Cold outside, rain falls
Fog clouds my windows, opaque
Steam from my bowl, hot
As the temperature drops, there’s one meal that always warms me up: ramen.
A beloved Japanese dish, this noodle soup only became popular stateside in the last few decades.
In recent years, Greensboro has seen an influx of ramen shops. But some are better than others. The noodles have to be the perfect texture: not too firm, but not soggy. The soup, piping hot. The broth needs enough flavor to coat the noodles without being too salty. Then there are the toppings.
For ramen heads, one trumps them all: chāshū or sliced pork belly. Found mostly in tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen, it’s the crown jewel.
In our quest to find the best ramen in town, my mom, my husband Sam, and I hit half a dozen shops. Our findings may surprise you.
Here, from lowest to highest ranked according to average score, is our guide to ramen in Greensboro.
Tampopo Ramen & Hibachi (5 out of 10)
At this mainstay, we ordered three different kinds of ramen: miso, tonkotsu, and spicy tonkotsu. The takeaways were that the chāshū was too thin, the broth didn’t have enough flavor, and some of the noodles were hard and clumped together. Sam’s spicy tonkotsu also didn’t come with a different broth but just with a side of spice to add to his bowl.
Hokkaido Ramen & Sushi (6.5)
Sam couldn’t make this sitting, but my mom and I ordered tonkotsu and black garlic ramen. For my mom, the broth wasn’t hot enough, and the chāshū was too tough and lacked flavor. The soup was too salty. I found the soup to be flavorful, but agreed with her on the pork. I didn’t love the raw onions in my bowl.
Little Ari’s Japanese Kitchen (6.8)
Here, we all ordered the tonkotsu ramen, two with wavy noodles and one with straight. Sam got the spicy, which again came on the side. My mom thought the broth lacked temperature, but liked the firmness of the noodles. She enjoyed the chāshū but missed other key ingredients like a ramen egg. Sam and I both agreed on missing other key toppings and found the broth to be lacking. The gyoza, steamed, is delicious.
Yokai (7)
This one was tricky because they only offer one type of ramen: shoyu. We’re all tonkotsu fans, so we took that into account. We found Yokai’s ramen egg to be the best of the bunch: perfectly cooked and seasoned just right. We agreed that the chāshū was a little tough, but found the thinly sliced green onion and grilled white onion to be prepared with care. The broth wasn’t hot enough for either my mom or Sam.
Qinji Hawaiian BBQ & Ramen (8)
Here, we all got a different kind of ramen: tantan for Sam, tonkotsu for my mom, and miso for myself. We all found the bowls to be balanced and have good flavor. The chāshū was also tasty—but not as good as our favorite place!
Takara Noodle (8.5)
This spot tucked into the old China Wok off of Tate Street is a true hidden gem. Open for less than a year, this unassuming restaurant takes the top spot. We tried the tonkotsu and the black garlic ramen. We found the chāshū to be the best here: thick, juicy, grilled, and seasoned just right. We also enjoyed the flavor of the broth and appreciated the stiffness of the noodles. Plus, the ramen egg was nearly perfect. Now, it’s time to slurp your way through the cold.