Ramen Republic

Awesome food! The ramen and Boba are to die for, and Mochi for dessert is an absolute must!

Ok well being obssessed with Japanese food, when I heard about this place I had to know! Mixed emotions about the place. I live in Durban North, so I would not drive back here just for the food, however if in hillcrest I would stop by again. Yes I've been to Japan, and yes I've tried many of these particular drinks and dishes several times before in and around SA too:)

Staff are amazing:) very friendly and happy.

Venue: more targeted to take away or sit down lunch style canteen vibes. Not too much a fancy sit down dinner restaurant. (I was wondering this so just adding it)

Pricing: Fair:)

Break down of my thoughts below based on order:

Pork Ramen: this is a must. Very good, nice serving size, pork is good and eggs are done well. Noodles are good too:) I would recommend adding more broth to the dish as a suggestion. Ps: mix the little bear into the broth.dont eat it straight haha.

Chicken Ramen: ummm it's a no go from me, the mayo added curdles with the broth and its not tasty for me, chicken is bit dry too. Not terrible, but not good (this is all my opinion.well.and the person i was with)

Chips: The menu says exactly what it is:) fried chips with seasoning on them. Suggestion would be to add some sauce, whether it be kewpie mayo or something as the spice doesn't stick to the chips.

Matcha Tea: Tastes to just be matcha powder with watery milk. Wouldn't order this again.

Overall, reviews are based on your experiences, previous tastings and opinions so, I would say if you curious, it's worth a try, maybe the taste will be for you. Pork Ramen is definitely a must order along side testing something else.

A Journey to Japan's Heart in Botha's Hill - Ramen Republic
Nestled amidst the tranquil beauty of Botha's Hill, at Shop Number 2, Hilltop Centre, 1 Botha Rd, Durban, lies a culinary gem that we fondly call "our little Japan" - Ramen Republic. Our foodie adventure took us all the way from Umhlanga to this haven of Japanese cuisine, and it was an experience to remember.
Ramen is more than just a dish; it's a cultural journey, and at Ramen Republic, we truly discovered our Zen. This sacred space pays homage to the essence of Japanese culinary artistry, capturing its spirit with an authenticity that is not easily replicated.
As we entered this cozy establishment, the wisdom of Confucius echoed in our minds: "Food and friends are inseparable parts of life. " The warm embrace of our friendly host and the joyful chatter of fellow patrons set the stage for an evening filled with laughter and camaraderie.
As we placed our orders and patiently sipped on Boba tea, anticipation built. When our meals arrived, they were nothing short of a masterpiece. The presentation was an art form, with each dish meticulously crafted. The meat and vegetables were a testament to perfection, cooked to the highest standards. The broth, a harmonious fusion of the East and the West, was a revelation.
Portions were generous, and the vibrancy of the vegetables spoke volumes about their freshness and quality. While there may be mixed reviews about this Little Japan, we believe that these young entrepreneurs have not just created a menu but an ode to culinary excellence.
Starting a niche menu and setting a high standard simultaneously is an admirable feat, and Ramen Republic has undoubtedly achieved this. Our journey to this culinary haven was an adventure worth every mile, and we look forward to returning.
To the dedicated staff and visionary owners of Ramen Republic, we extend our heartfelt kudos. You have created a piece of Japan's heart in Botha's Hill, and for that, we are truly grateful. Arigatou gozaimasu!

The service at this restaurant was excellent and the staff was very friendly. I am a huge fan of Asian food and the food was absolutely tantalizing and prepared to perfection
10/10 recommend

Me and my fiancé are very big Asian food fanatics and we have tasted pretty much all ramen in Durban.

2/10 for the ramen: found a hair in one of our bowls, our ramen arrived cold, the noodles were overcooked and not the right noodles, the egg was barely soaked in soy sauce and there was no flavour at all. The broth was practically a very dull soup and there was hardly any meat, and it was a half portion ramen compared to the others we’ve had (the bowl was literally half full). The only good thing were the bonito flakes that added some flavour.

4/10 for the boba tea: flavour of the tea was okay, the boba itself was not great as it was very mushy and clumped together.

The waiter was absolutely great and super friendly!

We had a really good meal from Ramen Republic. Food was fresh, and a really good addition to upper highway. We had the chicken ramen, the pork ramen and the honey garlic shrimp starter. Although the broth would benefit from a deeper flavor, our meal was very good. We will be back. The service was also very friendly.

Decided to give Ramen Republic a go as it's new to the area. It did not disappoint! I opted for a Honey Garlic Shrimp starter and the Pork Ramen as a main. Both dishes were delicious! The Shrimp was covered in a lovely sticky honey asian sauce and the Pork Ramen was the best I have tasted in Durban so far. I do enjoy a good Ramen and this was delicious. I will be going back with some friends next time!

If I didn't get ill the experience would still have been subpar (aside from the excellent wait staff)

Ramen is meant to be a delicious meal with wholesome flavours - comfort food

Let's start with the positive:
The pork belly was prepared excellently and took up the flavors of the broth with class - 5 stars

The rest of the meal was an unmitigated disaster:
1. The noodles whilst well cooked were flavourless and bland
2. The eggs whilst well prepared tasted "funny" with no broth flavor
3. The bak choi was limp with crunch at very base of the base and with no broth flavor
4. The seaweed was also straight out of a packet with no broth flavor and only barely steamed
5. The broth - tasty but obviously straight from a packet with that delicious MSG - no hate - Uncle Roger loves that MSG

I'm disappointed as this is a poor representation of ramen for this beautiful community - please don't judge this Japanese legacy food by this establishment

As a side note I did get gastro within 15 minutes of eating the food and had no other food or drink preceding or thereafter

I can only agree with the 1st 2 reviews provided of 1 star. Its interesting to see the owner rate it 5 stars immediately after those 2.

Lots of love

Your Twice Exceptional Foodie

I’m not quite the Asian food lover but Ramen Republic has definitely changed that. The ambience is very welcoming and charming. Apart from the incredible food, there’s a beautiful mural that’s definitely instagram worthy!
Great food, great staff, great experience. What more could you ask for.

Absolutely bland Ramen dishes. We ordered the braised pork ramen and the Chicken ramen-both dishes were tasteless. We had to order chilli oil and ask for soy sauce (hoping that it could make a difference). No joy. The starter was a joke (honey and garlic fried shrimp) - looked like raisins on the plate that was soaked in oil. The Prices does not translate to end dish. Really disappointed at the experience. I'm pretty sure this place will close down soon.

Wow what a gem I’m a fan firstly of ramen so this little gem is now in my area thrilled took the kids out to show them real ramen not the bag stuff and they had such fun took selfies at the mural wall kids they also do a good bubble tea I must say I can’t wait for them to be on Uber eats it’s a must try the line was long but worth the wait guy I’ll be back

Four friends during Saturday nights load shedding we wanted dinner and was not turned away instead was placed at a table outside with beautiful scented candles ordered pork ramen, their braised pork belly bowl served with steaming hot jasmine rice and pokchoy cooked with garlic chilli oil, soya sauce and something special as explained by the waitress my first for pokchoy did not disappoint.we also got the chicken ramen and crispy pork belly with such great crackling we all shared as there was enough.the waitress Who was so professional and absolutely friendly explained all the Japanese words and pronounced them beautifully the eggs were the best she said they came from a local had soft yolk and cooked to perfection.for starters we got the honey garlic shrimp and the tempura squid with extra meso mayo and chilli oil
Which is free. First time I went alone this time wanted to share the experience.well worth every minute wished they served wine.

One word review: Disappointing

Pros:
- Good boba tea
- Functioning during loadshedding (candles)
- Waitron was friendly and tried her best

Cons:
- Expensive
- Owner/manager absent
- Small menu (read on)
- Limited drinks options

Review:
Ramen Republic has so much potential but tonight was a huge disappointment leaving myself and my girlfriend hungry, upset and unsatisfied.

We ordered two Chicken ramens which included the following, according to the menu: Chicken broth topped with chicken breast slices, ajitama (egg), corn, mushrooms, Bonito flakes and scallions, served with a Miso butter.

After ordering, our waitress came to us and informed us that they didn't have Bok Choy, which we thought was weird because it wasn't in the dish. And she asked if she could substitute it for corn, to which we said yes. Our meals arrived and they had left out the corn and given us two small oyster mushrooms instead. As for the noodles, they were overcooked and hardly there. Honestly, you couldn't even see them unless you went searching. Led the meals to not be filling at all.
When we asked the waitress about the corn, the kitchen shouted to her that they had given us mushrooms instead. They brought the corn anyways.
Which we then realised afterwards upon reading the menu again, were both meant to be included anyways!

The portion sizes were honestly tiny and considering you're not really meant to drink the broth like a soup; the meals were no more than a snack and certainly not worth the R110 we paid per meal. If you have eaten at Daruma in Durban North, or have had other "real" ramen, Ramen Republic's ramen would be a bitter disappointment as it was to us.
The boba tea was decent but there was a very limited range of other drinks (softdrinks, etc.) And there was even canned boba in the fridges which you aren't told about.

It's sad to see so much potential go to waste and considering such a recent opening, I hope we can chalk this up to teething issues. I look forward to reading other reviews as time passes because if this is the path they're on, I don't have much hope.

What an awesome little gem to our area. Super thrilled to have found this on our doorstep for mom and ‘ramen eating, bubble tea drinking’ daughter day out. All the umami flavours

This place is absolutely amazing. As per my visit on Sunday I was greeted by very friendly staff and immediately seated at a table where I was given the menu and told more about the food on the menu. I had ordered the brown sugar boba milk tea which was absolutely amazing (so good I got another on my way out!) I had also ordered the chicken ramen. The chicken broth was rich and full of flavour. The chicken breast slices were cooked to perfection. After visiting many Asian food I can say with confidence that the ajitama (ramen egg) was boiled and marinated to perfection.

As for the place itself it is most definitely setup very nicely. From the color of the walls to the tables to the wall art (my favourite!) definitely a 10/10

I’ve also seen other reviews about this place and I have noticed that the people who are leaving bad reviews are the same ones leaving good reviews on the stores in Hilltop centre one would only assume the competition is shaking in their boots and the only way they can handle the competition
is to bad mouth such a beautiful establishment. In another review the guy claims to be “ Your Twice Exceptional Foodie“ but he has only reviewed one place! I’m afraid he’s going to have to try harder! He also stated that he had got gastro within 15 minutes of eating (maybe the ou should stick to his curry) which is very funny as I am in the medical field and you only start seeing symptoms after 1 hour I would love to have that persons digestive system!

Props to the owner and staff excellent service and excellent food!

Lots of love from
Not your twice exceptional foodie