Had an awesome meal at Nikka Ramen with my dad during a weekend trip to Santa Barbara. This has been one of our go to ramen spots for years, and it never disappoints. The tonkotsu ramen is the star. I always get the Kuro with the black garlic oil, which is hands down my favorite. The broth is incredibly thick, rich, and full of flavor. You can really tell the quality of the pork and the care that goes into the broth every single time. My dad usually goes for the classic tonkotsu with garlic, and it is just as solid and comforting. I always add extra pork, corn, scallions, a little spice, and extra black garlic oil. That black garlic oil takes it to another level with this smooth, garlicky, creamy depth that is unreal. Portions are generous for the price, which makes it even better. Service was excellent. Our server was friendly, attentive, and quick, from taking our order to refilling our drinks. We felt taken care of the whole time. If you are in the Santa Barbara area and looking for a reliable, high-quality ramen spot with amazing broth and great service, this place is an easy recommendation.
Nikka Ramen
Excerpts
Had an awesome meal at Nikka Ramen with my dad during a weekend trip to Santa Barbara. This has been one of our go to ramen spots for years, and it never disappoints. The tonkotsu ramen is the star. I always get the Kuro with the black garlic oil, which is hands down my favorite. The broth is incredibly thick, rich, and full of flavor. You can really tell the quality of the pork and the care that goes into the broth every single time. My dad usually goes for the classic tonkotsu with garlic, and it is just as solid and comforting. I always add extra pork, corn, scallions, a little spice, and extra black garlic oil. That black garlic oil takes it to another level with this smooth, garlicky, creamy depth that is unreal. Portions are generous for the price, which makes it even better. Service was excellent. Our server was friendly, attentive, and quick, from taking our order to refilling our drinks. We felt taken care of the whole time. If you are in the Santa Barbara area and looking for a reliable, high-quality ramen spot with amazing broth and great service, this place is an easy recommendation.
The broth and the noodles of both ramens were good, but the meat fell short. The Kakuni broth was sweet and savory, and the black garlic broth was just borderline almost too salty for us. Both the pork belly in the Kakuni and the pork shoulder in the black garlic was a bit unpleasant to chew. I was hoping the pork belly was softer but it was a bit tough. I wasn’t expecting the pork shoulder to melt in the mouth, but it was also tough. Not necessarily a dealbreaker, but could have been better Parking was a bit difficult to find on Sunday lunch and staff was friendly and quick
The broth and the noodles of both ramens were good, but the meat fell short. The Kakuni broth was sweet and savory, and the black garlic broth was just borderline almost too salty for us. Both the pork belly in the Kakuni and the pork shoulder in the black garlic was a bit unpleasant to chew. I was hoping the pork belly was softer but it was a bit tough. I wasn’t expecting the pork shoulder to melt in the mouth, but it was also tough. Not necessarily a dealbreaker, but could have been better Parking was a bit difficult to find on Sunday lunch and staff was friendly and quick
This is a go to spot for us. Portions are generous. Flavors are always excellent. All Ramen options are great and burrito was interesting. Recommend splitting the burrito since it is very filling. Parking during lunch out front can be tough since spots are limited and tight. Not many places like this in the Goleta/SB area, keep up the great work!