Minato Ramen & Izakaya

FOOD IS GREAT! every time i come here the food blows me away! It is pretty far from where i live but it is always worth the drive! My server was Katty. She was very friendly and constantly came to check up on me. Food came out pretty fast and fresh. You can sort of see the kitchen and when the food comes out so it adds to the excitement. The food is always super hot, so it gives you a little time to chit chat until the food cools down a bit lol Prices are reasonable and since some ramen and rice dishes are offered in smaller portions it helps people who are in budget to still enjoy a great meal. Also it helps so you can try different dishes out in smaller portions and not waste food if you didn’t like it. but personally i feel like the extra add ons are a bit over priced. They have a lot on the menu so gives a great excuse to come back and try something new each time. I was a bit sad when all the curry dishes were not on the menu tho :( it was one of my favorites. Every time i come I order about 3 dishes, since i do food tasting and reviews online and on my YT Channel. Each order is always so good!!!!! The place is very clean and cozy. You can sit in the booths that sit about 6 people, or island seats that sit 2-4 people. or if you are a single diner you can sit at the bar seat. I got the scoop that Musashi is under new management and they will be remodeling soon! Im super excited to see what great new dishes they will bring to the table! ♥Oct.12.18 [Update] Im back to newly remodeled "Minato" (new name) Grand opening week! Was Super excited to see the new place and the new menu!!!!! Came on the weekend for the first time! Business is doing great! They have more seating available and very modern/ japanese style themed interior! Everything they changed was for the better!!! I have provided a few more photos of their foods (both new and all time faves) Love the staff! Katty was my waitress again! →→Only negative thing i have to say is that...their miso soup is salty AF!!!!! Food is still good and freshhhhh!!!!! Glad they have an offical dessert menu too!

I didn’t expect such great real ramens, especially garlic spicy ramen... Also other plates were good for beers and sakes. If they improve service quality, lighting and plate presentation, it would be perfect.

Enjoyed some ramen here. An adorable mom and pop restaurant. Loved the atmosphere. It was pretty crowded for a Friday night. Recommend a reservation. Food is great , for newbies to ramen like me , try the chicken broth ramen and some sake or beer! Try some Japaneese for a change ! I

Summary: fast, friendly service and delicious ramen in a nice space. 4.5 stars. Service: 4.5 stars The servers are all friendly and attentive. Frankie especially. I go here probably once a week, and Frankie always remembers me and goes out of his way to make me feel welcome and make friendly conversation. But all the servers are good. The one time that the kitchen seemingly never got my order, I could tell the server was concerned and wanted to get me my food as quickly as possible - I heard them ask the kitchen about my order probably 3 times in a 10 minute period. (That was a one time thing, by the way, normally the kitchen is really fast). The only thing I would change is that if left to their own devices, they often seem to seat me in the very front section of the bar (even if the rest of the bar is open), and that is where the kitchen sets cups and water carafes on a ledge for the servers to pick up. So I sometimes have a server trying to reach over my head from the side to get something. Food: 4 stars The broth is flavorful, the noodles are delicious, and they have lots of options for broth styles (chicken stock, fish stock, miso stock, plus spicy options). I normally get the tori paitan with garlic and extra chasu. The spicy garlic ramen was good too, but I’m way too white to handle that spice level lol. It kept making me cough haha. Only thing I would change is adding more meat to the ramen (reason for the 1-star deduction). A regular sized bowl comes with 1 slice of chasu, and paying $2.50 for extra chasu only gets you 1 additional slice. For comparison, the normal sized bowl at Sapporo ramen includes 3 large slices. I also like the cut of pork served at Sapporo better, it’s thicker and has more veins of fat running through it, AND they pan-fry it first to make the edges a little crispy - really good. Musashi’s pork is fine, but less fatty and smaller portions (to be fair, Sapporo is Chinese- and Taiwanese-influenced ramen, but still). Location/ambience: 5 stars The restaurant has lots of seating and comfortable chairs. You can choose between bar seating, table seating, or booth seating, with 1 curtained/partioned room for a large group to use if you need it. Music is audible without being too loud to talk to others at your table. They normally play a fun mix of latest jpop and kpop hits - don’t be surprised to hear BLACKPINK or an anime’s opening theme when you walk in. Lighting is good, not too bright. No complaints.