This was my first time at HiroNori after hearing many great things and it didn’t disappoint! We came on a Saturday night to put our names on the waitlist and only waited around 15-20’ for 2 people. It’s in Hillcrest so are some stores around to walk around too.
We got the tonkotsu ramen with thick noodles which was super rich, creamy, and flavorful. For appetizers, we got the spicy tuna crispy rice and the pork bun. Both were good but I liked the pork buns a lot better. It has lots of flavors and reminded me of the buns I have in Asia. Their garlic and house spicy sauces were such good additions that went well with both the ramen and appetizers. I’ll definitely come back to try more of their dishes. It has made to my top 2 ramen places in San Diego!!!
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Come for the ramen - which is fantastic - but do NOT sleep on the rice bowls! Their chicken and pork bowls are delicious. For ramen, I love the tonkatsu broth and their “original” (thicker) noodles.
I like that they bring you fruit-infused water to start the meal. And I love that it’s a “no-tip” establishment. Every check gets a small service charge and their employees get a decent wage. Service is always spectacular. (I don’t know if she’s a manager, but the young woman with the happy voice is a spectacular worker and absolutely delightful every time I’ve been there. If I owned a business in town, I would try my best to poach her. Haha!)
Seriously, though: great ramen, great rice bowls, great crispy chicken, delicious spicy tuna crispy rice “toasts.”
My only complaint is the “Cucumber and Crab Salad” (pictured.) While delicious, the “crab” is absolutely not real crab. It’s surimi. Which is fine IF THAT IS DISCLOSED. Because when a menu just simply says “crab,” it’s expected that it will be actual, real crab and nothing more. Surimi (“imitation crab”) is made from a paste of fish, sugar, starch, egg whites, artificial food coloring, and a bunch of other ingredients. That’s why food labeling laws require restaurants and manufacturers to clearly label the product as “krab” or “surimi” and NOT the single-ingredient food we know as whole crab. I don’t personally mind it, but it’s kind of off-putting to label a menu item as crab and receive imitation crab. For the price (which was pretty low!), I should have assumed it was imitation - or at least asked. My fault on that.
Go! Use the “get in line” function on the Hiro Nori website before you head over cause it’s always busy - for good reason! :-)
I’ve been looking for a Tsukemen (cold noodles + dipping sauce) restaurant since first trying it in Japan and HiroNori has a dish! It was absolutely delicious! The sliced pork + chicken karage (appetizer) was super tender and cooked to perfection IMO. We now have a place we can go to for Tsukemen and Ramen! Service was quick and the ambiance / vibes were chill and cozy. We’ll definitely be back!
Heavenly broth, thick noodles done just right, pork like butter, a perfectly jammy egg, nori and spinach completes this delicious bowl of ramen. Not too salty, plenty of umami, too. Will come here again. Yummy!
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Yo, if you're in Hillcrest, San Diego, and craving some delish ramen, HiroNori Craft Ramen is THE place to go! It's a low-key spot with the tastiest Tonkotsu, awesome chicken rice bowls, and a fresh salad combo. Plus, it's easy on the wallet! 💸
That Tonkotsu Ramen, though 🤤! The creamy pork broth is sooo good, and the Chashu pork is tender and just melts in your mouth. You'll wanna slurp up every last drop, trust me. The chef's got mad skills when it comes to making ramen!
And don't even get me started on the chicken rice bowl 🍗🍚. The chicken is cooked to perfection, and the seasoned rice is super fluffy. It's the ultimate comfort food when you need a lil' taste of home.
The salad is pretty rad, too 🥗. Fresh veggies and a zingy dressing make it the perfect sidekick to the ramen and rice bowls.
The best part? The staff at HiroNori are super chill, and there's like, no wait time! 😎 They make you feel right at home the second you walk in. Plus, the location is on point for a pre-show dinner or just hanging with your squad.
So yeah, if you're in Hillcrest and looking for a laid-back spot with amazing food, HiroNori Craft Ramen is where it's at 🎉. With their bomb Tonkotsu, delish chicken rice bowl, and fresh salad combo, all at a great price, you've gotta check it out! 🍜👌
Best little ramen place. Everyone there is always super nice and attentive and provide great customer service. And their ramen is absolutely delicious. The miso broth is so creamy and flavorful, the noodles are the best I have ever had, and every ingredient is super fresh. 10/10. Favorite ramen place.
First time here and so far I think it'll take the top place for Ramen here in San Diego, the ramen is deliciously bold, the broth it's absolutely tasty and different from other places. The service it's great. It's a busy and small place, the waiting it was about 10 minutes though, and it's worth it.
We tried the crispy rice with spicy tuna and it's also very tasty and the combination is textures in the bite makes the experience out of ordinary. Definitely will come back and try everything. Highly recommend.
Loved the quick service, the super tasty ramen and toppings. Husband has the cold spicy dipping noodles, and the rest of us had the tonkotsu ramen with thick noodles. The broth was thick and flavorful. The roast pork belly was beautifully crisped. The egg was super soft and well seasoned. Excellent varieties of the dish.
Had this around new year’s. So amazing. One of the best ramen I have had so far. Quality, size and noodles were all done so well and I loved the black garlic sauce and homemade chili sauce. Presentation could be cuter tho haha. Service was great and we got a table spontaneously. They were so friendly they even let us sit and finish even though they were already closed.
Ohh also the crispy rice with spicy tuna was booomb!!!
Definitely worth trying out.
This was a wonderful treat when we visited San Diego. There was a selection of different broths and they were absolute perfection (I tried two), so rich and flavorful. The ramen noodles were perfect and again you had a choice between two different types of noodles. Enjoyed this meal immensely! Service was quick, friendly, and efficient and the atmosphere was lively. Highly recommend!
Best ramen in SD? The tonkotsu broth was excellent. It has depth and light. I wish it offers kimchi which would have made the perfect ramen meal experience.
Shoyu ramen was excellent too. For those who like garlic, adding garlic adds interesting flavor.
Parking could be inconvenient due to constructions nearby.
Experience: Ramen was 5 star. Broth was thick and noodles tasted fresh. Ordered add-ons to the Ramen of a salad and rice bowl which made the meal hard to finish from a portion perspective (my GF was unable to). I upgraded to the salmon rice bowl which i dont think was as good as the standard tuna. Chashu looked like bacon.
Service: Service staff are much more friendly than menya ultra. Rating Ramen at this level is hard to distinguish between the best spots in San diego.
Location: Unfortunately open deficating street people and the filth blackened sidewalks takes away from the waiting experience
Gloria Serafini (iloveLEMONS)
+5
Fantastic little place with absolutely delicious food!! I got the Pork Rice Bowl and the pork chashu was perfectly prepared! It’s a small restaurant and only accommodates about 20 guests inside with 2 tables outside. If you have to get on the wait list, stay the course! Very well worth the wait!
Best Tonkatsu and Shoyu ramen I’ve had in San Diego. Fresh home made noodles, perfectly cooked chasu and egg. The pork broth is excellent— complex, creamy-umami flavors that I couldn’t get enough of. The crispy salmon/rice bites and pork/rice bowl is delicious too. The only thing that hasn’t been successful is the $4.30 matcha latte with red bean boba— the boba completely gums up the straw and you can’t drink the latte.
I try to park at a meter ($1.25/ hr) vs at Rite Aid parking lot for $7/hour or so.
We really like HiroNori, and previously we had tried it in Irvine. But somehow their San Diego location was even better (in terms of food quality and taste). Although they have a very small space and you may end up waiting for a long time to be seated. Meanwhile the neighborhood is nice and we took a walk, which was fun! Their servers were friendly and we had a great time!
Wonderful TSUKEMEN with delicious freshly made thick noodles, and yummy dipping sauce. The spiceness was just right. Definitely will return to try out their ramens 🥰🥰
5 stars for many reasons. The price was right. The shoyu was out of this world. You can get garlic paste and their fancy spicy sauce on the side for free and it elevates the whole experience.
I’m not a ramen connoisseur but I imagine this spot is a top contender!!
Not pictured is the yummy matcha green tea mochi that was devoured after this. Will definitely be back.
This is a great place to go when you're looking for delicious ramen and a great price. There is usually a line to get in but the staff is really good at turning tables over. Nothing fancy about this place and sometimes that's exactly what you are looking for. Just good food, at a great price.
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