I love it when friends tell me to try a place in their neighborhood, there’s something about recommendations from those you know and love that get me excited for my next Ramen adventure. Even more exciting is when we can discover a place together and that’s just what happened with the recently opened TETSU RAMEN in Alameda.

We arrived around 3pm on a Sunday and there were only two other tables occupied (hmm), the servers were kind but a bit scattered and had to be reminded once or twice about of beverages and appies (double hmm). The menu looked solid so I opted for the MISO RAMEN (Pork Chasu, Ajitsuke Egg, Kikurage, Bamboo Shoots, Enoki Mushrooms, Corn, Green Onion, Naruto Fishcake, Nori & Miso Pork Bone Broth) with extra Spice on the side (I mean c’mon, it has to be spicy).

The bowl arrived and I was shocked, big, colorful and a wonderful aroma permeated my nostrils, wow, did this smell good. The broth was everything I was hoping it would be, rich, complex yet silky smooth, the Tonkotsu/Miso combination was a surefire hit. The noodles were fresh and abundant, the meat tender, the egg perfectly cooked and the veggies crisp. All in all, this was a fantastic tasting and filling bowl of Ramen!

If I were judging this place of the food alone, I would give it a four right off the bat but the service needs some fine-tuning and I have yet to try the other options on the menu. That said, I will definitely be back to TETSU RAMEN for another bowl of goodness. The first bite was a winner!

• Dish: Miso Ramen
• Location: Tetsu Ramen
• Address: 1245 Park St, Alameda, California
• Price: $12.00
• Extras: Extra Spice
• Rating: