About Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai – Costa Mesa
Beyond their size, small businesses are defined by their spirit. And at the helm are their intrepid founders—scrappy, ambitious, and resilient. They invent and build things despite uncertainty, because it’s what drives them. Their risks lead to innovation that moves the world forward. And we need them.
Kitakata never disappoints when it comes to their ramen. The quality of their ramen is always a 10/10. I've been coming here religiously for the past 8 years whenever I visit Orange County. My go to ramen is the green chili shio ramen. I love that the broth is light and it has a kick from the fresh green chili. I like it extra spicy since I like the burn so I would ask for extra of the green chili. Their chashu is always a nicely sliced even layer and if you're big on meat, they have a ramen option to get more meat (chashu ramen). I also really like the texture of their ramen. It's flat and thicker than normal ramen noodles. I feel like today's service was kind of slacking a bit. They forgot our extra chili that we ordered and when asking for extra napkins, they forgot about it. Parking is limited when it gets busy and during rush hour, there will be a wait time so make sure to join the waitlist on yelp if you're in the area before arriving to cut down on wait time.
We joined the waitlist and the staff was new they missed us for more than 1hr. We need come reminding them. The food was worth of waiting, I specially like the noodle, it’s not at every ramen shop to have. The noodle size is a little bit bigger, but it was al dente cooked, even it stayed long in the broth, it didn’t soften itself.
I just went here today with my BF. Stopped by during the way to the beach ⛱️. I ordered tan tan ramen (L)🍜, fried chicken, green chili ramen 🍜 and I want to try the curry 🍛😋 For me, everything looks great but a little bit too salty for me. The portion of food was perfect but I ordered a large size for myself 😂 and I can't finish it. I really like the fried chicken and the curry. They had new menus for summer like sour soups ramen 🍜.
Came here to try the Kitakata style of ramen and wasn’t disappointed. Very tasty broth and ramen was just right.
This ramen shop is a true local favorite! Though small, the space is perfectly cozy and efficiently organized, creating a warm atmosphere. The food is consistently the main attraction—always delicious, perfectly prepared, and offered at a very reasonable price point, making it an incredible value. Beyond the fantastic bowls, the service is outstanding. The staff is remarkably efficient and expeditious, even with new team members, and they genuinely ensure every single customer leaves happy. This spot nails the perfect balance of great food, great value, and great service. Highly recommended!