt the sh*t out of it and crane nailed it! Perfect balance, Even the vegetarian dish had an intense faux/carnivorous zing to it which is tough to nail. Haterz be damned! Crane 4 lyfe
(5)Lisa S.
We read prior reviews and got there by 5PM. I ordered the Kontoksu and it was sublime. Delightful. Complex and perfect. The serviced was excellent but we felt rushed - which is the only reason I didn't give 5 stars. They have a full bar but we were not drinking....so, maybe that was why they were pushing us to finish. It was absolutely worth it!
(4)Erica G.
Hostess was overwhelmed on a Saturday night. Once we were seated things were smoother. Tonkatsu ramen was on point. Cocktails were delicious. Will return for more.
(4)Alex J.
This place is a game changer! Coming from NYC I've had plenty of Ramen; This place is up there with the best I've had. Nothing will disappoint. Their broth is full, balanced, and complete. The owner Fred has sent Gainesville a huge blessing!
(5)Therese O.
It was ok. I like the decor, but the ramen is just meh for the price.
(2)Jaya B.
So I'm only giving two stars due to the experience but I hope Crane Ramen will take these reviews as constructive criticism so as to better improve the quality of dining service. Let it be known that I am fully aware that Crane Ramen is an avant-garde restaurant so there are hiccups, which is to be expected. My boyfriend and I arrived around 6:30 and found a line out the door. When peering into the restaurant, I understood why. There are roughly 10 tables and a bar. The hostess quoted that the wait would be an hour. Having worked in F&B for quite some time, I knew it would be longer. But we had already came all the way downtown with the intentions of trying Crane Ramen so we decided to stick it out...in the cold.... for an hour and 45 minutes! The decor is magnificent. You can really tell that they spent a lot on aesthetics. I wish they used a little of that cash for comfortability. The tables are tiny and the chairs seemed like step stools. Nonetheless, it was a different and unique atmosphere for Gainesville. Now, on to the food. As stated below, the menu is very limited. There are only about 4 appetizers and 5 main dishes. My boyfriend had the pork belly bowl, which he stated was watery and bland (this was suppose to be their "heaviest" dish). He added 2 sides of hot sauce ($1 each). I had the roasted chicken bow. Both were mediocre at best. The chicken was unflavored and dry which was strange considering it was in a broth. The noodles were very good and not at all what I was expected. The broth was was greasy, lacking flavor, and contained HAIR. Yes. HAIR. A curly black hair was found tangled in with my noodles. The kitchen is visible and the chefs are clearly seen... with large uncovered beards. If your kitchen is going to be visible to the guests, at least put on the impression of sanitation. I would have mentioned it to the waiter but I was impatient to leave considering how long I waited to eat. And he seemed a bit bogged down Needless to say, I didn't enjoy my experience at Crane Ramen. There are a lot of factors that I hope will be improved. 1. The training. If you're going to have a hostess at least have a method on how long wait times actually are. 2. Follow sanitary restaurant protocol which includes having CHEFS cover up their facial hair with a net (come on, even Chipotle does that!). 3. Have a diverse menu with some depth that can appeal to everyone or lowering the prices for bland food.
(2)Tracy M.
I've eaten at noodle shops in New York and Atlanta and Crane Ramen is my favorite! The layers of flavor in my noodle bowl were fabulous. Hoping that they open a location in ATL. My family and I stopped here for lunch on our way Orlando and we were all raving about it several days later.
(5)Stephanie H.
the longest wait ever, and putting your name has no use...the food is just fair.. definitely nit worth the wait
(1)Peter B.
The ramen was tasteless and cost $12 a bowl. This place is only populate because people like the novelty of a ramen shop. Liquid Ginger is better
(1)Nathan G.
I really like this spot. Me and my GF have gone twice now, big fan of the Ramen I thought the one with the pork belly made the broth a little heavy but other than that pretty solid. Be cool if they did a specialty Ramen each day to mix it up since the menu is limited.
(4)Kerby F.
We waited an hour (big surprise) on a Thursday for seating. There's no waiting area, so you're told to leave and they'll call you. Whatever, right? The place is new, people want their ramen... expect to wait a while. Once seated, however, we weren't very impressed. At $12 a bowl, it's already pricy; in Japan you can get a bowl for around 500-1000 yen (less than 5-10 USD in the current market). I understand they tried to make it more high-end, but I don't think the money goes into the food, considering my party ordered most of the ramen bowls they offered and everyone left dissatisfied. The broth is vital for a good bowl of ramen, and Crane Ramen really needs to rework their broth. It LOOKS dense, but it's rather watery and fairly flavorless with an intense oily film problem. On top of that, the noodles were sort of al dente, which I've never experienced with ramen shops before. I wonder if you request softer noodles if they would comply? We also ordered their gyoza, which took longer than the ramen to come out despite being an appetizer. Their gyoza was good, but the dipping sauce was lacking (maybe not enough rice vinegar?). The dumplings were cooked nicely, with a slight crunch and flavorful taste. The toppings in the ramen were nice. The egg was cooked properly and the pork was tender and moist. The amount of scallion was appropriate; not too overwhelming but enough to add to the dish. It's a shame they charge $1+ for add ons to the dish, even if its seasonings. I understand if they wouldn't want to muddle their flavors with cover-up sauces... but... their broth really needed help. :/ We also liked the glass bottle of water they give you to pour your own water. While I suppose it could come off as lazy, it's convenient for busy hours in consideration of their small(ish) serving glasses. Kinda irrelevant, but worth mentioning. Would I come here again? Probably not. I hope they learn as they grow as a business, because I feel like they could be really successful in Gainesville.
(2)W M.
Truly wonderful. The service is excellent and the ramen is fabulous. The flavors are rich and satisfying. Along with ramen I recommend the crispy chicken thigh appetizer-they are insanely good.
(5)Claudia P.
I've been to Crane Ramen two times now, both for dinner. I've tried the Chicken, Vegetable, and Pork ramen. I would say stick to the Pork ramen. The broth for the chicken and vegetable were very bland with very little flavor (I disagree with previous posts saying it's too fatty/oily). We also ordered the appetizers (fried chicken and pot stickers) and were very underwhelmed. Small portions for such a high price, $12 for ramen bowl. Good customer service, very attentive but almost to the point of hovering. The interior design is on point and very sophisticated/NYC style so you're really paying for the atmosphere.
(3)Ryan E.
Very sleek and comfortable interior with great wait staff. Brussel sprout appetizer was delicious but overpriced for the portion. Good cheap house wine. The ramen was unimpressive, slightly flavorless and the noodles were not true ramen noodles and more like spaghetti. Overall not a filling meal, overpriced and they made you pay for hot sauce for your ramen. This is america. Free sauce. Whatttt
(2)Kerby F.
We waited an hour (big surprise) on a Thursday for seating. There's no waiting area, so you're told to leave and they'll call you. Whatever, right? The place is new, people want their ramen... expect to wait a while. Once seated, however, we weren't very impressed. At $12 a bowl, it's already pricy; in Japan you can get a bowl for around 500-1000 yen (less than 5-10 USD in the current market). I understand they tried to make it more high-end, but I don't think the money goes into the food, considering my party ordered most of the ramen bowls they offered and everyone left dissatisfied. The broth is vital for a good bowl of ramen, and Crane Ramen really needs to rework their broth. It LOOKS dense, but it's rather watery and fairly flavorless with an intense oily film problem. On top of that, the noodles were sort of al dente, which I've never experienced with ramen shops before. I wonder if you request softer noodles if they would comply? We also ordered their gyoza, which took longer than the ramen to come out despite being an appetizer. Their gyoza was good, but the dipping sauce was lacking (maybe not enough rice vinegar?). The dumplings were cooked nicely, with a slight crunch and flavorful taste. The toppings in the ramen were nice. The egg was cooked properly and the pork was tender and moist. The amount of scallion was appropriate; not too overwhelming but enough to add to the dish. It's a shame they charge $1+ for add ons to the dish, even if its seasonings. I understand if they wouldn't want to muddle their flavors with cover-up sauces... but... their broth really needed help. :/ We also liked the glass bottle of water they give you to pour your own water. While I suppose it could come off as lazy, it's convenient for busy hours in consideration of their small(ish) serving glasses. Kinda irrelevant, but worth mentioning. Would I come here again? Probably not. I hope they learn as they grow as a business, because I feel like they could be really successful in Gainesville.
(2)Gloria H.
The ramen broth was too bland and the noodles weren't anything spectacular. Not enough add on options either. I can make instant ramen that tastes better.
(2)Chad W.
My fiance and I ate here and we were amazed. The food was great, really nice atmosphere, the staff was extremely nice, and it didn't cost too much. Will definitely return many times.
(5)Amanda H.
I WANT TO EAT RAMEN ALL THE TIME NOW AAAAHHHH. I strongly, strongly recommend getting the Kimchi Brussels as an appetizer, I would eat it every day if I could. I caution you against the Chicken ramen (the real name starts with a "P.") If you are coming to Crane for exciting asian flavors you will be disappointed as I was, because it just takes like normal chicken soup -- super good chicken soup, to be sure, but just chicken soup. Ya feel? All the other ones I've had/tasted are way more exciting and delicious.
(4)Daniel B.
Never had ramen like this before. Very glad they had a step-by-step guide to how to eat it authentically. Parking is hard to find. Food is a bit overpriced, but not too badly so. I had the paitan chicken, which was mainly chicken (of course), vegetables, and ramen, with an egg. The service was excellent. I left quite full and satisfied!
(4)Caitlin M.
I'm a vegan, so I got the only entree available on the menu, the mushroom miso ramen. It was really salty, I actually kept adding water from our table to it in hopes of diluting it. I also ordered half a carafe of sake, which was delicious but both items were so overpriced, even if the soup had been good. My bill was $21, $25 with tip. The soup was awful the next day, with the noodles kind of dissolving into the broth. Maybe the salt started to break them down? Not worth the $25, or the wait.
(1)Rijaab M.
I've been eagerly awaiting the opening of Crane Ramen, and my first experience was decent, but nothing to write home about. Upon arriving, I was told there would be a short wait for my table for two. Although this is definitely not a problem for me, I usually like a place to wait so I don't have to awkwardly linger in front of the restaurant! When we were seated, we weren't waited upon for 10 minutes, until our waitress took our order. Looking at the menu, there were very few vegetarian options, with only one for the ramen! As a most-of-the-time vegetarian, I was a little disappointed. My friend and I ordered kimchi Brussels sprouts (without lardons) to share, and we were super happy with it! The Brussels sprouts were nicely charred with some other vegetables and mixed in a delicious kimchi sauce, and topped with nori. I ordered the veggie miso ramen for my main course. First off: the serving size here is huge! The bowls are much deeper than they appear, so you definitely won't be leaving hungry. The veggie ramen came with miso broth, ramen noodles, and a variety of fresh vegetables. I think that they intended for the fresh vegetables to cook in the hot broth, but my broth was nowhere near hot enough to cook my vegetables. The broth tasted nice, but lacked salt. The ramen noodles themselves were delicious though! Overall, Crane Ramen is nice once, but I don't see myself going back. A lack of vegetarian options, along with lackluster service made what could be a great addition to Gainesville's food scene, a very "meh" experience.
(3)Matthew O.
It's great seeing new restaurants come into Gainesville and providing a more diverse set of choices for food. Having gone 3 times, I've tried the majority of the ramen on the menu. The pork belly is cooked really well. It has a nice springiness, great texture, and is very tender. I personally enjoy soup bases and broths on the lighter side. The soup base can be a bit salty at times and feel quite heavy. The noodles were cooked pretty well but also felt heavy towards the end. Overall, I think it is well worth it to give the place a try. It can be a bit pricey and the wait can be very long, upwards of 45 minutes because of how small the place is. But the servers and staff are friendly and the food is decent
(3)Andrew Z.
Came here for lunch today and was impressed with the food they were putting out. Didn't have to wait at all for a table and the staff was very courteous! Can't wait to come back!
(5)Dave J.
I am so happy to have a legit ramen place. I am really surprised the score is currently only 3 and a half, as it was completely packed when I was there and the food was awesome. I liked the pork and the broth so much more than any of the good ramen places I have been in Seattle. That's probably because their meat is from our local farmers market. It's a bit expensive, but easily worth it if your hungry. Perhaps they could do half bowls in the future, but part of eating ramen in my experience is having a giant bowl. I wish I had tried the hot sauce, but I had the chili oil and it wasn't very hot. They give you good water for free.
(5)Andrew H.
Such a great experience! The food was delicious, the drink selection was great, and the atmosphere very fitting. Will indeed be coming back soon!
(5)Passion P.
Gorgeous small space, mixed open kitchen, small tables. A lot of care have gone into the design, the training of staff, the atmosphere, and the overall emphasis on high service and quality ingredients. Gainesville desperately needs more casual dining places with a higher bar for quality/service/atmosphere. Price point ($10-14 a bowl) keeps mass undergrads away.... In short, thank you for not pandering to the lowest common denominator. I had the chicken ramen and it was flavorful and filling: chicken had both crispiness and tenderness and was perfectly shredded. Ramen does not have as deep a broth as pho, which I am more familiar with: their broth was delicious, delicate, and well balanced. It seems like they have taken to heart early feedback about broth being too salty/too greasy, through there is a garlic oil they put in the broth that some may not like. I look forward to returning, when I will try the house-made gyoza and the kimchee brussel sprouts and the grilled pork ramen. For vegans (not me), no one should expect a Ramen place to prioritize you, so you have two options: kimchee brussel sprouts appetizer/made to order miso vegetable ramen. I went at 5 on Friday and there was tons of seating. Tip: Don't come with more than 4 people. Good stuff!
(4)Rithi C.
3.5/5 stars. I've never been to a ramen shop before; the only prior experience I have with ramen is with those packages you find at the grocery store. I've heard that ramen shops are common in Asian countries and I was excited to see that there was one here in Gainesville. The feel of the restaurant is between casual and upscale. You could definitely bring a date here (granted that they enjoy/wouldn't mind trying ramen). Each seat has a comic instructional guide (drawn in a cartoon style reminiscent of old Mickey Mouse clips) on the suggested way to eat your ramen. Since this shop is probably where many people try ramen for the first time, it's sure to come in handy. There aren't many options on the menu, though it's printed that desserts are soon going to be a new addition. I ordered a tonkutsu (sp?), pork belly wrapped in spring onion (don't remember what they were called), and a cherry yuzu. The cherry yuzu is a drink made with cherries and the eponymous yuzu, an East Asian citrus fruit. I love drinks that infuse cherry, but this beverage had a watered-down taste with only a hint of cherry. The pork belly was nice and tender and was my favorite part of the meal. The ramen itself was more flavorful than the supermarket kind, but nothing particularly caught my attention. Our waitress provided average service and did not seem to be very in to her job. I try not to let one experience with a waiter/waitress overshadow the entire dining experience, but she could certainly do much better. I gave Crane Ramen 3.5/5 stars: I'll have to come back and try a different type of ramen and drink to see if I have a better dining experience.
(3)Ana B.
It kills me to give such a poor review for an establishment I was highly anticipating I would love. I just honestly could not even eat my ramen. It was so salty and had an off putting taste. I got the chicken broth by the way so not a complex, "scary" flavor. What is weird is a couple of my friends warned me that they had the same experience but others loved it. I guess it is all in what you order. I definitely liked my roomate's ramen better, the soy sauce based one. I will say I love the atmosphere and the waters on the table. But I will say I loved the chicken buns. LOVED. Probably only reason for the 3 stars.
(3)Michelle V.
The first time I went here... 2 hour wait, I am not sure of the long wait made me super hungry, but the ramen tasted amazing to me! But then I hyped up my friend and we went and we were disappointed. It didn't taste as good as I remembered. The idea of it is great, we needed a ramen place in gainesville, but I just feel like the space is too small.
(3)Antoinette O.
Yelp removed my original update, so I'm back here to say once again that Crane Ramen sucks because the food is flavorless, they don't have seating accommodations for people with children and refuse to make any, and they don't do take out. I could excuse the aforementioned if they at least allowed me to give them another shot by buying my food to go, but they won't even do that. One star.
(1)Darshan P.
I really like Ramen. But I don't know if this place was worth the wait just yet. For one, we put our names on the waiting list and they totally skipped our name. The new host was nice about it and gave us some good free Saki. I had the Tonkatsu which on their menu was pork belly and chashu in ramen. The pork belly was the best part- very tender and flavorful. However, the broth was just not quite right. It was very salty and especially oily. The noodles were too thick and starchy. My girlfriend and I ordered the same thing, however she had her hot sauce mixed in and wanted extra.. whereas I had mine on the side. I ended up getting more hot sauce at the end of the day and mine was spicier and tastier but she had to pay $1.00 extra for extra sauce - which was just petty. I would prob go back to this place if I'm craving ramen but I was expecting a little bit more.
(3)James O.
I'm really hesitant about leaving a review, especially because it is such a new restaurant and I'm sure they will have a steep learning curve, but I felt I needed to add my two cents in the hopes that the next time I come back to Crane Ramen I can give it a 5 star review. (My experience last night was actually worth 2 stars, but again...new restaurant...) Crane Ramen has a unique niche, of no points for guessing this...ramen. However my soup last night only really deserves to call itself Ramen like my 50c packets from Target do. The noodles were of much the same consistency, with two tiny slivers of cold, tough pork belly (think deli cut style, 1 or 2 sizes up from paper thin). I was sitting at the noodle bar, it was easy to see why. The meat is all mass produced before hand, and they literally just have huge pots of salty broth that they ladle out into a bowl, and then throw the previously cooked/now refrigerated meat onto. Remind me again why I just paid 12 bucks for this? I think revising the menu in either lowering the prices, or raising the quality of the food is certainly one improvement I would make. I bought both a ramen bowl and some of the gyozas, and was still hungry later. I shouldn't have to spend 20 bucks for one person and still feel hungry. Another, which I think will correct itself in time/practice; is the wait-staff/chefs. It was a 15 minute wait at the noodle bar before I even met my waiter. I think the chefs should also take better care with the vegetarian food/non-vegetarian food. Sitting at the noodle bar I could easily watch as the chef's used the same chopsticks to place the few ingredients on top. Also, add a vegan option, there were two customers that were sitting next to me but had to walk out because of no vegan option. Again, I'm posting all this in the hopes that the next time I come back it will be a better experience.
(3)AP A.
This is a tiny, trendy all-local home-made ramen establishment. Pros: It was a lot of ramen, and I got three meals out of it. Cons: I probably got three meals because I didn't like it but didn't want to waste it. I ordered a bowl of spicy ramen for $12. It was all spice, but no flavor. My coworkers ordered Shoyu, which was flavorful, but they also ordered garlic oil add-ons to make it better. If my $12 ramen isnt good without add-ons, what am I doing here? I looked at the menu on their website before we went. They did not have the same items, and told me I was looking at their old menu. Um. Update your website? It seems pretty pretentious. There are disposable paper placemats that dictate proper ramen etiquette. The placemat says if it takes more than 10 minutes to eat, you have ruined the meal. Be sure to slurp. Use a spoon for eggs, but otherwise slurp up with your chopsticks. This placemat really set a bad tone for me. I truly do not understand the hype.
(2)Kristin D.
I got the paitan chicken and hubby got the shoyu and both were super satisfying. They weren't quite what you'd get in Japan but they were closer than most other American interpretations we've had. We loved our waiter (I believe her name was Katherine?) because she was very funny, personable, and attentive. Can't forget to mention that the cocktails were refreshing and generous. My only suggestions for improvement are: provide an udon option and carry Yamazaki (our all-time favorite whiskey, let alone favorite Japanese whiskey). We will definitely be coming back the next chance we get!
(5)Jason G.
Very nice atmosphere. Food was tasty. Very clean place. I ordered the "spicy" pork Ramen paitan and it was delicious. I was, however, looking for something a little spicier and when I asked for extra spicy house sauce I was told that it would cost an extra dollar. This is my reason for 5 to 4 stars. I was turned off to have to pay more for a $12 bowl if broth and noodles to make it to my liking. I will come back again though and may change my review to 5 stars next time.
(4)Jeanne T.
I'm no expert in ramen, but I know when something lacks flavor. I actually tried the black sesame ramen first. The flavored sounded good but when it came out..I was afraid. The waitress saw me take my first bite and she came right over. She knew something was wrong, she said they were still working out this dish. Ummm ok. I sent it back not to long after. It also had huge pieces of pulled pork, which is strange. Ramen is some what of a delicate dish to me and crane did not do it justice. The other ramen I got lacked flavor, but presentation was good. Two stars for honesty and good service. Get the high tables or booth, those little chairs aren't comfortable.
(2)Bo L.
I give it credit for being the only ramen joint in town and diversifying Gville's Asian food options which consist of mainly Panda Express, Bento, and... Dragonfly. Our table ordered the Tonkatsu and the chicken based ramen. Ignoring the fact that the Tonkatsu means deep breaded fried pork in Japanese, which is misleading enough since the meat that comes with the ramen is pork belly and cha su, the broth was extremely salty. All three of us who ordered it felt it was too salty and we couldn't finish it. The world is divided into two groups of people: broth people and noodle people. I am a broth person, I value broth more than the texture or flavor of my noodles (as long as they are appropriately al dente). Also it was slightly too oily. Salty oily broth is an instant mood killer. The Good: Pork belly and Cha su was cooked fine and well flavored. Chicken was a better option. Apps were good, especially that Kimchee one with the mushrooms, delicious. Appropriately priced as well. But the broth! It's a ramen place, you gotta master the broth. You want your customers to chug the soup and ask for to go containers. 3 stars.
(3)Joel G.
Crane Ramen has kept me coming back again and again. Working downtown there are a lot of options for lunch, but I still make it to Crane about once a week. The first thing that hits you when you walk in is the atmosphere. It's very friendly, and has an authentic feel. I've been for casual lunches and business meetings, and it's been perfect for both. Crane's appetizers haven't let me down yet. My favorite is the kimchi brussel sprouts, which are cooked in such a way that you get a mouthful of flavor, while skipping the bitterness that brussel sprouts usually have. A number of dining companions who are firmly anti-brussel sprouts have even admitted to really enjoying these. Recently, they've added steamed pork buns, which I also enjoyed (although not as much as the brussel sprouts) No matter what ramen you choose, you're going to be in for a treat: this is the best ramen I've had in Gainesville. I usually stick with the tonkotsu, which is one of their spicier ramens, and is a lot of what keeps me coming back. On top of excellent noodles and just the right amount of heat, the portion sizes are very generous, and I've struggled to finish all of it on a few occasions. Most recently, I tried their pulled pork ramen, another new addition, and was very impressed. I hope they keep it on the menu, as I'll be looking forward to having it again next time I'm back. Overall, I highly recommend Crane Ramen for lunch downtown (and probably dinner, though I have only been for lunch). The food and feel are right on the money, and they're constantly adding new dishes to their menu, so there's always a new reason to keep coming back.
(5)Corey P.
Crane Ramen is not even open yet and I can safely say they are going to be a fantastic addition to the Gainesville food scene. I came hoping to find some vegan options and came pretty close with a veggie miso ramen and some kimchi brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts had some shrimp oil and I'm unsure if the veggie miso was completely vegan. As far as atmosphere and taste go, everything was awesome. The ramen itself had a great toothsome quality but not at all chewy. The broth was seasoned well and the vegetables were well chosen (though there could have been some more of them). The decor is modern and charming with their awesome logo flying high and slapped on the backs of the cooks. Will definitely be returning.
(5)Evan W.
Great service and atmosphere. Had lunch, delicious veggie miso ramen, veggie dumplings and chicken w savory mayo. Everything was fresh and yummy. Only criticisms--for lunch the ramen should be a little cheaper than $12, and the fried chicken could use a little seasoning in the breading.
(4)R M.
Great location, service, and atmosphere, but the price doesn't match the quality. Had the steam buns and the pork tonkatsu ramen bowl. These are not $12 but sub $8 quality. Broth was not as complex as their placemats claim and the ramen were a bit undercooked. It wasn't bad just not great. Were it a cheaper meal I'd go back.
(3)Xinkai Q.
Great and authentic Japanese ramen
(5)Drew L.
This place is dressed up nice but the food was awful bland. Meaning tasteless. Meaning blasé! It was like eating a bowl of noodles served in the same water in which they started - without adding anything else. The egg in the soup was flavorful as was the pork, though not spectacular by any means either. The only other 'flavor' came from the Sriracha hot sauce on the side of the bowl. That's just lazy.
(1)Amy C.
Great atmosphere! It is a tiny restaurant so for those of you who are claustrophobic proceed with caution. It is an upscale ramen place for a fancy dinner with mostly meat options. Go there with a date or alone because it's a very intimate setting. The noodles are delicious! And the service personnel are very patient!
(5)Chris C.
Love it. Don't eat here if you're going to be fussy about eggs and noodle tenderness. The egg is supposed to be soft boiled and the noodles are nice and chewy. Don't eat here if you're going to be fussy and demand more salt in your broth or vegan options ( who cares about vegans, its traditional ramen- not meant to be vegan). It's good ramen, too many opinions spoil the soup. If you are one of these people, I'm sorry but save the sitting space for people who can come in with a smile, sit down, eat some good food, and depart without leaving much of a trace. It's a small space so don't plan on camping out. Eat & get out. Take your heartfelt date night conversation someplace where you're not sitting on stools. Will definitely continue to eat here. Love the atmosphere. Especially on chilly or rainy Gainesville nights. Particularly beautiful at sunset. PS. Order the chili oil for everything! The Brussels sprouts are awesome. Keep up the awesome work, Y'all!
(4)W M.
Truly wonderful. The service is excellent and the ramen is fabulous. The flavors are rich and satisfying. Along with ramen I recommend the crispy chicken thigh appetizer-they are insanely good.
(5)Claudia P.
I've been to Crane Ramen two times now, both for dinner. I've tried the Chicken, Vegetable, and Pork ramen. I would say stick to the Pork ramen. The broth for the chicken and vegetable were very bland with very little flavor (I disagree with previous posts saying it's too fatty/oily). We also ordered the appetizers (fried chicken and pot stickers) and were very underwhelmed. Small portions for such a high price, $12 for ramen bowl. Good customer service, very attentive but almost to the point of hovering. The interior design is on point and very sophisticated/NYC style so you're really paying for the atmosphere.
(3)Ryan E.
Very sleek and comfortable interior with great wait staff. Brussel sprout appetizer was delicious but overpriced for the portion. Good cheap house wine. The ramen was unimpressive, slightly flavorless and the noodles were not true ramen noodles and more like spaghetti. Overall not a filling meal, overpriced and they made you pay for hot sauce for your ramen. This is america. Free sauce. Whatttt
(2)Yoshimi M.
came here while visiting some friends and was told that authentic ramen joint just opened up. I was excited. Recently I visited NYC solely to eat ramen, which is the food I miss the most from back home. I seriously ate ramen almost every meal while I stayed there. I kinda had high expectation for this place after seeing some pictures and reading reviews on Yelp. The set up of the restaurant was typical ramen joint with some modern touch. I ordered Chicken Paitan Ramen and my friend ordered Tonkotsu Ramen. The food came out after 15 minutes or so. There were 4 of us. My ramen wasn't hot. It was lukewarm, which is a huge turn off for me. I expected it to be piping hot. At least that's how we, Japanese, eat ramen. I was disappointed already. Paitan Soup is supposed to be richer and thicker soup, but it wasn't really flavorful. There wasn't really depth in the flavor...like it was missing something. Noodles were a little over done for my taste. I also didn't really enjoy the salad leaves in my soup (I think they were some spring mix and kale!?) I tried Tonkotsu soup, but it was also missing that creaminess and rich flavor. i really wanted to like this place, but for me, it totally missed the mark. Maybe I'm just too harsh when it comes to ramen. I might give it another try when I visit again.
(3)Christopher D.
Consistent and Delicious Ramen! We have been eating here since it first opened, and although things were a bit chaotic at first, they are operating on all cylinders now. Intimate setting makes for a cozy meal, but we routinely take out. When you get your food to-go, they provide the broth in a separate container which makes it easy to reheat and pour over when you get home - never fails - always delicious.
(5)Charles D.
Gainesville finally has a go-to lunch spot downtown. The ramen is world class, great service (although the small space often necessitates longer waits at popular times), and specials that rotate frequently and never disappoint. The spicy pulled pork is a particular favorite.
(5)Tessa T.
I have to say I was really excited for a ramen place to come around and now I'm just meh about it. It's a small place so I wouldn't recommend bringing a huge party. We ordered the Shio and Tonkatsu Ramens and unfortunately both were rather mediocre. The broth was very bland and the for different soups, it was a very similar taste. Also, as a service related issue, the soups sometimes came out lukewarm. They say you get a marinated egg in your soup but it's just a normal soft boiled egg. Overall, it's okay. Not great or anything living up to the hype. Prices are really expensive at $12 a bowl. I would have paid $6-7 for what we got, but the things they did do right is the pickled bamboo shots. Those are amazing. I would eat an entire bowl. The pork was good as well, slightly under seasoned, but still delicious.
(3)Jessica D.
Aw man, I can't believe there are negative reviews about this place! We visited Gainesville this weekend and seeing the negative reviews about Crane Ramen almost stopped me from going here but eating here is one of the things I'll never regret in my life. Being a seasoned ramen eater and also being Asian and very much in touch with my culture, I think it's very safe to say that this place deserves the 5 stars I'm giving it (I'm not bragging I'm just letting you know about my credibility.) Crane Ramen is a New York style ramen joint (I was telling my boyfriend that I felt like we were in NY again and then our waitress happened to mention that this place was New York style) that caters to the younger crowd but I did see a dad with his daughter here and a few middle aged couples. It's not really somewhere you'd take your kids. Space is ample but seating is limited. However, service is very quick. I think I saw one of the reviews for this place say that you're supposed to just eat quickly and get out? That isn't the case at all lol. You can stay as long as you want; the staff isn't going to give you nasty looks if you decide to sit and chat. Ramen is considered a quick food, it just happens to be that you can't spend an hour eating ramen, it makes no sense. For $11-12 you get a heaping amount of noodles. We ended up with some leftovers! Boyfriend got the tonkatsu and I got the shoyu. He was happy to find that his bowl had a good amount of meat. Broth is *very* flavorful. Both of our soups had a very intriguing and aromatic taste. Woody and sweet and salty. We also ordered their gyoza. I wanna believe that their gyoza is homemade....It didn't seem like the type that comes frozen but you never know. Gyoza lacked flavor but was stuffed with a good amount of meat so it was worth the $6. Wouldn't order it again though. I think it just needed more salt maybe. Work on the seasoning for your dumplings, Crane Ramen ~ Interior is super nice, I loved it there! Very posh and modern. Music was at a good level. Staff was very clean, attractive, and friendly. Our waitress was great, we really liked her. Wish I remembered her name but we walked in about to pass out from hunger so I don't think either of us were paying attention when she introduced herself ha ha ha. It was packed but we were still seated quickly, had our orders promptly taken, and food served within a few minutes. We came during the lunch rush. Good for groups of 3 - 5, possibly 6 people but it's better with two people. Also, a few things things - when you eat any type of Asian noodle soup use your chopsticks and spoon at the same time! Use both at once. It's more efficient and proper. Also, don't lift your bowl like Naruto supposedly does. When Naruto eats he's portrayed as a starving boy. If you want to lift your bowl to drink the broth, just do it at neck level. Don't sit up straight and lift it so high that you have to jut your chin all the way out or strain your neck. Just casually pick up the bowl and sip as you would with a hot cup of tea. Or, if you don't want to dribble just tilt your bowl ever so slightly and collect the soup in your spoon. Simple as that. Don't try to copy anime, my friends. There's a reason why it's fiction, a cartoon. Lastly, there's a great cafe just a short walk away from the restaurant called Volta coffee that you can go to for some after meal coffee :- )
(5)Jennifer K.
The atmosphere is nice, and we didn't have to wait to be seated on a Friday. I agree with many of the other reviewers that the broth is not so flavorful. It's also disappointing that there is only one vegetarian ramen option. I do kind of feel like I could boil up some Top Ramen and throw in some accoutrements and be more satisfied. :/
(3)Paetyn M.
This is not a five star rating because it's good. This place got five stars from me because I will come back every chance I get. The service is always nice. The waiters are kind and attentive. They are always at your table, refilling drinks, making sure you have everything. If there is a problem they don't get frustrated with you. They fix it for you. It's amazing. The atmosphere is really casual. You can just go and relax while having a bowl of delicious ramen. The place is comfortable and you don't feel out of place no matter how dressed up or down. The food is wonderful. I love ramen, and I've had a lot of ramen from homemade to store bought. This falls slightly, and only slightly under homemade. The noodles are fresh, the in residence taste like they just came from the garden, and the broth is not too heavy or too salty. It's hot and spicy if you like that way, or mild and creamy. You have options and they are great. Don't walk into this restaurant thinking the food will change you life. Walk in thinking that you want something tasty, warm, and pretty darn healthy and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
(5)Lilli C.
I have been here multiple times and it's been amazing every time. The waiters are always very nice and food very high quality. Authentic comfort food and awesome atmosphere. A friend also said when he came with kids the chef was extremely nice and made sure they were taken care of. Great for everyone. Only thing if you don't like anything spicy be sure to ask your waiter which bowls are spicy.
(5)Michael R.
I am a little hesitant to change to a 5 star, since the noodle quality last time was really a bummer and the prices are kind of high, but I went here for lunch today and everything was essentially perfect. They had tsukemen available as the special, which used tonkotsu broth, and they were perfectly firm. My friend who got the shouyu ramen said his was good as well, much better than last time. Lunch is really empty (probably because they don't lower their prices) but this leads to a better product from what I can tell.
(4)Peter V.
Its good but not amazing. Lots of room for improvement. Might wait a few months and see if they get any better.
(3)Paul B.
I went to Crane Ramen again last night and found it even better than I did the first time I went there. The ramen was terrific, the atmosphere full of good energy.
(4)Fred S.
Great ramen. Just go.
(5)Peter Y.
Open two weeks and damn good ramen. Their broth is worth it. Order pork shoulder and not pork belly
(5)Alan C.
Crane Ramen is open! After trying out their pop-up event at The Vine, I got to go and try out two bowls, the Shoyu and Paitan Chicken today. The broths have definitely been adjusted and are now very rich but not too salty, the meat is also well seasoned, and noodles were not overcooked. Overall pretty authentic to the Japanese Ramen out on the West Coast and in Japan. A few gripes I had with the ramen: 1) Not enough veggies; again the broth is very rich and some bok choy or other veggies to cut out a bit of the richness would have been nice. (Then again, I find most restaurants never serve enough vegetables nowadays...) 2) They charge for side dipping sauces. At $12/bowl of ramen, I'd hope that chili sauce would be free either at the table or upon request. 3) The staff could be a bit more peppy/attentive. There weren't many people when I went but the staff seemed tired and uninterested in interacting with the customers. Overall the food has great potential, hopefully they'll work out the kinks in the coming weeks.
(4)Jonathan C.
Note: Reviewed during Soft Opening Forget your Maruchans, your Yakisobas, your Cup Noodles. Lets make this clear: your instant noodles that you get at the market are NOT REAL Ramen. When college kids say they love ramen they really mean instant noodles, those cheap plastic packages visually burned into your brain. Face it: unless you watched Naruto or lived in other culinary diverse regions, you think ramen is high sodium, bland soupy clouded noodles. If you've actually experienced real ramen noodle soups, congratulations, let's talk about Crane Ramen. If you've never had real authentically made ramen prepare to be blown away, at Crane Ramen. Crane Ramen is the first standalone ramen shop to venture into Gainesville as far back as I can remember. Heck, I've even considered opening one here. After hitting up other shops in Orlando and Manhattan I longed for a comparable shop to open here. Come December 1st that dream will come true, but I was lucky to sample the food in a "soft launch" where the shop opened its doors to 100 bowls of ramen a day for three days. I'll skip the details about wait times getting into the shop since it was a limited run. Also, note I will say shop all the time in this review but it is a Japanese noodle dining restaurant complete with waiter service. I'm still going to say shop. The decor of the restaurant (read: shop) is simple yet elegant. I did like the banners of the shop logo hanging on one side of the wall, with a vibrant mural or wall art. Occupancy for the shop is 41, so with a full crew it may only serve max 31 guests for full booking. It is an open kitchen and a long counter bar with seating, just like a sushi bar or a noodle cart in Japan. And there are high stool table seating across from the bar seating. The front seating is padded backrests on the walls, but small stools for the table's opposite side. Our server Jewel, one of the two waitresses for the service and by far the prettiest "girl with glasses look" I've seen, brought us a wine-bottle-shaped glass bottle of water and small 6-8 ounce glass tumbles, reminiscent of the glasses I used when eating at restaurants in Asia. Use of the bottle was an interesting design but pouring such liquids from bottle always leads to drips if one is not versed in pouring wine bottles. But a neat idea nonetheless. But let's get to the food before I end up recalling how awesome the blonde waitress was at service. As opposed to other ramen shops I've frequented whose menu includes additional noodle types (ie soba, udon) this one is strictly ramen. And ramen is a distinct type of noodle, like your spaghetti or bow tie, but a Japanese noodle type that's best when it's made fresh. Shops usually stock the main types of ramen noodle bowls with the staples of a shio (salt and butter flavoring broth) a shoyu (soy based broth) and a tonkotsu (pork-bone simmering broth). Today's menu lacked the latter type but did have the first two. The shop instead has Paitan (白湯) which is still a simmering of bones to make the broth white and milky like a tonkotsu but slightly different. I opted for the spicy Paitan bowl while my friend ordered the shoyu bowl. (Note: yes you vegetarians also have a bowl that uses miso flavorings) Also on the side we got gyoza, which is like chinese potstickers (like those crappy things you get at Applebee's or Chilli's, but way better) I liked the gyoza it thought it could have had some more substance than being just a meat paste like a ravioli, but that's my preference. So, now the cute server brought out our meals, and they were as I visualized: delicious. My bowl came with chashu pork, a staple meat and deliciously flavorful, half a hard boiled egg, and some other trimmings. My friends shoyu came with nearly the same fixings. NOTE: EAT THE THING IMMEDIATELY!! This is not a steak. Ramen has the sweet spot of being perfect right as its being served and if you don't get that thing down in less than ten minutes the ramen will get mushy like a risotto and dumb people complaining even though it's their fault because they took a picture or chatted or something else. EAT IT FAST. The ramen shows its freshness by its bounciness of the noodle when you chew. The broth of the Paitan was also good as a white broth even without it trying to be a tonkotsu substitute. I liked that my egg was actually medium boiled so it had a custardy yolk. After literally inhaling the bowl I felt full; you will get that with real ramen, not instant hard noodles. The flavor is perfect with the thought of it NOT being full of sodium. The food still shines, and I hope a real tonkotsu choice will be added in the future. Hopefully they can also sort the bottle issue: we had a bottle to pour but later on they took our bottle and poured it for us. Still, overall great. Cooks service great, wait staff great. Jewel cute. Can't wait to come back and try some other bowl.
(4)Anna M.
FOOD - 3 STARS: Broth was very oily and bland. Unfortunately, the oilyness and blandness of the broth made the noodles taste very buttery, but the texture was great. The few pieces of meat were incredibly big and almost impossible to eat without a knife, which meant that I couldn't easily have a bite of meat with each mouthful of ramen...I ate the huge slab in one go at the end; the meat was very tender and flavorful though. My ramen with spicy sauce had the sauce smeared on the upper inside of the bowl and I had to attempt to use the noodles to scrape it off to get it into my soup -- didn't quite work as there wasn't enough of the sauce. I wish I had the option to get the egg fried on top/in my ramen rather than half a soft boiled egg and sitting on top, but that's just personal preference and didn't bother asking. The amount of garnishings in my bowl looked nothing like the pictures online. The lack of addons was very disappointing for a $12 bowl of noodles, meat, egg and onions. CUSTOMER SERVICE - 2 STARS: Server refused to answer my repeated question on why a second form of ID was needed until I asked if it was because I had an English name...the reasoning was because the picture apparently didn't look like me. Manager hovered around us after that, making sure everything was fine. I definitely look like my ID, but I guess that's what happens when a ramen restaurant managed by white hipsters hires white servers that must think all Asians look the same. At least the hostess outside doing the seatings and reservations was very friendly and helpful. CLEANLINESS - 2 STARS: I saw at least two beards that I feel like should have had beard nets, and the cooks up front behind the bar were not wearing gloves. Watching this up close since I'm sitting at the bar, I paid attention to both cooks fairly closely, and while the guy that was actually cooking the meat appeared to be fine and used chopsticks for mostly everything, the other guy was garnishing the food and I wish I had never eaten my egg after watching him and his hands and his beard. OTHER THOUGHTS: I saw 'Echiban' listed at least three times under the drinks menu. I assumed they meant 'Ichiban' as in Kirin Ichiban but didn't ask and thought they meant something else since the beer does have its name in English on the bottles. Server also butchered the pronunciation of "gyoza" and "sake." CONCLUSION: I've had way better in Northern VA and Seattle. The buttery noodles, server, and beards were enough to turn me off. I will not be coming here again unless friends really insist.
(2)Gloria H.
The ramen broth was too bland and the noodles weren't anything spectacular. Not enough add on options either. I can make instant ramen that tastes better.
(2)Chad W.
My fiance and I ate here and we were amazed. The food was great, really nice atmosphere, the staff was extremely nice, and it didn't cost too much. Will definitely return many times.
(5)Yoshimi M.
came here while visiting some friends and was told that authentic ramen joint just opened up. I was excited. Recently I visited NYC solely to eat ramen, which is the food I miss the most from back home. I seriously ate ramen almost every meal while I stayed there. I kinda had high expectation for this place after seeing some pictures and reading reviews on Yelp. The set up of the restaurant was typical ramen joint with some modern touch. I ordered Chicken Paitan Ramen and my friend ordered Tonkotsu Ramen. The food came out after 15 minutes or so. There were 4 of us. My ramen wasn't hot. It was lukewarm, which is a huge turn off for me. I expected it to be piping hot. At least that's how we, Japanese, eat ramen. I was disappointed already. Paitan Soup is supposed to be richer and thicker soup, but it wasn't really flavorful. There wasn't really depth in the flavor...like it was missing something. Noodles were a little over done for my taste. I also didn't really enjoy the salad leaves in my soup (I think they were some spring mix and kale!?) I tried Tonkotsu soup, but it was also missing that creaminess and rich flavor. i really wanted to like this place, but for me, it totally missed the mark. Maybe I'm just too harsh when it comes to ramen. I might give it another try when I visit again.
(3)