Tokushima Ramen Do-Henkotsu

Never knew
‘Til you left my young shallow palette
The broth

not a ramen expert or anythin, prob only been to about 15 places, but I can say that this spot is the best I’ve had. actually, I can almost say they’re the best I had by far. something about the broth, dark as hell, hearty but not too salty.
their specialty is tokushima style ramen, not the mainstream ramen all the other shops have. noodles were great, sides were great, nothing wrong with this place except they closed down before I got a chance to come back.
only came here about 4 – 5 times before they closed and never remembered to write a review until now. too bad they closed! not sure where else Im gonna find this style of ramen besides japan :(

God, this place was AMAZING. I’m really depressed whenever I think about eating ramen now, because this place was so good. Man. the broth was perfect, and the cut of pork they used in every bowl was delicious too. The noodles and the meat were my favorite part, and the broth was amazing too.
I am very sad to see them go. The day I found out, we had gone in and the menu was different, and everything else was pretty different, but I ordered anyways, thinking they just decided to change things up a bit. and unforunately. it was no longer my ramen place that I loved. It wasnt even that good when we went back.

Tokushima Ramen was an excellent and authentic ramen-​ya, now unfortunately closed. Fortunately, they’ve been replaced by the very good Kahoo Ramen.
Tokushima specialized in a rich, red, pork-​heavy broth, and always had excellent noodles, in my experience. I’ll miss them, but I’m happy they were replaced by another decent ramen-​ya.

I ate at this place 2 or 3 times before they went out of business
each time because it was late and we were right in the area.
wrong move
they used dried ramen = whack
the soup was always too oily
i dont know how some people could PAY for this kinda food
o well it takes all kinds i guess

Tokushima Ramen (originally called Do-​Henkotsu) was, without a doubt, bar none, inarguably, unequivocally, the best Ramen in the South Bay.
Unfortunately, the couple that owned it have moved back to Japan. It’s hard work running a reataurant. They probably saved up quite a bit (the place was always busy), and moved back to buy a house in the much cheaper housing market there.
I hope that the new ramen shop taking over the space is half as good. But, it will probably serve the same common style ramen as Haru down the street, or Maru Ichi in Milpitas and Mountain View. Those places are good. But, nobody compared to Tokushima Ramen’s full-​flavored, yet transparent and not-​to-​oily broth, and the thinly sliced tender pieces of pork.
Tokushima Ramen will be missed. And, although I am disappointed that the owners would just close like that, I wish them luck back in Japan. Maybe they will open a restaurant there, and many more people will get to taste the fantastic ramen, amazing kara age (fried chicken), and healthy and delicious yasai itame (stir fried pork and vegetables).
I guess my search for great Bay Area ramen begins again. (sigh)
ATTENTION REVIEWERS OF THE NEW RAMEN SHOP AT THIS LOCATION — The proper place to add your review is here:
Please don’t add your mediocre reviews of the new Kahoo Ramen to the Tokushima Ramen page. You drag down the ratings of what was the finest ramen shop in the South Bay. Plus, people will undoubtedly look there for reviews of the new shop, so your reviews will serve people better there. Thanks.

This place is one of my best friends’ favorites, and she’s always raving about it, so I was really excited to try it.
Sadly, it’s not for me. I didn’t really like the style of broth they serve, I prefer the more widespread type found at Ryowa, etc. The noodles were good though, nice and chewy.
But after reading more of the reviews here, I want to go back to try some of their sides.

Wuuuwawwwwwah!!!
Do-​Henkotsu is GONEEEEE!!!
During my mom’s visit in the USA, I was trying to show her around the locate area. Where I usually go, eat, and play.
On the way to Do-​henkotsu, told my mom how delicious the ramen is, how shiny every single fried rice is, how crispy the fried chicken is, how… and…
eehhh? huh??? WHAT?
No way to «SHOW OFF» any more… Gone
Oh, Noooooo…
My frequent flyer card… Oh, No No No…

Sayonara Tokshima Ramen. :O (You will be missed for sure!
A new ramen house is yet to set in. They have already placed Kahoo Ramen sign in replacing the old one. Much anticipation is waited to see what the new ramen will bring us.
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Tokushima Do-​Henkotsu Ramen
For those who find Ramen Halu is a bit rich for their taste then this restaurant is definitely for you!
I would put Tokushima broth on the top of the list. Chicken, and pork stock along with soy sauce that has been cooked for several hours to produce this reddish brown delicious broth. This sensational combination will make you wanting more. It is very well balance taste great for those who are not looking for anything in rich or water down broth.
For their noodle it will have to stay second place. The noodle is thin and if I am not mistaken it is much like saba. It tastes much like Maruichi although I like Tokushima’s better since it is more favorable. The only other noodles I put in between Halu and Tokushima is Ryowa’s.
Their appetizer is a must! Please try their fried Tofu. That is probably the BEST tofu dish I’ve ever had in my life and to top it, I’m totally not a tofu fan at all. They have improved their gyoza this year! Yes, it is sweeter now than what it was before. It is also strange to say that I like the gyoza sauce here more than Ryowa’s probably because it is a little bit sourer. Sort of like eating dumplings with vinegar the acidity helps bring out the flavor. Oddly enough fresh and scrumptious kimchi is also served here.
They have a frequent flyer card here. They will stamp for every ramen you ordered and your 16^th bowl of ramen will be free! Ask them for one when they give you the bill. I’ve already gotten 2 bowls for free and I am working on my 3^rd bowl. =O)
By all mean don’t feel restricted to just ramen because they have a set lunch on the menu for great prices and portions.
So what are you waiting for? Itadakimasu!!!

This is my favorite place during those overcast weekend mornings — or just when I’m craving for noodles. The place is tiny but feels homely. I’ve tried their limited selection of ramen but I always come back for the Spare-​Rib Ramen — ramen topped off with spare-​rib, greens onions, wakame seaweed, bean sprouts, thinly sliced pork served with a very small portion of rice on the side (and sometime a hard boiled egg).
The broth is very tasty and the noodles stays firm until your last slurp
A bit pricier than other ramen-​ya but they serve up the best ramen.
UPDATE: This place is called Kahoo now — is’s still a a ramen-​ya.
WTF happened to Do-​Henkotsu? :(

Sayonara, sayonara, sayounaraaaaa
soon, outside will be a white winter
tomorrow, you will always be the same

(Off Course 1979)
—my old review—
ABOUT RAMEN: Beauty of Ramen is that there are so many different types and flavors. People cannot understand why Ramen-​TV Champion could eat Ramen on every meal and not get sick of it. You see, to him, having tonkotsu ramen for lunch and Sapporo ramen for dinner is as different as having club sandwich for lunch and pork chop for dinner. Because various ramen differs greatly, I hate to force rank ramen places and having to decide if Tokushima Ramen should go ahead of Miso Ramen. When ramen quality reaches a certain level, rest is on preferences. Some people hate pork spine bone soups. Others only like shoyu-​ramen. My point is, I don’t think there is one «Best Ramen» place in Tokyo or in Bay Area for that matter. With that said, there are some really bad ramen places in the Bay Area, so try to avoid those (like Sapporo-​ya
).
DO-​HENKOTSU: Located in the same mall as Mitsuwa, this restaurant is tucked away in the corner, but everyone seems to know about this place as there often is a line out the door. I love Ramen places that do not give you the choice of soup, which is the case at Do-​Henkotsu. It tells you that they have ONE SOUP that they are proud of. Their menu explains that one of the characteristics of Tokushima Ramen is that they only have one choice of soup.
SOUP: At first, it looks WAY TOO dark. Fear of sodium overload hits. But, I was pleasantly surprised that the taste was not too salty at all. It had this unique flavor that I cannot accurately describe in writing, so you have to try it yourself. Very good.
NOODLE (MEN): A little thinner than average. It first reminded me of noodles at Suzu in J-​Town. Difference was, Do-Henkotsu’s noodles had more koshi and didn’t get soggy after time. Very good.
TOPPINGS: Wow! I loved their Niku Ramen. Menu explained that in Tokushima, they call the pork on the noodle «niku» instead of «cha-​shu». Their «niku» was nicely flavored pork and tasted nothing like cha-​shu. I could just eat their «niku» with rice and be happy. In addition to niku, it included bean sprouts, green onions, menma, and nori. If you get their vegetable ramen, they give you lots of it.
PRICES (This note is for all ramen shops): When it comes to ramen, I am a weirdo in that I completely ignore pricing. It just doesn’t matter to me if a bowl of ramen costs $ 6 or $ 10. Now, I am not some rich uppity loser who hands a hundred dollar bill to pay for a $ 8 ramen. In fact, I am critical of ‘value-​for-​the-​dollar’ when eating other cuisines, so prices to factor in significantly in my other ratings. For some mystifying reason, a whiff of ramen scent disrupts the nerve in my brain that ties money and food. If ramen shops ever discover my secret, they would start charging $ 50 a bowl as soon as I walk in.
OTHER THAN RAMEN: Their tonkatsu meal was pretty good. They used good quality thick piece of pork. The way it was deep fried wasn’t great, but it was still good. I liked that their side soup was tonjiru (pork soup). Meal included mozuku. I’ve also tried their Gyoza, which was below average. It was not as crisp as it should be and there was something wrong with the fillings. Just didn’t taste good. Note to myself: don’t order it next time.
SUMMARY: We are very lucky to have a solid Tokushima Ramen place in the area. Sure, I have driving from SF to San Jose, but it sure beats a long trip to Shikoku, the island where Tokushima is located. While the décor of this place needs some help, ramen here is excellent. I had their large bowl, but I still wanted more!!! It was a satisfying experience after my disappointment at Ramen Haru (
), which is just across the highway.

Be warned: I am a total ramen amateur.
I was taken here by a co-​worker who «knows her ramen» and really enjoyed it. Great big bowl of noodles and broth, with tasty pork. Service was quick. Price was great. Lunch atmosphere was very «exciting» — fast-​paced, loud, and happy.
My only complaint — which I have no one to blame but myself — was that I splattered my shirt with broth, and had to return to work looking like a slob. If this sounds at all like you, consider a bib.

Not bad ramen.
This might be a case of Unilocal leading to overly high expectations, but I didn’t find the broth or noodles at Takushima to be as good/​flavorful as at other shops. I ordered ramen with seaweed and thought overall that the broth was a little on the bland side. The noodles were flavorful, but a little too firm. I didn’t take enough time reading their menu to realize that you can order your noodles soft or firm… I wish they had asked. The shop was pretty busy at lunch time when I was there, and they didn’t seem to be going too far out of their way for service, focusing more on getting all of the tables served. My friend had ramen with rice cakes, which she liked. The rice cakes were fairly large blocks of mochi, which I’ve never seen in ramen before. We also had a side of edamame, which was a little over cooked and came with too much salt on top.
After reading all of the other reviews for Tokushima, I’m baffled by the range from «most rich /​delicious» all the way to «bland» reviews for their broth. To me, it was definitely not as rich as my regular spots (Himawari in San Mateo or Ramen Club in Burlingame). Mind you that I’m not a fan of super-​rich broth — I always order my broth without (disgusting) added fat at Ramen Halu in San Jose. The noodles were also not as good as any of the above places, but maybe I should have ordered them a little softer.
I wouldn’t rush out to try Tokushima if you haven’t been here before. Its good to try a different /​less common style of ramen, but overall I think you’ll have a better time at another shop.

RIP Do Kenkotsu
You will forever be remembered in my heart and stomach as the best Ramen restaurant in San Jose and the Bay area…
Just to let you know when I’m older I’m goign to Japan to find you and make you make me a bowl of Ramen w/​extra nikku.
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| Here lies the Best |
| Ramen place in |
| the bay area |
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5++++++++++++++++++++++STARS
Some people may have noticed my review for this restaurant changed and some may not. I completely revamped my review for this restaurant because I felt that it did not do justice to the place.
I have tried so many things from this place and it is a sure bet that you can choose anything on the menu and it will taste good if not great. The quality of food is consistent time after time.
The ramen here is delicious! The broth is clear brown refreshingly flavorful and light. It isn’t salty like your typical ramen places rather it is mild but full of flavor. The taste is hard to describe, it has a savory taste to it w/​hints of bamboo shoots and green onion veggies. It perfectly complements the noodles which are firm and chewy. The noodles are thin, circular and yellow. I love slurping up the noodles. The meat is HEAVEN! I love the pork belly fat noodles. It looks like bacon except brown and does not ooze grease/​fat/​oil. The texture is dense and soft of chewy, melts in your mouth, it tastes semi sweet yet that savory meat taste. I’ve had the basic, ramen w/​extra pork fat belly and the spare rib ramen. The spare ribs is tender, juicy and soft. MMMMM. The meat easily peeled away from the 2 bones. It is also pretty big. It was soo good *drools* mmm hahah. Its not your typical American spare ribs, it does not have a BBQ taste to it, the meat is naturally flavored by itself. I can’t believe I don’t know the real name of the pork belly fat, I’m such an idiot. *kicks self* You would think I know after being here so many times.
The Chicken Karrage is also very good, the chicken is fried lightly and has this fragrant aroma to it. Very good. The meat is dark meat I think and is very tasty to eat. It isn’t oily or anything. Its like you taste the smell and when you bite into it the taste is amplified. Yum.
The Yakimeshi=Fried Rice is to die for. Different from Chinese fried rice. The fried rice isn’t oily and it has different ingredients mixed into it. The rice is this light brown/​tan color and in it is imitation crab, pork belly fat, very little veggies such as peas and carrots, eggs and various other stuff. My gf loves the fried rice and she never share it w/​me.
The homemade Potato Croquette is delicious! Though they changed its ingredients and style a little bit from the first time I’ve had it. The first time I had it they stuffed it with a lot of pork belly fat, not its more potato and some other ingredients but I don’t know I just it because it still tastes great. It comes w/​2 small food sides such as natto, kimchi or seaweed. I get this when I’m craving Japanese comfort food.
The curry is addicting! hehe I usually get a side or small w/​my ramen and dump my rice in it to eat it. The curry has bits of chopped pork belly fat in it, potato, carrots and a thick curry sauce. Its full of herbs and slightly spiced.
The tonkatsu is ok, but it was out there in the air for an hour and 30 minutes as my gf had ordered it for me but went to eat dinner w/​her mom at the restaurant so by the time I got it, it was lukewarm. The tonkatsu was a little bit chewy but still very good. The tonkatsu sauces was yum, not too sweet. The kimchi was also good but hurt my tummy after wards because the acid was acting up.
Yea I’ve pretty much had a lot of things here. My next new meal is the hamachi kama and my gf wants to try the ebi furai [shrimp tempura].
I wish it was open everyday.
Guess how many frequent flyer cards I’ve used and each one has 15 spots. I am on my 7−8^th one right now hehe.
Prices are typical of a ramen place I’m use to paying 6 – 8 $ for ramen. I hate it when people compare the price of a phở bowl for a ramen bowl, its annoying because they are TOTALLY different.
They do not do take out/​to go. They fill up very quickly!!! My gf was waiting for the restaurant to open at 11:30 and 5 mins after they opened they were already filled.
I am proud to say that we are regulars here! They notice when we have haircuts or any physical changes to our appearances… which is to say close to none since all we do is cut our hair. But its really cool when the place is really crowded and they seat us before others sometimes, but that is ONLY because we come in 2 and most ppl like to have a table while we just sit at the bar and rub elbows w/​other friendly ramen loving people.

it’s a sad day in ramen-​ville soup fans
Tokushima Ramen Do-​Henkotsu has closed their doors
as the owners have moved back to Japan
this was one of my favorite ramen shops in the s. bay
and a very unique one at that, serving up southern style ramen
they may be gone but they will not be forgotten.
you will always have a place in my stomach Tokushima Ramen…
=== original review ===
If it wasn’t for the Mexican guys behind the counter I’d swear that I was in Japan. Just about everyone in the place seemed to be Japanese.
This southern Japanese style ramen is a bit different than some of the others that you might find in the area but the quality is just as good. Noodles are small and firm and the pork is striped with just the right amount of fat almost like bacon (although much leaner). There are many options that you can add to your ramen such as bean sprouts, kimchee and egg or you can have it plain and simple.
In addition to ramen they have other Japanese dishes. Unfortunately I didn’t look at these much since this was my first time and I had ramen on the brain. I did, however add a side of kimchee which, unlike the Korean style that I’m used to, had a hint of anchovy. This was a pleasant surprise.
I’ll be heading back here soon for another meal.

This is my wife’s and my favorite ramen/​snack place in the area. We’ve been going there since 2004.
I do understand that some people prefer more popular Kansai/​Tokyo style ramen to a bit different Do-henkotsu’s Tokushima style ramen, but I do find this variety nice to have.
Yes, their soup quality may vary, especially depending on what toppings you have (for example, «niku» will have more flavor than the regular one probably because of the marination from the chashu). But for me, flipping over the noodles once before starting eating usually mix up the sauce and the soup better.
Yes, I’ve never liked «gyoza» at most restaurants, including here.
As far as the ramen goes, I prefer «negi» (green onion) or «niku» (extra chashu). My wife always go for the regular one. I’ve tried other ones and for a while I was into their «yasai» (vegetable, but really a stir-​fry over ramen), but I’ve grown out of it.
But the better deal is their «itame» (stir-​frys). My wife and I used to often get «kimchi buta» (kimchi pork stir-​fry with mayo!). This is eeexcellent! However, the portion was too big. And we found that «kimchi don» (basically «kimchi buta» over rice) had the right portion (still quite a bit) and it’s cheaper! Anyway, I highly recommend «kimchi don».
I’ve tried their dinner «teishoku» (set menu) once or twice. They weren’t too bad, but we thought they were expensive.
So, it’s not just for ramen we come here. It’s for the variety of options we can get. Also, I like the chef. I’ve tried to talk to him a couple of times, but he is usually busy and his English wasn’t too good to carry a long conversation. But he IS from Tokushima (a town in Shikoku) and he got his culinary license when he was in high school (or a part of his high school program) and he periodically go back to his hometown.
And I think this might be the only Tokushima ramen place outside Japan. I know that doesn’t say anything about the quality, but still as the name suggest (I heard «henkotsu» meant «pride» or something like that in the Tokushima dialect), the chef carries his pride.

This is the best ramen in the bay area… IF you have a salty palate like mine. All the other ramen restaurants blur in my mind because their broth is so bland (I guess some would call them subtle), although when I’m not in San Jose I can be satisfied at Maru Ichi.
Order the basic ramen first, then next time you can order one of the other variations which just features extra amounts of one of the basic ingredients. I always get #2 (Niku-​iri ramen), which features extra pork (niku). Their Tokushima-​style pork is unlike any other I’ve tasted, and here’s where the salty palate comes in: it’s akin to bacon in fat content ratio, but it’s boiled in broth rather than fried.
As a 5′-nuthin girl, I order the Medium (i.e. small size, like a «tall» at Starbucks) bowl and any guys I come with order Large. We don’t mess around with appetizers or bento boxes, which don’t seem too successful according to other reviews. $ 10−11/person is what it usually comes out to after tip.
They do lack ambience, but I think the cramped quarters are part of what make the local Japanese clientele feel at home. That and they provide lots of Japanese reading material for the diners at the bar to read on their lunch hour. The also play random Japanese videos on two TVs, like game shows and documentaries.
Update:
I remember always being frustrated at their weird hours. Here’s the schedule: Closed all Mondays, and Closed the 4^th Tuesday of every month. Otherwise, the hours at the top of this profile apply for open/​close times.

We arrived about 10 minutes before they opened on a Sunday. Already, a line had begun to form outside. From what I could tell, we were the only non-​Japanese patrons.
Within moments of the doors opening, all the seats were filled. Not just the tables, but the entire counter too!
We ordered two medium-​sized bowls of the tofu ramen. On top of our soup, we got two large wedges of deep fried tofu (about the size of Twinkies) — think Agedashi-​style.
The broth is extremely rich, definitely not the one dimensional flavor of MSG.

I absolutely love this place! I prefer to eat at the little wooden bar because it is so charming. The portions are generous and always fill me up. There is very limited seating so there will most likely be a wait; you could always walk over to Mitsuwa to pass time.
Ok, now here’s a gross story:
There was a fly in my ramen soup that I saw before I ate (I even picked it up with my chopstick and put it to the side of the bowl!!!) but didn’t realize what it was until after I finished eating. Upon being told about the horrendous discovery in my ramen, the waitress gave us a «free» frequent eating card, but didn’t realize that the right thing to do was have the house pay for our meal.
Do I still eat here? Yes, ma’am, but I check my ramen thoroughly before I eat.
If I could drive, I would come here everyday with the exception of Tuesdays because it’s closed.

Tokushima Ramen features thin sliced pork (what we call Buta no sanmai niku in Japanese) marinated and cooked to perfection. Tokushima is part of Shikoku region of Japan famous for its pork production and birth place of Nippon Ham company. Broth is dark and probably shoyu based, so it goes well with chilled steam rice served along with the ramen. Gyoza is super good, and other than ramen, their Niku Yasai Itame (vegetable-​pork stir fly over rice) is my favorite. They open around 11:30AM on weekends, it is less crowded on Sunday but I’m pretty sure there will still be a line if you get there after noon.