Wow, I finally found a place that serves authentic ramen and curry in the Bay Area. Hanabi Ramen & Japanese Curry reminds me of the time where I was wandering the alleys in Osaka and eating delicious curries at small diners in Japan. This place is on the smaller side and they currently have outdoor dining. I would recommend making a reservation online before you come since I saw a decent amount of people waiting outside. There is no parking lot for Hanabi so you will have to find street parking around the neighborhood or across the street where there are plenty of spots. The service and staff are extremely nice here and remind me of Japan and the amazing people and culture. If you are looking for great curry and ramen, then this is the spot to check out and add to your list!
Hanabi has a huge selection of curry and ramen to choose from. You’ll find that their tori, which is chicken paitan ramen, is the base for the majority of their ramen. Ramen ranges from shio, shoyu, miso, and more and you have the option to customize your bowl. I am a huge fan of curry so I went for the katsu curry rice which was absolutely delicious and I can tell that this was made from the kitchen. I feel that some places usually use the stock cubes from brands like Golden Curry to make it but I can tell that the curry at Hanabi is high quality and flavorful. The curry had the right amount of spiciness and the katsu was perfectly fried and juicy on the inside. It also came with a small side of macaroni salad and red ginger. My friend got the miso ramen and it was massive, filled with chashu, fried onion, grilled corn, baby spinach, beansprouts, and more. Talk about a loaded bowl of ramen. Both of us enjoyed our meal thoroughly and I think I just found my favorite new curry restaurant in the Bay Area.
If you are looking for a solid place to get curry, Hanabi is as authentic as it gets. I wish it was closer to the East Bay than the South Bay but I would gladly drive down if I could get their delicious curry again. Everything I tried tasted like comfort food and was the ultimate meal. Have you been to Hanabi before and if so, what did you get? I would love to know your experience in the comments below.