Momoka Ramen South Philly — Restaurant in Philadelphia

The place is cute with anime (DragonBall, Slam Dunk) and other food manga decoration and plants. Tidy, cozy and perfect for a Queen Village neighborhood spot. So glad we found this ramen spot! The food, the prices, the vibes was definitely on point.

Don't expect something straight out of Tokyo but this place did a great job of curating the ramen broth (miso, shoyu, etc) types in its own ways (a bit Korean and few a bit Taiwanese). Like the various toppings available only at an Asian joint (bamboo shoots). Additionally, it was one of the few ramen places in the US that I have been to that does the less salty broth without taking away from depth of broth well. The takoyaki and the scallion pancakes were spot on. Moreover, I like that they have curry platters (totally Japanese or Korean style like the dontaksu curry than Indian or Thai) and teriyaki platters. Makes for a great meal.

We went for Friday lunch, and there was an Asian mom and 2 daughters also having a meal there as well. The seating area doesn't seem too big (I don't know if they have more seating below or next door). However, there were flurry of people coming for pick up/take out. I think there might have been at least 10 pick-up orders while we were there. I can see why, since why not get a teriyaki or curry platter or hearty ramen for the price (or less) of a combo meal at Chick Fil A, Subway, or Chipotle. If I live in Philly, definitely would have made it into my weekly or biweekly rotation for a meal!

There was one lady who took care of our orders, bussing, refilling water, etc. with great efficiency wearing pink nitrile gloves. Adorable and points for hygiene.

*I forgot to take the photos of the ramen. Just went for it and realized...

I was excited when I saw authentic Japanese ramen on their window, but I should have known better when I saw ‘salmon ramen’ on the menu. It simply is not a thing. There was also Shu Mai and spring roll on the menu which are not Japanese, but I do appreciate the variety of food they would like to provide, but generally that is not a good sign. I ordered shoyu ramen which looked pretty good at first glance, but the broth lacks flavor. I think I would’ve been less annoyed if they just called it a bowl of noodle soup because it tastes nowhere like what a shoyu ramen supposed to taste like. The ramen noodle almost tastes like hong kongnese egg noodle. I know I sound like a snob at this point, but would just like to give an honest review. The owner/ waiter is extremely nice and kept checking on us to see if we like our food. I lied. I do see other patrons enjoying their food, so maybe it’s just me. My usual go to is Eso ramen which is about five minutes walk away, but they are leaving for good after June. If anyone knows any good ramen spot, please leave recommendations. I think the thing that frustrated me the most is, and again sounding like a snob, this is definitely not authentic Japanese Ramen so please stop with the false advertisement because people will be disappointed when they find...

This is one of those “should I let the secret out” type reviews. Lucky for you, I’m going to spill the secret…but don’t take my seat.

Momoka is a relatively new spot in Queen Village. They’ve got Ramen, Curry, Bao, a small assortment of skewers, and a variety of different appetizers. I’ve now been twice, and this is easily a contender for best ramen in Philly. But everything is actually great here.

The curry is great, the skewers are great, and even the scallion pancakes are great. I know what you’re thinking: “scallion pancakes? You can get them anywhere.” What if I told you these were somehow better than any of the ones you’ve had. Crispy and flaky, almost croissant-like.

I’ve had the spicy miso ramen and the black garlic ramen. I also tried my wife’s spicy tonkatsu. All were 10/10, no notes.

All in all, this place made it onto my favorite spots really quickly. Everything is great.

I’m trusting you with this info, don’t let the secret out too much. I need this ramen, and...