If you live or work anywhere near downtown, your ramen options to date have been pretty sparse. But Kirimachi Ramen, formerly of North Beach, is now back from the dead and accommodating brisk lunch crowds in Embarcadero Three. Considering the lines that people will happily endure for a bowl of steaming hot ramen, the restaurant's palpable bustle might not be totally necessary, but it's always nice to see a dining room rotation this speedy.
The new Kirimachi's not dissimilar to the first incarnation, offering tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, and vegetarian miso ramen. The tonkotsu is pleasantly salty, although having dodged raindrops to get in the door, I would have loved another ladle of broth over that shredded chasu. Kirimachi's prices have gotten a bit of a bump, too, and there is no takeout until lunch rush ends and happy hour picks up at 2:30. (It's a ramen happy hour, with a chasu-based bowl for $9.95; there is no liquor license.) Most importantly, the noodles are not yet made in-house, but the blog Full Noodle Frontity reported that that will change in early 2015.
Beyond ramen, there's an unagi rice bowl and quite a range of snacky bits and sides, from natto (fermented soybean) tacos to deep-fried octopus, plus uni risotto and uni tartar. While Kirimachi's vibe is a volume business for a business crowd, the far wall is graffitied with swine gorging on their noodles. This is one to keep an eye on.
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