HinoMaru Ramen
“- Hinoramu Ramen ($13)
Much like the Tonkotsu bowl, but with a spicy "fireball" and the all-important monkey fishcake.”
“This is probably my favorite ramen location in Queens with reasonable pricing.”
“I ordered the Tonkotsu (Hakata Style) for $10.00, which is a creamy pork broth w/chashu, kikurage, scallion, menma, nori, naruto.”
HinoMaru Ramen
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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A bowl of ramen is all you need on a cold Friday night. HinoMaru is a casual restaurant with seating primarily for couples/2 people. There is seating for bigger groups in the back of the restaurant. If you are looking for the a-typical ramen dishes, you have come to the right place.
We ordered:
– Charsiu pork bun which was very juicy and tasty. The price was very expensive ($4) for one bun.
– Fried chicken wings which were flavorful and gently fried. dish came with 5 wings.
– Uni Ramen was interesting. It tasted like an alfredo pasta dish with uni in there! Not very traditional but a great take on a dish. Expect it to be very creamy and heavy.
– HinoMaru ramen was very traditional stable dish. We asked for a poached egg to be added for $2.
Service was on point.
If you ever read any of my previous reviews you would know that I love ramen. If I could eat it everyday all day for the rest of my life, I really would. I've had my favorite restaurant that I would regularly go to. After eating here, I felt like I left my wife for a younger and more attractive female.
I was greeted warmly at the door and seated right away. The restaurant was immaculate and so was the restroom.
I ordered the tonkatsu ramen along with a pork bun and a Japanese Soda. The pork bun was full of flavor. The pork was just a bit tough but so delicious.
The ramen was so freaking good. The ramen to broth ratio was perfect. The noodles had a good bite to it, the broth was heavenly and the pork was tender. This place made me feel guilty because I knew right away that I will no longer be attending my former favorite ramen spot.
I can't wait to return.
For ramen in Astoria, this is the go to. The staff is very attentive and welcoming. They answered questions I had about the menu and the ramen is great. Their broth is very flavorful and the noodles they used Werner soggy like tamashi (another ramen spot in Astoria)
The first time I paid a visit to HinoMaru Ramen was about 2-3 years ago and I remembered liking it enough that I wanted to come back again. The husband and I revisited this past Friday and there was zero wait at peak dinner time – that's cool. After going through the extensive menus, we ordered the geso karaage (crispy squid legs) as an appetizer and each ordered the hinomaru ramen.
When the squid legs arrived, I was kind of disappointed by the portion size but I guess I can't complain considering it was only $6. The squid was a touch darker in color and thinner than it looks in the Yelp photos (then again there is a thing called filters nowadays and pictures also does add on 10 pounds right?!). While I did think it was just a tad chewy, it had great sea flavors that was even better with a sprinkle of the lemon juice and spicy mayo. The little salad it came with helped balance out the fried element of the squid.
The hinomaru ramen no longer comes with the cute little monkey fishcake which really sucks. That was one of the more memorable features that I remembered from years ago. Luckily I mentally prepare myself for such an event since I've read about the missing monkey in several recent Yelp reviews but still I was secretly hoping it was going to appear atop my ramen. Silly, I know. Anyway, the hinomaru ramen was respectable but missing something. Perhaps depth. While the broth was pretty good, it didn't have umami. I didn't have the yearn to keep sipping and savoring the broth which is normally key to incredible ramen. The ramen came with two pretty generous pieces of cha-su which were both partially fatty and lean, just perfect. I loved the thin noodles and the fiery kick from the "fireball." They are not cheap with the amount of ramen noodles and we were SO full from it.
Overall I think HinoMaru serves some tasty foods and worth a visit when craving for Japanese ramen and snacks while in Astoria. However with all the ramen options in the city and the much anticipated opening of Ichiran (!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!) in Brooklyn, it falls short.
never disappointed by the ramen or service. The food is delicious (hinomaru is always good and the pork buns are nice and juicy!) There is a public parking lot around the corner so if you can't find parking on the streets, there is usually parking in the parking lot.
Second part of VacaHobo's NYC trip 2k16:
My friend (much beloved and amazing) live in Astoria, right down the street from this. So my basic yelpness wouldn't have found this place without her. This is HER ramen place, ya – take all her friends and relative here and she always get the Shoyu chix. She loves it.
My other two friends both got the Hinomaru ramen (in the pix there was Mr.Hinomaru monkey-chan's face on it so it must be very special).
Myself, I ordered the Uni Ramen.
Both friends enjoyed the Hinomaru but was disappointed there was no mr.monkey on display 🙁 Maybe they ran out… QQ
My Uni ramen was amazing. Ball to the wall fantastic. The uni was so rich and creamy and the flavoring of the soup overall was fantastic. The bowl was super huge so I almost died trying to finish my ramen.
Seating was fast, service was fast, server was nice and attentive, and they all wear adorable monkey shirts, which I really really want to buy one. The art too is fantastic, super cute restaurant.
I do really want to come back here. Make an excuse to visit my friend just for this haha their lunch menu look superduper affordable too 🙂
First time dining and visiting Astoria!
I came to HinoMaru Ramen with my boyfriend and sister for early dinner upon returning from my cousin's baby shower. We came around 5:30-6PM and it was certainly busy. The dining area of the restaurant was spacious, casual, and there's a blackboard to your immediate left announcing the day's special and a large open kitchen towards the back. There are tables for two people with low stool seating or others fit for slightly larger groups. I also liked that there's another section to the restaurant all the way in the back which allows for a large party and a little privacy.
You won't find sushi or exquisite classical Japanese cuisine at Hinomaru Ramen, but you will find examples of Japanese soul food like ramen. I thought it was interesting they had a beer and ramen pairing menu (my first time seeing this).
For an appetizer, we shared the Ika Maru (whole grilled squid). As amusing to watch the bonito flakes animated by the air inside the restaurant, the grilled squid was mediocre. I feel there wasn't enough sauce and I feel the bonito flakes didn't do much for the grilled squid except served as an edible garnishment and for texture.
My sister ordered the Shio Ramen and she added all the toppings you would find in the vegetarian ramen. The ramen consisted of: blend of chicken, fish, and pork broth with cha-shu, scallions, bamboo, bean sprouts, and fish cake. The vegeterian toppings contained: carrots, red ginger, Chinese broccoli, corn, cauliflower, mushrooms, broccoli, fish cake,and cha-shu pork.) She's not a vegetarian, but she loves her vegetables. She wasn't a fan of the fact that the vegetables tasted and looked stir-fried, but it really did make her ramen pop and vibrant.
My boyfriend and I had similar ramen, but he had the Tonkotsu Ramen *Hakata Style* with a poached egg. The Tonkotsu Ramen *Hakata Style* was filled with: creamy pork broth, cha-shu, wood ear mushroom, poached egg, scallions, bamboo shoots, seaweed and fish cake. The broth was creamy as the menu described and very rich, full of pork flavor.
I ordered the Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen + Poached Egg which was: creamy pork broth, cha-shu, bamboo, wood ear mushrooms, scallions, poached egg, seaweed and fish cake). The broth was extremely creamy and rich, It wasn't over-salted which I extremely liked. The poached egg was perfectly poached and runny. It was truly a harmonious bowl of ramen.
All three of our bowls had straight ramen which reminds me heavily of the ramen at Ippudo. The noodles weren't overcooked and cooked to al dente which I liked very much.
The beer and ramen menu showed that the recommended beer for mine and my boyfriend's ramen was Angry Orchard and for my sister was Blue Moon. It made a slight difference, but I think I prefer my ramen and a cup of tea or water.
I really enjoyed eating at HinoMaru mostly because the ramen and most importantly the broth was excellent. Service was really good and friendly. The atmosphere here is lively, welcoming, and warm. I definitely will be back and it's nice to know there's another reliable lunch and/or dinner option available in Queens besides Flushing and Bayside area.
Came here a couple of times. And the first two times, I thought the ramen was on point. I have had the Tonkatsu, Hinomaru, and Miso.
The third time that I went, or the last time I went, I ordered the Miso, and I thought it was a tad too salty. Not what I recall the last two times. Just a heads up to the management there. Go easy there! People are becoming health conscious. I dont want heartburn after eating ramen. Anyways, for appetizers, we had fried shrimp and octopus. Both pretty pricey for the amount we got but overall super tasty.
One of the better ramen spots in Astoria in my opinion.