Ito Ramen — Restaurant in San Antonio

I went to I T O Ramen with Great Expectations the first time I was ever going to have authentic Ramen soup and Japanese dishes i had not had before. When I go to a restaurant like this a specialty restaurant I like to order a little bit of each of their Specialties so I get to know a little bit more about their food and I did the same here I ordered a few appetizers for us to try we each ordered a bowl of ramen. we ordered Japanese egg rolls ,Takoyaki which is a deep fried octopus balls do not let the name of the ingredients scare you they were absolutely phenomenal and spicy seasoned edamame the three ramens that we ordered were a vegetable based Ramen, a pork-based Ramen and a spicy Pork base Ramens all of the food was really good the spicy pork Ramen soup was delicious the only complaint I have needed more pork two small shreds of pork in my personal opinion does not constitute a $13 bowl of ramen I know it's all about balance but at other restaurants that I've had similar dishes it was a lot more meat involved if it was the star of the of the dish same holds true with the non-meat vegetable Ramen being the same price almost an $80 lunch for three people with three bowls of ramen and three appetizers and three drinks not what I would have expected when they say that Ramen is the national dish of Japan and there are ramen stands all over just as compared to Hamburger stands here in the United States if this was a $6 bowl of ramen I would be back there 3 days a week but as it stands now they may get me once a month but let me say again all of the food was absolutely tasty it was very flavorful then right on with balance as far as flavors go just limited seating and their hours were a little off they opened at 3 in the afternoon so it was more of a late lunch early dinner and I don't know if it's just me but I have little pet peeves and one is paying for meal before I eat it how am I supposed to judge the tip how am I supposed to judge anything if I'm paying before I'm eating you walk up to the counter you place your order you pay then you sit down and wait for it to be made then you're called and you go up and you pick it up yourself and bring it back to your table doesn't seem like much opportunity for tipping and again considering the price point for self service I think they could fine tune things and become an extremely popular restaurant if they lowered the price they would need to get a additional space just to accommodate the people because the food is...

Jeff Ward is a liar & a deceiver who uses the broad term “Asians”, to ironically speak on culture appropriation as if he’s of either descent. I take offense for the shop & of myself because no one has the right to downplay the BEST ramen restaurant in ALL of San Antonio, let alone be utterly disrespectful to anyone of asian descent. The food is very reasonably priced considering they are not a chain franchise who cater to disrespectful customers. People still have to make a living, & considering Jeff didn’t even clean up after himself & left a mess on the table.. he wouldn’t know a thing about hard work & has no room to speak on comfort food, because those of us who grew up on a budget know better. As for “faking all the aspects”, ramen is a widely known dish from China to Japan, since the 1950’s. We should celebrate the fact that after centuries of war between China & Japan, that the two cultures can not only co-exist, but have collaborated through art, language, & food. Nothing about that is “fake”. If Jeff were so culturally well-rounded or somewhat educated he would know this.. since he wants to throw a royal fit over some rice vinegar, which doesn’t even come with any dish on the menu because it is not a thing. This isn’t whataburger where you ask for extra ketchup, because the food is cooked & seasoned to perfection. If you knew a thing about the history of ramen you would know better than to ask for any extra table top flavoring, let alone one that has never been asked for in the history of pairing. If you’re such an expert at all this, keep that energy at home & make your own food from scratch instead of slandering a restaurant for reasons you’re literally reaching for.

Ito is doing absolutely amazing! I come here a least once a week & always leave a tip because this is one of the only places that serves vegetarian & vegan friendly options. I always spread the word & even have friends who drive all the way across town just to eat here. Anyone who leaves a negative review has other issues they haven’t sorted out in their own life & are just looking for a “creative” outlet to dump it on. I can find more heart & soul in a hot howl here than anywhere else. The food makes my mouth water & hugs my tummy every single time. Thank you for serving such quality ingredients & putting up with those who don’t deserve it. Such as Jeff Ward.

10/10 STARS ALL THE...

I was selected as a guinea pig to taste Ito's new "Hell Fire" broth, ahead of the public release, and I'm pleased to report it was a very good bowl. I had been to Ito Ramen previously, and while I found the tonkotsu broth tasty, there was a milkyness to it that I found a bit unusual for this style, and it was not quite as "porky" as I would prefer. But on this visit, I felt the broth had it's own depth of flavor that nicely balanced the assertive spice profile.

And let me tell you: this broth is SPICY! As a precaution, they would only serve a 2 out of 5 spice levels because this stuff is so hot. From the first sip, I could tell this was going to be the type of burn that grows exponentially. There were a couple of moments where I had a sudden coughing fit as the broth touched the back of my throat. That's a good thing in my book because it means the food is seriously spicy! So this stuff is not for the faint of heart.

That said, there was still a lot of great stuff going on with this bowl besides the spice. I really enjoyed how the negi cut through the broth's flavor profile with occasional bursts of bright, oniony deliciousness. The noodles had that toothsome "al dente" bite that I appreciate. The chashu was good, but is perhaps an element where improvements could be made. I've had chashu in the past that had a deeper, roasted flavor with more searing on the meat that I found more appealing. Still, there is a great balance of tender, salty, and porky flavor in Ito's chashu that it's tough to complain too much about.

All-in-all, I'm very excited Ito Ramen's future. As we tasted the experimental broth, the chef came out with a notebook and took notes on people's reactions. That kind of dedication to craft is what it takes to really make great ramen. I will be coming back more, and hopefully upgrading my review to 5 stars as this place stands the test of time and consistently delivers excellent bowls. And I'm looking forward to trying the 3rd, 4th, and 5th levels...