Featured image courtesy of Afuri Ramen
In the last couple of decades, this sansei/yonsei (3rd/4th generation) Japanese American has been living and traveling to Japan, Los Angeles, and Portland because I am always seeking out ramen (and a soul mate who is clown like, in a cheerful way, not in a creepy way).
The last time I rolled through Portland, I loved the city more than I liked Seattle, which was also my first time in the city. I was with my girlfriend from Japan, and while we were in Portland, she was on the lookout for coffee as an omiyage (food gift) for friends back in Japan, and I, of course, was seeking out food for myself (a food gift for my belly).

Compared to the rest of the country, it is great to see Portland heavy on chicken-based ramen, which I assume is due to Afuri’s influence. Without it, the PDX is like the rest of the US, where tonkotsu reigns supreme, so I want to highlight these spots in Portland (a lot of craft going on).
Also, a whole lot of fusion aka confusion going on too.

Never Risk Having a Bad Meal Ever Again (Not Guaranteed and Your Results May Vary, Just Like Dating)
Trying to decide on a ramen spot can be a major PITA if you are not the type to ever chance a bad meal (like myself). If that is also you, to minimize that risk (1st world problems), I have broken down almost all Portland metro ramen shops down into these categories:
- The base stocks: pork, chicken, veggies, to seafood (katsuobushi, niboshi to scallop).
- Focus on traditional Japanese flavors or Japanese inspired (fusion).
- Types of ramen offered from Hokkaido style miso/butter ramen to a yuzu shio ramen.
- A bowl of ramen pricing/range from a small bowl $6 to a fusion bowl upwards of $19.
Portland Metro Ramen Shop Offerings
Prices below are subject to change and the menu items featured are only meant to give you an approximation of the type of ramen offered/specialization (not comprehensive).

One style unique to Portland is “gekikara” or extra spicy, which utilizes habanero chili paste as one style (another is the use of hatches chili).
This should be a Colorado or New Mexico thing.
SOUP STOCK | SAMPLE MENU | PRICE RANGE |
---|---|---|
Afuri Ramen chicken fish veggie | • Yuzu Shio • Asari Shoyu • Yuzu Ratan • Tonkotsu • Tantanmen • Hazelnut Tantanmen | 15 16 15 15 15 15 |
Akasaru Ramen chicken fish | • Shoyu • Miso • Spicy Coconut • Miso • Vegetarian | 13 13 13 13 13 |
Baka Umai pork chicken duck (fusion AF) | • Carolina Reaper tonkotsu shoyu • Chorizo-men Tantan pork • Tonkotsu Hakata, pickled shiitake, mayu • Mala Miso Vegetarian | 18.50 16 15 16 |
Boke Bowl pork (fusion) | • Pork Bone with slow smoked pulled pork. • Caramalized Fennel Dashi Japanese eggplant • Spicy Chicken Miso Dashi | 14 13 16 |
Ippo Ramen chicken veggies *food truck | • Tomato/Chicken konbu broth, spinach, tomato, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomato • Tantan Men chicken and peanut butter miso • Vegan Potage vegetable broth with spinach, sweet corn bamboo, red ginger | 10 11 10 |
Kayo’s Ramen Bar “Assari style” Veggie? Seafood? (fusion) | • Snow Ramen bone/vegan broth ginger, citrus, grated daikon • Shoyu Pineapple Ginger Wasabi Smoked Salmon | 17 12 13 14 |
Kichinto Izakaya chicken seafood | • Shoyu Ramen • Yuzu Shio Ramen • Spicy Miso Ramen | 6/12 6/12 14 |
Kinboshi Ramen pork chicken vegan | • Tonkotsu Shoyu • Tonkotsu Red • Paitan Shio • Miso/Vegan | 12 13 13 13 |
Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya pork seafood chicken veggies | • Gekikara Ramen pork, chilies, garlic, and spices. • Garlic Tonkotsu Shoyu • Spicy Miso Ramen w/miso and garlic paste • Shoyu Ramen • Tsukemen (Dipping) shoyu and chicken | 15 14 14.80 11 14 |
Koji Osakaya ?? (old school) | • Plain • Spicy (gekikara) • Chashu • Wakame • Seafood and Vegetable | 9.95 10.95 12.50 10.95 15.50 |
Koku Ramen & Bites pork | • Mala Tonkotsu • Tonkotsu • Miso • Vegan | 13.50 13 13 13.50 |
Menjiro pork (odd) | • Chashu • Plain • Wakame • Vegan | 11.50 9 10 12 |
Mirakutei pork chicken (fusion) | • House “Tonkatsu” • Traditional “Tonkatsu” • Sapporo Miso • Genki • Vegetarian | 14 13.50 13.50 14 13 |
Nama Ramen pork veggie | • Shoyu (Tonkotsu) • Miso/Spicy (Tonkotsu) • Vegetarian | 13 13 13 |
Ninja Ramen pork | • Tonkotsu • Miso/Spicy • Deluxe Ninja | 10.95 11.95 13.95 |
Ryoma Beaverton black pork (looks good) | • Deluxe Ryoma Ramen • Corn Butter Ramen • Tamago Mayu Ramen • Killer Spicy Ramen • Vegetarian Ramen | 13.50 11.35 11.85 11.85 10.35 |
Shigezo Izakaya pork chicken seafood | • Shoyu Ramen • Okinawa Style Noodle • Shio-Abu Ramen • Veggie Veggie Tanmen | 13 13 13 13 |
Tokyo-ya Ramen pork | • Spicy Negi Ramen pork bone broth, spicy teriyaki sauce. • Champon • Shoyu Ramen pork bone broth. • Miso Ramen pork bone broth. • Chicken Ramen chicken. broth. | 13.95 15.95? 13.95 14.95 14.95 |
Yataimura Maru (looks good) chicken pork seafood | • Sapporo Shiro Butter Corn Ramen • Chicken Paitan Ramen • Tokyo Ramen • Hot and Sour Ramen • Hokkai-Miso Ramen | 13/19 14/21 12/18 13/19 13/19 |

Portland has no shortage on places that want to wow you with fusion. Except, the only fusion I like would a be a goat “nihari” ramen with julienned ginger, diced jalapeños, sous vide mutton shank, foam, and topped with cilantro and diced green onion.
I made that up but that sounds delicious (I love nihari).

Multi-unit Ramen Shops
- Afuri Ramen (?): throughout Tokyo, OR, CA, Canada, Hong Kong, Portugal, and Singapore.
- Kizuki Ramen (14 locations): several locations throughout OR, WA, IN, IL.
- Ryoma Ramen (4 locations): Beaverton, Portland, Pacific Beach, Hillcrest (OR and CA).
The Best Vegan/Vegetarian Ramen Shops
- Ippo Ramen: from a tomato ramen, ramen salad, to a vegan potage ramen, these dishes don’t trivialize vegan to vegetarian dishes.
- Kinboshi Ramen: the vegan option is offered in a spicy version, and is soy milk based with vegetables, mushroom, and a tofu mix.
Addresses
- Afuri Izakaya, 921 SE 7th Ave
- Akasaru Ramen, 2712 NE Alberta St
- Baka Umai, 4703 SE Hawthorne Blvd
- Boke Bowl, 1028 SE Water Ave
- Ippo Ramen, 1845 NW 23rd Pl
- Kayo’s Ramen Bar, 3808 N Williams Ave #124
- Kichinto Izakaya, 102 NE Russell St
- Kinboshi Ramen, 609 SE Ankeny St A
- Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya, 11830 NW Cedar Falls Dr
- Koji Osakaya, 1502 NE Weidler St
- Koku Ramen & Bites, 20481 W Baseline Rd
- Menjiro, 12006 N Jantzen Dr
- Mirakutei, 536 E Burnside St
- Nama Ramen, 7952 SE 13th Ave
- Ninja Ramen, 2020 NE Cornell Rd Suite #D
- Ryoma, 10500 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy
- Shigezo, 910 SW Salmon St
- Tokyo-ya Ramen, 4328 SE 82nd Ave #1500
- Yataimura Maru, 3810 SE Division St