Updated: 4/15/2024 | Best Ramen Restaurants in Seattle
Ramen is a Japanese noodle soup dish that originated in China in the 1800s. Ramen was brought to Japan by Chinese immigrants living in Yokohama in the late 19th century.
The first Japanese restaurant to serve ramen-like noodles was Yowaken in 1884, and the first ramen shop in Japan was Rairaiken in Asakura, Tokyo in 1910.
Ramen is made with wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui, and the broth can be made from chicken, pork, vegetable, or fish stock. Ramen also includes a sauce called tare that adds flavor and salt to the broth.
Early iterations of ramen were simpler, made with wheat noodles and Chinese-style roasted pork. Today, ramen restaurants offer a variety of styles and toppings, but early iterations of ramen were simpler—wheat noodles with Chinese-style roasted pork.
The word “ramen” is a Japanese borrowing of the Chinese word lamian, which means “pulled noodles”. However, ramen uses kansui, while lamian does not. Chinese ramen is made with hand-pulled lamian noodles, while Japanese ramen is made with wheat noodles.
There are thousands of variations with most ramen bowls consisting of a broth base (often pork and soy-based), long thin noodles made from wheat, and an assortment of toppings that you can easily get creative with.
In Seattle, we are lucky to have lots of ramen options that you’ll want to revisit over and over again. Below is a list of our favorite ramen spots to try in Seattle.
Best Ramen Restaurants in Seattle
#1 Betsutenjin
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Betsutenjin serves southern-style ramen in a setting that will take you back to Japan. They offer a very simple menu with two types of ramen: Hakata and Prawn (topped with dry shrimp).
We highly recommend their combos that include a soft-boiled egg and a side dish of gyoza or lobster salad. Their broth is pork based and is not made with milk.
The best part is their accouterments (garlic paste, chili powder, chili oil, and garlic chips) and late-night hours. They’re open until 2 AM, which is a rare thing to experience in Seattle.
The space is small, so make sure your entire party is present in order to get seated ASAP.
Address: 954 E Union St, Suite 102, Seattle, WA 98122
Prawn Ramen from Betsutenjin
#2 Arashi
Arashi is one of THE BEST ramen spots in Seattle!
Their ramen tastes the closest to the ones you’ll find in Japan. It’s super authentic and so flavorful.
They have plenty of options and our favorites are the Arashi and Black Garlic ramen noodle soups. We like to add some spice to our black garlic broth.
Locations: Ballard and Southcenter
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#3 Ooink
Kotteri Ramen
Ooink makes their noodles in-house and offers delicious Japanese Chinese fusion ramen creations as well as classic broths such as shoyu and shio.
Malaysian-born Chef Chong Boon Ooi has been cooking all over the world. He brought all his techniques to create very unique offerings at Ooink that you won’t see anywhere else. He works alongside his wife Jianxin Wang who welcomes guests with open arms.
We highly recommend pairing their tasty ramen with side dishes such as cucumber salad, Malaysian fried chicken (ayam goreng), and pan fried gyoza.
We love their kotteri (black garlic) and Mapo Tofu ramen options. And their noodles are cooked to a perfect al dente texture.
Locations: Capitol Hill and Fremont (only open for dinner)
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Mapo Tofu Ramen
#4 Menya Musashi
Menya Musashi is a Japanese ramen chain with locations in Capital Hill and Federal Way.
They offer hearty ramen options and a silky pork belly chashu. We highly recommend their black garlic ramen, red (spicy) ramen, and hybrid option (a mix of both). We love adding a soft boiled egg for more flavor.
For an additional $6, you can turn your noodle entrees into a combo with a non-alcoholic drink and a side dish which can include chicken karaage (fried chicken), rice and curry don, or takoyaki (grilled octopus balls).
Their broth is super thick, so come hungry and expect to be very full!
They also serve tsukumen, a dipping noodle dish with a very savory sauce for when you don’t want soup.
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Tsukumen Dipping Noodles from Menya Musashi
#5 Kizuki
Kizuki (formerly Kukai) has multiple locations throughout Seattle. They are based in Japan and have expanded to Seattle and Hawaii.
Their ramen options are plentiful, but our favorites are garlic tonkotsu and spicy ramen. Looking for a low-cal option? Ask for less sodium and zero-calorie yam noodles. Want something more flavorful? Add a slice of their pork chashu.
Don’t forget to order the chicken karaage at Kizuki. It’s delicious and one of the best you’ll find in Seattle.
Locations: Capitol Hill | Bellevue | North Gate | Tukwila | West Seattle
Spicy Ramen with added pork chashu from Kizuki
#6 Danbo
Danbo offer Fukuoka style tonkotsu ramen. Try their classic tonkatsu and negi-goma (sesame oil and seed) ramen noodle soups.
Aside from Japan, Danbo also has locations in Vancouver BC, and New York City.
Location: 1222 E Pine St, Seattle, WA 98122
#7 Bar Dojo
Bar Dojo offers Asian fusion cuisine and their pork belly ramen is super rich and tasty. Chef Luis Brambila also culminates his love for Asian and Mexican cuisine to offer a birria (lamb meat) ramen that you have to try.
Watch our Bar Dojo Instagram Reel to see what we ate during our visit.
Pork Belly Ramen from Bar Dojo
#8 Asean Streat
Asean Streat is a huge food court located at Westlake Center. They serve dishes from various South East Asian countries such as Thailand, Burmese, Vietnamese, Indonesia, and much more.
Here, you’ll also find some ramen variations served at their food stands such as the Mee Goreng Kee Mao, a stir-fried ramen noodle dish.
While their ramen is non-traditional, it’s still a very delicious experience.
Mee Goreng Kee Mao from Asean Streat food court
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