Inaka

I’m so sad Inaka has closed. They were my favorite restaurant in Allston– lightyears ahead of Totto for quality ramen. The staff was unbelievably nice. I went in April for my traditional ramen birthday dinner and was so sad to see them closed.
Miss you, Inaka!

Best ramen place in the Boston area, unless you’re counting the totally authentic but totally fatty Yume ramen. They have the right flavor. I think what people are calling a weird flavor in the ramen is pickled bamboo shoots. But, I love it since that flavor cuts through and complements the fattiness of the broth. But I can understand it’s not for everyone.
On comments about the ramen texture, you can request the texture. Just ask between thin, medium, and thick noodles, and that will correspond with how soft to chewy they will be.
My one complaint, it still doesn’t hold a candle to NY ramen. But it’s the best we have here! I always get spicy miso.

Ramen here is pretty decent. Noodles have perfect texture, and the soup isn’t too overpowering. If you like strong tasting soup you might be a little disappointed, but if you prefer lighter soups this is the place for you. The sweet potato fries are FANTASTIC.
My 2 main gripes about this place are (1) the inconsistency of the char siu, some days it’s really really good and other days it’s dry as heck, and (2) I’ve never been charged so much for half an egg before.
Definitely worth a visit if you’re in Allston, even if just for the potato fries.

One of my favorite ramen spots in Boston. I’ve been here multiple times, and I’ve never been disappointed with the food or the service. When I like a certain item on the menu, I tend to stick to that every time I go back (good or bad habit, whatever you want to call it).
I always get the gyoza and spicy miso ramen. Gyoza to share for the table, and ramen for myself of course. You get to choose what kind of noodles you want, and I’m pretty sure I always get the thick noodles. The broth is so delicious, too. Perfect meal for those cold, breezy days.
Also, last time I went, I got there early when I was waiting for my date, so the waiters offered me a hot cup of tea while I waited, which I thought was really nice.
I recently moved from Boston, and can’t wait to go back to enjoy some more of this ramen!

Good ramen for the price. Also dug how there was more than just pork available as a topping for their ramen. Will come back sometime!

Cute place, very Japanese! I love the atmosphere but the sauce is a little weird… Anyway it’s close to home.

The miso ramen is not worth the money whatsoever. The soup was way too salty and had a strange taste. We also got the inaka fries, which were sweet purple potato fries, and they were tasty and sweet.
The service was great, our waitress was extremely sweet and attentive. She refilled the little water canister before we even put the empty one down. Probably would have rated 2 stars if it weren’t for the service and appetizers.

One of my go-​to places for ramen. Never had a disappointing bowl. I only order one type of ramen here so I can’t speak for the rest of the menu. Consistency rox!
I very much enjoy the Spicy Miso Ramen that I don’t want to try anything else. Ginormous bowl for the price of $ 12ish. I can never finish this singlehandedly. This ramen joint is unique in such that there is a choice of ramen — thin, regular and thick. I love the thick because of the texture — a good chew! It comes with 5 slices of tender pork, bamboo shoots, corn, seaweed, sprouts. I always add a dollop of the minced garlic that’s just hanging at the table staring into my eyes — EAT ME!
The server here is a sweetheart. Always friendly and on top of things.

I had been craving ramen but I was hesitant to try this place because my friend had warned me that they serve the broth lukewarm. I’m so glad I did because that’s definitely not true!
I went on a weeknight and there was only one other group there. I ordered the miso ramen and my friend ordered the spicy miso ramen. We both chose medium thickness for the noodles — I liked that there were 3 options.
The bowls were enormous and I could barely finish half of mine, though I still managed to have a bubble tea somewhere else for dessert. I liked the broth — I tried a bite of the spicy one and it wasn’t spicy at all and seemed to have more flavor so I would likely get that next time. Also I loved that they gave us large wooden spoons to slurp the broth with. The water bottle on our table was a nice touch so we didn’t have to constantly ask for refills.

Well well well, this place is pretty awesome.
I really love the soup base of the spicy miso ramen, it’s just what I crave sometimes, that perfect balance of spiciness and density that warms you from inside (well this sounds quite off but you get the idea)
The slices of pork taste great with just the perfect trim of fat to add that juiciness and flavor. The portion is massive and the overall presentation makes me salivate just thinking about it.
Definitely pop in if you are in the area. If you are not, find a way to get there, totally worth it

Came here on a Wednesday around 6pm and there we were seated right away. It started to get more crowded around 7.
We had the miso ramen and it was pretty good. I really liked the pork, the thickness of it was perfect but I felt like the soup needed a bit more flavor. I had to put the garlic paste in the soup to make it more tasty. The noodles are a good consistency though, not too chewy and not too flimsy. The portion is worth the price as well.
Overall it was a good experience and I would come back to try the spicy miso because I think that would be more flavorful.

Spicy miso ramen is so delicious !!!
And the Inaka fires is awesome !!!
The price is good, I eat here at least twice a week :)))))))))
The owner is extreme nice !!!

I had high hopes for this place cause I really want good ramen to start thriving in Boston. I came in and the the place was spacious and very welcoming atmosphere. I was seated promptly and my food came out relatively quick.
I got the shoryu ramen with an egg and extra ramen. The pork in the ramen was pretty good. I ate those really fast. The ramen comes out with cabbage and bean sprouts which is something I’m not really used to but it was good. The problem lies with the noodles and the broth. Usually I can eat ramen for days, however after 2 or 3 bites of the noodles I could tell something wasn’t quite right. They didn’t have good consistency to them. If I had to compare them to a different noodle I’d compare it to the kind if ramen you’d get at waga mamas (which in my opinion is not a good thing).
The broth was a little on the bland side. I usually love slurping up broth but I was pretty bored of this broth within 5 minutes of the bowl.
You can get better ramen, namely Sapporo or even Pikaichi which is down the street. I might give this place one more chance, the service was super good however the food is kind of lacking for me.

Great new spot albeit far from my home.
Very friendly service.
The menu includes ramen, donburi and katsu and is heavy on fresh seafood and unusual preparations of rice bowls.
For example, one rice bowl included roast duck while another has eel.
The spicy Miso Ramen with extra noodles ($ 12.95 +3.25) appeared quickly and was piping hot. The bowl includes a rich broth with visible redness indicating the use of chili oil; the fire was not overwhelming. Although not the thickest broth I’ve ever sampled, this bowl certainly has some of the richest.
A generous portion of sliced pork is laid carefully atop the mound of perfectly blanched noodles — soft yet firm at the same time with a certain bounciness. Noodles can be ordered hakata style if you wish — the thinner «white» noodles. Corn, shredded lettuce, bamboo shoots, dried seaweed and an egg finish off the bowl.
A tray of shredded garlic, chili oil and spices are available for usage if desired.
An excellent meal: I can’t wait to return to sample the appetizers and rice bowls.

I’m not a crazy ramen eater like most of the reviewers here but I was really excited to have a chance to eat REAL VEGETARIAN RAMEN. Most places that advertise vegetarian ramen don’t really have vegetarian ramen because they use beef/​chicken bone broth. So I can’t have that ramen experience.
But after hearing rave reviews from friends and confirming with the restaurant that they have veggie broth option for their miso ramen and spicy miso ramen, we tried it out. It was good and I’m happy to report for those vegetarians out there that love ramen to try it out.
The only complaint I have (and I heard its common among ramen places??) they don’t do take out OR to go containers but I’m the type to always take home leftovers so I was sad about that. :(

Things are still legit here. We brought my mom (who is from out of town) and she loved it so much she wanted us to stop by here on the way to the airport. Tried the (overlooked) cold noodles — super refreshing for the weirdly warm last days of summer! As always, al dente texture on the skinny noodles. The shoyu bowl is still a good noodle-​to-​price ratio if you don’t mind getting not a lot of meat.
Noticed that the most recent review before me mentioned that Inaka’s ramen «doesn’t taste like ramen.» Whether one prefers Yume or Inaka should be evaluated on taste, not authenticity (especially coming from a reviewer who gives a dive bar 2 stars because they don’t have suggestions for «off the menu drinks»…). I enjoy both and don’t think they should be compared to each other, especially given the different styles. Tl, dr: the more good ramen in Boston, the better.

Stopped by here for lunch today with the girlfriend and can honestly say I will definitely be coming back.
A simple yet spacious interior, I was very impressed with how sleek and aesthetic everything was even with such small seating place.
Walked right in and the owner and server were all very polite, even made a positive comment on my Celtics jacket so an even bigger plus for me!
They serve a variety of authentic Japanese dishes ranging from Japanese comfort foods to delicious steamy bowls of ramen as well as tantalizing dishes of Japanese curry.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend the Yakibuta Ramen ($ 12.95)
For a new restaurant, this is quite POSSIBLY one of the best bowls of ramen that I’ve had within the Greater Boston area.
The noodles had a fantastic light yet chewy consistency, firm yet distinctly al dente swimming in a delectable roasted pork broth.
Generous portions of nori, veggies, big chunks of roasted pork as well as a delicious slightly gooey soft boiled egg.
4 stars out of 5 and I will definitely be coming back more often!

I came here on a Sunday evening with a large party and it, for the most part, was handled well by the restaurant staff (all two of them). The manager (owner?) was polite, congenial, and really helpful, along with the server that was there throughout. They cleared plates, had refills of water available, and were really patient. It was one of the better examples of service I’ve experienced at an informal restaurant in Boston in quite sometime.
Unfortunately, the food was as uneven and opposite of the even service displayed. I liked the gyoza a lot, as you can tell they were homemade. The skin was delicately thin but firm. The pork filling inside was flavorful.
The negative in the meal came in the form of the main, which was the shoyu ramen I ordered. The noodles were too soft and too thin for good ramen. There was no bite to it. They were closer to being angel hair than ramen. The soy sauce based broth was devoid of much personality: not savory and way too thin. The two slices of nearly paper-​thin pork tasted of nothing. All there was left was this cabbage which was too raw. I had to struggle through it just to make myself feel like I had some vegetables for dinner.
The price… well, I don’t expect LA Japanese food court prices, so it’s kinda high, but I expect it in Boston. However, $ 9 for a lackluster ramen isn’t exactly motivating.
If I end up being here again, I’ll try the miso ramen before I totally pass judgment on this place, though it wasn’t encouraging to see the guy sitting across from me barely touching his miso ramen. However, I’m not going out-​of-​the-​way for Inaka. The strong service and gyoza saved this place from a 1 or 2-​star rating…

Amazing Ramen place. The appetizers we ordered were all delicious. The Inaka Fries were better than expected.
Our table got the Shoyu, Yakibuta, and Miso ramen bowls. The flavor of the broths was really good. The portions were more than enough but not too much. Our only complaint was that the noodles were not as al dente as we liked. We talked to the chef and he said that the noodles are meant to be eaten immediately. He made another bowl immediately so we could try the noodles as they are meant to be eaten. It was much better!
Great customer service. Will definitely be back.

90 degree weather – Inaka air-​conditioned lunch it is. I am the only customer for 3pm late lunch. But the benefit of that is I got to strike a conversation with the friendly manager and cook, Yi Chan to learn more about Inaka. He takes his time to recommend a couple of dishes on the menu and describes the general time and process it takes to make them.
Opened May 10^th, Inaka is a newbie Japanese restaurant in Allston. They specialize in Osaka style donburi and ramen. The owner is Osakan and a man of meticulate detail. He put his heart in experimenting and perfecting the noodles that go into the ramens so they maintain their texture during the duration of your meal and helps catch the flavoring of the broth with each slurp.
Inaka is decorated so it leaves an ‘at-​home-​relaxing’ impression: bright, spacious, with cute sakura & paper umbrella decorations spread here and there on the walls. Perfect for the college crowd and for those who want legit no fusion Japanese food.
I ordered the Hiyashi Chuka which is a cold type of ramen with a light vinegarette sauce topped with shrimp, and slices of cucumbers, tamagoyaki (fried egg), pork, and hiyashi wakame (seaweed). They offer a small dollop of S&B karashi mustard for those who want a little extra spicey kick because the noodles are already lightly sprinkled with chili flakes.
The noodles itself are fantastic and chewy. Thin, they maintain their firmness as you pick them up from your chopstick and never get too soft to the point of breaking. I love the portion size – I was not ridiculously full after and felt refreshed – it’s THE summer ramen to get on a hot day like this!
I am impressed with the little things Inaka does. I got a small plate to put the shrimp shells in without having to ask. Every table gets a cute green, fresh off the fridge water bottle (reminds me of the Choya-​umeshu liqour bottles). None of that annoying request for refills. You also get a complimentary piece of Japanese bubble gum– Yi Chan explained that they provided it to customers knowing that ramen leaves an oily after taste.
With both the Yi Chan and the owner having Osakan roots, Inaka is the real deal for Japanese food in Allston. Reasonably priced ~$ 15 including tax and tip. A few shops down Mixx, the perfect place to grab lunch/​dinner :) A new favorite, will come back for sure to try their other offerings.