Nama Ramen — Restaurant in Portland

03/11/20:  4.5 out of 5 - I came here with my Wednesday Running Group.  We've been to Nama Ramen many times in the past, but it's been awhile.  Just haven't gotten around to doing a proper review.  So, here is my take.

The Business Originally, back in 2017,  I came here with my running  group after finding out that Nama is the sister restaurant to Akasaru in NE Portland.  I don't know if that still is true, though.

Nama Ramen is situated in Sellwood on the corner SE Miller and 13th, just a few blocks from the Columbia Sportswear Outlet.  At first appearance it looked small, but it actually seems more spacious once inside with plenty of seating for small or mid size groups.  Large groups can be challenging, but there is a large table available.  Inside is kept very clean.  Moreso than many other restaurants in Portland that I've been to. Scored:  4.75 out of 5.

The Staff The service of the staff was friendly and accommodating.  Although counter service, the staff actually didn't hide behind the counter like most places, and came out and checked on us and provided actual service.  Well deserving of being tipped. Scored:  4.75 out of 5.

The Food It's been awhile, but to me, the menu has changed a bit.  Tried some of the new items; Soy Garlic Fried Chicken, Kimchee Fried Rice and such.

First off, the ramen was tastier than before.  Finished my bowl; noodles, broth, all of it!  However, the appetizer items that I mentioned earlier were a little undesirable.  Sounded good on menu, but when received and tried, we were disappointed.  Kimchee Fried Rice really didn't have any Kimchee in it, just the flavoring.  And, as for the Soy Garlic Fried Chicken, it was okay.  The seasoning of the batter can be better.  We didn't finish eating it. Scored:  4.25 out of 5.

The Bathroom This may seem to be a funny thing to rate, but the bathroom in any restaurant/eatery should ALWAYS BE CLEAN and in tip top condition and working order...ALWAYS.

Nama's bathroom is small.  At the time of my visit, the bathroom was kept and very clean. Scored:  4.75 out of 5.

The Price If you can't keep the prices low and fair, then you better make sure there is substance for the price you are asked to pay.  Nama Ramen's prices seem to match the Portland standard of pricing for ramen, which in my opinion is fair, considering Nama's location. Scored:  4.0 out of 5.

In the end, Nama Ramen is still an overall good ramen place.  Everyone liked what they ordered.  Just needs to work better on adding more authenticity and just not the flavoring to the smaller menu items.  People want the real deal.

We definitely will be returning for more since Nama Ramen also has a little bit of Izakaya and Poke on its menu.

So, if you are feeling for a tasty bowl of ramen, give Nama Ramen a consider.

As I always say, try it out once and decide for...

03/11/20: 4.25 out of 5 - It's been a long while since my running group came here. Menu has changed a bit. Tried some of the new items; Soy Garlic Fried Chicken, Kimchee Fried Rice and such.

(Note: I gave Nama Ramen 5 Stars because I don't believe in rounding down.)

First off, the ramen was tasty as before. Finished my bowl. The appetizer items that I mentioned earlier were a little undesirable. Sounded good but when received and tried, we were disappointed. Kimchee Fried Rice really didn't have any Kimchee in it, just the flavoring. And, as for the Soy Garlic Fried Chicken, it was okay. The seasoning of the batter can be better.

The service of the staff was friendly and accommodating. Although counter service, the staff actually didn't hide behind the counter like most places, and came out and checked on us and provided actual service. Well deserving of the idea of being tipped.

At the end, Nama Ramen is still an overall good ramen place. Just needs to work better on adding more authenticity and just not the flavoring of menu items. People want the real deal.

Enjoy!

11/18/17: 4.5 out of 5 - Today, everything tasted better than when I came in October, and the service was great. Only discrepancy, in my opinion, was that they sold out of beer. Always a next time for me. I would highly recommend this place. Enjoy!

10/11/17: 4.5 out of 5 - I came here with my running group after finding out it's the sister restaurant to Akasaru in NE Portland.

Nama Ramen is situated in Sellwood on the corner SE Miller and 13th, just a few blocks from the Columbia Sportswear Outlet.

At first appearance it looked small, but it actually seems more spacious once inside. The staff on this day were particular nice and accommodating, which is a good. I don't like paying for service with an attitude.

The ramen, in my opinion, is tasty and seem to have good portions of a bit of everything. I felt like I got what I paid for. Unlike many other places, the egg at Nama Ramen was done right, and we didn't have to pay extra for it. Definitely a plus!

Everyone likes what was ordered. We definitely will be returning for more since Nama Ramen also has a little bit of Izakaya and Poke on its menu. So, if you are feeling for ramen, give Nama a try and decide for...

The service and atmosphere of this place is great, but unfortunately the food I got was not so good. I got the shoyu ramen and it was beautiful, but smelled of... something it's hard to describe. Maybe wet dog, or wet chicken feathers? I've had shoyu ramen other places which did not have this smell, so I don't think it's how the type of ramen I got is supposed to be. At first I thought it was the bamboo shoots, but even with the shoots removed the whole dish smelled like this. Maybe if there had been a lot of other flavors to the dish it wouldn't have been so bad, but it was otherwise pretty bland so had nothing to hide it. I tried adding more soy sauce and spicy seasoning they had available, but it didn't make much of a difference. I ended up eating about a quarter of it. The soft boiled egg was done perfectly, though it was unseasoned (I'm used to them being marinated). It was tasty with spicy seasoning added.

After some googling, it sounds like it may have been alkali from the noodles, or old broth, creating a sort of ammonia smell. My partner had the spicy miso ramen which didn't have this smell, so I'm guessing it was the broth.

I didn't make a big deal about it while I was there because it's not the person's fault who would be dealing with the issue, and I felt weird making it their problem. They were very sweet and the service was super fast!

I do think other dishes on the menu must have been delicious, because everyone else seemed to be enjoying what they got (they all had rice dishes, poke, or fried...