Marufuku Ramen Redwood — Restaurant in Redwood City

This is a full review. We made a reservation, which was simple and they had the time we were looking for on a Saturday night. We were greeted by a very nice hostess and seated within 4 minutes of arrival despite them being very busy. There was music in the background but it was at a level that I would consider quiet. Casual vide, lots of kids, but not bothersome. Dress code I would say is casual. Seating was comfortable with padded chairs and bench seating if you are against the wall, which we were. The alcohol menu is limited, see previous recent reviews, just beer and sake. Sake is served in a tradtional fashion, with a glass in a small box and overflow in the box for you to pour into the glass when you are done, so essentially 2 glasses for the price of one. Our server Kevin was the BEST! He was so spontaneously and genuinely complimentary, knowledgeable and made great recommendations. The best!! Food comes out VERY quickly and I am someone who likes to draw out my meals so for future reference I would order drinks, then appetizer then entrees, in separate instances. We had the gyoza appetizer which was very good and came with a small side sauce. Then we had the shrimp tempura soft bao taco and shishito peppers appetizers, also very good especially the taco. Only small suggestion is a bit of seal salt on the shishitos. For dinner we had ramen, one vegetarian ramen and one chicken paitan. They both had great broth bases, plenty of noodles, chicken for the paitan and tofu for the vegetarian. We ended up taking about 1/3 home, so very generous portions. Overall, very good flavor.

The ONLY small issue we had was the availability of the portable CC machine. There appeared to only be one and it was very busy so it took some time to get checked out, but again, that is a very minor issue, I just like to be complete in my reviews.

Would strongly recommend Marufuku Ramen in...

Hinodeya Ramen is my favorite ramen restaurant, but Marufuku Ramen is a close second place! From the food, to the service, to the atmosphere, everything is a near 5-star experience!

I’ll start with the things I liked. The service was super attentive. It’s the little things that count, like greeting you as you walk in and thanking you as you leave, ensuring orders are correct, even kneeling down to take a request from a younger customer. Everything the staff did made us feel welcome and cared for. The atmosphere was great, mostly calm and intimate with dimly lighting, but there were also tables in brighter areas. They had a wide range of seating, and everything from the utensils to the bowls to the menus was clean, modern, and high quality.

I ordered an ultra spicy Hakata Tonkatsu, and it was amazing. Last time I came to Marufuku, I had the Spicy Tantan Men, and it was not as good as this. The bowl seemed small at first, but by the time I was completely full, there was still some soup left! As a spice lover, the spice taste was on point. I wish I had asked them what they used for spice, honestly.

Unfortunately, the few things I don’t like about Marufuku has to do with the food. The noodles are way too small/thin. Me and my brother agreed on this. It just didn’t match the quality of the soup or other ingredients. The chashu pork, while okay, was too chewy and small for my liking. I also think their menu could use a little more variety. Hinodeya offers almost everything they have here, and more. You also have the pretty high prices, but most ramen places of this caliber are the same.

Overall, the negatives are mostly personal preferences, and will probably be negligible for you. I’m still happy you took the time to read my rambling, anyway. You’ll leave Marufuku feeling nothing less but satisfaction, I guarantee it!...

Kae-dama! Kae-dama! Kae-dama! When you hear that so many times you know you are at the right Ramen spot. This has become our favorite spot whenever the temperature hovers around 60F. This place is so much better in all aspects as compared to other ramen places in the San Jose, Sunnyvale and Santa Clara area. We've tried the following entrees:

Spicy tan-tan men: This will be an instant favorite if you like spicy ramen. It is difficult to order something else once you begin to like it. It is not super spicy at all. Just the right amount. The broth is nice and creamy. The minced chicken tasted great and the thick noodles go really well with this ramen. The toppings of spring mix, green onions and bean sprouts compliment the ramen and give it a good kick.

Chicken paitan: This has a more clearer broth as compared to the spicy tan-tan men and comes with thin noodles. It has the traditional chasu like meat pieces for chicken. You can customize the spice level for this one.

Ika karaage: The squid's always cooked perfectly. Not stringy or too chewy at all. The coating too is not too thick. Sprinkle some lemon to get the additional tang if you're missing it.

Chicken Karaage: Delicious meat. Perfectly coated. Apt entree to leave on the table to munch on the entire course of meal.

Takoyaki: We did not like it as much. There was more potato and less octopus.

The Ramen portions are a little bit smaller than other places. SO if you want to be absolutely stuffed order a couple. Totally worth it. Also you can leave out toppings if you are allergic or do not prefer something. They do honor those requests.

Ambience: Casual. Small space. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. Quantity:...