Ramen Del Barrio — Restaurant in Austin

I don't know how to begin. I've heard so many good things about this place. It's so near my house and I have not been here but have always wanted to go. I finally got to when my friend wanted to try it, and I went knowing that this place is moving so I expected a lot because of all the hype. I have not heard one bad thing from any of my friends and foodies so I expected a lot.

So we came here for lunch on a Wednesday and as to be expected because I usually shop at Hana World it was kind of busy so that's a good sign. I already knew that the menu was limited and I already knew I don't love fusion food, but there was no negative reviews. Everyone hyped this place up so I had to try it. The three of us ordered a little bit of everything so we can get a fair review.

We got the most basic ramen for first timers. Also the tuna tostada and the short rib taco. The ramen came out first and we were all excited to try. First thing that we realize is that the broth is not hot. It was borderline lukewarm, and that was a turn off. Second thing we noticed was how strong the pork taste and smell was. I know most tonkatsu ramen can be porky, but we all three of us did not expect it to be that pungent. It was a bit of a turn off but the funny thing is while you keep eating it the taste goes away. The smell goes away. The noodles were pretty good and that's why I'm giving it a three star. The noodles were fine. The whole thing was OK but was it worth the $17.50? I don't think so moreover, the tostada and the taco was only one each and it was over $15 each that is absurd! The tostada had a good crunch. My friends actually liked it. We all took a bite of the tiny tostada. I was a little worried that the raw fish wasn't that clean being in a market, but it was all right. I think out of the three dishes they enjoyed that the most. The taco was the funkiest thing of all. It is fusion. The Korean flavored short rib I thought was not bad, but with the cheese and the ooze and whatever is in there, it was really funky indeed. They didn't like it. I ate the rest of it since it was a tiny thing anyways and I was still hungry. But totally not worth the near $15 for one taco. I think when my friend ordered she thought that they would give us two or three tacos. But I let them order all three things, not knowing what we're really getting.

We expected a wow because of all the hype for this place. The atmosphere is just ok since it's in the food court of a dinky Asian market. It's always been here. I grew up around this place. I always ate at the Korean market. We're really excited to see how busy it has been because of this place and also the Mochinut and the café outside has really given life to this market so I'll be sad to see this place go however had to write the review hopefully that they will take note that the price point is absurd. I would've given it 2 stars, but seeing people seem to enjoy it and the workers are nice I didn't have the heart to.

It's probably the busiest establishment that has been here but for me, it's not that great. Hopefully at their new location they will do as well. The price point must be better. At least for the tiny tostada and tacos. Way overpriced! Kinda a let down because this place...

This restaurant has been on my to eat list for a while and is in the food court of Hana World Market. It was selected as the best restaurant in Austin on eaters in 2023 and was selected in 2024 Bib Gourmand recently. We went on a Saturday monring about 20 mins before it opened. There was no people waiting in line until it was 5 mins before the restaurant open. We ordered the three recommended noodles (Carnitas Tonkotsu, Chilaquiles-men and Mole Tsukemen). Overall, I like this restaurant a lot and it has become the three restaurants I will bring my friends to try out if they visit Austin.

On the menu, the Carnitas Tonkotsu is marked as ‘Best for the first time guest’. After drinking the broth, I cannot agree with this statement more. The broth tastes exactly like the one I had in Japan. It is so flavorful. Also, they choose to use the thin noodle, which is really chewy, for this dish. With the thin noodle, we can taste more broth when eating the noodle only. We also ordered mojo de ajo, which is a garlic flavor salsa and goes well with the broth. If you are disappointed with the Japanese restaurants in Austin and want to get a good bowl of ramen, please come to this place. You will be surprised.

My second favorite noodle is the Chilaquiles-men. I became a big fan of Chilaquiles after my trip to Cancun. It was hard to find a restaurant that serves chilaquiles and I was excited to try this dish. They use the thick noodle for this dish. We choose the red salsa, which is a little bit spicy. Comparing to the other two noodles we ordered, this one is slightly heavier. The thick noddle and the salsa strikes a good balance. I like it a lot and it reminds me of the dried spicy noodles I had in my home country.

If you are a big fan of mole, you must not miss the Mole Tsukemen. The fried chicken is well seasoned and also the mole sauce taste really good. Once the mole suace is in our mouth, it had a little bit curry flavor at the beginning and the flavor of mole shown up later. In the end, I packed the rest of the mole sauce home to cook my own dish.

This restaurant combines two, Japanese and Mexican, of my favorite cuisines. The dishes are harmonious and show the best sides of both cuisines. Also, comparing to other Micheline restaurants I tried out, the price, the quality and the wait time are really good. I am really looking forward to visiting the restaurant again with my friends from outside of Austin to show them the...

Ramen, redefined.

As I embarked on my culinary exploration, I found myself stumbling upon a hidden gem of a restaurant, Ramen Del Barrio.

Led by the illustrious Chef Christopher, the establishment specializes in harmoniously fusing Mexican and Japanese cuisines to create a unique culinary experience.

With a menu boasting Mexican inspired Japanese ramen, such as the Carnita Tonkotsu Shoyu, Mole Tsukemen, and Tomatillo Kosho Mazemen, each bowl is meticulously crafted to perfection.

My taste buds were tantalized by the following bowls:

🍜 Carnita Tonkotsu Shoyu A delectable blend of pork belly and buche carnitas, elevated by the spicy kick of chile toreado and the savory essence of grilled onions.

🍜 Menudo Tonkotsu This bowl, featuring hominy and honeycomb tripe, was further enlivened by the rich and complex flavors of Guajillo salsa.

🌮 In addition to the ramen, we were privileged to sample three tantalizing tacos: Yaki Tacos with Lengua, Spanish Octopus and Pork Belly, and a special Tostada that surpassed all expectations.

It is Chef Christopher's innate love and appreciation of both Mexican and Japanese cuisine that culminated in his inspired idea to fuse them together, resulting in a truly unique dining experience. It is worth noting that Chef Christopher's journey began humbly in his garage, and has since blossomed into the masterful culinary creations that I had the pleasure of indulging in at Ramen Del Barrio.

I intend to savor the rest of the items on the menu on my next visit, especially the...