Ramen Champ

This place seems extremely popular, but it wasn't great for me. Went here on a rainy Friday evening and it was still packed. Not too many ramen joints in this part of town. I do like you order on your own using a QR code, and if I recall, you pay that way too. The weird thing was you pay for tip before you actually get your food, which is odd to me, because I tip according to service. Their food selection was fairly large. We tried two ramens. The Buta and the Tonkatsu. The Buta looked great and it came with an egg, which I liked, but the broth wasn't hot and maybe I'm not used to the Shoyu flavor but wasn't my thing. The Tonkatsu was basic and okay, but again just wasn't hot enough.

Nice, simple restaurant near Kaiser on Cottle road. They have 1/2 off special during lunch time , M-F. We ordered 1. Miso Ramen, aka original Champ ramen (pork-miso based) which was too salty (on a scale 1-10, the salt level was 8) for me, imo, and 2. Shoyu ramen (chicken-pork base broth) (salt level was 5) was just right for me. Appetizers were chicken kraggae (deep fried chicken which was tender and fresh with mayo-like sauce, with lemon 🍋) and potatoes 🥔 croquettes (deep fried panko potatoes with vegetables, pea if I remember correctly) with teriyaki dipping sauce. They have a new orange colored dipping sauce (please see first picture) which goes pretty with the ramen and deep fried appetizers or just any dishes 😊. We enjoyed the sauce thoroughly. We had previously ordered Buta Max which we throughly enjoyed. Buta Max can easily feeds two adult if u r not too hungry. I would recommend ramen champ.

Nice little cozy Ramen place. Love the atmosphere! Chicken karaage was juicy as always. As for ramen, the broth was a bit too salty for my taste and noodles were a bit hard to chew. Decent portion though. Will try again later for other dishes on the menu. BTW, don’t like the fact that you pay up front (including tips) when you order.

It’s my 3rd time eating at Ramen Champ and I didn’t want to review until I was sure of the quality and consistency of the shop. And to my surprise they blew me out of the park. 2months in between each time I ate here. I tried the buta max, shio yuzu, and the shoyu ramen. The amount of food is perfect for the price. 15 for the shoyu and shio and 22 for the Buta max (really big portion). The karaage is super crunchy and flavored well. The takoyaki has alot of stuff on it that mixed well, and the octopus inside was not sparce. The food was served in 15 mins (I was with 5 people). It was fresh and hot. The servers were attentive and nice on all times I went. The food was really great! Broth was light for the shio yuzu, creamy for the buta, and very balanced for the shoyu. It also wasn’t super salty, it was just right. They had a lot of beer choices as well with many being local brews too. I also love that fact that this is the only Authentic Ramen shop in South San Jose except for the really expensive ramen resto in Oakridge mall. 10/10 food 10/10 price 10/10 ambiance 10/10 servers

Went there a little past 8pm on a Sat night. Saw the staff starting to close part of the restaurant already. There was only 1 other table of 2 customers in the almost empty restaurant. Ordered the deep fried oysters and ramen. Wanted to try the ramen with Yuzu broth but when I enquired with the waiter if I’ll be able to taste the Yuzu, he said I won’t. Thought that is strange to have a description on the menu of broth having Yuzu taste but in actuality won’t taste it🤔 So I ended up going with his recommendation of one with chicken and pork base broth instead. Food was served fast. Oysters looked kinda over-fried as the batter looked rather dark, but tasted fine. The ramen noodle had a nice chewy texture and the broth tasted ok but nothing impressive. I wanted to try their ramen as I saw the pics online that they were chunky pieces of pork belly vs the usual thinly sliced ones. It is served chunky but it wasn’t as tender as I had hoped for. The taste was standard typical ramen taste except noodles were more chewy than most other ramen places. My friend had the Buta-ramen which had minced garlic, lots of bean sprouts and an egg which I noticed was a hard boiled egg and not soft boiled. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to dine here again since I can get better tasting ramen elsewhere.

Supporting neighborhood foods place. They are actually really good. Parking is great..Will come again try others foods. I do recommend.

Thick and very firm noodle. The taste of the soup is excellent. Got buta max, a lot of food. It’s a little oily though.

They deserve 10 stars! We planned our errands in the area so that we could do lunch here & came in at 1:10 pm when they close at 1:30 pm. We were still seated with a smile (there’s no air conditioning so we sat under the ceiling fan) & helped ourselves to the menu’s. The service was stellar, the server was very helpful polite & kept refilling our ice cold water (super refreshing on a hot day). I wish we could’ve tipped him more but we went over budget for our lunch. The food was deliciously lip smacking, the takoyaki was so yum! The miso ramen (not spicy) hit the spot & the pork was so tender. The chicken karaage portion was bigger than my face & I had to get a take away container for the leftovers in the end. I wish I had more space in my belly for the broth that came with it! Highly recommend this cute little restaurant, clean bathrooms, great service and amazing food!!

This place seems extremely popular, but it wasn't great for me. Went here on a rainy Friday evening and it was still packed. Not too many ramen joints in this part of town. I do like you order on your own using a QR code, and if I recall, you pay that way too. The weird thing was you pay for tip before you actually get your food, which is odd to me, because I tip according to service. Their food selection was fairly large. We tried two ramens. The Buta and the Tonkatsu. The Buta looked great and it came with an egg, which I liked, but the broth wasn't hot and maybe I'm not used to the Shoyu flavor but wasn't my thing. The Tonkatsu was basic and okay, but again just wasn't hot enough.

Nice, simple restaurant near Kaiser on Cottle road. They have 1/2 off special during lunch time , M-F. We ordered 1. Miso Ramen, aka original Champ ramen (pork-miso based) which was too salty (on a scale 1-10, the salt level was 8) for me, imo, and 2. Shoyu ramen (chicken-pork base broth) (salt level was 5) was just right for me. Appetizers were chicken kraggae (deep fried chicken which was tender and fresh with mayo-like sauce, with lemon 🍋) and potatoes 🥔 croquettes (deep fried panko potatoes with vegetables, pea if I remember correctly) with teriyaki dipping sauce. They have a new orange colored dipping sauce (please see first picture) which goes pretty with the ramen and deep fried appetizers or just any dishes 😊. We enjoyed the sauce thoroughly. We had previously ordered Buta Max which we throughly enjoyed. Buta Max can easily feeds two adult if u r not too hungry. I would recommend ramen champ.

Nice little cozy Ramen place. Love the atmosphere! Chicken karaage was juicy as always. As for ramen, the broth was a bit too salty for my taste and noodles were a bit hard to chew. Decent portion though. Will try again later for other dishes on the menu. BTW, don’t like the fact that you pay up front (including tips) when you order.

It’s my 3rd time eating at Ramen Champ and I didn’t want to review until I was sure of the quality and consistency of the shop. And to my surprise they blew me out of the park. 2months in between each time I ate here. I tried the buta max, shio yuzu, and the shoyu ramen. The amount of food is perfect for the price. 15 for the shoyu and shio and 22 for the Buta max (really big portion). The karaage is super crunchy and flavored well. The takoyaki has alot of stuff on it that mixed well, and the octopus inside was not sparce. The food was served in 15 mins (I was with 5 people). It was fresh and hot. The servers were attentive and nice on all times I went. The food was really great! Broth was light for the shio yuzu, creamy for the buta, and very balanced for the shoyu. It also wasn’t super salty, it was just right. They had a lot of beer choices as well with many being local brews too. I also love that fact that this is the only Authentic Ramen shop in South San Jose except for the really expensive ramen resto in Oakridge mall. 10/10 food 10/10 price 10/10 ambiance 10/10 servers

Went there a little past 8pm on a Sat night. Saw the staff starting to close part of the restaurant already. There was only 1 other table of 2 customers in the almost empty restaurant. Ordered the deep fried oysters and ramen. Wanted to try the ramen with Yuzu broth but when I enquired with the waiter if I’ll be able to taste the Yuzu, he said I won’t. Thought that is strange to have a description on the menu of broth having Yuzu taste but in actuality won’t taste it🤔 So I ended up going with his recommendation of one with chicken and pork base broth instead. Food was served fast. Oysters looked kinda over-fried as the batter looked rather dark, but tasted fine. The ramen noodle had a nice chewy texture and the broth tasted ok but nothing impressive. I wanted to try their ramen as I saw the pics online that they were chunky pieces of pork belly vs the usual thinly sliced ones. It is served chunky but it wasn’t as tender as I had hoped for. The taste was standard typical ramen taste except noodles were more chewy than most other ramen places. My friend had the Buta-ramen which had minced garlic, lots of bean sprouts and an egg which I noticed was a hard boiled egg and not soft boiled. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to dine here again since I can get better tasting ramen elsewhere.

Supporting neighborhood foods place. They are actually really good. Parking is great..Will come again try others foods. I do recommend.

Thick and very firm noodle. The taste of the soup is excellent. Got buta max, a lot of food. It’s a little oily though.

They deserve 10 stars! We planned our errands in the area so that we could do lunch here & came in at 1:10 pm when they close at 1:30 pm. We were still seated with a smile (there’s no air conditioning so we sat under the ceiling fan) & helped ourselves to the menu’s. The service was stellar, the server was very helpful polite & kept refilling our ice cold water (super refreshing on a hot day). I wish we could’ve tipped him more but we went over budget for our lunch. The food was deliciously lip smacking, the takoyaki was so yum! The miso ramen (not spicy) hit the spot & the pork was so tender. The chicken karaage portion was bigger than my face & I had to get a take away container for the leftovers in the end. I wish I had more space in my belly for the broth that came with it! Highly recommend this cute little restaurant, clean bathrooms, great service and amazing food!!

Very welcoming the second you open the door. One of the few restaurants that are adequately staffed these days. I was lucky I was seated very shorty after arriving. There is a QR code for the menu and you can order right on the app. Very easy and convenient. They have a full menu, beer, sake and soda. I ordered EBI Mayo Tempura shrimp $9.00 and well worth the price. I went with the Pork Tan Tan Ramen $17.80 . The spice level was perfect for me. The only feed back I would give is the I felt it was a little lite on the noodles. For $17.80 I would expect to walk away full. I will definitely be back and would recommend Ramen Champ.

Huge thank you to Shogo and his team for helping me make a department lunch happen. I had a short notice to arrange lunch meals on a tight budget for 100 people, but Ramen Champ not only delivered in prices but quality as well! Shogo was able to cater 105 meals x (half portion appetizers, entree, and lychee sorbet) well before their usual open hours and was very kind to help me and my team load the food into our cars. We selected the Teriyaki Karaage Rice Bowls, Mazesobas, and Potato Curry Rice Bowls for our celebration. Ramen Champ offers vegetarian alternatives, and so we had a very inclusive spread for our staff. We received many compliments from the diversity of our staff. The lychee sorbet was really sweet but was still enjoyable for our team members. The Mazesobas was an adventurous option, but it was one of the most popular choices from our staff.

This place seems extremely popular, but it wasn't great for me. Went here on a rainy Friday evening and it was still packed. Not too many ramen joints in this part of town. I do like you order on your own using a QR code, and if I recall, you pay that way too. The weird thing was you pay for tip before you actually get your food, which is odd to me, because I tip according to service. Their food selection was fairly large. We tried two ramens. The Buta and the Tonkatsu. The Buta looked great and it came with an egg, which I liked, but the broth wasn't hot and maybe I'm not used to the Shoyu flavor but wasn't my thing. The Tonkatsu was basic and okay, but again just wasn't hot enough.

Best ramen in the immediate area of South San Jose. It's a small restaurant, but I haven't waited longer than 10 min before to eat here. The service is very quick as well as you order on your phone. Within 10 min for your order you'll be enjoying your fresh ramen!

Found this gem down the street from my house. The ramen here is fantastic and the service is great here! The broth and noodles are flavorful! I usually get the pork ramen ! Their chicken Kara-age is good as well! The place does get packed inside so go early or order to go! Eating there is much better!

Good experience overall at Ramen Champ yesterday at 12:30. We looked at the busyness level from another review page online and were surprised it was low so we went for it! It's a small restaurant, but it's cozy! My husband had a craving for ramen on this cold day so I thought it was a good chance for me to broaden my food horizons. ;) Funny enough, I had never tried ramen before. It was a bit of a letdown when there was a sign on the door that Tonkotsu Ramen was unavailable, but hopefully this isn't a common thing... My husband said that is the flavor he always orders. In this case we opted to split the Shoyu Ramen. We ordered extra noodles for the perfect, shareable lunch. The portions are huge and it was great to split. We had edamame to start and I was feeling extra brazen so I ordered the fried octopus balls. I have to say the Takoyaki was not for my taste, but that must just be my taste buds because they seem very popular from reading the reviews. I appreciated the QR code to easily order and pay ahead. We opted for a window seat to have a bit more privacy and it was a nice lunch. I will hopefully be back to try the Tonkatsu Ramen since I did like the Shoyu Ramen. ;)

This was the second best ramen I have had in my life, super good, they have many different options from spicy to mild! Service is kinda weird, you order online and they slowly bring your food to your table Ambiance is nice for a date night it remembers of those small restaurants from movies !

Cozy spot for authentic Japanese food. I've had the ramen here before (it is really good and imo very authentic). They've got a lot of options besides ramen, and the menu has actually expanded since I was last here. The chicken karaage here is really good. I miss the shichimi spiced mayo they used to serve this with, but the classic mayo is still a great accompaniment. Stamina curry rice - a new item I tried this time. A hearty comfort food! They execute it very well with an onsen egg. I think overall it's good but the flavors of the ginger pork and the curry aren't particularly complementary. In the future I might just get the ginger pork rice bowl, or the katsu curry rice. Love this spot though! It's a cozy space and the ambiance is very pleasant inside (they always play good music too). Tables are limited and this place is super popular on the weekend, so get here right at opening if you want a seat right away.

i see why there was a line outside of this place. i got to the restaurant right at 5:30, and already there were two people who came right after me. then more people started coming and from seeing that i imagined this place would be good. i ordered the tonkatsu ramen. the broth of the ramen tasted so good! that might have been the best broth i've ever had from ramen. i loved that the pork was super tender and easy to eat, no chewiness. i appreciated how variable the ramen could be; for example, i thought it was great that they gave the option of thin or thick noodles. i also really liked how secluded the two-person seating area was, i feel like this would be a great place to have a solo lunch/dinner. i would absolutely recommend!

4.5 STARS Date: Thursday, May 18th, 2023 Time: around 1pm Party of: 2 Meal: Lunch *CHICKEN KARAAGE: 6pcs ($8) *TAKOYAKI: 6 pcs ($8) *HABANERO TONKOTSU RAMEM - Extra Topping: Corn (+ $1), Modify: NO GOBO CHIPS ($16.80) *BUTA MAX RAMEN ($21) *MINI CURRY BOWL ($6) The hubby adores a nice rich fatty ramen broth. (And by fatty, I mean pieces of fat floating in it.) Whenever we go to Tokyo, we always go to the same ramen shop. They serve that fatty deliciousness in a bowl. The hubs loves how the fat melts onto the noodles while slurping. (And therefore flavoring them.) When I was looking around at food options in SJ, I stumbled upon Ramen Champ. Suggested to the hubs we try it out. It was a chill Thursday afternoon, so we walked in and easily got a table for two. Parking was aplenty in the lot as well. If I recall correctly, there was a QR code on the table and we placed our order online after being seated. I was even able to make a note for extra napkins. From there we checked out and tipped thru the site as well. The hub's ramen was just as expected. Fatty and flavorful. I like to actually drink the soup, so I prefer spicy lighter broths. The habaneto fit the bill. Not quite as spicy as I was expecting, but fulfilled my ramen craving. The apps were good. The chicken crispy and the takoyaki chewy. If memory serves, the hubs enjoyed the mini curry bowl. A great find since not a lot of spots serve this style of ramen. Gimme that tasty fat! Well actually, give it to the hubby! REVIEW #3539

Arrived around 7:30 PM on a Sunday night and waited around 10-15 minutes before being seated. There were tables that were open but it took some time for the staff to take away the dirty dishes and to clean the tables. Ordered the tonkatsu tonkotsu ramen, buta max ramen, potato croquette, and lychee sorbet. The tonkatsu was pretty good, though just toeing the line with being too dry. Tonkotsu soup base was creamy and the perfect amount of fatty and flavorful - not too salty. The buta max though, was way too fatty (though I believe it's intentional) and a bit heavy on a garlic (though I like that). The pork belly that came with the buta max was so deliciously tender and flavorful. However, I personally really don't prefer the "max" noodle, but instead would prefer the thin the most, and the thick the second. I wish the portion of the potatoes croquette served was bigger. The croquette was good, but there just weren't enough of them. The lychee sorbet was pretty good! Tasted of canned lychee, but texture was just the right away of icy vs. smooth. Would come back again if in the area and craving this specifically only.

One of my go to lunch spots in the area! It's not too large so get here before the lunch rush! You get welcomed by a staff right away to be seated. Menus are on a QR code you order from the table and pay through your phone after you select your order. The Buta Ramen has a good pork flavor with the pork belly mix of fat to meat ratio being great. If You are a lover of bean sprouts, this is the one for you. They also have a habanero tonkatsu ramen which is a tonkatsu broth with this habanero oil topped off. Has a nice little kick to it.

The ramen broth was outstanding, karaage chicken over the top! The service was Jonny on the spot once seated we were taken care of... very small but nice!!!

Everything we ordered waz amazing, very flavorful and enjoyable. I was like Ratatouille in that one scene where he combined the strawberry and cheese and it exploded in his mouth, well I experienced that with the ramen and their sauce they had on the side. Very delicious! Great customer service as well! We will be coming back.

My SO suggested this place as an option and I was a bit disappointed by the taste of the ramens. The broths were very salty and didnt seem to add too much flavor to the moodles and the rest of the ingredients. The teriyaki chicken karage was top notch though, otherwise this place ais a skip for me.

好久沒來吃麵了，找到一家位於聖荷西最南部的一家拉麵店，評價非常的高。這家店店面很小，裡面可能就只能做個20個人。美國勞動節的晚上人潮還算挺多的，我們一家三口等了約10分鐘才入座。另外值得一提的是，我很少看到這麼多日本人在美國的拉麵店吃飯，從我們坐下到離開，至少有10個以上的日本人。 我點了一份豚骨拉麵加炸豬排的選項，而我太太選擇了味噌叉燒拉麵。我們也點了一份叉燒蓋飯給我們的小朋友吃，另外點了一個炸魷魚絲作為開胃菜。其實我一直說的叉燒，比較像是中式的燉肉，或者是紅燒肉。給小朋友那一碗裡面的肉塊燉煮的非常的軟嫩，我那兩歲不到的兒子吃的不亦樂乎。這家店炸物也是很厲害的，這個炸魷魚絲並沒有太多的油膩味，而我的拉麵搭配的炸豬排也是做的恰到好處，這個水準的炸豬排我甚至可以每天吃。最後當然要來說說拉麵本身。這家店絕大部分的選項都是比較寬一點的麵條，同時他的麵條會比較硬，類似在義大利館吃義大利麵的程度。我個人是非常喜歡這種 al dente 的口感，但是我太太就比較不能接受。我的豚骨拉麵我覺得非常的好喝有達到我的預期，但是我太太的味噌拉麵，我們兩個都覺得味道太重，反而不是特別喜歡。最後還剩了大半碗的味噌拉麵帶回家。 最後總結，這一家對我來說是一家完美的拉麵店，我點的每樣物品我都非常的滿意。但是我太太點的那碗味噌拉麵完全不合他的口味，因此這家拉麵店也不是所有人都喜歡的類型。但不論如何這是一家我以後會常常回來的拉麵店。我目前給他4.25顆星。

Best ramen I've ever had in a while ! They are quite busy, so make sure you get there early. Small and narrow ramen shop. The decor makes me miss Japan. The broth was so rich and flavorful. The noodles taste like homemade. Service was fast. You can order and pay by scanning the code or with the waitress directly. Very efficient. If you can't finish the ramen, you can togo and they will give you two separate containers one for the broth and one for the noodles. I like that ! Will come back if I ever in town and crave for ramen.

I had never been so starved in my life and I had to wait 18 years for my food. Place and food were very smegma. People no speak very much but give good water.

Great ramen. Tried the habanero ramen and it was excellent. Has a very good kick but not extremely spicy. Would definitely come back

I forgot to take pictures but the ramen was SUPER flavorful. I had the Buta Max Ramen and substituted the pork with chicken and sheeeh! 10/10 on flavor and the amount of food that's in that bowl. Also had the chicken karaage and it was ok. The chicken cuts were big and flavorful as well but left something to be desired. 7.7/10 Ambiance it's a small place we were a table of 4 and had to squeeze in so just a heads up there. ALSO in the summer this place is HOT be prepared to sweat if you're dinning in. They have fans but it's hot in there, not a knock on the place just a heads up! Overall good experience and I would come back again.

My Japanese friend recommended Ramen Champ, so we went together. I ordered the Buta Max XL. Highly recommend it here and trying the buta ramen. Not many ramen shops serve buta style ramen. I also tried the yuzu beer, but it was just ok. This was a loaded ramen and I almost felt the noodles were bottomless. I just kept eating and eating, and I even had plenty to take home for the next day. The broth was unique in that it had garlic, lots of bean sprouts. The noodles were definitely fresh and homemade-- just the perfect amount of chewiness. Service was just fine. I think that it was a busy night. The restaurant is smaller and intimate, just like in Japan, so there are few seats, so we waited for about 10 minutes.

was excited to try the buta ramen but i liked the broth of the habanero tonkatsu even more. noodle texture was very good on both ramens though i usually like them even more undercooked. ebi mayo and karaage were both very tasty. you order and pay through a qr code so you barely interact with staff. we came on a weekday lunch so it was pretty quiet and started filling up by 12:30.

Ramen Champ is my new go to spot. Sometimes when I ask my wife where she wants to go to dinner, we both want Ramen Champ (a miraculous agreement)! I have jumped around the menu between the Tonkatsu Tonkatsu Ramen, the Miso Ramen and the Buta Ramen... all are great! It is hard to pick a favorite. It is nice to have a neighborhood spot that we like to support. I highly recommend dropping by sometime.

We got Miso and Tonkotsu ramen. The broth was flavorful and noodles well cooked. The service staff was very nice. You order from your phone and the food came out pretty quick. The restaurant vibe was very relaxing. This is our go to ramen spot in San Jose!

We came right when they opened and there was already few people waiting to go inside! We were quickly seated, the tables were cozy.. not alot of space for a baby stroller! It was our first time taking our baby out for lunch. He was just staring at the guest next to us through the privacy divider. You order online through QR code and you must pay prior to getting the food. We ordered two ramens & two appetizers -- the calamari was mainly the tentacles (no rings if you only like rings I don't recommend!), but I enjoyed it. Came out freshly fried! We absolutely loved the teriyaki chicken karaage-- super juicy and great flavor! The ramen broth was amazing, super jammy egg, and the pork was tender and juicy! I didn't get any photos this time, but I will definitely be back again to take photos!!

Ordered the Habanero Tonkotsu Ramen and a Takoyaki. The Takoyaki had good sized squid, and the outer shell was well-done. The ramen was thick with good-sized Chashu and a delicious broth. The service was via a QR code menu, and it came fast. The ambiance was casual.

4 stars for food. 1 star for service. I'm not sure if it was just an off day or If their system can't handle the flow. It was around 6:30 when my wife and I got there. We waited maybe about 15 minutes for a table. Not too bad with 3 other parties-of-two ahead of us. We ordered a few minutes upon being seated. It took 30 minutes for my order to come out and another 10 minutes for my wife's. We ordered the tsukemen and tonkatsu ramen. The tsukemen is a bowl of noodles with the broth on the side. The broth is a bit salty, but vinegary, and very garlicky. The noodles were thick and cooked nicely. The pork was very soft and tasty. The egg was a nice medium boiled, but it was still cold. Overall, it wasn't too bad. The tonkatsu ramen was just ok. It lacked flavor in my opinion, but my wife liked it. This place is nearby, so I'll probably give them another shot during non- peak hours. I think it would have helped if they let the customers know that they were backed up in the kitchen and to expect a 30+ minute wait. Customers can then decide if they want to stay or go. Some folks asked for a refund because their orders took so long.

Oooo we came across Ramen Champ looking for a place to eat nearby cause we were going to Costco Cottle. It's quite a drive for us but Senter Costco is way too packed so we drive out to Southside. I am so happy we found this ramen place, a hidden gem tucked in a plaza. It's a small and cute little resto with very close table arrangements, but the service is attentive and quick. The price is so so good, 4 bowls plus 2 appetizers is only $90! The quality is delicious and the habanero had a good kick but not all crazy, I added more chilli! The tonkotsu broth is creamy and thick, the chasu is so tender and soft! The only thing I wished they offer was a soft boiled egg as a topping. But overall, we will def be coming back when we are on this side of town and do recommend this place! Yum!!

It's a hot day today, but I was craving ramen. Based on Yelp reviews, I decided to give this place a try. The restaurant is very small with tight and limited seating. The server was very friendly. However, you're asked to place your order and pay using their QR code. Since the restaurant wasn't too busy, it would've been nice if the server had come over and taken our order. We had a few questions about the menu and had to wave down the server. She never came to check on us, see how our food was, or see if we needed refills (which we did). I understand QR codes were a trend, but they've really lowered the quality of customer service. Anyways, my husband ordered the Tonkatsu ramen, and I ordered the Pork Tan Tan ramen. I paid an extra $1.20 for an egg. My ramen was okay. The broth was very thick and sweet. I did, however, enjoy the pork. I was really hoping to like this more than I did!

Pretty dang solid spot...and this is coming from someone who refuses to eat ramen in the states simply for the usually average quality and ridiculous prices compared to Japan. The noodles are quite thick and have a strong chew. Chashu is chunky and is melty tender. Yuzu Shio: light broth but not light on the flavor, well balanced. Yuzu peel was not overpowering and gave a good bright taste. Shoyu: deep shoyu flavor, a bit deeper than a traditional shoyu (a hint like a sukiyaki flavor), but still good. Miso: big bold flavors, slightly thicker broth.

Visiting my brother at Kaiser hospital and stop by this Ramen place for dinner. Quite tasty. Love the meat (pork). Very tender. The broth is a bit salty for my taste, but otherwise, the ramen is good.

Came here on a Sunday at lunchtime with about a 15-20 min wait. It's a pretty small restaurant which is better suited for small parties of up to 4 people. My party of 5 got seated and we were a little squished because we got a table that was better suited for four people and just had an extra chair at the end. We ordered via a QR code, paid online, and then our food was brought out. The chicken karaage came out piping hot and in pretty big pieces. I liked how thin the breading was and the mayo dipping sauce. I got the tsukemen ramen which was tasty. The soup it came with was a little bit saltier than I would have liked it. The portion sizes are pretty big and a couple of us ended up taking home half of our meal.

This place used to sell sushi but they switched over to ramen and the ambiance still carries. The vibe is traditional and it is very homely. Food was delicious and came in huge portions. I've tried many of their ramens and many of their appetizers and have loved all of them. Especially the karage and yuzu ramen is so delicious! Definitely will come back here. I also thought service was very respectful and kind, however you pay and tip BEFORE you are served food. You submit and order yourself through a QR code, which is a bit weird. Other than that I liked it a lot and would come back.

Chicken Karage $8.5 - 5/10! Not as crispy as i would like it. The breading was thin and missing some extra crunchiness. Did come in nice chunks of meat, served with a slice of lemon and mayo. BUTA MAX RAMEN $21 - 8/10! * HUGE Portions (I shared a bowl with my brother and I still didn't finish the whole thing). I felt like it was the most worth bowl of ramen. Basically had two bowls in one. * The broth was a sweet shoyu, came with a scoop of garlic and black pepper. It came with thick ramen noodles with a texture similar to hand pulled noodles (personally i love thick noodles). The egg was cooked perfectly and meat was tender and flavorful (chunks of chashu). * The only downside is that it felt like they put in a whole bag of bean sprouts on top of the ramen, so there was a lot of bean sprouts to dig through to get to the noodles! Wished there was more cabbage, and less bean sprouts. Service: The wait time on a Sunday afternoon was not too bad, but because of the lack of efficient table planning. Two groups of 4 had to wait over 30 mins to be seated. It was a smaller restaurant so there wasn't a whole lot of seating. The staff was understanding that it was a long wait and seated us as quickly as possible and took our order. The food did take a while to come out, but the chicken karage came out fairly quickly.

I came back here and the soup had 2 pieces of meat that were both overcooked and my noodles were severely undercooked- inedible. I don't think I'll be back.

I went here a few days ago and tried the dipping ramen. The noodles had a different consistency than I was used to. They were a little thicker. They were tasty but still kind of doughy and strange. I still enjoyed it. But it wasn't my favorite ramen I've ever had. The broth was thicker as I expected because that's the way it's supposed to be with dipping ramen. A bit on the salty side which i was also expecting. But what I was hoping for was the post broth they give you to put into the thick broth in order to drink it afterwards. Without all the saltiness and thickness. We didn't have that and I felt a little bit too shy to ask for it. Just in case they didn't have it, I didn't want to seem foolish for asking for something they didn't know about. The service was good. Nothing extraordinary, but the people that work there were pleasant. The ambiance was much better than the restaurant they used to be before they got taken over by ramen champ. They had cute little booths, but they are a small restaurant. Restaurant. Not a lot of seating but it wasn't crowded. I ordered some chicken kuragi to go and my daughter loved it. I also had a piece. But I think I'd have a better assessment of what that tasted like if I ate it fresh. Because we have it later in the evening and I think it's supposed to be crispy. Nevertheless, I do want to try to come back and see what else they have on the menu that might be tasty. I think I'm done with the dipping ramen hype. But it wasn't bad. I do plan on coming back to this restaurant

I adore this place! The tonkotsu ramen is excellent; the noodles are chewy, and they give some of the thickest pork slices I've seen in a ramen dish. The broth is also tasty. I also have to thank this place for introducing me to Shaka, a great local brewery! I tried their Yardbird golden ale with its lovely floral notes (brought out in a frosted glass!), and I'm now hooked. Atmosphere is pleasant; it has the typical wooden booth and red lantern aesthetic one would expect to see. Waiters were pleasant and professional. Thanks for a great experience!

Ordering is done with the QR code on the table. After we ordered, the food took about 25 minutes to arrive. 1. Habanero tonkotsu ramen Pretty spicy but not unbearable because of the fat from the tonkotsu. Ramen is a little chewy - not al dente or too mushy. The menu says it comes with pork back fat but it didn't have the 100% fat pieces that I saw in the buta max. Rather, there were soft and thick kakuni pork pieces with some pork fat on top and between the chunks. The broth is rich and creamy 2. Curry We thought the curry was probably made from S&B's blocks. It came with a side salad and seaweed soup. Additions such as potato croquettes or chicken karaage cost extra. 3. Buta max ramen This came with thick, chewy, and textured noodles. The shoyu broth was a bit too sweet (possibly with added sugar). It was heavy with garlic and meat. Medium boiled egg had a cold yolk.

The food here is hecka good. I think for the price and the quality of food you'll receive, it's worth eating here.

Long story short: great food, wonderful, attentive and kind staff, and cozy restaurant. We had their tantan ramen, tonkatsu ramen, and eel bowl. The tantan was spicy but not overpowering. Love the broth; it's not salty as other places can be but this one was flavorful. Tonkatsu ramen was equally delicious and the meat was cooked perfect. Thick noodles are great here. The eel was cooked very well and the sauce on top added the right amount of flavor without being overly sweet. The staff were so kind and attentive! Will definitely continue coming back.

I'm not gonna lie, this tasted really good...my only complaint is the amount of meat. Couple bites and it's gone. For $18 I expected more

The restaurant is so cute! There's not a lot of seating and it fills up fast. On weekdays they're lunch hour is not that long, so make sure to come early. Got the chicken karrage and tonkotsu ramen. Very quick service and great staff. If you're in the area, I highly recommend trying!

I love the menu here. The ramen and other snacks are so so good! The service is fast and all ordering is done through the mobile website via QR code. The ramen is super tasty and the spice is great. The chicken karaage is delicious and even better when dipped in the mini curry bowl. Absolutely delicious!! This place is always hustling and bustling. I recommend getting there before 6:30 on Fridays and weekends to avoid a wait.

Brrrrrr!!! It's freezing outside! Winter means ramen cravings are out of control! One day, I was curious when a new ramen spot opened up in South San Jose. I'm glad I stumbled upon this location because I was pleased with the food quality and attentive service. When I walked into the place, it was had this dark earthy vibe and not only that the food blew me by surprise. I got the Yuzu Shio. It was light and refreshing, You can taste a bit of yuzu, which came through this delectable soup base, smelled amazing. The ramen itself was filling and hearty. It hit the spot. I will be back! :-) 10/10

Great local spot for ramen in the south side of SJ. Small but mighty location. We definitely will be back. Nice folks servicing the tables and clean environment. Lots of parking.

We live a few blocks down the street and was too lazy to go far for good Ramen so gave this place a tried. My Nephew got the tonkotsu and he liked his. I got the Miso and mine was a bit salty. There's weren't much toppings, just two small pieces of pork belly slices, some corns, seaweed sprinkled and shredded veggies. I wont go back.

Outstanding ramen and other Japanese dishes, service is very good and the Japanese background pop music transports you. Very unassuming outside , nice interior decor, and really great food. The yelp reviews are on spot and well deserved. The large number of high ratings are appropriate.

Nice to see a Ramen spot in South San Jose. My order was to go so I missed the part of the menu where the egg was an add on. Luckily I caught this and as I was picking up my Tonkatsu bowl, I asked him to add it on. Can you imagine NOT having an egg in a ramen bowl! I liked the guy who took my order. Nice, courteous and cordial. The shop was definitely ramen vibes so that was a treat to experience in South San Jose. For a Wednesday lunch, they looked a bit busy. It was neat to see my bowl dry prior to adding the broth. The broth was traditional looking and tasty, not as flavorful as I've had but nonetheless it was good. I really liked the thicker ramen noodles. Perfectly cooked. Overall, the bowl was good and I did enjoy it. If I am in the area, I will go again for convenience but I don't think I will go out of my way as there are more superior spots around town.

I have to give 10s when they're due (or in this case, 5s...), and Ramen Champ definitely deserves it. I can't believe that this gem is nestled in a hard-to-spot location in Santa Teresa, barely visible to drivers. I noticed via Yelp that no one had ordered the clam chowder croquette before, but I was intrigued by the concept. I ordered that, along with tonkotsu curry rice. My friend ordered the spicy miso ramen with pork. Wow. Everything was so delicious! The clam chowder croquette was breaded so crisply, the inside was packed with a delicious creamy filling that made me wish Ramen Champ sold their clam chowder as an appetizer by itself. I would definitely get this again. However, the portions of the entrees are so large I had to take some to go. The tonkotsu curry rice was delicious. Both the curry was flavorful and the tonkotsu was succulent. It also came with a side of wakame (seaweed soup) and salad. Love! I had a little bit of the spicy miso ramen my friend ordered, and wow. The noodles are so chewy yet not too soggy, and the broth is very very delicious. I definitely will be coming back here to try other dishes that they have to offer. The inside ambiance is also very pretty and authentic to Japanese restaurants. Thank you Ramen Champ!