Ramen Azuma Englewood — Restaurant in Englewood

Whether you love restaurant ramen, or have never tried it before, be confident that you must try this place if you haven't been.

I've never had ramen at a restaurant before. So, while I am by no means an aficionado, I do love food and can confidently report on my experience.

I visited the establishment for lunch (actually, I got there a little after 11, thinking they were open, and had to wait til they opened at 11:30. That is NOT on them, it's on my poor 'being able to remember what time they open when I looked them up' ability).

When I walked in, I honestly thought I accidentally came in through a service entrance. It was that kind of a vibe. Then I noticed the tables and bar to the left. The atmosphere is almost kind of industrial, kind of grunge (everything looked distressed), and I have zero problem with that as long as I wasn't trying to enter through their kitchen or something. So no stars taken from Atmosphere (though I would suggest doing something with those chair legs so they don't make that horrible racket when you try sliding them out from the table or back to the table - still no stars deducted there, it just sent chills down my spine like nails on a chalkboard).

My server (I didn't get his name) spoke English perfectly fine, but that wouldn't have been an issue. Their menu has good-sized pictures along with the name of the dish. I have NO idea how to pronounce Gyoza, so even with this 'English as a first language' server, I kind of just sheepishly pointed to my selection with a 'could I please have that?' Bonus, I wasn't laughed at or looked down on for doing that. There was another person who came by (wanted to know if I was finished, brought the check, processed the payment) whose English wasn't exactly fluent, but for goodness' sake, it's not hard to figure out what's being asked, and there's no non-xenophobic reason to have an issue with that. It's ramen, not a heart surgery consultation!

I got the Ramen & Gyoza combo. I thought that was extremely reasonably priced, given the current pricing situation for restaurants in general, and for the amount of food I got. I almost went for their $13 lunch special, but decided I'd rather have the dumplings. I'm accustomed to dumplings, I get them from Chinese food places all the time.

First of all, those dumplings have ruined Chinese food place dumplings for me. These things were so much more flavorful than what I was used to, I almost didn't know what to do with myself. The filling was actually pretty light/ airy, not like the lump-of-stuff inside (where you either just get a bite of the wrapping, or you get all the filling at once - at this establishment, every bite included wrapping AND filling with nothing falling out) that I was used to. And whatever that sauce was that they came with, was amazing.

It wasn't hard to figure out what to do about the ramen bowl. Or maybe I did it wrong and no one decided to laugh at me. Chopsticks for the noodles and pork (if I managed to grab some mushroom or green onion with it, bonus), wooden spoon for the broth (definitely with green onion and/ or mushrooms). I went 50/50 on the egg. The flavor was, again, amazing. I enjoyed every single bite and on God, if there weren't other people in the restaurant, I would have been tipping the remainder of the bowl directly into my mouth.

The combo overall left me feeling just slightly past satisfied, but way way short of feeling over-full. It was a perfect portion size, for a really really great price.

I may or may not try other ramen places, just for comparison, but one thing that is guaranteed is that this establishment will always be in my 'ramen place' rotation.

Oh, and fair warning: When I got there (again, they weren't open), the lot was empty. When I left 50 minutes later (12:20 pm), the lot was super full. It's not their fault that they're so popular (OR IS IT?), but definitely be prepared to hunt for parking elsewhere depending on the time...

Updated below

I really have to stress that my rating may be low because the place hasn't quite figured itself out yet, but the rating is truly reflective of the experience.

You'll likely seat yourself when you turn up here for your meal. I did so and quickly behind me, several others followed, given it was noon. The place is clean and it should be as it's new (grand opening) though I wouldn't say anything about the place is thoughtful as far as design or atmosphere.

I sat and placed my order well before other patrons, yet received it several orders down the line. Could be that my side dish was being served as an appetizer, but I didn't order it with that in mind. Ebi Katsu Bun; Broken bun that wasn't steamy or chewy, underflavored spicy mayo, and sadly chopped romaine bits that fell out easily (upgrade to shredded lettuce and that would solve itself) greeted me first. Everything is really there to be a great dish, but it needs more attention to the detail.

The Chahan Ramen was also something I questioned like crazy. The flavor of the rice side was nice but different than what I guess I would say I'm used to. Lots of egg, less rice, but strong on the chicken flavor. Not a complaint, just noticing. The soup broth was fine, as were the noodles, mildly underdone, which I personally like, but I was taken back by the precooked and quite frankly overcooked pork slices. Tough and full of coarse fat, made eating it a job fit for a person who likes wet meat flapping against their chin as they attempt to chew through this bit of fare. This meat NEEDS to be served much more tenderly. My last gripe would be the egg. From all accounts until it got to my mouth, I would have said it was cooked perfectly, soft white, with the yolk just barely set, primed to deliver your mouth the soft velvet texture you're looking forward to - when, bam, the yolk is COLD?! Oh dear..

Look, I'm going to wrap up the review saying there is potential here, plenty of it, it's the only ramen shop in the immediate area, which is great if they don't let their monopoly degrade what they should really become. The staff needs to find their rhythm through the disorganization and the detail standards on the food need to be brought up several notches. Hopefully some staff meetings and mock services where they work out the kinks could cure these ailments. I'll probably be back in a month with an update to this review to find out.

Update: I've since made a return visit to Ramen Azuma, and let me just say; they did (some of) their homework! The pork lost its tough and chewy flaws, the egg yolk was proper temperature, as it was cradled by it's white, pillowy and smooth. The fried rice was again pretty stout in its chicken seasoning, which may be how they do it, no complaints there.

I'm going to bring my rating up a star because the ramen was pure improvement. Where the place still suffered was the front end. My appetizer of gyoza came after my ramen, and I was never offered or asked if I'd like a drink (ice water was provided).

Latest update: They've done it. They are truly a 5 star Ramen shop. This visit, I ordered the cold ramen lunch special. Everything was as it should be. The rice, the curry, noodle consistency, placement, taste, chicken texture, etc. At a reasonable price, too! With the expanded menu, I feel this shop has found its foothold and should happily serve the area for years if not decades to come. Anyone in the area should have no hesitation to get Ramen Azuma on their radar and more importantly, in...

I've been going here since they opened. They put up lights recently and made it easier to see it. It's located in a really unassuming place: between a bunch of car dealerships and apartment buildings. Not a place you'd expect a restaurant to be.

Let's start with atmosphere. They've added a lot of decoration since they opened, making it look brighter and seem to have moved from a straight industrial look to one with greenery. Lights dim at sundown which gives great mood lighting. Outdoor dining also has a similar vibe and their music choice is always on point.

Service has improved recently. Some are inattentive, but everyone is overall really nice and friendly. The shop owner? gives lots of direction to staff when it's busy and makes sure that service is quick and efficient.

The food has also seen many improvements. The new shop owner also seems to be a proper chef and makes sure the quality of food is good before it's sent out. When he's in the kitchen, he makes sure the food is properly cooked and presentable before it's sent out. Really recommend coming when he's in the kitchen. Any new menu item is guaranteed delicious.

Flavor is consistent and good. The tonkotsu is rich and hearty, compared to a lot of ramen places in NJ. A lot of places have light, runny tonkotsu and it's not satisfying but Ramen Azuma really hits the spot. For those with dietary restrictions, they have many options to accommodate. Vegan ramens, gluten free noodles, and many different substitutions for pork.

I recommend the black garlic ramen, karaage, and Taro bubble tea. Lunch special if you make it in time before 4pm.

Parking on the street or nearby parking are free after 6pm...