2014 was the year of ramen in Bellevue and after a year has passed, people are still lining up at the door to slurp down hot (or cold) noodles in a rich, creamy pork, chicken or miso broth. We look forward to seeing more Japanese restaurants get into the ramen game. Below is a list of note-worthy ramen shops in the Bellevue area to explore.
Kukai Ramen & Izakaya
14845 Main St, Bellevue, WA 98007
The first ramen focused restaurant to open in Bellevue in 2013 that paved the ramen explosion. The menu consists of 12 unique ramen dishes which are all made with a ten hour slow simmered pork and chicken broth using the highest quality ingredients. The most unique and talked about ramen is the tsukemen, a cold, lightly chewy dipping noodle in a smoky tonkotsu broth is a stand out. With wild success over the years, Kukai has expanded to 4 new neighborhoods.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
103 Bellevue Way NE, Bellevue, WA 98004
Located in downtown Bellevue, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is the most recent opening focused on ramen on the eastside. Guests look forward to the signature tonkotsu broth, that is simmered in pork bones for about 20 hours until it is pearly white. The temperature is then brought down where vegetables, dried fish, kelp, and other savory ingredients are added to create the perfect broth. If it’s your first time, we recommend the Tonkotsu Shouyu Ramen, a perfect blend of savory flavors.
Jinya Ramen Bar
15600 Northeast 8th Street, Suite O-11
JINYA Ramen Bar opened last year in Crossroads Bellevue. Its mission was to serve authentic ramen to the northwest. The “Tonkotsu Ramen” is the signature ramen at Jinya which is both rich and strong in flavors. The Tonkotsu uses pork broth which is pumped up with industrial quantities of dashi and dried fish. We recommend you try the Black Tonkotsu Ramen, which is rich, creamy pork soup with a hint of garlic.
