Daruma Ramen

Delish! Great service. I suggest the chicken miso with chili on the side. Cream sake is a great compliment!

Just not that great. Ramen is just average, missing that component that really wows you. I can’t put my finger on really why, but it’s just ehhh. Wings were the highlight. $ 6 Asahi draft was pricy.

I have a bias towards chicken ramen. It’s a little lighter, but can be just as tasty and rich as pork based ramen. Also, the first bowl I ever had in Japan was chicken ramen. It’s imprinted on my tongue.
Daruma serves a mean bowl of chicken ramen. Noodles, broth, and meat are on point. And with all the ramen competition in town, I still find myself eating at Daruma more than any other ramen joint.
Also, don’t miss out on their daily soft serve. Creative flavors that can be incredibly delicious. (Anything yuzu is worth trying.)

As I say in my reviews for other ramen restaurants, I consider myself a bit of a snob or connoisseur of my own ramen standard. With Daruma, I had a self-​revelation: Ramen can either make or break my day.
6^th Street, being an Austin hotspot for tourists and common foot traffic, is a great location for ramen. It’s just the kind of place I would go after a night of knockin’ back drinks. However, in that state of mind, anything would taste good.
Daruma is great. They show that they know what they’re doing. From the cozy atmosphere to the entreé presentation, everything is beautiful and comfortable. There’s no question as to why patrons would return for a second visit.
But as I said earlier, I’m a bit of a ramen snob and all of the aforementioned praising details are irrelevant to me. All that matters is the taste.
I had the Shio while my ramen buddy had the Shoyu — both styles are staples of any ramen restaurant’s menu. I tasted both, and though both looked very good, appearances can be deceiving. The nori was great, the tamago was great, green onions chopped pefectly… But the ramens key ingredient were only mediocre. Noodles felt generic, meat was out of place, and the broth tasted like tap water (exaggeration for unprepared).
This place salvaged three stars out of me because I intend to come back to 6^th Street for some heavy bar hopping and when I come back to local Daruma, I know it’ll hit the spot.

Reminds me on my Tokyo days. Loved the miso ramen with extra chili. Sit at the counter and watch the guys cook in an authentically small Japanese style kitchen

I did not enjoy this ramen, and I did not even finish the bowl I ordered.
My friend and I ordered two different types of ramen, and we both agreed that it was quite bland. The potato croquette was pretty good though.
Also, I was surprised that there was not even one pork based broth available. It’s all chicken-​based broth, or miso. It simply doesn’t even taste like authentic ramen.

Daruma ramen is located almost at the end of sixth street away from all the hullabaloo.
The restaurant is quite small and doesn’t accept reservations, so be prepared to share your table with other patrons. If tables are not available, sit at the bar and talk to one of the two chefs who are preparing delicious ramen. They are always ready for a good chat.
We ordered the sogyu, the ramen was a bit al Dante which is the way I like it but if your preference is different, let your waiter know. The bok Choy was delicious. Don’t forget to order the dessert before you walk out.

Honestly, I didn’t love their ramen. The location is convenient because it is close to downtown, but I felt like the the broth was lacking in flavor. It seemed like it was a lot lighter broth than the type of ramen I usually prefer. My top choice in Austin for Ramen remains to be Ramen Tatsu-​ya.

I really hate to be such a downer, but this place is incredibly underwhelming. If you’ve had good ramen before, then you know how important it is to have a rich pork broth. I ordered the Shoyu and this restaurant used a light chicken broth and noodles that felt like packaged store-​bought noodles.
This may sound weird, but the chicken meat was really dry. They really should brine the chicken first or use meat from another part of the chicken.
The soft serve flavor of the day when I visited was also shoyu, but in all honesty, it tasted like caramel ice cream. Maybe if I visited during another day, the flavor would have tasted more unique.

This store front is small and by small I mean tiny with two long tables and a couple of seats at the bar. You can put your name on the list but, then you have to wait outside because there is nowhere inside to stand that isn’t a potential fire hazard of blocking the door.
I do love the long farm tables and that you share with other guests but, it’s really tricky to find seats together for your party. We were lucky to get the end with 4 seats on it for us. We ordered our drinks and our server brought us water. We had to ask twice for the ice teas and the mexican coke but, he was busy waiting on the whole restaurant.
I had the miso ramen which is miso and chicken stock. It was good but, there really wasn’t a wow factor for me. The egg and bean sprouts added a nice texture and I did enjoy but, like I said there was just no wow factor that would set it apart from other so so ramen. I didn’t really care for the flavoring in their spicy sauce but, I like the traditional chili paste better.
The fried chicken appetizer with the dipping sauce was what stole the show for me. Honestly that is why I am giving it three stars.
I felt a bit rushed through the entire experience until it came time for us to check out then it took forever.

Ordered the spicy miso and added the avocado. Was hesitant to try the avocado since the idea of avocado steamed in ramen broth doesn’t sound that great… but because the chicken was so dry, the creaminess of the avocado added the right complimenting texture to make the meat palatable.
The broth itself was delicious and not too heavy, the noodles were decent, and the egg was cooked to perfection albeit a bit too salty.
The potato croquette had a clean flavor and crunch, but if I ordered it again, I would ask for the sauce on the side. My order was drowning in it.
The service was prompt and the food came out piping hot. The space itself is a bit cramped, but hey, that’s how it is in Japan so made it feel more authentic.
A MUST — order the soft-​serve. Their flavor of the day – Japanese Sweet Potato. Very good. I’d order five more if I had the time. In all honesty, I’d only come back here for the soft-​serve. The ramen, while good and decent, is not something I’d drive to 6^th street to consume, but I’d easily make a stop here for dessert. They have other crazy flavors, but YOLO. Try it and you might be pleasantly surprised. Sweet Garlic, Curry, Beets flavors? Why the heck not.

My brother brought us here for dinner last weekend because my hubby was craving ramen. We brought our new baby with us, which was ok although the music is a bit loud and they don’t have a changing table in the bathroom.
Our server was super nice and we loved our ramen! My brother had warned us that everything was chicken, which seemed odd — but wow was it good! The egg was yummy and the shredded chicken in it was so so so good! My hubby definitely missed the pork belly that he loves to get on ramen. But this was so so good. All three of us got the miso one — they both got it spicy, but I got it regular. Although mine was awesome — theirs was definitely better! I highly recommend getting the spicy miso. Yum!

I like how they use chicken instead of pork. It’s a nice light broth. I like the shio with their spicy sauce. I’ve been here a few times. The last two times, they had curry soft serve. I’ve tried their roasted beets (delicious!!!) but I’m skeptical to try the curry. Mostly because I think my tastebuds would freak out as I eat something that is normally sweet is salty? Who knows, maybe it’ll be like salted caramel, something I grow to love!
Ambiance is great. Staff is attentive and friendly. The place is small, sometimes there’s a long wait. So if you’ve got a big party, come super early or later into the dinner hour. They have cute shirts too! They use to be for sale but maybe it’s all sold out now!
Oh and I heard the owner has another place in Austin. Def will need to try that next time!

Daruma Ramen serves chicken based ramen with lighter flavors than what pork based ramen provides. The broth is mainly clear, not that milky richness, but the flavors are subtle and delicious. You still leave with your belly and cravings satisfied.
I ordered the popular choice, Shoyu, with avocado ($ 1 extra). The broth was delicious. It’s not rich, but it’s flavorful and light. The ramen noodles are cooked perfectly but you can tell they’re not made in house, but still perfectly chewy. The egg was boiled nicely, yolk still soft and creamy, yum. Bamboo, naruto, bok choy, and the avocado worked in harmony with the dish. I was silent for quite some time just enjoying and slurping my noodles. Slurp slurp.
The server was also very friendly. He only checked on me when needed and refilled my water whenever it was already halfway empty. He seemed to be the only server working the restaurant, however, the restaurant is quite small and only seats maybe about 28 people.
The experience was great and the food was delicious! I

I am by no means a ramen connoisseur and I’m also pretty sure that’s how I started off my review of Ramen Tatsu-​ya. Because I’m really not, but I know what I like. Like a few other reviewers have stated, I wouldn’t call this the best ramen place in town (I did like Tatsu-ya’s noodles a bit better), but it’s pretty darn good. And for $ 10 the massive bowl of food you receive is will worth the trip to 6^th.
Since Monkey Town was cancelled last night (still super upset about that but oh well), we no longer had dinner plans and decided to take a quick trip to Daruma. It’s not far and we’d been meaning to visit for awhile. We both very much enjoyed it and it was almost as satisfying as the original plans we had (sigh).
I got the veggie miso and the fish cakes onigri (probably spelling that wrong), and he got the Shoyu Ramen. We both super enjoyed our dishes. I was highly surprised by how much I liked the onigri as I’d never had one before. It was a tasty little snack! On a chilly day like yesterday, the bowls of hot broth loaded with flavor were a welcome feeling in our bellies.
I would definitely go back. It’s not far from where we live, inexpensive for the amount of food you receive, and very small and cozy on the inside. Two thumbs up.

Let me start by saying I do not think this is the best Ramen in Austin. I will say that is pretty good and I would never turn down a bowel if it was offered. My hang up with this place is that I prefer pork ramen. I just do not think you get stout broth with chicken. With that being said if you prefer chicken I assume you will fall in love with this place.
This place has a cool vibe but keep in mind it’s quite small. There is street parking out front, do not expect a private parking lot. I do not believe they take reservations but they will make a list if they many others waiting for a table. The seating here is family style so do not be surprised if someone takes a seat at your bench. You might be asked to wait outside if the restaurant is too full. There are tables in the middle of the room with bench seating and there are bar stools against the wall and near the food prep area.
The staff is really friendly and attentive and willing to explain any of the menu items to you upon request.
I must have gotten six refills of iced tea and the waitstaff had a smile on their face as they poured each and every glass.
We ordered two appetizers and also two Ramens I enjoyed every bite. let me say this again I prefer pork based Ramen. My preference doesn’t change the fact that this place makes a great product that is prepared well.

Best Ramen we’ve had since in Hawaii! We were in Austin for two days, and after having it for lunch the first day we decided to go back for lunch the second day too. THAT good.
So I had the shoyu both times, the second time adding the fried tofu (which I wouldn’t do again). The broth is so flavorful, and the noodles are the perfect texture. y husband had the shoyu the first time with the chili paste added in (which completely takes over the deep flavor of the broth, so not my preference). The second visit he had the miso with the chili paste on the side. While both delicious, he preferred the shoyu.
We also tried potato croquette (meh) and plum rice ball (tasty but a bit on the salty side).
The staff was all very helpful and kind. We really liked sitting at the bar both times — love watching the guys at work in the kitchen.

Sorry Austin but I think Silicon Valley has WAY better ramen than you guys!
Ok first off, –1 for again…½ of an egg.
–1 because they were out of plum rice balls… granted, we came later in the evening.
–1 because the broth was quite salty. (I had the Miso Ramen)
Will definitely try the other ramen places in Austin but Daruma was a miss.
P. S. This place is quite small, so be prepared to squeeze in with complete strangers while you slurp away on your soup.

This establishment is a lot smaller than Kome (meaning this place is really small). Walking in, you see 2 long benches and seats at the kitchen bar and seats across from the kitchen bar. The interior gives off a Japanese ramen place with cute displays of darumas. They have a display of darumas above the kitchen bar and a shelf of miniature darumas.
Shoyu ramen (⁴⁄₅): The broth is soy sauce based with other different flavors in the soup. Th first bite of the ramen with the broth was really good! All the vegetables and chicken in the broth was flavorful and good! However, after a few sips of the broth your mouth decides to play tug-​a-​war to see if you want to keep eating the ramen or not. The flavors of the broth and ramen fades out.
The place was pretty warm due to the small space and the kitchen being near-​by. Therefore, you will sweat while eating ramen with the heat from the kitchen and heat from others body heat.
As for service, the staffs were friendly and quick with our orders. In addition, it wasn’t too packed when we dined in.
Overall, I would come back again to try other items off their menu. This place could be a hit or miss with big groups.

Daruma so really good! I love Ramen when I’m especially horribly hung over, it’s like an instant cure for feeling like I got ran over by a bull dozer for me. I don’t know why I just know it works.
Daruma mostly does Chicken or Shoyu ramen. I’ve been spoiled on pork bone broth Tonkotsu Ramen so it’s what I tend to think of as Ramen. The first time I ate at Daruma I was a bit thrown off when I realized almost all of the ramen broths were chicken based. Once I accepted that the ramen here is a different beast than what I was used to I really started to appreciate how great it is.
I like the noodles Daruma uses a whole lot, I’m not sure if they make them in house or if they are dried or frozen or fresh but they have a perfect chewy consistence that I absolutely love. I also love the portion sizes here. The bowls are huge and I can’t possibly imagine why anyone would want extra noodles as I can barely finish a single bowl.
I think the real treat on the menu is the miso broth based ramen, I like mine with extra chili paste but it’s some amazing stuff. There are lots of add on options and I haven’t grown the courage to try avocado in my ramen yet but I know I will and I like having lots of options so it’s only a matter of time. I don’t mind that they break with tradition a bit and use ingredients that are un conventional in ramen as long as it works out and is tasty.
The dining room is somewhat small and I think the stools they use at the bar a bit uncomfortable. It’s not really a good idea to come here with a big group as there isn’t very much seating. Despite the small space the décor is well done and it is impressive how they make use of the space they do have.
Don’t pass up eating at Daruma Ramen, the food is great!