Ramen Tatsu-Ya South Lamar

Ramen options in South Austin are on the sparse side, which makes it especially convenient to have one of Austin’s best bowls of ramen located in a small strip mall off South Lamar, tucked between a gas station, and their sister concept, Tiki Tatsu-Ya. Don’t be too worried if you see a line around the building—it moves fast, and you can grab a drink from the bar while you wait. The dining room here is a little brighter than the other locations—due in part to some skylights on the ceiling—which gives it a little less of a club vibe during the day, but at night, all rules go out the window (skylight?). 

Aside from some small differences in building shape and size, we’ve found the experience at all three current locations to be very similar—a plus, when you’ve hit a broth-based liquid gold. For a more comprehensive writeup, read our review of Ramen Tatsu-Ya East Austin. 

Food Rundown

photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

The OG

This is the closest thing you’ll find to a classic bowl of tonkotsu ramen at Ramen Tatsu-Ya. The broth has a rich, porky flavor from the slow-simmered pork bones, with a thick, silky texture that coats the noodles. It also comes with a thick slice of chashu, in case your body wasn’t already 25% pork by volume at this point. If this is your first time here, you should probably get this one.

photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

Mi-So-Not

Both of the miso bowls start with the same tonkotsu broth as the rest, with the addition of miso paste. This one comes topped with ground pork, making it easier to get a little bit with every bite, plus corn that adds some sweetness and texture. This is basically the same as the Mi-So-Hot bowl, but before the addition of a spicy bomb.

photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

Ol' Skool

The first thing you’ll notice about the Ol’ Skool is that the broth is quite a bit lighter than its tonkotsu counterparts. This bowl starts with a chicken shoyu broth that works especially well with the white onion and scallion toppings. Get this during lunch, on warmer evenings, or when you want to convince yourself that “it’s just a bowl of chicken noodle soup.”

photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

Chashu Rice Bowl

You could definitely make a meal out of this, though we usually think of this more as an accessory to a bowl of hot ramen. It’s tasty and easy to share—order one for the table and grab a few bites of pork belly between sips of pork broth and roasted chashu.

photo credit: Mackenzie Smith Kelley

Korokayy

Ramen Tatsu-Ya’s version of a giant Japanese-style croquette. Think of this like a giant panko-fried disc of mashed potato and roast pork with a sweet, tangy katsu dipping sauce. If that description didn’t sell you on this, there’s nothing more we can do.