Lacto
Ovo
Japanese
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Ramen restaurant serving clearly marked vegan dishes. Choices include vegan appetizers such as edamame, plant-based karaage (fried “chicken”) and two rice side dishes. Also has three ramen options, standard tofu, spicy tofu, and kiwami featuring curry broth, many vegetables, and plant-based “graceful meat.” Open Wed-Sat 11:00am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-8:00pm. Closed Sun-Tues.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
-
5229 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, California, USA, 95051
-
Loading...
-
- Accepts credit cards
-
-
Last update on 27 Sep 2021 by Guest
Update business info -
Are you the owner?
Claim this business -
Added by valerie_california on 27 Sep 2021
-
-
7 Reviews
First Review by valerie_california
syotyy
Points +32
My Favorite Ramen Place in the South Bay - Edit
It always surprises me when people rave about the ramen at Hironori or Hinodeya in the South Bay - when there's only Hajime in my eyes. Hinodeya (still a chain) and Hajime are some of the most "authentic" Japanese ramen places around here, with the remaining businesses either owned by non-Japanese, or staffed almost entirely by non-Japanese as a franchise. I like Hajime the most because of the owner's dedication to perfecting his craft. The menu is small, but each ramen is top notch (or so I hear from non-vegan friends) and entirely made from scratch including the noodles. They have limited-time special ramens that are never vegan😒but good excuse to get friends to go with me :)
Read moreAs others noted, there is unfortunately only one vegan broth option, but I really like the flavorful curry base with nuts, tomatoes, and eggplants. I love tangy food so the purple pickled cabbage and yuzu peel are great additions. I wish they give you the option of adding a lime for free though. The graceful meat they use is really good - not too rubbery and very flavorful. I often skip the ra-yu (chili oil) as it doesn't add much heat and just request chili powder instead. I would skip the basic vegan ramen as the soft tofu doesn't have any flavor (props for offering fresh tofu instead of rubbery fried ones though).
Now, let's go back to comparing with other places in the South Bay: Hajime is also the cheapest - by far, and has pretty large portions. I prefer the broth at Hajime compared to Hinodeya, which always is on the bland side for me (creamy or zen), and the deep-fried kale is yuck. Hironori doesn't hold a candle and is overpriced (-100 pts. for deep fried broccolini). Nagi doesn't have a vegan menu option. I would put Orenchi in the same tier as Hinodeya, The other places in the South Bay? Just fuhgeddaboudit! (seriously, they either taste super bland and salty or straight up don't even have vegan noodles) If you're willing to venture further for ramen, there's some decent spots in San Mateo and SF too but do your research ahead of time.
ONE LAST CAUTION: Hajime has become VERY popular recently. To ensure that you don't wait 2+ hrs. for food, please arrive at least 15 minutes (30 min. recommended) before opening or come on a weekday that's not Friday. Sign in at the iPad in the front but expect to wait even if you're early. This is not the place if you want a quick bite.
Pros: Very flavorful broth with delicious toppings, Good prices for the deal, Dedicated owner/chef
Cons: No other vegan broth options, Long wait times, service can be slow, Serves meat, literally a ramen called meat x3
Guest
hetalshah24
Points +941
Very good curry ramen - Edit
I was influenced by previous reviews to try this place and who doesn't love a good ramen! I had the Kiwami vegan ramen and I substituted tofu for the mock meat. While I don't think it's the best ramen I've had, it was very good and I would certainly go again. The servers were very friendly and our food was served pretty quickly. (Note - The place was empty when we went but filled up pretty quickly. So, serving times may differ). My only gripe is that they have the same curry based broth for their 3 vegan ramens - Kiwami Vegan, Vegan and Spicy Vegan. It's just different toppings. For those who know, know - the curry base tastes a lot like maggi but I'm not complaning :P.
Read morePros: Very good ramen, Friendly staff
Cons: Not a lot of vegan options
Guest
TimH.
Points +1127
Kiwami Vegan Ramen - get it! - Edit
Skip the karaage but fully immerse yourself in the experience that is their Kiwami Ramen - creamy, hearty, filling, delicious.. top marks!
Read moreGuest
andyjng
Points +5338
Kiwami Vegan Ramen was Bomb - Edit
Ramen Hajime came through with one of the highest quality vegan ramen I have seen, ever. Their menu in fact offers a few vegan friendly options and even marks what sauces and toppings are vegan friendly. More restaurants need to head this direction.
Read more"Hajime" means to 'begin' in Japanese and I love the concept of us beginning to adopt a more wholesome, plant based lifestyle - at least with options inside restaurants traditionally filled with meat.
They offer two vegan options. I went with the Kiwami Vegan, which is their deluxe vegan take using a soy based broth with vegetables, Graceful meat (a mock meat brand from Japan apparently), a tangy yuzu sauce, crushed cashews, and whole grain ramen noodles. It's essentially a cheat meal for plant based eaters like myself and I was definitely here for it. You are able to customize it with other toppings (including tofu) and adjusting the spicy level.
The ramen was hearty and was just the right amount of soy curry flavor that I really enjoy. It wasn't overly salty (but still higher in sodium since it's from a restaurant) but the flavors meshed really well. I just wish there were more veggies included but no complaints here with such an incredible bowl of ramen.
We split their edamame and Graceful meat kaarage as well, which were both tasty apps. Our server was the cutest Japanese lady who was attentive, playful and a joy to be around. Love her!
Pros: High quality mockmeats, Ramen is remisnicent of
Guest
JPJackie
Points +146
Graceful meat was a hit! - Edit
Came here for the first time after driving right by it for 2 years!
Read moreThe inside was a lot nicer and cozier than expected with different seating options. This was my first time trying Ramen and I am happy I came here- the food was absolutely delicious! The Kiwami Vegan was super flavorful and rich and the graceful meat reminded me of impossible meat but with a waaaaay lighter texture and without the post-heavyness I have experienced after other mock meats.
Service was friendly and gave exciting ideas of how to further experiment with their sauces and toppings in the future. Will be back for sure!
Guest
pallavi7
Points +18
Good Vegan Ramen - Edit
Overall a couple solid options for vegan broth. I got the Kiwanis Vegan which had the fake meat (made with eggplant). The noodles and broth itself were good and there was a good amount of toppings. I thought the fake meat was ok. The only issue I had was that the broth became grainy 2/3 into the bowl. Not sure what the reason was (maybe settled that way).
Read morePros: 2-3 Vegan options, Creamy, filling broth, Good service (though took a bit long to get food)
Cons: More on the expensive side, Cheaper options have less toppings, Broth was gritty at the bottom
Guest
valerie_california
Points +137
Best vegan ramen in the Bay Area! - Edit
We had a craving for ramen and were VERY pleasantly surprised by the feast delivered by Ramen Hajime. We tried the vegan karaage appetizer (flavorful and juicy fried “chicken”) and kiwami vegan ramen. The ramen has a curry soy milk-based broth, egg-free noodles, graceful meat (sliced plant-based meat from Japan), eggplant, bok choy, green onions, pickled red cabbage, and yuzu. We both agreed that this was the best ramen we’ve had in years and far and away the best in the Bay Area. Such wonderful flavors and they clearly cater to vegans!
Read morePros: Multiple vegan choices for apps, sides, and ramen, Vegan options clearly marked, Delivery available
Cons: A bit pricey for ramen (but huge portions)
Guest
For Members
Why was my review removed? Guidelines for writing a review View our privacy policyFor Business Owners
Claim this business See inaccurate information? Submit an update here Link to this page from your site See an unfair review? View full terms & conditionsThis page has been viewed 0 times.