Raku Ramen — Restaurant in San Luis Obispo

The food here is plated for Instagram likes, but does not have much flavor. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and an appetizer of Chicken Karaage, they were edible but also quite sub-par.

The ramen broth had little to no flavor, wasn’t really salty unless you are quite sensitive or have been fasting maybe. One point I’ll give them is that some of the chashu pork I received was cooked a little crispy which was nice. Unfortunately, the rest of the pieces lacked flavor and tenderness, like they had just been sliced from the refrigerator and thrown in the bowl. They didn’t have time to soften up and absorb some of the broth like chashu pork is traditionally served. The noodles tasted like they were just a step above the cup of noodles you buy at the store, if they did use instant noodles, they should’ve thrown the flavor packet in the broth at least. The scallions and seaweed didn’t provide any flavor either, they didn’t let it sit in the broth and let them stew to absorb each others’ flavors.

The Chicken Karaage appetizer admittedly was better, but not by much. The texture of how they fried the chicken pieces was quite good. However, the chicken wasn’t really seasoned well, and the sauce they provided was basically mayonnaise with the mildest amount of chipotle to make it look pink. In addition to that, they hardly provided enough sauce, not that it was worth asking for more.

I hate to gut a restaurant like this, but charging $25-30 per person for this is a crime, especially since it’s a popular spot for the local college students. Ramen is not an easy at-home meal to make if you want to make it right and have it taste good, which is why many of us eat out to enjoy this cuisine. I hoped I just came in on a bad day, but seeing other reviews tells me that’s...

I came here not expecting anything great, bit still wanting to try it. I had read Paul M's review, and prepared myself for the worst.

When I ordered, I made sure to only tip the 10% since id be bussing myself. I got the Raku ramen with no scallions. I sat down and waited for my buzzer to go off. I never heard it buzz, but my food was brought to me, along with chopstick and napkins. Oh. Unexpected.

The food was good. The pork nice and crispy, the ramen soft, and the egg was soft boiled. The whites were an off color, but I'm pretty sure that's just because it sits in broth...even the bamboo shoots where good and I don't normally like them.

Afterwards, someone came and got my food and took it for me. I was surprised. From what I'd read, I thought all interaction was cut off after I swiped my credit card.

The atmosphere was nice. Good, if cramped, seating with a nice outdoor patio. Not dark at all.

All in all, I wish I had tipped better and now I know for future visits. Paul M, I think you just came...

Stopped by here on the way home from a camping trip. Staff was super friendly, menu had lots of variety, prices were right, they had outdoor seating which was dog friendly, and the food was tasty.

You order at a digital kiosk but can also do so at the register if paying in cash. Food arrived very quickly.

I order a small tonkotsu ramen, small chashu bowl, and gyoza. The small tonkotsu bowl was actually larger than I thought so I took my chashu bowl home. The ramen was good. The broth wasn't too heavy or salty which made it a perfect afternoon lunch. The gyoza was pan fried perfectly with a delectable lattice crisp. The chashu bowl though, probably one of the tastiest chashu bowls I've had. Wish I ordered a large to go. Perfect seasoning and amount of meat. Pork belly was juicy and cubed into small bites sizes so you got a good mouthful every time.

Overall, a nice Raku Ramen was a nice surprise stop on our trip but a...