Looking to sample the best noodles around town?
Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top noodle hot spots in Detroit, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill for ramen, udon and more.
1. Ima
Topping the list is Ima, a modern eatery that features an ever-changing menu of udon soups, rice bowls and small plates. Located at 2015 Michigan Ave. in Corktown, it is the highest-rated spot for noodles in Detroit, boasting 4.5 stars out of 277 reviews on Yelp.
On the menu, noteworthy offerings include the yaki udon with root vegetables, mushrooms, sesame-butter sauce and choice of protein (roasted tofu, sesame chicken, shrimp, smoked pork loin or ginger beef); and the lobster udon with lobster-yuzu broth, butter-poached lobster tail, soft egg and menma.
Other options include jicama-shelled mini tacos, dumplings and sake-steamed clams. (See the full menu here.)
"Absolutely amazing! To start, the vibe is very inviting and the seating is community with a small patio," wrote Yelper Jeremiah C., who reviewed the restaurant on Aug. 21. "Yaki udon and spicy pork udon are my two favorites here. Ima has the best noodles and the broth is heavenly. Great prices and perfect portions!"
2. Urban Ramen
Next up is Midtown's Urban Ramen, situated at 4206 Woodward Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 210 reviews on Yelp, the tiny eatery has proven to be a local favorite. Open since June, it has a sister restaurant in Los Angeles.
Broths are boiled for 16 hours a day and appear in ramen options like the chicken paitan ramen with thin noodles, pork chashu, marinated egg and seaweed; and the shoyu vegan ramen with thick noodles, maitake mushrooms and radish sprouts. Japanese fried chicken, garlic edamame and a tuna poke bowl round out the menu.
Yelper Ricardo A. wrote, "The restaurant is fairly small inside so always expect a wait, but it's worth it. The ramen is by far the best I've had in Detroit, their rice bowl is also my go-to for lunch. If you're in search for good ramen I recommend giving Urban Ramen a try."
3. Johnny Noodle King
Johnny Noodle King, located at 2601 W. Fort St. in Hubb, is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the Asian fusion spot four stars out of 583 reviews.
Noodles are the star here, with 11 different globe-trotting soups, including chicken phở, spicy red curry, veggie miso with fried tofu and a Korean-style option with braised beef, kimchi and daikon. There are also Chinese-inspired steamed buns like the char siu with grilled pork belly and the Hunan chicken.
Sean M., who reviewed it on Aug. 11, wrote, "Awesome ramen. I had the Korean and a friend tried the shoyu. Both were great. The location seemed a bit questionable, but when you pull up, smell the ramen and see a big line outside, you know you're in for a treat. Get yourself some ramen here."
4. Noodle Art
Then there's Noodle Art, a ramen noodle bar located downtown at 555 E. Lafayette Ave. in the Greektown Casino-Hotel. The small restaurant, which has earned four stars out of 17 Yelp reviews, features brightly colored pop art and a long curved bar.
On the menu, look for five ramen dishes with pork- and chicken-based broths that are made in-house. Options include the tonkatsu with pork belly, marinated egg, bok choy and scallions; a vegetarian version with grilled tofu and enoki mushrooms; and the seafood-based Champon with soft-shell crab, shrimp dumplings, napa, bean sprouts and ginger paste. (Check out the full menu here.)
"By far the best ramen we've ever had!" wrote Yelper Mosette M. "I had the vegetarian shoyu with added chicken that was cooked to perfection and my wife had the Tori Yakisoba and she loved it! Our waiter Alok took great care of us! And the chef Joel came out to meet us because of how much I raved about how good our food was."
