Ramen DANBO Capitol Hill — Restaurant in Seattle

Summary: Ramen Danbo is a decent ramen spot, but it falls short in a few areas. While the food itself was solid, especially the firm noodles and gyoza, the broth for the classic tonkotsu ramen was too salty, and the service felt robotic and unfriendly. I’m giving this place 3 out of 5 stars because the food has potential, but the overall experience was lacking due to poor service and minor missteps in flavor.

Ambience (3/5): The atmosphere was lacking the warmth and hospitality typically associated with Japanese ramen shops. The front-of-house staff seemed disengaged and not particularly friendly, which made the experience feel very transactional. Ramen shops usually have an energetic, welcoming vibe, but that was missing here.

Authenticity (3/5): While the flavors were generally good, the classic tonkotsu ramen broth was far too salty, likely due to an overuse of miso paste. The cloud ear mushroom, a common ingredient in Japanese ramen, was served but the staff had no knowledge of it when asked, which was disappointing. The authenticity of the food was there, but the execution could use improvement.

Flavor (4/5): Despite the overly salty broth, the ramen was enjoyable, especially the firm, thin noodles, which were perfectly cooked. The gyoza were tasty, though a bit overcooked, with some pieces being slightly burnt. The balance of flavors in the ramen was good overall, but the saltiness of the broth detracted from the experience.

Cost (4/5): The prices are reasonable for what you get, and the portion sizes were satisfying. For the quality of the food, the cost is justified, but the lackluster service made it feel like the value was diminished. A more engaging experience would have made the meal feel worth the price.

Service (2/5): The service was the biggest letdown. The staff were robotic and disengaged, not offering the typical warm hospitality you expect in a ramen shop. The hostess seemed uninterested and unhelpful, especially when we asked about the menu and the mushrooms. The server did bring the food quickly and responded to my request for chopsticks, but overall, the interaction was cold and impersonal. This lack of enthusiasm made the dining experience feel flat.

Tips for Visiting:

Watch out for salty broth: If you’re sensitive to salt, you may want to ask the kitchen to go easy on the miso paste. The broth was too salty for my taste, which impacted the overall flavor of the ramen. Firm noodles are great: The ramen noodles were a highlight—thin and firm, cooked just right. This is definitely a plus if you enjoy noodles with a good bite. Temper your expectations for service: Don’t expect the typical warm and welcoming service you usually get at Japanese ramen shops. The staff here felt robotic, and the experience...

I've eaten ramen from around the world... From the top 10 ramen like Santouka to the little hole in the wall in Kyoto called "Nameless" ramen (no kidding, it's truly called 無名拉麵.

They were all extraordinarily good for different reasons, noodle texture, soup temperature, soup taste and viscosity, quality of Chasiu and how's they prepared and marinate it.. Like some charred and others stewed for hours. Creaminess of the soup etc.

I treated 3 stars not because of the 90 minutes wait, not because of the portion size (Santouka was smaller), not because of the service(it was great btw). It's truly about the ramen.

I've had good ramen in Seattle before but I couldn't figure out why the review was so high with this one. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad, just not a 4+ stars quality ramen. I felt very disappointed after the meal where I've never felt that way after eating ramen.

Classic Ramen - I was disappointed with the soup. There is no depth and complex flavor. The tonkosu soup was rather bland. My son ordered the more concentrated flavor and he agreed.

I did like the green onion, did a good job increasing the flavor and complexity of the soup. Pork was fatty which is a good thing. The fatty flavor enhanced the chasiu experience. I prefer charred and thicker chasiu or even better marinated. But they focused on the natural pork flavor so that's fine with me. The noodle has too strong of flour taste. It could be because I asked for firm and thick. You may try to order thin or at least standard firmness. I've not tired it.

The egg was done perfectly with the timing... Soft boil perfectly. However, they boiled it in salt water to give it taste, and it's became like salty egg (like those Chinese duck egg) and it took away the egg yolk flavor and the saltines of both the egg white and egg yolk has degraded the experience of the egg and the ramen. They should consider using 滷水汁 to boil it which will enhance the flavor to add slightly salty flavor and sweetness to it.

Negi Goma Ramen - everything is the same as the classic besides white sesame and sesame oil which I felt made the soup taste so much better because the soup itself is kind of bland.

Gyoza - the bottom was not crisp. I understand the oily because how they made it to crisp up the skin... But it's not crisp but oily. I always preferred them to towel dried it before serving so it's crisp and not oily. Well, these ones weren't crispy so they didn't pan fried it long enough. The flavor is so so. I've much better one. It's because they put more herb in the meat. Some people may like that kind of flavor, I preferred less so it won't overwhelmed the pork flavor.

All in all, this is a 3.5...

Not sure what the raves about the 'best vegan ramen in Seattle'... I'm not here to dispute that given my family didn't come here for vegan ramen. I'm here for classic pork bone broth ramen. So move on to the next review if you're a vegan.

TL:DR: Very expensive (20+ per bowl) with char-siu, egg and mushroom to make a satisfying bowl of ramen. Slightly salty broth but rich in flavor and best yet the soup and noodles are customizable.

Full review: We were here on a weekday evening 5:30pm, 3rd in queue. There's a party of 6 at the front of the queue, followed by party of 2, and my family of 4. We still had to wait for over 30 minutes because the restaurant had to make room for the group of 6. By the time the staff can seat the big group, line became very, very long outside, while over half the tables were empty inside, and the chefs in the kitchen had nothing to do.

This is where the ramen culture in Japan is so unique - it's never meant to be had with a big group while spending almost an hour talking and having fun with the gang. You write down the order, hand over to the staff, slurp your noodles, and go. In and out in a short period of time to keep the line moving.

Now the food: we had classic and sesame based broth. It's almost guaranteed that a satisfying bowl WILL cost you. I suppose that's why the vegan guests are happy because they could save $7 just from the pork and eggs alone. My family are happy with both the thick and thin noodles, both with nice texture, flavor and serving. The eggs are nicely done as well. The char-siu however is a bit of a let-down. Thinly sliced, maybe a bit too thin and lack the punch from the grill/charring. If I were to visit again, I would order a second serving of noodles which is a reasonable $2 because the classic soup is just that good. The sesame base is too strong that overpower flavors from other ingredients. I like that the whole experience is customizable, but it becomes pricey very quickly.

Service and atmosphere are average. The place is good for locals as street parking is going to cost you: $6.5 an hour before 8pm.

It seems other reviewers have quite a bit of disposable income, but not me. The price to quality and authenticity ratio just isn't there. With the parking and food cost and quality, I will only come back on a Sunday if I happen to be in the area craving for ramen... but then there're plenty of them in...