Review Ajisen Ramen Hawthorn - Hawthorn

Volcano ramen was great! Nice spacious restaurant and food comes out pretty fast too!

Absolutely delicious food. The spicy spare ribs ramen is my favorite with impeccable flavors. The noodles are cooked perfectly. The chicken curry is great too. Service is very quick. Great value for your money. Take note of their opening hours though! Not open on Mondays and close at 9ish every other day (yes, including weekends).

Ramen is good here, though I feel it was better when I first went here six years ago. I enjoy their huge variety of ramen options, so if you're after super traditional this may not be the place for you. I've tried a lot of them and have enjoyed them all. They bring out new ones too like jalapeno and kimchi, which I enjoyed. The egg has a nice flavour here.

Best ramen and great friendly service. I get the spicy beef every time and have never been disappointed. Have been with friends who have got other dishes and they loved them but I just can't bring myself to get anything other than the spicy beef. The nasu dengaku is also fantastic and my entree of choice if I think I'll have room. Have been to another " Ajisen Ramen" too and they were good, but this one is the best.

We love Japanese food and this place is the best yet! Perfect for lunch and dinner during and after work. We are addicted actually to the Ramen and Ebi Prawns. You cant go wrong with any meal and its all excellent quality. Its getting harder to choose our favourite dishes here. And yes the staff are very friendly and accomodating to our Chilli requests.

Unpretentious yummy ramen. Great value.

Where do I start? Customer service very poor upon entry and throughout the whole dining experience. Extensive menu... yet half of it is available at average prices. Very dull place to be, no music or ambience (completely silent) & extremely dark. Food was ok at best! Verdict: don't waste your time... not a nice place to be by yourself or with friends relevant to the extensive alternatives along glenferrie road. Wish I could of spent my money elsewhere on much better food.

Unfortunately a very disappointing experience. Can't speak for dine-in but we ordered UberEats and received very sorry excuses for meals. Our katsu curries were extremely runny and watery, with a pathetic quantity in themselves, let alone the lack of vegetables. Two diced pieces of carrot in one whole container do not count, let alone the absence of any other vegetable or pickled ginger/pickles. The container was mostly rice which seems very cheap to me. Takoyaki was very tough and chewy with hardly any sauce or seasoning on them. A good katsu curry is a winter favourite of mine but this really missed the mark.

Had lunch at the place and overheard how the staff were discussing about how they will never hire Malaysians and started to make racist remarks about Malaysians in mandarin. We would very much appreciate if you do not discuss such matters when there are customers around, as we are Malaysians and we are extremely offended and disappointed with their attitudes

Disappointing. The Pepperjack Shiraz by the glass came from a bottle that had been opened on another day apart from today and was off. Surcharge on Mastercard goes against current business practice and the constituent parts of the ramen lacked flavour.

Truly one of the best Japanese restaurant in Hawthorn. I regularly go to this place for dinner with some of my friends. Love their Tori Karaage Chahan and Chicken Curry that comes with rice and lemon lime bitter is to die for. This is a chain so can't really say it will be awesome everywhere else but this one in Hawthorn is definitely the best in my experience.

4.5*/5 for ramen<br/>3*/5 for rice dishes<br/><br/>The good thing with this store is it has a large menu. Many choices which is good when dining as a group. We ordered the Tonkatsu bento and Chicken Katsu Curry. Food was so so - my tiny piece of tonkatsu was plain and they don’t give you sauce on the side, so there was too little sauce. Gyoza on the side was quite nice, yakitori tasted good even though it’s just grilled chicken not what yakitori is supposed to be like. Chicken Curry is okay with the right amount of heat, but there was not enough curry and no condiment (fukujinzuke or pickled shallot, or at least the pink ginger many other stores wrongly use). It was freezing inside the restaurant.<br/><br/>EDIT: went back for ramen. We had Ajisen ramen and toro buta ramen. Awesome! The flavour is milder than authentic Kumamoto ramen soup, but it’s exactly what I need. Have been struggling with ramen soup being too salty for my palette for so long. Soft boiled eggs is perfect but not ajitamago. Will go back for ramen!

Always pretty good quality food. A great range and good value for money. We have always left pretty happy and full from our visits each time. The bento boxes are our fav.

Simple and quick ramen is always a winner. Great location for the uni crowd with prices to match, the food comes out quickly and is tasty. By no means the best I've had, but would happily eat this again and again.

The food here is invariably good, great ramen, bentos, and they're often adding new things. <br/><br/>The ambience is okay but what gets me is that this restaurant is freezing year round. Not bad in Summer, but I wear a coat in winter, that's not pleasant. <br/><br/>They also don't allow split bills for no good reason, which is inconvenient when eating lunch.

Today there was another big protest at work and I wanted to stay away. It was the one about making education free. Ajisen Ramen is a chain store and I heard some good things about it from Confessions of a little pigy and other bloggers about their good meal sets. This store in Hawthorn was run by the Chinese.

Ajisen Ramen was a decent feed. First of all, the location is very convenient and is situated in a high traffic location (near a university). The inside was very well designed, with a decent amount of space. I have been here twice with over 10 other friends and we had no problem fitting into one table. Customer service was also good, very helpful in organising the table and offering us with drinks. Wait time was also decent, around 10 - 15 wait for meal orders. I have tried both a ramen meal and rice meal and they were both decent. The ramen was nothing special, it lacked the excitement and richness of flavour that distinguishes other ramen that I have had. Each element of the ramen were not bad but also did not blow me away. The same thing could be applied for the rice meals. The price are also decent and reflects the standard prices for the meals. Keeping in touch with the theme of this review, this restaurant is decent, not overly disappointing but also not overly exciting.

Went lunch on Friday with work mates : food was average and drinks are ridiculously overly priced . We have been charged $22.50 on a 250ml sparking sake for which the price was not even indicated on the menu. Seriously ? For that price I'm expecting a full sized decent bottle of champagnes ! Such a rip off! Never go back again .

On a Sunday night, this place was opened but was really quiet. Thought I'd order take away for a friend and I. Decided to go the sashimi as I'm a massive sashimi person. Wasn't too expensive so definitely worth a try. Ordered chicken teriyaki which was a little bit boring. My friend had a soft shell crab ramen which she loved. Came in a separate tub so the noodles weren't mixed with the soup. I'd love to come back and try the rest of the menu though. The service was awesome. People there are super friendly. Whilst I waited for my food, the staff poured me a cup of water which I thought was nice.

Came here early during the evening for a quick dinner with family. When you go to a cheap eat, you don't usually expect to have amazing customer service, but the lady who served us was polite and really gracious. Food came out really quickly; sashimi was nice and fresh, the ramen texture was just right. Takoyaki were perfectly cooked and the seasoning was just right and hit the spot for such a cheap eat.

The food here is great!! Just a quick dinner of gyoza and a chicken curry. Food was full of flavour and very reasonably priced! Will definitely be back very soon

That's a descent Japanese for someone who never had one..!! Yup, those were the words that I was mumbling inside my head while I was enjoying my ramen for an early lunch on friday. Alright, now describing all my food experience from the beginning. <br/>You get 2P and 3P parking easily all around and the restaurant is located right next to UniLodge, that strikes one parking and locating problem. The place is not that crowded and has a cozy place to sit in. If you are a vegetarian like me, they have ample options here as well, moreover food tastes great! I have seen in most of the restaurants that you have to request spoon and fork if you are a noob in using chopsticks, where as in here they will provide it without asking to avoid any such embarrassments. Staffs are courteous and prices are appropriate. Liked the sauses and green tea. If I had to try any Japanese or Ramen, this would be my first choice. And yeah, food portions are satisfactory.

I had the worst meal here yesterday. If you like the dry, hard, inedible rice - this is the place for you! :-) Seriously, every aspect of the meal was a fail. I know it's a Ramen place, and that's their speciality, but they also have a wide selection of other Japanese food on the menu, so I thought it would be safe to get a rice dish. Nope. Awful. I complained twice but.. no attempt to replace rice or give a discount. Actually, I shouldn't have paid!

I had the Sashimi Bento which came with: Salmon Sashimi with Yakitori, Seaweed Salad, Gyoza, Beef & Rice. The bento was pretty average, it was tasty however it was lacking in some flavours. The highlight of the restaurant for me was the Matcha Float I got; not many restaurants have it on the menu and if they do, it definitely doesn't top the one at Ajisen Ramen! Service was a bit poor, we had to wait quite a while for the food to come out and they accidentally ( I think) overcharged us for our food. I don't think I'll be back to dine in but I might just order a Matcha Float to take-away!

Another favorite for ramen! Normally order the chicken katsu curry, teriyaki beef or the house Ajisen ramen. Recently decided to try the ebi mayonnaise (an entree dish that consists of about 9 prawns lightly coated in a nice mayonnaise with a side serving of salad), which was absolutely delicious. Probably one of the best chicken katsu curries I've had in Melbourne by far. Curry sauce isn't too spicy or oily and the chicken is nice an crispy on the outside which I love. Comes with an assortment of potato and carrot which make the meal a lot more filling. Staff are very attentive and friendly. Usually pop in once a week for dinner with the Mrs.

If you want to have a quick and cheap Japanese Ramen dinner, here's the place. I wouldn't say this place is 10 out of 10 as there are still lots of improvement for the restaurant such as the atmosphere, service etc but The price is very good and the food is not bad. There are lots of options for ramen and the most I like is the soft shell crab one. The soup of the ramen is rich as well. I will def go back :)

Had Ajisen Ramen and chicken wings. Their ramen is nice although I like it a little bit harder, the chashu is average. I like the chicken wings flavour. Friendly staff!! Reasonable price.

Their ramen and other food and drinks on the menu have often left me underwhelmed. Not the best ramen for sure. Interesting menu, but often failed at taste. For example fried gyoza sounds awesome, but were too dry.

Not the best Ramon noodles I've ever had but the price is good the place is fairly quiet so service and the food was quick. $25 for two people with entre and mains

That was easily the most delicious vegetarian rice dish I have ever had the pleasure of eating. Magnificent. I wish I could take the chef home with me.

I specifically asked if there was rice in the tonkatsu I ordered and was told yes after asking twice but only got the tonkatsu pork without rice. I  also asked if the sizzling chicken dish had egg in it and was told yes but it did not come with egg on the hot place. This is twice that the staff were not honest and could not correctly answer very simple questions. Very disappointing. I hope they see this because this is ridiculous!

Not bad for ramen but I always end up getting the chicken katsu. Their bento boxes are on the small side so beware if you're hungry and expect a giant helping - it's not going to fill you up. Otherwise service has always been friendly but on the slow side. They only have about 2 waiters max. Overall good if you're craving some ramen and don't want to spend a lot of $$.

Not bad if you're feeling like something warm in the winter months. I've had MUCH worse ramen, even just along Glenferri road, and surrounding areas. As far as Ramen goes in Melbourne - this is not a bad choice.

The place was full but they only had one server who was slow and forgot our drinks and food. Had a terrible experience and left without eating as they took too long and didn't respond to us calling for service. Have been before though and the food was ok.

Among all Ajisen franchise stores in melbourne (all run by Chinese in fact), Hawthorn one probably is the best one. Yet, it is run by Chinese and the food does not genuinely resemble Japanese food (considered the ingredients and cooking style). Food quality is alright and not particularly impressive but the service is friendly and the price is fairly cheap. Overall, it is a decent place for cheap eat.

The food came super quick to my surprise, like immediately after I ordered, should of suspected that it wasn't fresh and after the meal, I get MSG poisoning.

Didn't Expect Much. Still didn't expect it to be this bad.. Here on a Saturday. Was busy and the one waiter could not handle the people. Extremely slow service and didn't even receive the drink I ordered. <br/><br/>As a place targeted at students didn't expect much but waited a long time for service after calling out multiple times and food took such a long time that I was tempted to walk out.

Being in the area and having a Entertainment book voucher, this seemed like a good place to hit up for lunch. Before going in, I read a few reviews and I was a bit concerned as most of the reviews talked their bad service and not accepting the ET book vouchers. This is get me worried, as I only suggested this place to my friend because of the voucher. When we walked in, we were greeted with a very friendly waitress and the entire place was very neat, neat clean and tidy. As we were using the voucher, the only thing not valid on the menu was the combo, which I think was fair enough. I got the Buta Kararage Ramen which was deep fried pork strips with cabbage, egg, black fungus and I added corn to it as well. This would normally also have a bit of greenery, but I don't like spring onions so I always order it without. The pork strips were surprisingly nice, it wasn't too oily and the inside was still juicy. The broth isn't as thick as places such as Little Ramen Bar and Kokoro Ramen but th

Great food, fantastic service. Service was on point and all staff 100% efficient.<br/>Food was delicious. Will definitely go back again

Great. I don't know why there are so many bad reviews! i went today. i like the menu system! you tick off the texture of noodle and any extra toppings you want and just hand it in. no language barriers. nice deco and i love how the waiters and chefs call out when you enter. very Japanese and welcoming. they spoke Japanese even if not all of them were. the chefs in the kitchen looked pro. my ramen was delicious and there was lots of condiments at your table you could add to make your ramen spicy or salty.etc. my ramen was $13 with might be a little pricey but it's good i guess. really enjoyable. recommend!

Good but not great. Service was friendly without being overly effusive but the restaurant heating must have broken; we entered with our winter coats on and didn't take them off the whole time we were there – it was freezing inside! The edamame serving was generous, the Tofu Ramen was best served with soft noodles and the broth was pleasant without being overly salty. I just can't shake the feeling that this is a chain ramen restaurant and it shows in the quality. Give me Mr Ramen San any day.

Terrible service. Went there for a quick lunch this afternoon and was greatly disappointed in the service. First of all, the moment we stepped into the restaurant, we could hear one of the waitresses and the cook having an argument in rapid-fire Mandarin loudly. We felt uncomfortable as we could understand what they were saying and we thought it was unprofessional of them to act that way while working. Secondly, when we were ready to have our order taken, the waitress came over. She was pleasant enough and we asked her about the combo deals. As her English was halting, i decided to switch to Mandarin to avoid any mix-ups or misunderstandings, knowing from their argument that she understands and speaks the language. She promptly ignored me and continued in broken English. Seeing this, my friend just decided to point out the dish we wanted on the menu. She nodded and went away and then came back with the wrong order which was ridiculous but we decided not to say anything. After our meal, I went to pay the bill at the counter, the cashier, a girl with glasses and a ponytail, ignored me and only decided to entertain me after finding nothing better to do. She did not make eye contact with me nor did she even acknowledge me when she gave me my change. Even though it was lunch time, the restaurant was not even half full so there was no excuse for their behaviors. Perhaps they saw us as broke uni students that did not deserve their respect and treated us differently from the other customers. I work part time as a waitress as well and i know how difficult this work is sometimes so I always try to smile and be as nice as possible to people who are serving me. So to be met with this kind of service when we were polite and pleasant was extremely frustrating and disappointing. I don't think my friends and I will be going back any time soon, if at all.

I really like this place. It's cheap, service is okay and the food is yummy. They accept the entertainment voucher now I believe, but it's not much of an issue anyway since the meals are very reasonably priced and the servings are fairly big. I agree it was a bit dodgy when they weren't accepting entertainment vouchers... But hopefully this restaurant learnt a lesson from that. Happy to come back :)

False advertising. Price on the window is 2 yrs old. Went it to have a quick lunch and ordered Katsura curry (priced at $10.50). When paying for the meal, I was charged 11.80. I'm assuming that all the prices displayed on the window are all wrong. Highway robbery....shame on you..

This places rulz. I proposed to my girlfriend here and she said YES!

Really disappointed with the food, it did not taste like Japanese food at all, more Chinese then anything.

Average food. My partner and I had the spicy pork and tonkatsu ramen. My partner hated the tonkatsu ramen. He also complained that he was still hungry because the serving was too small. In my opinion, the one at Melbourne Central is better.

We ordered the salmon sashimi and gyoza for entree. Was a little disappointed with the gyoza and definitly not enough dipping sauce..the chargrilled ramen looks amazing but taste just isnt quite right. The meat just feels wrong in with the ramen. The paiku ramen on the other hand was Awesome! The meat was so tender and melts in your mouth yumm. Would come back just for the paiku ramen :)

Good food, poor management. The food was good - we ordered a 'samurai combo' with chargrilled beef ramen, geso karaage and green tea, and also a grilled salmon bento between the two of us. Food was plenty and delicious, but the geso karaage was a bit too oily than the ones we've had at other Ajisen Ramen restaurants in Melbourne. <br/><br/>We had the new Entertainment Book (June 2013-2014) and was going to use our first voucher from the book at this restaurant. Turned up to the cashier to pay and the waitress said they don't accept the voucher any more - management changed recently. What?!?!?!?! Where did this come from??? The voucher was from the new book and on the back it still had the address of this Hawthorn one. She then pointed to a plain, unnoticeable sign next to the till which said they no longer accepted Entertainment Book vouchers. <br/><br/>And where was the sign at the front of the restaurant? We didn't notice anything as we came in through the restaurant doors. <br/><br/>We paid the full bill and walked out of the restaurant as dissatisfied customers, feeling like they had just deceived us. On the way out, we had a look around for the sign and found a bland, inconspicuous A4 piece of paper sticky-taped on the window to the side. Signs should be clear and noticeable - on the front door so you can see it as you come in, or on the menu itself, NOT just when you're about to pay, NOT in a corner where you may or may not see it.<br/><br/>I'll be going to another Ajisen Ramen from now on.

Great lunch option. I really like the food here and find the service very good. My favourite item from the menu is their chicken teriyaki don, which is incredibly delicious and well presented, as well as at a good price. The place is well designed with its long wooden tables and benches, and is always immaculate. The only problem is that I often seem to crave a meal here on a Monday, the only day of the week that they're closed!

Food is fantastic. Should try. Highly recommend it

The taste of Japan. I went in for a Friday lunch, the place was busy with a few big groups, the service was pretty slow as a result. I ordered the "samurai set / combo": ramen, an entree & a drink - about $15. Both the kimchi ramen and the takoyaki I ordered were just as I remember them in Japan - right down to the sweet kewpie mayonnaise. The soft drink was plonked on the table warm in a can with a straw - even McDonalds can run to ice!<br/><br/>Being genuine doesn't mean exceptional, and this isn't the type of food to rave about, but it makes good on the promise. Good value, and true to type.

Wow. Did not expect how good this place was. Delicious broth and noodles that were perfectly cooked. Beware the spice ratings - 1 chilli on the menu is pretty spicy! <br/>Attentive service. Great for families.

Flavourful broth and reasonably priced. I was in the mood for a soup based dish but can't be bothered to travel into the city for a meal and worried about finding parking. This is the third Ajisen Ramen outlet we have tried after the main branch on Bourke st and Glen Waverly. It was the right decision because we could find ample free off street parking in front and around the restaurant on the Burwood road. We walked in and was seated immeadiately. This branch was a lot quieter and smaller than the city and Glen Waverly branch. I ordered the chargrilled beef ramen and my husband ordered the Tori Karaage Chahan (fried rice with tori karaage, chasyu, egg and vegetables). The restaurant was very clean and pleasant. We waited for less than 10 minutes before our dinner was served. We are both very happy with our choice of meal. The chargrilled beef was perfectly cooked and the ramen broth was so flavourful. The eggs that came with the Ramen was also perfectly cooked and well seasoned. The fried rice was also very flavourful and welcomed change from the Chinese fried rice. Both of us finished everything on our bowl/ plate. The bill only came up to $23 for a hearty dinner for 2 adults. We didn't hesitate to sign up for membership and definitely will return in the near future.

I agree the food isn't spectacular but it was still freshly made. the atmosphere is relaxing where staffs are nice and not attentive. if you look for a quick, quiet and inexpensive place for dinner, I do think it is a good choice. <br/>

Tasty food, good size & good for a cheap night out!

Good price, good size and taste ok

Ok - Not wonderful. There isn't that much to say about Ajisen Ramen. It's a cookie-cutter franchise that is strong enough to cross continents, and for that it deserves a certain level of respect. The food is good for quick-and-easy, and even though the prices are a little higher than the majority of the surrounding Asian-style eateries, it's still affordable and filling. <br/>The service is above dumpling house standards, but not very far, and that's ok. The interior is basic and uninviting. The options on the drinks menu could have been provided by Henry Ford. <br/>All that said, if you're standing in front Ajisen Ramen, considering visiting, turn around. Across the street, 50m east, is Zen. This is a much better option for the casual diner, being more affordable and closer to authentic Japanese.

Japanese street food. Did not inspire me as authentic. It's a chain restaurant and that's the style.

No go zone!. Terrible food.. went here with a group of friends last week - not one of us left happy.. my dish tasted like stale kfc pieces in a water broth.

Value for money meals. Food - not too bad. Service - attentive, but painful due to language barrier. Atomsphere - clean & simple. A place for a good feed. An ideal place for students and the HUNGRY ones :)

Tasty, fast, cheap, authentic.. .<br/>Pro's:<br/>- Good value for money, especially the Sumo combos where you get one main and one smaller meal.<br/>- Good atmosphere, trendy new young Tokyo scene.<br/>- Good variety of Japanese food, traditional favourites plus modern selections.<br/><br/>.<br/>Con's:<br/>- Take your mobile internet to decipher what the dishes are, unless you are familiar with Japanese cuisine you won't know what half of the menu items are.

Everything is served in take away container even thou you're eating in, it is not a very good impression. secondly, the portion is much more smaller if compare to CBD Ajisen Ramen. Lastly, unagi don is way too salty and the ajisen ramen is too much garlic for me. <br/><br/>Disappointed.

Disappointing. Went there for dinner after seeing their ad on Melbourne Weekly. Can't be more disappointed. It only has the name of Ajisen Ramen but it's nothing like it. After you ordered and paid at the cashier, they served everything in take away containers. Not a good first impression. Then the noodle toppings and gyozas wee greasy, and the ramen noodles were soggy (only 2 tables were seated in the entire restaurant, how did the staff find time to let the noodles become soggy??). I honestly don't know how they got the franchise without any quality control.

Environment n staff very friendly when I visited with my two kids! My kids love their ramen so much! And very reasonable price. Sure we will visit again after a morning play with my kids at Billy Lids!

Great food! Authentic Japanese Ramen, highly recommended. Like the atmosphere too.

For some reason, I really liked that it came served with wood ear fungus as well. So good in delivering slightly different textures in a sticky salty and sweet broth.

Happily, I would like to welcome 2012 with an annoucement that I have found The Best Ramen In Melbourne. So far anyway.