Hiro Ramen House Reviews

I loved this place. No nonsense ramen with delicious side dishes, like the raw octopus salad. Very nice ambiance.

Cash only!!!! It seems to be a one lady show, but she rocked it out!! I had octopus two ways and a bowl of hot deliciousness, even though they ran out of a couple of the ingredients. Quickly made substitutions and all was well. Will be a regular part of my philly visits!

Fairly simple menu and casual tables and stools. Don’t expect a lot of comfort or space, but is fine...it’s all about the ramen. The broth was fairly flavorful but didn’t have the depth it could have. Noodles were not my style (thin like packaged ramen) as well, but still good and I’d go again. Service was ok but not very attentive.

This may be as close as I get to Japan any time soon, but this was a great experience for Ramen. The location is AUTHENTIC but you need not be afraid its a very comfortable place. I just wished I could get there more often. I had a bowl of Ramen and sat at the bar. Its a small space but the service was fast and the food was good.

Don't be deceived by the exterior of this restaurant. Inside is an intimate space with exquisite food. The best Ramen I have ever eaten. The lunch special is such a deal. Ramen, and appetizer and a salad. Whenever I return to Philadelphia, I'll be back. Remember cash only.

..My wife and I had a rare occasion of having a date night while vacationing with her Mum (she graciously offered to babysit our kids). Seeing as we were unfamiliar with Philadelphia, we tried scouting around for dinner and Hiro Ramen House came up! What we found was a sparce, minimally decorated tiny place..but the wood decor that surrounded us, made it warm and cozy! The atmosphere was laid back with vintage Japanese movie posters dotting the walls and the waitress was welcoming and hip but not tragically so. When our ramen came out, have to say..all the ingredients were on point!! Noodles with bite..check! Varied fresh toppings..check! Deep, complex, rich, unctuous broth..check!! Flavorful chashu..wait....took one bite..AMAZING!! Totally blew me away! Though not the massive slabs that most places give you, the pieces we got had so much flavor. The thing that got me was the amazing char ringing each piece..like Texas brisket after 14hrs! Such an umami bomb floating in my bowl! So wish these guys were in Brooklyn but glad that Phillie’s ramen game is being kept strong by these amazing folks!..

I love Ramen and have been to a couple in Philadelphia. This one just happens to be close to my workplace, so I stopped by for lunch. There are lunch specials, but they don't advertise them. I think you get an appetizer, salad, and ramen. I didn't know about the lunch special though and their credit card machine was broken so I just got a ramen. It cost $9 and I felt for the price, it was very good. The place might be a little hard to find if you're looking for it, I don't think the sign had any English in it. When I visited most of the crowd was Asian except for, ironically, the two chefs. All in all, good for the area, though if I worked closer to Chinatown I'd probably prefer to go there.

Stopped in to grab a bite on our way back to the hotel after visiting the Liberty Bell. The place had good reviews online, so our expectations were high. We were not disappointed. (It's a hole-in-the-wall place, but don't let that deter you. The food is excellent). I had the and Miso, my wife ordered the Hiro's Inch of Heaven. Topped it off with Mochi Ice-cream. Absolutely delicious.

Tiny authentic place with decent bowl of ramen, but the tonkotsu broth didn't quite have the depth of flavor needed for a memorable ramen, the slice of pork belly should have been a bit more tender, and some of the noodles were clumped. Good service and fairly priced ($10 for a bowl), but we will stick with Nom Nom when we need a ramen fix in the area.

Somewhat small place but fast service. The ramen selection was not extensive but good enough. Nothing blew me away - but nothing disappointed either. A solid ramen place.

They have different kinds, all based on pork broth (tonkotsu). I like both shoyu-tonkotsu (soy+bork broth) and miso soup. The set with salad or other small plates is a pretty good deal (if they still have it. I am not sure because they changed the menu and the pricing scheme frequently over the years). The quality of ramen is not bad (=3 stars, i.e, I never eat here if I am in Tokyo, but I am ok in the US), I think this place improved over time (both quality and service were bad in the past but decent these days), and now it is one of the best in Philly (especially Terakawa is not as good as it used to be). Not as popular as Terakawa but I recommend equally.

I flew from Tokyo to Philadelphia and promptly walked to Hiro's after checking into my Hotel. It was like stepping right back into a Tokyo Ramen shop. The setting is just as authentic as the food. I've now eaten their two nights in a row and plan on at least once more before I leave. Fantastic! *location is cash only, which is also very authentic.

I am not an adventurous eater but my wife loves ramen. We stopped at this location near our hotel. The location is small and has a simple lay out. They are cash only and BYOB. The staff was friendly and the food was excellent. and the prices were very reasonable.

So my cousin and I were looking for a ramen place because the previous ramen place we went to left us with much to be desired. So when we walked into Hiro Ramen House, I wasn't in high spirits. When I say that I wasn't ready, I'm going to tell you that I was not ready. So we sat down and looked over the menu, the Porfolio looked like a good time (Yes and yes) so I ordered it and my cousin got it too. We got the cucumber drink on the side ( That's right, that right there will have you smacking your lips like a dolphin). So when the porfolio arrived my nostrils took in every piece of that lavish dish. Bruh, my pores opened up like the church doors on a Sunday morning. I knew I was in for an experience. I blacked out with the first bite, or at least I came to and the dish was almost half way gone. It was a perfect 10/10, Simon Cowell would have smashed that golden buzzer instantly. That's right this dish went straight to live auditions. I ascended to another level of being. I could see new colors and hear music with every bite. I forgot where I was and let Jesus take the wheel. My cousin and I did not speak for the first part of this phenomenon. He simply looked over and nodded his head. He finished before me but that's okay, everyone runs a different race and this is one that I didn't want to finish. Hiro Ramen doesn't just fill your belly, they take you on a ride that takes you away from the stress of the world. 10/10, Naruto would probably live here if he could.

Excellent ramen!! The spicy one (“gates of hell”) is very flavorful. But beware - they are CASH ONLY!! The one downside is cleanliness of the restaurant. Sticky tables and lots of gnats. But worth it!

I was in Philly for the second time to look for apartments and I happened to stumble into this small quaint ramen restaurant. Mind you, the decor is plain and simple. When you walk in, to your right will be the sitting bar area. You can view the chef conducting her/his art of ramen. On your left are a few tables for you and your friend (this is not a big place). The menu is quite simple as well...and I love it because it's straight to the point. Service: The waitress that I had was AMAZING. She was well versed on the menu and recommended me a great dish. She was very attentive. Food: I will review only what I have ordered on the day that came in. Here are items that I ordered: Gates of Hell: This is a variation of Hiro's Inch of Heaven with Berkshire pork tonkotsu broth with intense chili oil, inch chashu, bamboo, and an egg. The tonkotsu broth was rich and flavorful. It's not overly powerful and I like it that way because it will over the power the complementing flavor of the chashu, bamboo, and egg. The chashu could be a little saltier and the egg can be done a little bit better with running yokes. I would love if Hiro adds roasted tomatoes to the dish. I highly recommend this dish if you're around in the area. ($10) Porfolio: This dish consists of chicken and pork broths with chili oil, chashu, bamboo, egg, corn, naruto (fish cake), lemon. I think this dish is a great attempt to achieve "umami". When you taste this dish, you get the fatty richness of the broths, spicy with the oil, sweet with the corn, tangy with the lemon, and the salty with the chashu. When tasting it at the time I was ecstatic because of the combinations of flavors hitting my taste bud. The drawback of this dish was the umami experience was fleeting because the tanginess was in short supply with the lemon. This is a MUST dish that you should try and also ask for more lemon. ($10) Karaage Fried Chicken: This dish consists of free-range chicken marinated in soy, ginger, and garlic. IT IS SOOOOO CRISPY GOOD!!!!! It comes with a mayo-based dipping sauce. In my opinion, they don't even need sauce for the dish. All it needs was a sprinkle of salt after it was fried and that's it. This is a MUST item for you to order. ($7) Ramen Noodles: Very good but not great. I do not know if they made their own noodles in-house but the current noodles do not bring out the flavor profile of the bowl. It doesn't absorb the flavor well when you slurp in your mouth. Overall: High recommend this place if you're in the Philly area. The flavor profile is on par with Ramen Ya but a little bit under Ivan Ramen (NYC) sophistication because of the ramen and more complementary flavors in the bowl. The prices were reasonable. However, do not take my words for it...please visit Hiro Ramen and try the dishes yourself. Until next time...happy food adventure everyone. BTW: It's cash only, but there is an ATM inside.

Solid ramen joint - among many great ones in Philly. We had the octopus salad, a chicken broth and a tonkotsu - gates of hell - ramen bowls. All solid choices. On point broth. Wavy noodles style. Bowl is on the small side. Chasiu is good - not outstanding. They could torch the meat to caramelize the slices & that would be great.

Small, cash only ramen shop...they do have an ATM now! Great soups that I can't get enough of, the raw octopus appetizer is so good with the right amount of wasabi to give it just enough heat. This place is a byob, but there is a PLCB liquor/wine store nearby!!

My daughter and I loved everything we ordered: gyoza, tako-yaki, house salad, Gates of Hell ramen and karaage (fried chicken). Service was very nice. We ordered these items as takeout, but definitely look forward to eating in this simple, but lovely ramen house. Remember, cash only.

My hubby and I went to Japan last year and fell in love with their local cuisine. My husband still talks about the tasty ramen we tried in Kyoto til today. Therefore, i was super excited when i saw a Groupon about this restaurant. Restaurant is right at 11th and Chestnut. You can spot it by looking for the blue japanese flags outside - very typical restaurant flags that you will see in Japan too. We tried the tasty Tako Yaki (fried balls with squid and a mayo creme filling) and it tasted just like the ones we tried in Japan... the ramen is also delicious! Price was also average - actually even cheaper than the other Ramen place around Rittenhouse square! The interior of the restaurant is exactly how traditional restaurants in Tokyo was. They play J-pop and take credit cards! Love this place and we'll be back. Only thing is: they are not open on Sundays.

Sooo good , the almost secret restaurant! Good luck find this place , no name , it’s right next to milk boy . They have ramen and a few appetizers & that’s it ! Do something right and do it well . Absolutely must go !

Overall speaking, the whole dinning experience in the restaurant was pretty wonderful. Good food with reasonable price, good service, and good atmosphere. btw the boss is charming and friendly lol. Good job, Hiro Ramen House! Highly recommend.

Best ramen in Philly. I just visited Japan two weeks before coming to Philly. This is as good, if not better, than many ramen restaurants in Japan. Highly recommended.

I know nothing about Ramen except the commercials I see on TV. While I have eaten in very interesting restaurants in Japan, I have not experienced any in Philadelphia. Does Philadelphia even have a Japanese community? This leads me to ask if Hiro Ramen has a Japanese owner. When I see the two Latino cooks behind the bar, the question takes on another dimension. But do not think that I am being negative about the food or the service. Hiro Ramen is very small. The space is certainly a recreation of the tiny eating places that I enjoyed in Japan: the bar is to one side with the kitchen just beyond, a single row of tables to the other. You sit on a stool. There is no back to your seat. You should also know that ramen is served in a deep bowl. On your table you will find a ladle and a pair of chopsticks. The ladle is rather big. It serves as a spoon and as a mini-bowl in which to gather the elements of your ramen with your chopsticks. Now, here is a curiosity. According to Bee Wilson in her excellent “Consider the Fork,” the wood chopsticks that you pull apart may very well come from America. They may have been made in Georgia. Wilson also notes that for an Asian to use someone else’s chopsticks is worse than wearing the underwear of another person. When you think about it, there is something compelling. Why am I putting in my mouth an instrument that has been in the mouth of another? Would I use your toothbrush, even if it has been cleaned? Since we had no idea of anything on the menu we put ourselves in the hands of our most affable server. Under her guidance we had three very different soups. Because Hiro Ramen has, without question, the worst and least maintained website of any restaurant I know, I cannot offer the exact names of our selections. I can say that each soup was exceptional. We also had two side dishes: seaweed and octopus. Here again, I don’t know the menu name but each was a delight. The seaweed tasted sweet with that toasty over-taste of sesame. The octopus was a kind of fritter with an interior sauce that melted in a savory delight. Our server helped us most happily. The food was excellent, although I will say that for me, a soup is better for lunch than for dinner. The only drawback to Hiro Ramen is their website with an incorrect phone number and almost no useful information. Although if you look on Yelp or Menupages you can find the correct information.

This was a pleasant surprise for a lunch in the center city area. About a 5 minute walk from the convention center. I had nice seaweed salad and then their Hiro special ramen (pork) with extra veggies. The ramen was fresh and the flavor was quite authentic. Small space and slow turnaround means that you might wait for a table or spot at the counter, but worth the effort. $17 plus tip.

Pretty decent ramen. Not sure this place can survive in Tokyo (probably not), but OK for Philly. The noodles can be a bit harder (but it's probably perfect for Americans). And they have to be more consistent with the time spent cooking noodles. The variance of softness/hardness of noodles is unacceptably larger than what is allowed in Japan I think. I usually eat Hiro (soy + pork broth) ramen or Miso ramen (miso + pork broth). Both are good. The set menu (ramen + salad + a side dish) is a great value. Go when the set menu is available. Although they are not terribly good at making dumplings (I can do a lot better). The worst thing about the ramen joint is the service. There is only one guy serving, and the guy is nice but very inefficient. 1/3 times he forgets my salad or dumplings or the fact that I ordered extra noodle. Possibly communication problem because the cooks seem Hispanic. Anyway, he is nice even if he makes mistakes... I think this place is behind Terakawa, and above Nom Nom, especially with the great set menu.

We had dinner there tonight. Was the best ramen I had in a long time! Lovely atmosphere and really nice waiter. The edamame we had as starter were super fresh and had a garlic tone which was nice and the ramen was just delicious!

I discovered ramen houses years ago in Toronto and became an instant devotee. There are about half a dozen serious places in CC/UC, and experience has shown that Hiro is the best among them. Broth is consistently satisfying and complex, and ingredients are always carefully prepared. They've always permitted substitutions, which I appreciate (extra noodles/no egg). Though they do a brisk business, I've never had to wait for a table. The bar area along the kitchen is ideal for dining solo.

Hidden behing jefferson hospital is hiro ramen. For a guy with tibetan influence of dumpling with soup and tibetan thukpa, discovery of hiro ramen turned out to be a heroic place. Soothing ambience, different combinations of ramen u can create for urself, added delicious pork well coooked and sauted ... Mmmmmmmyummmyyy! Advice: walk in with cash!

Really small ramen shop with minimum seating and a decent size bar. Tonkotso ramen is very good and the small restaurant provides an authentic atmosphere.

We started with Gyoza and Fried Chicken. Excellent! Between the five of us, we had Hiro's Inch of Heaven, El Portofilio, Chicken Soy and Gates of Hell. As the title states, we loved everything!! Can't wait to return.

Nice atmosphere when entering and friendly waitperson. However, it was sometimes hard to get his attention, since he was preoccupied with a table of his friends. BYOB and cash only (we didn't know and weren't prepared - he said would take CC again soon and CC unit was just broken for a week - when I had a business I know the bank wanted that running, and would get me a new one within a day). Nice but small menu. Good start with tako-wasabi (raw octopus with wasabi) and tako-yaki (octopus in dough balls and fried). The edamame were fresh. Unfortunately they like to put garlic on everything, including the edamame. I'd rather have had the option (and would have had just salt). The gyoza were just okay. It's a ramen joint, so we looked forward to those offerings next. There were about 6 choices. Thinking of the movie, Tampopo, my mouth was watering for the perfect broth and delicious ramen. It was definitely more like being in a Chinese restaurant now. Nothing delicate about the ramen dishes we had and they contained Chinese veggies instead of what Japanese would have put in. The ramen even looked commercial and not homemade. I chose the Gate of Hell, since I like a little heat. They should warn that the mouth would be burning and most people cannot eat the broth. I removed as much of the hot oil as possible, since my mouth was on fire. I tried to taste the broth, but it just seemed busy - not delicious. My companion had the chicken ramen choice. The broth was so salty he couldn't eat it. They did bring some unsalted broth to dilute it, but still very salty. We were expecting Japan but got China. Oh, well. Next time I would stick with appetizers and avoid the ramen. I guess a lot of people like it, since one can eat for less than $20 and it is BYOB.

It's a very small spot on Chestnut, you had to specifically be looking for it or else you'd pass it without even noticing. Once you go in though, it looks just like a Japanese ramen bar you'd see in the pictures. I went with a friend who is an Asian exchange student, and she said that the taste was so authentic it made her miss home. The food was great, we tried a few different appetizers (the fried chicken was my favorite) and the ramen. The ramen portions are HUGE, I couldn't finish mine. The server was very nice too. Overall, very good! now if only it were easier to find so more people could know about this great little spot.

I've been in the restaurant business for 15 years and been eating pho and ramen for as long as I can remember that was without a doubt the best bowl of noodles I've had in my life absolutely outstanding.

I visited Hiro Ramen House and had the Vegetable Ramen dinner, which turns out is vegan. It was awesome. Very tasty and really good price. My son had the Portfilio which is Ramen in chicken and pork broth, an egg, pork belly, and some vegetables. It was a bit spicier and, also, really good. The place itself is a small dining room but not too small. The server was extremely nice. The only reason for the 4 star review is the cash-only policy. I will return for more tasty ramen. On my secong visit I had the "Gates of Hell" Ramen. It was, needless to say, REALLY spicy but I loved it. My family and I can't wait to go back!!!

My boyfriend and I love this place and go here often. We have both lived in Japan and find that this establishment comes the closest to an authentic ramen experience as anywhere else we've tried in the US. Their karaage (Japanese fried chicken) is especially on point; I've never found anywhere else around here that does it right! We always order the Gates of Hell ramen, and it's very tasty. The broth is what makes it, and this broth is awesome! Special thanks to our server Tiana (hope I spelled your name right) for always offering a smile and speedy service. It's appreciated! Remember this place is cash only!

This ramen-ya is tiny, with a five stool bar facing the cooks and small low tables with backless stools, making this place feel like the gem it is. My favorite dish is the Inch of Heaven Ramen, which is savory and comforting: excellent broth with a balance of saltiness from the soy and richness from the pork bone. The noodles have a good snap and the pork slides are tender, yet have substance. The Gates of Hell ramen is bright and peppery, with strong scallion flavor, similar to a spicy Korean noodle soup. Appetizers also shine, don't miss the karaage chicken (crispy fried dark meat with a mayo dipping sauce) and takoyaki (street food fried octopus balls with bonito flakes).

You wouldn't know it was an awesome place just by walking by, but it is. My son and I have been here before and couldn't wait to come back. We both got the Gates of Hell Ramen and a chicken appetizer. Both were phenomenal. Unfortunately, they only take cash, but their food more than makes up for this inconvenience. Also, they have a ATM. The prices are awesome for a ramen house. $15.00 for a bowl of ramen, a small appetizer, and a small salad. Unbeatable.