Itani Ramen — Restaurant in Oakland

It's my first time here at Itani Ramen, and one of the first things that I notice is the nice atmosphere they've set up for decorations. It reminds me so much of the ramen shops I've visited during the Ramen Festival in Japan. The unique option of oxtail ramen piqued my appetite, and I must say that the meal did not disappoint. The broth is clean and clear with a subtle robustness that gently caresses the perfectly cooked noodles accompanied by the melt-in-your-mouth umami of the slow-braised oxtail. Another unique topping is the addition of cubed sweet potatoes that I enjoyed as well. Of course, I would be remiss if I didn't add an extra topping of chashu to my bowl, as well as an extra order of noodles to go with it. It all balances the perfect amount of protein to noodles ratio in my generous serving. As a side dish, I ordered a 5pc gyoza, which you can either have as "sloppy" (deep fried with extra green onions) or "yaku" (traditional griddled and steamed), a perfect accompaniment to my ramen bowl. I highly recommend this place for all ramen lovers alike. Would definitely go back to try out their donburi (rice bowls)...

Maybe I need to go back and try a different dish.

I had the eggplant kushi katsu bowl. The fried eggplant was delicious, and the avocado was fine (you can't really screw that up). The rice had some sort of teriyaki sauce on it, and the watercress had some miso dressing. The dressing was good - I wish the miso had been available to dip the eggplant in as well. The pickles, however, were terrible - overly sweet and too big. I'm not really sure what kind they were - definitely not your typical yellow daikon pickle or shibazuke. Finally, the spinach was the worst part of the bowl. It was cold, flavorless, and unapalatable. I assume it was the same spinach used in the ramen, and when warmed in the broth it might be okay. But here it was cooked and cold and really terrible. I had assumed it would be fresh spinach, which would have been a lot better.

Anyway, if anyone from the restaurant is reading this, please consider switching out the pickles for something a little less sweet (maybe shibazuke - the pickled eggplant would be a nice contrast to the kushikatsu eggplant) and fixing the...

I really liked this cozy place. feels like a beer bar but a big sign on the window says "ラ" 🍜 so you won't miss it. i went right before a concert at paramount theater. it was Monday evening. no waiting time to be seated. server was decent. she knows all the menu and answers exact answers I want to know about their menu. I ordered veggie miso ramen. other ramen places, veggie miso ramen, I don't taste much but this place, seems they make broth here, that if they cheat here, making broth, I automatically give them only ⭐ ⭐ but they don't cheat. I love ramen places making broth themselves. soup was sooo tasty and rich. seared brussel sprouts and light fried pumpkin which kinda weird to be found in ramen soup WERE super great surprise, I liked it a lot. I'm not sure about noodles tho. tasted like frozen one but not sure if they make it here and just keep them in freezer. all that, I recommend this place. they have a full bar. parking is a bit challenge. I'm a grown man so I needed a little bit more position so I got a dish on side which is beef tataki with yakisoba...