Karazishi Botan

Matthew Boutros 7 months ago

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ My fiancé and I finally decided to try this place after walking by it on Smith Street for a few weeks and noticing it was always packed. There are no reservations, so we walked in, left our name, and killed the 30-minute wait with a drink at Zombie Hut on the next block (an awesome bar if you haven't been!). When we came back, we were seated very promptly. For appetizers, we started with the brown dumplings and the eel sushi. The dumplings are probably the best bang for your buck here—$9.50 for five is a great deal these days. My fiancé really liked them; I wasn't the biggest fan, but they were still pretty good. The eel sushi hand rolls were the complete opposite price-wise ($20 for two), but we both agreed they were delicious. They were large, generously filled with eel and rice, and had great accoutrements. It was honestly sad to see them go down in two bites (I take big bites!), but I will 100% order them again. The main event, of course, was the ramen. We both ordered the Showa Classic, which has a chicken, pork, and anchovy broth. If you aren't a fan of umami, you might want to skip this, but I loved it. The anchovies gave the broth such a deep, complex flavor. I’m ra

Yelena Conaway 7 months ago

The inside seating area is rather small but they also have a heated patio. The service was excellent. The wings were crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The ramen was great, rich and super flavorful broth, nicely cooked noodles (and a larger amount of noodles than typical in a ramen), tender pork. They have a lot of unique ramen on the menu and I look forward to try more of them.

Andrew Dabydeen 8 months ago

This place hits the spot on a cold evening, the vibe inside is cozy and intimate. We loved some of their happy hour specials, both their food and drinks. The iron man was very filling but a bit too rich and salty for my taste, still very delicious however. The coffee dessert was okay, I’d definitely skip that next time. Our service was great and I’m very interested in coming back to try some other ramen options. Come hungry because the portions are generous!

Heidi Liou 9 months ago

Incredddddible ramen spot. I will definitely be coming back. I’m not vegan or vegetarian but ordered Captain Brooklyn III for the spice factor and loved it. It’s a sichuan style ramen with vegan meat. Highly recommend it. Point Blank ramen was delicious as well, the broth is lighter than the Captain Brooklyn III and was a medium-spice. Staff was friendly and service was quick. There are also cocktails / drinks. Ambience at night was nice and makes for a great place to bring friends or a date. Recommend making reservations if possible but there’s also most likely room at the bar for walk-ins.

Lloyd Feng 11 months ago

We had a great time. The food was tasty, but I’d recommend against ordering the Iron Men IV if you prefer things less salty. When we ordered, the waitress did mention that the broth would be “very rich,” but I was not deterred and curious to try it. It was tasty, but I’d probs have preferred what my gf got, which was the Showa Classic. We shared and enjoyed the INEZO Peach, a jelly-based sake drink. The servers were extremely courteous and responsive even though it took some time to get our orders in. If you’re dining here, expect a cozy experience since some tables are positioned quite close to one another or the bar seating to maximize utilization of the small space. I’d def come back the next time I’m on smith street.