Genki Ramen & Izakaya — Restaurant in Cincinnati

★★★★☆ Food quality ★★★★★ Service ★★★★★ Ambiance ★★★★★ Value ★★★★★ Menu selection ★★★☆☆ Location/Accessibility ★★★★★ Overall experience In September, after a busy day at work, I and my coworker FF decided to reward ourself and went to a ramen restaurant for some ramen like good old Japanese office workers. As soon as we entered Genki Ramen & Izakaya, we were impressed with the interior design that reminded us of a famous restaurant chain in Japan. A blonde Asian receptionist welcomed us warmly and directed us to our double booth table, which was impeccably clean. Alongside the counter, there were seats for customers who wanted to watch the chef prepare their meals. In the background, there was some upbeat Japanese pop music playing, which further enhanced the atmosphere. A waitress came to our table and provided a menu as well two glasses of water, which I told FF would come in handy later. Looking at the menu, there were a dozen dishes, most of which we could only guess the contents based on the pictures. Our patient waitress stood by as we made our decisions. I opted for the Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen and Takoyaki on the side, while FF ordered the same ramen with Gyoza as a side dish. Before our food arrived, I went to the restroom, only to be disappointed by the state of cleanliness. The sink was stained with something brownish, and the toilet bowl was overflowing with waste. However, as an old saying went: "We're here to eat not to s*," I tried my best to wash my hands in the filthy sink. Coming back from the nicest toilet on earth, I reminded FF not to overdrink water as he would need it later. Our anticipation grew as the aroma of our food wafted towards us. When our bowls of Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen arrived, we were impressed by the generous portions and beautiful presentation. The broth was custom-made with soy sauce and Tonkotsu, topped with kikurage mushrooms, soft-boiled egg, corn, green onion, red ginger, chive, and BBQ pork. While I found the broth initially too salty for my taste, with each sip, it grew more delicious, and the savory flavors of the broth, pork, and other ingredients filled my senses. The pork was cooked to perfection, tender and juicy, and the soft-boiled egg had a rich and bold flavor. The bamboo shoot was a delightful surprise, reminding me of my childhood days of bamboo shoot digging . Thankfully, the glass of water came in handy to help balance out the saltiness of the broth, allowing the heavenly flavors to shine through. The Takoyaki balls were beautifully presented, topped with Takoyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and bonito flakes. As I bit into the octopus ball, the firm yet elastic skin gave way to a soft and chewy center, bursting with savory octopus pieces. The Japanese mayo added a touch of richness, distinct from its American counterpart. As for FF, he enjoyed trying out the foreign cuisine, though he struggled with using chopsticks and eventually resorted to using a spoon. He found the ramen soup to be delicious, despite the high salt content. He even shared a Gyoza with me, which was a well-executed pan-fried dumpling with a savory chicken filling. The crispy seared skin was infused with a delightful garlic aroma that lingered on our taste buds long after the meal was finished. Although the restaurant wasn't packed that day, the service was top-notch. The waitress was attentive, and we never had to ask for anything as she anticipated our needs. FF couldn't stop complimenting the black-haired Asian waitress on her cuteness and physique as she attended to our table. The prices were slightly higher than average, but we found them reasonable considering the quality of the cooking and ingredients. In retrospect, I wished I had tipped a bit more generously that day, but thanks to this experience, I now understand the importance of tipping fairly. Overall, I highly recommend the Genki Ramen & Izakaya restaurant to anyone looking for a laid-back place to dine and unwind after a hectic day of work. I've already recommended it to friends and family and can't wait to...

For her birthday,my daughter wanted something different from our usual birthday dinner hotspot. She wanted ramen....so I went on the hunt.

Genki Ramen & Izakaya had really good reviews so I booked a table through OpenTable.

When we got there, we were greeted warmly and the waitress was awesome. It took a bit before all six of us could decide what to eat, but after about 15 minutes we had all decided.

Between the 6 of us, we had Regular Miso, Spicy Miso, regular Tonkotsu, Spicy Tonkotsu, Gyoza, and fish cake. Within 10-15 minutes of ordering, all of our food came out. The food was hot, AND IT WAS DELICIOUS! We've been to another highly ranked ramen house in the area, and we enjoyed Genki Izakaya more. We have been to the Michelin-starred Ramen-Ya in Las Vegas and...this is the gold standard to aspire to. But Genki Izakaya is awesome in it's own right. When we died, they had a special where everything was 20% off, so the bill for a party of six was under $100!!

If you enjoy Ramen....and I don't mean the stuff you buy in 12-packs at Walmart, then you have to stop at Genki...

I honestly feel like the people who don’t like the ramen are expecting something similar to a package of ramen. I’ve seen worse ramens rated better than Genki and those restaurants are using package noodles!

Genki is amazing. My favorite place (Miyoshi) closed down a few years ago, and I started going to Osaka who also has great ramen. But Genki takes the cake because they not only have amazing ramen, but the atmosphere is more family friendly than Osaka and other ramen joints.

I have tried their Shoyu and Tonkotsu ramen. Both are great, but I prefer the Tonkotsu (I do in general though.) We always get an order of gyoza which is some of the best gyoza we’ve had. My husband and kids get the chicken teriyaki which he also prefers to other places, they use dark meat, so it’s not dry like others.

The staff is always super friendly and understanding about kids being messy.

We love Osaka and Matsuya for ramen as well, but will be returning to Genki frequently for their amazing food...