Asahi Ramen

Overview:

Asahi Ramen is a relatively new restaurant that opened in mid-March in the Pittsburgh neighborhood of Brookline. Situated right on Brookline Blvd, Asahi Ramen is located in a very vibrant and upbeat area of Pittsburgh. With many other bars, restaurants, and shops located on the same stretch of road. Parking is a little tricky, with the only option being street parking. 

However, this is made up for by the vibrant menu and great offerings at Asahi Ramen. They offer a variety of Japanese appetizers, ramen, chicken katsu, and gyudon. Google lists the hours of operation as 11-8:30, Tuesday through Thursday. On Friday and Saturday, they are open 11-9. Finally, on Sunday it is 11-8:30, and then closed on Monday. You can enjoy your ramen at the restaurant; however, there is limited seating. Additionally, they offer online ordering and pickup, along with delivery through Uber Eats and DoorDash. 

The Food:

Spring Rolls

The first thing we tried at Asahi was the spring rolls. I thought they were ok, just your average frozen spring roll with a sweet and sour sauce.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu Ramen

My dinner was the black garlic tonkotsu ramen. It had a rich pork bone broth, deepened by the black garlic. This kind of garlic is aged to create an umami flavor that adds deep, earthy, savory tones to the dish. It was topped with seaweed sheets, chashu pork, corn, scallion, seasoned egg, and crispy tempura scraps (tenkasu). I enjoyed most of the dish, especially the seaweed (nori) and the seasoned egg. My least favorite was unfortunately the chashu pork. It was tough and chewy, which is unusual for chashu pork, which is normally super tender.

Spicy Miso Ramen

The next dish we had was the spicy miso ramen. I thought this broth was the best of all three as it had the rich flavor of miso and spice from what tasted like chili oil. One of the group ordered this without all the toppings but it still tasted really good.

Veggie Ramen

Our last ramen dish was the surprising veggie ramen. It included nori seaweed, bean sprouts, tomato, green onion, cabbage, bamboo shoots, corn, tofu, and broccoli. I thought it was refreshing to have a ramen without meat, and the broth itself was veggie-based too. 

Asahi Ramen Menu

Service:

The service at Asahi Ramen was very good. Our waitress was happy to have us there for dinner. We ordered quickly and had our food even quicker. I was impressed with the speed of service, and everything came out hot. 

Atmosphere:

The inside of Asahi Ramen is very nice. There are around 10 tables in the whole place, so there are not too many places to sit. If it is Friday or Saturday for dinner, you might be better off getting takeout rather than waiting to sit down. I enjoyed the wall decor and the wooden finish; it gave the place a warm and welcoming feel.

Rating: Good |⭐⭐⭐⭐✩|

Asahi Ramen is a good addition to the Pittsburgh ramen scene. They are located in a great spot with lots of other bustling stores and restaurants, making it easy to stop at a few places while you are here. I enjoyed the food and thought the broths and most of the toppings were good. The chashu pork was the only thing that was not great. Our group was also pleased with the service and atmosphere, which made the place feel cozy and relaxing. Definitely give Asahi Ramen a try if you enjoy authentic Japanese ramen. For some other ramen reviews, check out my posts on Kyuramen, Fujiya Ramen, and Nanban.