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Tuck Woodstock
Tuck Woodstock wrote and edited content for Travel Portland from 2014–2020. Read More
Portland Ramen Restaurants
Slurp your way through the tastiest noodle spots in town.
Tuck Woodstock
Tuck Woodstock wrote and edited content for Travel Portland from 2014–2020. Read More
The Portland ramen scene is thriving. Pedigreed authentic restauranteurs deliver the hot steaming goods with recipes and ingredients to make your mouth water. These favorite noodle spots are not to be missed.
While you’re at it, check out our favorite Vietnamese restaurants dishing up delicious pho, including a James Beard Award semi-finalist and 10-seat “convenience store.”
Must-Try Portland Ramen
Afuri Ramen + Dumpling
Tokyo favorite Afuri Ramen + Dumpling was reportedly wooed by cities like London, New York and even Dubai but chose to open its first location outside of Japan here. (Why? They say it’s because we have the perfect tap water.) Now with multiple locations in the Portland metropolitan area, you can visit any of Afuri’s expansive, elegant dining rooms to sample the restaurant’s signature yuzu shio broth, flavored with Japanese citrus, seaweed, mushrooms and dried seafood.
Kinboshi Ramen
Kinboshi Ramen is located in Portland’s Central Eastside. Its menu features offerings like a spicy tonkotsushoyu (pork bone broth) and a silken, chicken-based paitan, as well as a pair of rich, vegan-friendly bowls filled with mushrooms, vegetables and fried tofu. Plenty of covered outdoor seating makes it an excellent spot to people-watch while eating a delicious bowl of ramen.
Boke Bowl
Originally a roving pop-up, Boke Bowl opened its first brick-and-mortar location in Portland’s Central Eastside in late 2011, making it the grandfather of the city’s booming ramen scene. Defining themselves as “Portland-style ramen,” their playful creations like miso-butterscotch “Boke Twinkies” and peanut butter and jelly steamed buns set the stage for the main event: steaming bowls of broth, brimming with slow-smoked pulled pork, caramelized fennel or spicy house-made chicken sausage.
Kayo’s Ramen Bar
Step inside this North Williams Avenue noodle spot and take your pick of nine sumptuous broths and three noodle options. Specializing in clear-broth ramen, Kayo’s Ramen Bar offers options to please all dietary preferences. Try the “low carb” noodles, which include a half-serving of house-made noodles mixed with a generous helping of julienned zucchini and daikon.
Toya Ramen & Bar
A recent Oregonian Reader’s Choice Award recipient for “Best Ramen”, Toya Ramen & Bar is clearly a crowd-pleaser. And with a drink menu that rivals their ramen selection, we can’t say we’re surprised. Respected for their ambiance and killer cocktails, Toya Ramen is certainly justified in adding the “& Bar” to their name. The Shoyu Black and New School Shoyu are customer favorites from the ramen menu, while the force-carbonated Shuriken Verte is a refreshing citrus fizz with gin and sake from the bar.
Explore Portland Pho
Ha VL
Tucked away inside a nondescript strip mall on Southeast 82nd Avenue, you’ll find a Portland pho institution. Ha VL is a beloved lunch spot (with the awards and nominations to prove it) dishing out two rotating Vietnamese soups daily. Flavorful, authentic, full of tender meat and served with toppings like fresh basil and pork cracklings, Ha VL’s bowls are widely thought to be among the best in the city. (In fact, it’s so popular, they almost always sell out early.)
Luc Lac
Whether you need a lunch-time warm-up or a late-night soup and booze combo, the pho at Luc Lac will set you right. This bustling downtown Vietnamese restaurant is always busy and worth the wait. Made from a family recipe, their rich spiced pho comes with your choice of meat (like brisket, round steak or tripe) and is served with a pile of fresh veggies and garnishes. (Vegans take note: their veggie broth is also highly lauded.) Pair your soup with one of Luc Lac’s revered cocktails, like the Samba Zing with mezcal, jalapeño and basil.
thơm®
With just 10 seats and four main menu items, thơm® is a small Vietnamese restaurant that executes what it does best. The pho half of the menu includes Pho Bo (beef broth) or Pho Chay (vegetable broth), and you cannot go wrong with either, depending on dietary restrictions of course.
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