JINYA Ramen Bar - Murray — Restaurant in Murray

TLDR: Great atmosphere, yummy food, & good service; cost was a little high for our typical good ticket, but reasonable for what you get in quantity and quality; just be aware of the temperature of the meat added to the meal to avoid troubles.

Details: Please note: this was my first experience EVER at a ramen restaurant. So this experience was fresh to this kind of a scene, and I may not understand the particularities of such a restaurant. So take my review with that in mind.

Atmosphere included doomed lights, modern music that was all the same tempo and had strong bass presence. The design is very chic, tailored for adults, although there were a couple families there with small children while we visited.

Food was very yummy; my wife and I both had ramen bowls. Mine was the shrimp wanton bowl (I highly recommend) with an extra seasoned egg (I would personally pass, as it was too soft boiled for my preference - I like runny yolk, but the whites were also just a little runny, which I don't like. I still are it, figuring it was just the style of this restaurant, and I didn't get sick; maybe I was lucky, or maybe that's how it comes and it was cooked to perfection. Someone with more experience in these restaurants would likely know better).

My wife ordered their sprout ramen bowl, that had since pork (if I recall correctly) and a half of one of their seasoned eggs. She said that it was slightly spicy (she isn't a fan of spicy food at all, but did say that it wasn't too bad; take that for what it's worth). The issue she had, was that we think she may have gotten food probing from the pork. She said it was noticably colder than the temperature of the rest of the meal, but didn't think anything of it. She spent a good portion of the rest of the night almost immediately after leaving the restaurant puking and otherwise. But we had also eaten at other restaurants and been active all day...so there's a chance the sickness was caused by something else... But I'm pretty sure food poisoning is as quick as that onset was. Avoidable if you pay attention to the temperature of the food, and all for a fix if you're uncomfortable with it's temperature. We didn't think about it at the time, since we don't eat out all that much typically (celebrating a wedding anniversary this trip).

We were cared for my a server named Kathy. She was very kind, & helpful to explain some things since it was our first time visiting this kind of restaurant. I feel that she was a very good waitress.

Cost: Our ticket, for two waters, the two aforementioned bowls of ramen, and an extra seasoned egg, was a little over $32. Gratuity is not included, so we tipped as well. Tips added electronically to the tab go directly to the waitress, and it's not shared between the wait staff (anything to Kathy herself).

Closing remarks: In short, we probably won't visit a JINYA Ramen Bar again, just because we don't actually live near another one (we are from a very rural place an hour away from a small town, and only come to larger cities like this one for special occasions). If we did visit another JINYA in the future, we would be more astute of the meat's temperature to be certain we avoid possible issues, but think our experience was most likely an outlier in this case. The food was otherwise...

Extremely Disappointed After Years of Loyalty

I gave JINYA Ramen Bar in Murray several chances over the years, but my most recent experience sealed the deal.

The first red flag came after about a 1 year break from visiting. I was seated quickly — no problem there — but then I sat at the table for 30 minutes without anyone acknowledging me, on a night that wasn’t even busy. Another couple sat at the same shared table 15 minutes after I did, and they had menus, drinks, and food before anyone even spoke to me. When the server finally came over, she was clearly in a bad mood and gave off an attitude that was impossible to ignore. Then to top it off, I ordered the vegan ramen and was served Ramen with chicken in it. Thankfully, they comped the meal — and I still tipped more than the value of the bill.

Here’s why I’m writing this now: I’ve been back at least six times since that night, spending between $50 and $80 per visit, always tipping generously (25% or more). But during my last visit, an employee looked at me and said, “Oh boy,” when I walked in — weird enough. Then I was seated, and a server came up to me and said, "I'm surprised to see you here," excuse me?? "You didn’t pay for your drink last time." I was completely caught off guard.

To be fair, I had paid for my meal and was about to go, but then decided I wanted another drink afterward. I’ll admit I was already a bit tipsy that night, and I genuinely thought I had paid for the second drink with my paid, tiped, and signed receipt sitting right next to me. Even the waitress who had been serving me that night later admitted, “Yeah, I did get you pretty hammered that night.” So yes — it was an honest mistake. But more importantly, they did charge my card for the drink after I left, so they were fully paid. Instead of moving on, they waited until I came back a week later to publicly confront and embarrass me in front of other guests, in a restaurant where tables are practically elbow-to-elbow. It felt petty and disrespectful.

It wasn’t just unprofessional — it was disrespectful, especially considering my loyalty and tipping history. If it had been handled privately and with any kind of professionalism, I might’ve brushed it off. But they chose public shame over understanding, and that says everything I need to know about who they are as people.

When they made a mistake, I showed patience and still tipped generously even to a server with a bad attitude. But when I made a small, unintentional mistake, I was called out publicly like a child.

When they served meat to someone who ordered vegan, I stayed calm — but let’s be honest, most vegans would’ve freaked out. I chose respect....

I have been a frequenter of Jinya over the years and I just realized I've never taken a moment to give them a raving review! Ramen has always been one of my favorite foods and I guarantee that if you're looking for the perfect bowl of ramen to warm your soul on a cold day, this is the place!

While a bowl of ramen can be incredibly filling on its own, one thing I would suggest is to not shy away from trying their small plates/appetizers. I have tried a handful of items from this section of their menu and have not yet been disappointed once. They also offer specials on occasion that are always worth a try. I once enjoyed a special that was essentially a softshell crab in a steam bun/taco and I dream about it to this day.

For this trip, we opted to start with the Crispy Rice with Spicy Tuna and I would highly recommend this dish to start. Where texture and flavor are concerned, these bites are an amuse-bouche! The consistency of the tuna in contrast with the crispy rice makes for the perfect bite (if you're more on the audacious side, I would call this a "one biter," but it can be a mouthful).

As for our entrees, I don't think I've strayed from ordering the Spicy Creamy Vegan ramen (add mushrooms) every time. Call me a creature of habit, but I don't dare stray from this dish that truly brings me joy. Although this is a vegan dish and I am not vegan, I have always loved this menu option because it is so filling and hearty! I'm always completely satiated after a meal at Jinya. If I can make one suggestion that might improve your own experience when trying this dish, opt for less raw white onion or remove it entirely. While I do enjoy raw onion, it seems a little out of place sometimes and in this dish, I don't feel as though it adds much other than a crisp bite on occasion. Also a creature of habit, my husband orders the Tonkotsu Black whenever we visit and has enjoyed it every time. He would highly suggest it for anyone who likes the pork based broth and thinner noodle variety.

What I will leave you with is that the food is absolutely delicious and I think it's a testament to the truth of that by the fact that this location is constantly packed. If I can impress upon you ONE thing, it is to not underestimate how quickly it can get busy on a weeknight. Even on most weeknights, we have had to wait anywhere from a couple minutes to an hour, BUT just know that it will be ABSOLUTELY...