WA RAMEN — Restaurant in Conway

It's always satisfying to watch or look at quality food online, from somewhere afar, maybe even in places across the globe and be able to experience that at an establishment locally. Wa Ramen certainly gave me that fulfillment, and what a gem this place is.

I was made aware of this spot sometime ago by someone and added it to the list of places to visit. Ramen is definitely one of those dishes where you can look at it, and just know if it's going to be good or not, especially when you know what you're looking at and what you're looking for. With that being said, I've been anticipating my first meal here ever since I first took a look at their menu along with photos posted online by previous customers.

For starters, it's not a humongous place at all but it's cozy, quiet and relaxing. The servers were very nice, attentive, and even though I am already very knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine myself, I love to see servers enthusiastically share knowledge about different menu items and terminology.

I walked in with the intent to only order ramen but once presented with the menu, my train of thought changed and I was suddenly in the mood for an appetizer aswell. Feeling conflicted on what to decide on, I actually went with their Berkshire pork sausages, since the last time I had Berkshire pork was back in 2020 up in New York, at a spot that was dedicated to katsu, Katsu-Hama. Berkshire pork is considered to be the wagyu of pork and I'm here to tell you that it couldn't be any more true. Tender, extremely flavorful, and packed with juicy goodness is all that came out of these little things that pair so incredibly well with dijon mustard. I'm glad I made this choice.

Now, onto the main star of the show. What a difficult choice it was to make as every single one of their options just sounded so heavenly but at the end of the day, among all the different types of ramen there is, there is one that holds my heart the most, and so I went with their tonkotsu. What striked me the most leading to this decision was the fact part of the base for their broth is soy milk, which is something quite traditional when making tonkotsu in Japan. It not only adds to the very rich and bold flavor palette you get out of tonkotsu but further contributes to that creaminess tonkotsu is known for. Without much of a wait time whatsoever, this beautiful bowl of heaven was placed before me inside of this very asethetically pleasing bowl. It felt like I was looking at bowl of ramen that I come across in pictures everyday and save on Instagram, posted by food bloggers based out of Japan. In this bowl we have some thick cut menma, bok choy, bean sprouts, negi, an ajitama, and some mouthwatering chashu, in the style I haven't had yet. The unrolled thick cut style that just falls apart the more and more it soaks up the broth it's bathing in. First sip in, I was immediately taken on a dopamine trip. Its like they sent someone to Fukuoka to study and learn at a shop over there, to then come back to give people, especially people like me, the experience and satisfaction without having to book a plane ticket. Rich, creamy, and packed with umami. Thick, firm, kaedama that have a wonderful bite to them, and absorb the flavors really well. This tonkotsu was nothing short of amazing and for me, and a solid 10/10. I will be back, again, and again. As a hardcore Japanese enthusiast, former sushi chef, and former ramen cook, thank...

Lake Nona, FL. So in the 1800s Chinese settlers in Japan developed a distinctive soup dish in collaboration with Japanese locals and called it ramen. In Kyushu, Japan, a new ramen broth was developed by boiling pork bones at high heat for many hours, until the bones disintegrated and made the broth milky. They called it tonkotsu ramen. Ajitsen Ramen shop in Japan added a black garlic oil to its broth, and developed a cult following.

When Ajitsen Ramen opened in Irvine, CA, around 2009, it became a favorite hangout of my daughter’s high school group. And she introduced me to pork broth ramen.

Because I’m on the lookout for ramen places for my daughter, I jumped at the chance to come here today.

Hong Wong, the owner of Wa Ramen, lives in Lake Nona. After successfully launching Wa Sushi in Orlando he opened Wa Ramen at this site and it’s been going strong.

This month, March 2025, he ran an unheard of special: a Name-Your-Own-Price ramen bowl! My friend came in for the special and returned four days in a row!!! She’s been on my Facebook page with different friends doing the finish-the-broth challenge. More about that later. She texted me an invite for her fifth day of Wa Ramen and I accepted.

Wa Ramen was amazing, not only for the depth of flavor of its broths, but also for the healthier options they offer: you can substitute bean sprout noodles (aka cellophane noodles) for the wheat noodles. You can also substitute in rice vermicelli noodles (popular in pho). They have a vegetarian ramen. They offer a couple dishes with Korean influence (bulgogi and a kim chi-flavored cucumber and avocado appetizer) and a couple rice options. Next time I’d like to try the udon.

I ordered the clear Shio broth (sea salt with a touch of sesame seed oil) with bean sprout noodles (for my Hawaiian followers, think chicken hekka noodles) topped with a hefty piece of roast pork, scallions, bok choy, bamboo shoots, wakame, and an ajitama egg (a soft boiled egg marinated in soy sauce).

The roast pork is definitely more than what you get at Ajitsen.

My friends ordered the sakura ramen, with soy milk-tinged broth, a bit of salted cherry blossom, and all the toppings I had.

We brought a friend who was hesitant about trying new foods and she ended up loving the Shio ramen. She drank all the broth!

So if you finish your ramen bowl there’s a special written on the bottom. My bowl read: Free gyoza. Yassssss! Love me some free gyoza! My friends’ bowls read: Free drink and 30% off.

Plus if you finish the bowl you get your picture taken with a stuffed ramen bowl and they put your picture on the wall! We put our photo next to my friend’s other photos.

There’s one lady who has always paid more for the ramen than the menu price and her photos are in a block of photos on the wall near the kitchen door.

Rocio and Madison were magnificent servers and they look like they’re seniors in high school or maybe college freshmen. Patrons here were families with little children, twenty-something’s hanging out, and a mom with grown kids. My friend said when she came there were a couple tables of high schoolers.

I highly recommend Wa Ramen. You can feel good about supporting this...

My partner has been begging me to come give this a try and I’m very glad I did! We came on a fairly rainy day and it definitely hit the spot!

We were sat quickly, attended to regularly and everything was served promptly. Our server, Madison, was friendly and helpful, offering good advice on the different menu items. We had Chicken Karaage and Fried Gyoza for our starters. -The Chicken was crispy on the outside while still being juicy and flavorful inside. The lemon and mayo definitely add a bright kick to the chicken that I really liked. -The Fried Gyoza were so delicious that they were half gone before I could snap a photo! You have the option to have them pan-fried or deep-fried. We chose to have them deep-fried and they were wonderful that way! A nice crunchy outer shell filled with a well-seasoned pork and veggie mix. And again, the sauce elevates the flavors, bringing a nice tang to round out the taste.

For our main dishes, we had the Shoyu Ramen and the Soy Milk Tonkotsu Ramen. -The Shoyu Ramen was rich and dense with a salty, onion flavor to it. The noodles absorb the broth well and are cooked just enough so that they don’t turn to mush before you’ve finished. The pork practically melts away in your mouth! -The Soy Milk Tonkotsu Ramen was a creamy, lighter taste. The mix of the soft-boiled egg into the broth is a lovely flavor combo! The mushrooms and scallions add little bursts of savory with the creamy, mild flavor the noodles absorb from the broth.

And finally, Taiyaki dessert is a must try! Flaky pastry around red bean paste with fresh strawberries and cream; it was a perfectly portioned dessert to share after such a large and filling meal!

Also, come ready to eat!! The bowls are BIG and trust me, you’re going to want to finish the bowl!

Overall great experience! From the fresh, crispy appetizers to the warm broth of their ramen (that was both refreshing and filling in such a cozy way), Wa Ramen is striving to be a memorable establishment and I think they are doing a great job at...