Ramen Halu a worthy contender in increasingly competitive ramen business A daunting abundance of names greets you as you enter Ramen Halu restaurant. Don’t worry though, those names will soon be crossed off as tables cycle through relatively quickly. While waiting, decide what you want from the menu as a lively young waiter may call your name from the list and take your order before you are seated. Get ready to toss your preconceptions about ramen: the solid blocks of noodle, the evaporated toppings and the mysterious packets of powder.
Halu covers the basic types of ramen on their menu that differentiate mostly by broth. On their regular menu they serve: Sho-yu (soy sauce broth base), Shio (sea-salt, clear broth), Tsuke-men (dipping noodles) and their own Halu (a combination of their heavy soup with the clear broth). All the ramen served contains meat, but Halu does serve tasty and unique vegetarian side dishes. Its Okara salad is a blend of fried shallots, creamy potatoes and edamame (boiled soybeans).
Rather than a typically loud and crowded seating arrangement, Halu creates personal space for its customers—a rare trait among ramen houses. The Japanese-pop music ringing from above, the surfboard mounted on the wall and young adults slurping as they text, compose Halu’s laid-back atmosphere.
Jewels of oil floated across the bowl, bumping into the chashu (cuts of pork shoulder), while the sheet of seaweed slowly sinks below the surface. The noodles, shipped in daily from a specialized producer in San Jose, poke up above the surface like mountains surrounded by a sea of broth. For those looking for a more wholesome meal, Halu offers heavier and a wholesome wheat noodle option, for less than a dollar—varying from $0.50 to $0.80.
As steam now ran across my face, I took my first spoonful of soup. Halu’s Shio ramen ($8.10) has the lightest broth and thinnest noodles. The hearty broth is a combination of fish, chicken and pork that sits comfortably in your stomach. In comparison with the other broths, the sho-yu based one is a bit saltier and darker and the Halu-specialty broth is a a lot darker and heavier. At Halu, you can customize your own bowl of ramen by adding soy-sauce eggs, choosing your noodle type or by having extra toppings on the side. Halu usually leaves orders to cool for a bit, so If you like your soup to be more than warm, make your order “extra-hot.”
After the broth, the most important thing in a bowl of ramen is the chashu. Though they only give you a slice or two, the chashu at Halu is top-notch: a wholesome and fatty slice of pork shoulder that covers a good fourth of the bowl. Workers blowtorch each pork slice by hand after placing it atop the broth.
From its decor and layout to the light, but flavorful, Shio broth, Halu creates its own identity as a ramen house by putting a California-inspired spin on a traditional dish. In Japanese, Halu means “a nice sunny day,” which will reflect your experience there—despite the heaviest of showers. Starting at $5.70, instant gratification at Halu comes at a reasonable price.
Ramen Halu is located at 375 Saratoga Ave, San Jose, CA 95129. The hours for lunch are 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for weekends, and 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for weekdays. Dinner is served from Sunday to Thursday 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and from 5:30 to 9:30 Friday and Saturday. They do not serve dinner on Tuesdays. For more information, call (408) 246-3933 or visit Ramenhalu.com.
