Baka Umai, Portland OR

One of the most unique ramen flavors in Portland. I tried the ramen with Carolina reapers. It was amazing. The candied jalapeños and shitake mushrooms wonderfully complement the heat from the peppers and make for quite a punch. The broth itself was superb. Generous servings of pork belly.

I also had the karage and the crispy pork belly. They were both really good.

Tried Baka Bites, Karaage, Tonkotsu, and Tsukemen. All exceeded our expectations! Karaage was well seasoned inside and out. Broth was rich and creamy. Came with lots of toppings and they were flavorful

Kaiyo tsukemen was solid! Noodles wavy, fresh and springy. Spicy tsukemen had awesome rich sauce. Clean and easy, friendly service.

The food was excellent. Generous portions of fantastic grilled meat on noodles that had good chew and didn't go mushy immediately. Great service with staff who were not just hanging back waiting for orders at the counter but who came out to help folks find seating and keep tables clean when it got busy. Will certainly put it in the visit again soon column.

Vegan food at an omnivore restaurant is always a gamble; this time, that gamble paid off. Extra friendly service, some of the most sumptuous mushrooms I've ever had near my face, and some truly delectable broth. Ramen is easy to dress up but difficult to elevate. Baka Umai ascends and exceeds.

Delicious ramen. Super fast service. Highly recommend the karage and sake flights. Get there early as seating space is limited.

The ramen was very good, but I would not come back due to the service. We were seated at a dirty table, no one told us to order up front so we were sitting for 20 minutes before we had the opportunity to ask a server. I understand they close at 9pm, but they were eagerly cleaning all the tables at 8: 30pm and made it clear they wanted to leave. I don’t think the customer service experience would be worth enjoying a good meal there. It’s disappointing because this restaurant had been on my food list for a bit!

The tonkotsu ramen was delicious. Best pork I've had in ramen, been to many other places this is on top of my list. All the dishes we tried were good.

11/26/2023: 4.85 out of 5 - It's been awhile since I've done an update (last one was 2022), and Baka Umai deserves an update.

I will keep it short and sweet as it still aligns with my past review.

Came here tonight with my wife and some close friends. With everything happening in Portland in the post-pandemic era, unlike many other eateries, Baka Umai has improved across the board!

Service, the staff, the cleanliness, AND THE MENU ITEMS. WOW!

If you have not done so, try it once and decide for yourself, but it's definitely one of my must try recommendation.

Enjoy!

02/05/2022: 4.5 out of 5 - Came to try Baka Umai as a recommendation from my friend, as it's his favorite ramen place (He must live close by as he eats at Baka Umai as often as he can).

Masks are required which is expected, but this establishment isn't partaking in any of the Social Discrimination Policies that some restaurant owners/management are choosing to do.

Now moving on, all orders are done at the counter. Kind of the thing these days. However, do check out the Special Menus that's at the counter. Some surprising items that caught my interest, which may catch yours.

The staff are incredibly nice and accommodating. They were quick to respond to our requests and make some good suggestions, which just adds to a relaxing and enjoyable meal.

The space isn't as big, but it's a comfortable use of the space. Also, the space is quite clean, to include the vents above, which is always one of pet peeves when eating out. Cleanliness says a lot about the business, the owner/management, and the employees.

Now, for the food.we HAD to order A LOT to get a sense of what we're getting into. All in all, WOW! The flavors in the broth were amazing, along with some side dishes. There were a few side dishes that sort of threw me off, but it was because of the combination of flavors that I wasn't prepared for.

All in all, at the end of any meal I often will ask, "Would you come back? " Of course. There were things on Baka Umai's Special Menu that I would like to try, but most importantly, it's because of our initial experience that is drawing me to come back for more. And, of course, not being reference as "others" by a form of discrimination.

So, if you ever get a chance and find yourseld in the neighborhood, definitely try Baka Umai once and decide for yourself.

Enjoy!

Awesome shop, the ramen was great, good veggie options, the gyoza are all house made and were really good. I'll definitely be back

Legit. Vegan and gluten free options that truly deliver! (I've had them all) For the meat lovers, the tonkotsu is spot on. During my time in Japan, I explored the flavors of ramen across the Tokyo prefecture. From the city to the most rural parts, I experienced mind blowing flavors. Baka Umai lives up to its name and reminds me of my time abroad.

Stopped in for lunch today with my family and we all enjoyed our food very much. I had the Habanero Tonkotsu, my wife had the regular Tonkotsu, and my kids shared a bowl of Miso. The Tonkotsu was very rich and flavorful. The noodles had the perfect texture. The chashu, ajitama, and marinated mushrooms were perfect. My bowl came with some candied jalapeños that added a nice sweetness to the delicious inferno. Service was polite and prompt. The atmosphere was about right for a ramen place—informal and comfortable. I would absolutely come back.

I get the Reaper Ramen at least once a week, It's amazing. Not for the faint of heart so be careful. Everything on the menu is delicious, highly recommend this spot!

Had a super tasty Tonkotsu Ramen. The menu was extensive so I'll have to go back to try more. Location was kinda loud given how small it was. Could use some sound treatment.

I like the ramen here. So many good options. But the music is too loud to eat indoors and the smell of truck exhaust makes it yucky to eat outside. Carry out is the best option but then it gets cold and must be reheated.

My partner and I both enjoyed what we got and I'd definitely go back to get some tasty warm Ramen. Booths are uncomfortable but whatever. Counter service but they clear the tables for you. Kinda the best of both worlds. Looking forward to trying something new next time.

Ramen portions are generous, broths are flavorful, condiments and small plates are fantastic. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was comfortable. Will be a regular rotation for us!

It was really good, I had the pork belly ramen in the port was pretty tasty and tender. I would recommend to go back here for sure

Stupidly delicious? More like stupidly greasy. I had really high hopes, ordered the dark Tonkotsu and the broth was luke warm, and super oily and greasy, the noodles were good and so was the the pork, but you guys really need to improve the broth you are serving, felt sick after eating

There’s ALOT I mean ALOT of space for Improvement food is greasy and gross. I couldn’t even finish my soup because the amount of oil they poured on my soup made me sick to my stomach. The broth is bland, the soup was cold, and the noodle were hard to the point you can choke on them. I expected so much from here but if you want something DELICIOUS I mean DELICIOUS eat at Fujiyama. This place doesn’t deserve 4.5 I’m a big foody and this was just over hyped slop.