Really good ramen, unexpected from a strip mall! Friendly staff, small space and very casual.

We have been looking for a ramen place ever since our favorite in Westwood closed down. This place is great. Small, but efficient. Great food! No frills, no muss, just very straightforward.

The first time I came to Venice Ramen, it was because I asked the sushi chef at Matsuhisa where his favorite Japanese restaurant was. He said his wife, who is from Hakata (aka birth place of Tonkotsu ramen) loves this spot, and they believe Venice Ramen serves the best ramen in Southern California. Naturally, I had to try it for myself. The first time, I ordered the Vegetable Ramen--it looked like a good Japanese Tanmen. It was good, but I wouldn't have called it the best. Over the next several visits, I tried the gyoza, beer, karaage, and Salt Tonkotsu. Everything was solid, but again, not quite the "best" in my opinion. Then last week, I finally discovered why people love this place: their Shoyu Tonkotsu. It's authentic and delicious --perfectly cooked thin straight al dente noodles, broth is clean but has depth. To my surprise, I also learned that their original location is Ramen Hide Honten in Kyodo, Tokyo--right near where I grew up! Venice ramen serves their original Tokyo-Tonkotsu style (tonkotsu-based soup with a rich soy sauce flavor and a perfect balance of depth and lightness) ramen. Now that I know what to order, I can confidently say Venice Ramen is one of the best places to enjoy authentic ramen, especially for Japanese people craving a taste of home.

W O W....talk about authenticity. BEST ramen i have ever had. Yes, i said it. I used to live in Asia and have traveled around the world my whole life & i'm not afraid to say this is the best ramen ive had so far (I HAVENT BEEN TO JAPAN YET SO THIS MIGHT CHANGE). It is a small family owned restaurant with 3 workers, menus were in english and japanese, we were able to see the chef make the ramen noodles infront of us. My meal was served very quickly and the broth was rich, hot, and flavorful. Noodles were chewy and cooked to perfection. Okay, I'm hungry...I'll be back next time I'm in Marina del rey!!

The ramen was fantastic here. Really, they had me at handmade noodles. I had the chicken ramen (minus the chicken), and it did not disappoint. The servings are large, and I was stuffed to the gills by the time I left. My group all left satisfied and full, so full that we needed to walk along the beach for a little bit before heading home. We also shared the pit stickers as an appetizer, and they were divine. The restaurant is quite small. There are about 5 tables that are all very close together. You will probably sit immediately next to your neighbor. The service was fine. They were nice enough but didn't necessarily go above and beyond. There were only two employees that I could see. The cook and one person who mostly waited on tables but also did some food prep. The bowls were all just slightly less than $20, which is totally reasonable for the high quality of ramen we had. I highly recommend this casual dining spot in Marina del Rey.

We loved this authentic ramen restaurant nearby the Marriott where we were staying. We had driven by it earlier during our stay and I saw that they made their own noodles. So I definitely wanted to try it! I loved the "Irrashimase!" greeting as we entered. It took us back to Japan!! The servers were friendly and efficient. We didn't wait long at all for our orders. Hubby went with the spicy chicken tonkotsu ramen. I ordered the shio tonkotsu. We both enjoyed the delicious broth and perfectly cooked noodles. The decor took us back to the ramen shops in Japan where we had lived. We will definitely go back when in the area!

So I've been wanting to try this place since it's voted one of the best ramen places in LA. Came here on a Monday around 1pm for lunch. The restaurant is really small on the inside with maybe only 5-6 tables. Service was really fast. I ordered the spicy tonkotsu ramen which actually isn't spicy at all. It has a kick but that's about it. And I can't really handle spicy food. The noodles are handmade fresh there and you can really tell. They're so soft and perfectly cooked! The broth had great flavor! Overall it was really good and I would definitely come back. Easy shopping center parking.

I wish I could give them 4.5 stars because we really loved the food so much! This is a bit of a hole in the wall spot because it had pretty bare bones interior. Not a lot of seating so it was good that we got there kind of late but there were still a couple of others taken. But like good ramen shops in Japan, the tables turn over pretty quickly. I got the Chuka Soba, which is a chicken and pork broth. Wife got the Tonkatsu Soy Sauce. Son and girlfriend got spicy Tonkatsu and Tonkatsu salt. Everyone really enjoyed their food! The Chuka Soba has thicker noodles, which i really liked because it had really good texture. And the broth was really flavorful but not too heavy. Wife really loved hers as well! Quick but very satisfying meal!! Will be back!