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Muku Japanese Noodle House
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 9 pm
Sun 11:30 pm - 8 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
21 reviews for Muku Japanese Noodle House
Review Highlights
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"This is a great little spot for ramen noodles." In 16 reviews -
"...broth), Tokyo style (soy sauce based broth) and Hakata..." In 3 reviews -
"The broth is always robust and drives the character of the..." In 10 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from David D.
Calgary, AB
1/3/2012
If you're a fan of ramen noodles... I think this is a great place to get it. A bit small, but it's cozy and the staff are very friendly...
Will definitely go back... -
Review from Derek F.
4/12/2012
I was excited to come to Muku, hoping for authentic ramen. They offer three types of broths (miso-based chicken, soy-based chicken, and soy-based pork. I went for the chashu ramen, which came with six slices of barbecued pork and one slice of pork belly. I had 3 others with me and none of them ordered ramen (amusing in the very least). I had a bit of everything at the table and it was all decent but nothing in particular stood out.
The noodles were decent but unspectacular and the broth was really quite thin and not very complex. When I have ramen, the broth is the key. The broth and noodles should complement each other but the broth needs to have more complexity than what I received . I still enjoyed my meal at Muku, but as a ramen house, I expected more. -
Review from Kent V.
Muku is not a bad place for a quick, decently priced bowl of noodles. But there are better places to go, in my opinion. The ramen here isn't really 'fresh', meaning that they probably don't make it from scratch. And the broth isn't the most flavorful. Pretty salty, yes, and I'll probably still polish off the whole bowl, but the broth can be better.
The price is reasonable, but isn't vietnamese-pho-cheap. I would probably pay a bit more for better ramen (ie Shikiji on Centre).
The restaurant itself is small and cozy. I ran in on a cold day after work, and unfortunately the inside was just as cold. I spent a good 20 minutes inside with my jacket on as the heater was warming up.
Anyway, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here for ramen. But if I needed a quick bite and was in the area, Muku will do. -
Review from Jon C.
Calgary, AB
5/22/2012
I learned to love Raman noodles in Japan and this is one of the only places to get them in the city. The food is great, service generally pretty quick and prices reasonable (for lunch). Atmosphere is simple and it can get crowded with only a few tables.
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Review from Ilana L.
Southwest Calgary, AB
5/2/2012
Muku is a great, low maintenance and reasonably priced way to get Ramen in Calgary. My hubby and I were excited to find an inexpensive Ramen place here. We also love Shikiji but it's a little farther away from us and a bit more expensive. For a quick drop-in dinner, Muku is the way to go. Clean place, friendly service and yummy soup. The miso-based and soy-based chicken soups are lovely. I found the pork based to be a little too rich but that's a personal taste thing. The noodles themselves are chewy and satisfying - the real-world version of the ichiban noodles from my college days. The place is tiny so there may be a wait during prime-times but we've never waited longer then 10 minutes. We've done take-out from there, too and that's a nice option. If you want something other than Ramen, try the sukiyaki beef - it is hearty, slightly sweet and the rice is perfectly sticky. Dinner for two without drinks is just over $30. Not bad for a fresh, hot meal.
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Review from Agnes C.
10/7/2011 4 Check-ins Here
Go to Muku if you want to get an authentic Japanese ramen.
I love the cozy homey feeling it gives. Love their service as well, the waitresses are all very friendly and attentive.
The ramen and the soup, they are just love in my tummy. I actually think their menu is lack of selection but I am not going to complain because their ramen are so yummy. -
Review from jose m.
Calgary, AB
9/7/2011
having lived in LA for many years and stayed in Japan a few times, i missed having accessibility to authentic japanese ramen. The noodles didn't appear to have been made from scratch and I found the soup broth lacking, which is the most important part to any soup noodle. Not that it was "terrible" mind you, it was ok but not to the point where it justified the higher price which Muku charges.
To anyone who has watched the amazing classic Japanese film (Tampopo), you know you have a good bowl of ramen noodles if you finish the bowl entirely: ramen noodles along with evert drop of the soup. Needless to say, I didn't finish my bowl entirely. -
Review from spaniel l.
Calgary, AB
7/1/2011
I happen to be a huge fan of Japanese ramen and let me start off by saying that I've been blown away by some mean bowls all over the world but Muku isn't even close to making my memorable list.
Broth - no complexity in flavor
Noodle - Do they even make their ramen noodle from scratch? I expect this to be a must for a noodle house. There was absolutely no 'marriage' between the noodle and the broth.
Toppings - Dry, flavorless and boring overall
Honestly, home made ramen can taste much better than Muku's. Sorry. -
Review from Lonnie T.
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my favorite place for ramen! It's simple, it's flavorful and it's filling! They have a nice decor, the staff are friendly, polite and speak in Japanese to each other! I like sitting on a stool at the bar so that I can watch the chefs make the ramen. Having never been to Japan I'd have to say this is as good as it gets in Calgary! I highly recommend the ramen with pork broth (there are different broths). They've changed the menu slightly over the past three years multiple times, which says to me that they care about their business and are willing to improve long after they had first opened their doors! I love Muku!
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Review from C T.
Calgary, AB
Updated - 4/19/2011
I found out that I can order half orders of the ramen noodle soup! Sometimes, I just feel like a lighter meal and the idea that I can order half order of my favourite ramen noodle soup makes me happy! :o)
Thanks, Muku!!Listed in: My fave Calgary Restaurants
4 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/16/2010
Muku has changed their menu a little bit. Their combos now consist of:
- ramen - choose a ramen bowl… Read more »
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Review from Chris W.
Calgary, AB
2/17/2010
Mukku is ramen heaven! This is fantastic noodle shop serving very authentic ramen from different regions of Japan, including Sapporo style (miso based broth), Tokyo style (soy sauce based broth) and Hakata style (pork bone based broth), and all the traditional toppings such as nori, egg, barbecued pork, bamboo shoots, and corn. I went for the miso ramen (my favorite) and my partner went for the pork broth ramen, and both were delicious. The barbecue pork that comes with the soup isn't the most traditional, but it was tasty nonetheless.
My partner opted for the deal which for a few extra dollars also added some gyoza, salad, and a bowl of sukiyaki and rice to the meal. The sukiyaki was especially delicious. Hardcore ramenites might find quibbles with this place, but in my opinion it's a real gem for Calgary. It definitely hits the spot if you're craving some ramen and you won't find anything else this close to the real thing anywhere in the city. Love it, and I'll be back! -
Review from Gabe A.
3/21/2011 ROTD 5/31/2011
Fantastic! A memorable experience in a unique little place, topped off by great food. It was the dead of winter when we came here; we had to trudge through a block of residential snow, and cross the precarious 14th Ave to find a place that looked like a converted elementary school portable, complete with the business-room chairs and plastic-top tables, and a deli counter. We took a table and perused the menu to find the perfect bowl of ramen. When it arrived, it was exactly what was needed to warm our hearts and souls: the broth was a delight, and the veggies were perfectly done. As we sat in the warm little portable, looking at the howling wind outside and contrasting it with the gently rising steam from our soups, it formed a picture of paradise.
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Review from Vanessa S.
1/1/2009 1 photo
If you never been to Japan, well this noodle house definitely gives you a taste of what a freshly made ramen noodle soup will taste like.
It is Japanese owned, and the staff is very friendly. This was my second time coming here, I had the soy-sauce based ramen this time. On my first time I had the miso based ramen. Only thing I wasn't to crazy about was the pork, it felt a bit dry.
I am a New Yorker, and I felt it tasted better than the high end ramen houses in New York City. Everyone should eat here, no matter where your from! -
Review from Angelo T.
Muku is well worth driving across the city for. Heck even if a massive earthquake rips through Calgary and the tectonic plates shifted, sending Muku half a world away, I would still make the drive there. But then that theoretically put Japan next door, so....(EDIT Mar 21/11: Yikes! Inappropriate?:S how could have I known?)
Anyways Muku's Ramen menu is divided into several groups. You can select your broth base as either the Tonkatsu, Shoyu, or Miso. From there you get several Ramen fixings such as bamboo shoots, nori, and BBQ pork slices. There are also several fixings you can request for a small additive charge. I often request the boiled egg which I think was marinated in soy sauce. Every bowl of ramen contains, well, the ramen noodle of course. Once in a while they do have random specials, I remember having a refreshing soba noodle dish during the summer and my recent visit had an interesting concoction that they called "Ninja Ramen". I feel that every visit Muku is a different but comforting experience. I never stay with one specific ramen style and always change things up. Every time I am never disappointed and always satisfied. The broth is always robust and drives the character of the dish. And the fixings always make every slurp, chew, and gulp indefinably wonderful. I feel like a kid in a large playground full of swings, ladders, and planks. However, when I sometimes eat here with my mom, she finds the broth a little salty, so with a kind request, Muku will make the adjustments necessary for her to enjoy her bowl or Ramen.
I wish there were more noodle house places in Calgary like Muku. There used to be Sobaten on 11 Ave but that came to pass a long time ago. While there are restaurants in Calgary that have Ramen in their menu, I prefer to go to a place that is more focused on a specific style of dish, i.e. noodle house, you can tell by Muku's open kitchen that they are dedicated to serving you a great bowl of RamenListed in: BECAUSE I SAID SO!!
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Review from Ed I.
Okay, ever since Cafe de Tokyo closed down years ago off Edmonton Trail (Ken Yoshida). I've been looking for a place to satisfy my Ramen noodle craving. Then my family and I found Shikiji's off center/ and 16th ave. (A little pricier). Then we stumbled upon Muku, it's a small restaurant seating is L shaped around an open kitchen with a few seats around the "Bar". They specialize in noodles, so if you're looking for sushi don't come to Muku's. You can go next door to Globefish if you want sushi, they actually unofficially share a parking lot between them. Muku also has a few appy's like takoyaki (they sorta resemble a timbit witha small piece of octopus inside). Takoyaki is actually deepfried with I think a buckwheat flour and then sprinkled with fishflakes and tonkatsu sauce. You can also order the noodles in a combination with a salad. The portions are decent, not huge but you won't walk out feeling that you got ripped off or you didn;t get your moneys worth. I hate it when you leave a restaurant and you fell overstuffed too. At the end of the meal my kids always look forward to getting a sucker. One of the few place that gives kids a sucker, instead of a mint most people leave behind in the bill tray.
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Review from Trish L.
Calgary, AB
10/19/2008
Muku Japanese Noodle House just opened recently in the location where Globefish Sushi used to be on 14St NW. Globefish has now moved next door to the building that used to be occupied by a chinese restaurant.
I went to Muku for the first time yesterday for lunch. This is a great little spot for ramen noodles. Muku specializes in ramen noodles and has a very limited menu of other items. There is no sushi served at Muku, which makes sense as that's why Globefish specializes in. They have about 10 different variations on ramen. About half of them were soy-sauced based and half were miso based. For the soy-sauce based, they had ton-katsu ramen, spicy ton-katsu ramen, chasu ramen, wonton ramen, and chasu wonton ramen. For the miso based, they offered miso ramen, miso wonton ramen, miso wonton chasu ramen,etc.
I really enjoyed the ton-katsu ramen (soy-sauce based broth). The noodles were a little chewy as they are supposed to be. I really liked the chewiness of the noodles. The bbq pork was not too fatty. I wasn't crazy about the broth as it was quite rich. But in comparison, it was quite decent and not greasy. This place is definitely much better than Shikiji's. I'm glad we have more choices now when it comes to ramen noodles ever since Muku opened. I heard the chef was from Hiroshima. This is definitely a nice place for lunch. I'd go back for sure. It's also nice that they have parking as well. -
Review from vanessa t.
Calgary, AB
1/21/2009
I didn't think Muku Japanese Noodle House was that great. It's really nothing out of the ordinary.
When I went, she messed up my order, but I didn't complain, I just ate what she gave me (she gave me a spicy noodle instead of the non-spicy one I ordered). I was surprised when I took a bite and a sip of soup, there were little flavor in it!
My pork slices were really stiff too.
I don't think I'm going to purposely go back for it, but it's a place that you should try out. -
Review from Dale D.
Calgary, AB
2/14/2010
Authentic Ramen... freshly prepared. Friendly service. Cheap to eat here.
The shrimp dumplings are really good!
I go here often for lunch when I'm out, nearby and hungry.
Some people have rated it low/bland but Japanese food isn't really known for strong flavours... it's a subtle cuisine. Expectations are well...
Parking is a problem at this place. Not much space and Globe Fish overflows into their lot. -
Review from Noelle W.
Calgary, AB
5/10/2011
Incredible food! I have loved the Miso Ramen from Muku forever, and was thrilled when they started to introduce combination menu items. Their combo offerings are just as delish as the noodle bowls!
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Review from Karen K.
Calgary, AB
10/8/2010
I really loved this place, they offer three main options for Ramen yumminess, and the place is almost always busy I cant wait to go back and get more, oh and the sukiyaki beef is awesome!!!
Listed in: cheap eats
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Review from Wilbert C.
Calgary, AB
11/10/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Loooooooooved the food selection, the service, the price and the ambiance. I wanted to hug all the staff.
