Yojimbo - Alameda

It’s worth it for the art alone but the GIANT bowl of ramen was amazing! (It ended up being 3 meals for me! The poke was fresh and beautifully done! Definitely going back, soon I hope!

My husband and I were craving ramen so we came here upon checking Yelp! We were pleasantly surprised to find such a gem. Fantastic artwork all around! The ramen was beyond my expectations and it was so much I ate the rest for lunch the following day. Gyoza is good but you only get six, so eat them slowly. Tuna rolls had plenty of tuna on them. We now have our go to for those sushi and ramen cravings.

Fave! Such a cool place! Staff is always super sweet and helpful. Step inside and I feel like I'm not in Alameda anymore. Very cool delicious menu!!

Update: Yojimbo has opened a new branch just a few steps away from its original. 2139 Santa Clara Ave, former space of American Oak. Check it out!!! We certainly love going to this place! Yojimbo is one of our favorite ramen and Japanese food restaurants around the Bay Area! We have been coming here for several years and have invited friends. All of the people we invited to eat here were very impressed and others kept coming back, some drove from Vallejo and Fremont. Our frequent visits was stopped due to the pandemic, in that two years of pause my wife managed to be nearby and got me some ramen to go but as best as it was packaged, we know that ramen is best eaten right away after serving. Well, we visited last week and we came back yesterday to make up for lost time! haha The ramen is still as good as we remembered it, the only change is that it now comes in two sizes, regular and large. It used to be just one size which was LARGE and you needed to use a big soup spoon. We used to have more than enough for two meals. On both recent visits, we ordered the regular size which is still a generous portion. The broth is delicious, noodles are nice, the chasu is delicious also. People who come here regularly will agree that they are consistent with the taste and good quality of the ramen. Wait, there's more! For non ramen lovers, there is also quite good selections of japanese dishes and as others have complimented, it is fresh! I rarely order sushi here because I usually come for ramen, but when I do, it has always been fresh! There are also a good selection of appetizers to enjoy. I tried the pork bun last week and it was very good! I wanted to try the spicy tuna bun yesterday, but it was out. Oh well, more reasons for my wife and I to go back next week .. hehe. Lastly, as shown on my photos, Yojimbo has some very cool Japanese anime inspired art work throughout the place drawn by the owner himself! There are also some action figures on display for fans of Japanese anime. I wanted to ask the owner if he will be able to make one for me one day as I do love his Samurai warriors art works. Go, go, go to this place! You have to try it at least once and you will not regret it! Oh really last thing! At some point they opened up more space on the side of the building but it was closed and we were told that it has been closed for quite some time BUT they are planning to open a bigger location not too far from its current location. From what we were told they do not have plans to close the current location, I do hope that they don't because it does have its own charm.

Love the sushi, especially the smoked eel and the soft-shelled crab. Yum. Seaweed salad is good, too. Ordered my son the chicken teryaki bento box today and he was amazed by the flavor and texture of the chicken. I balked at the price, but then it turned out that it was enough to feed my wife and my son both. I love the cozy atmosphere and all of the little Bruce Lee action figures on display and the art on the walls. They've done a great job turning a tiny space into a warm and cozy eatery. I recommend it highly.