Resident Foodies say: We think we found the best ramen in San Francisco at Ramen Underground. The name of the restaurant should tell you that the place is a hole-in-the-wall on 355 Kearny St. (between Pine and Bush), a place where only people in the know frequent. The place is so small it’s easy to walk right past it. We spotted it walking through downtown one day. We’re glad we did.
We got there at 11:50 a.m. on a Saturday and were disappointed to find it closed, with foreboding bars across the front door. But, luckily, we saw workers inside, so we waited it out. They didn’t even acknowledge as we waited. It must be a common occurrence. Turns out they open at noon (and not 11:30 a.m. as advertised on Yelp).
Chef-owner Ken Matsumura, formerly of Katana-Ya, opened the Ramen Underground back in August. It has a dark, rustic interior, and only a few tables. We were lucky to get the window table. As we ate, many passersby rubbernecked their heads to see what we were eating.
We ordered the miso ramen with vegetables and spicy miso ramen with tofu. The noodles in both dishes were the star of the show. The noodles were downright amazing–so tender and delicious. And they give you lots of it! The miso ramen has a cleaner, more soothing taste, while the spicy miso has a bit of kick to it. If you’re going for the more traditional ramen, then go for the miso.
Miso ramen with vegetables
Spicy miso ramen with tofu