The Top Seven Bowls of Ramen in San Francisco

Although Bay Area Japanese noodle connoisseurs have long insisted you need to go to the South Bay for great ramen, the popular comfort food is beginning to develop a legion of followers here in San Francisco and our friends at 7×7 have come up with the top seven spots. Identified by a rich broth—milky with emulsified fat—and long, springy alkaline noodles, there are textbook bowls of ramen to be found from the Marina to the Outer Sunset. Here’s where to go when the craving hits.

1) Nombe, (2491 Mission St.)
This two-year-old Mission izakaya recently brought in a ramen master as executive chef. Bucking the trend in pork-based broth, Nori Sugie uses beef bones and less fat than is customary, creating a remarkably light, yet flavorful broth. Each bowl’s meaty flavor is cut with briny pillows of emulsified uni. We order falling-from-the-bone oxtail or velvety beef tongue and always add a willowy soy-steeped egg.

Read more on 7×7 about the best places in San Francisco to get your ramen fix by clicking here.

This is our weekly guest post from our friends at 7×7, a site that keeps you up on the best of SF. We’ve teamed up for an exciting partnership to bring you a fantastic Date Night idea each week. Be sure to check out their blog for hourly doses of the best of SF.

photo courtesy of Darin Dines