Yokai Ramen Bistro

I am very new to trying Ramen and my first experience was at this restaurant. The ramen was very flavorful and filling and I’d assumed every bowl of ramen I’d try would be. This past weekend, I stopped at another place while I was in Philly and I was honestly underwhelmed. Upon returning to this area, I decided to stop here again for some Tonkotsu ramen and it was as delicious, flavorful, and filling as the first time I’d come here. The music is so soothing and it really adds to the relaxing, laid back atmosphere. The service is always warm and welcoming, as well as attentive and fast! They serve you quickly without making you feel rushed or like you’re a nuisance taking up space. I’m really grateful I stumbled upon this restaurant.

Amazing friday night dinner! One of the best vegetarian ramen (pictured) i ever had, plus a nice calming ambiance. The lychee martini was also great, and some mochi to finish it off?!?! Oh, we'll definitely be back!

Such a great ramen spot! The food was absolutely delicious, the service was amazing, and Erica truly made the experience even better. Definitely coming back.

I happened to come upon Yokai via both Upside as well as doing a search for local Japanese eateries. Since the bistro has very good reviews and an interesting menu, I decided to try them out. If you've not been here before, parking can be a little bit of a challenge as the lot is best access from either northbound US 202 (Concord Pike) or from Silverside Road and there isn't much parking up front. However, you don't have to walk too far to get in from your parking space. The interior is very nice and clean and is tastefully decorated. The dining area is spacious as well and plenty of room to make yourself comfortable. Both times I went (Friday evenings) was oddly quiet in the dining area; however there were several customers getting take out from the restaurant. For someone like me who prefers a quiet dining area, I don't find that a headache at all. For my first time there, I tried the harumaki spring rolls and the Jigoku ramen. The harumaki was very light and crisp and they came out nice and fresh. The sweet chili sauce complimented the rolls well and I enjoyed the light and fresh rolls. The Jigoku ramen (chicken karaage in a spicy miso broth) was also extremely delicious. The earthy spicy miso broth complimented the chicken very well and I enjoyed the heat from the spiciness. Yes, you can tell the server how much spice you want in there as well. I had ordered a "2" but was served a "3" but that didn't seem to bother me. The ramen noodles were cooked well and had just the right amount of chew and slurp factor. The other ingredients also went well with the ramen...including an extra helping of noodles. You get a pretty generous sized bowl and plenty of broth so if you want some extra noodles, go for it. This is definitely a good bowl to try out, especially if you love that bit of kick. For my second time there, I tried the chicken skewers and the Gyu ramen (beef belly in a house broth). I liked the sweet sauce they used on the chicken skewers but I was a little underwhelmed by the skewers compared to the harumaki. The Gyu ramen though was pretty good. Plenty of cabbage and other vegetables to go with the beef belly. The beef belly itself was pretty tender and I generally enjoyed it. However, the beef belly might need just that extra bit of seasoning as I did have to use some dashi and pepper to flavor it up. Even then, I enjoyed the bowl and had the same good experience with the ramen noodles. I definitely plan on returning to try their donburi bowls and a couple of their other entrees as the food overall is very good and enjoyable. If you are looking for a quite place that serves some good ramen, Yokai is a great spot to get your ramen fix.