Hajime

We arrived at a little after 7pm in a Friday night. The place was busy but not ridiculously crowded. We were seated right away. The music was nice (from Bruno Mars to Janet Jackson) The service was outstanding! Justin, our server, thought we waited too long for our ramen. It didn't seem long to us as we were busy digging in on the delicious appetizers of Japanese fried chicken (yum) and braised pork belly (omg yum). Next thing we knew, Justin came over and told us he discounted part of our meal and apologized for the wait and then the manager brought us MORE complimentary pork belly! Seriously, we didn't think the wait was long at all! The appetizers were plenty for 2 of us. We ordered the mild curry ramen (a bit on the spicy side) and the spicy Wasabi ramen with shrimp added. Both were very tasty! The curry was spicier than I expected, but the curry flavors were spot on. We will definitely come back and I will recommend this place to my friends for sure!

Fantastic ramen place! Sure, it's hidden in the corner of the Tara Theater parking lot, but as with most authentic places, Hajime is worth the search. The menu features ramen bowls, rice bowls, and traditional Japanese small plates.