Red Light Ramen by Ardent

Wow i am so happy i finally got to come here! it is a little smaller than i thought it would be, but it is so adorable. i love the red walls and the artwork throughout the restaurant. i also find it really cool that you have to walk down some stairs to enter. The miso mushroom ramen was really good. i liked the umami flavor of the broth, and i love anything that has mushrooms in it. they also have two desserts that i haven't had a chance to try, but are definitely on my list for next time

Ramen is ok, not super outstanding considering the cost and wait times. Wait is about 30-45min for group of 2, group of 3-4 might be a bit longer since there are limited bigger tables. Overall, it's a fun setting for eating out with friends. You will have to order at the bar, so I recommend figuring out your order while you're in line. Wait staff was very friendly and food came out quickly. I guess it's worth going before they close the business for good on July 13th, but there are other places in Milwaukee for ramen.🍜🍜🍜 Parking is very difficult in the East Side area on the streets. There is a paid lot near the old FedEx building which might be the easiest if you cannot find a spot that fits your car. If you are with a group, I would recommend 1 person drop people off to wait in line while they find a parking spot. There are stairs going down to the restaurant, so it might be limiting if you have accessibility concerns.

This considerably tiny ramen restaurant has a colossal taste. Your flavor palette will not be disappointed, each dish is like a personal gift. Though you might want to rush to get in it's first come first serve, but you won't want to rush to leave as the ambiance is quite nice and comfortable. An included photo of the entrance as it's a bit hidden.

I'd been saving this place place for a date night but absolutely had to get in when I heard they're closing next week. The space is so small! I've never been to a true ramenya, so maybe it adds authenticity? Ordered the tonkatsu, as one does at a ramen shop first time, and it was so delicious! The tonkatsu broth was so flavorful, the egg was so soy salty and custardy, and the pieces of pork were fall apart soft and just as delicious as the broth. I regret not trying it on my own, but I felt guilty occupying a table just for myself when tables are kind of at a premium.

Placed an order for pick up, and didn’t realize we would be receiving “kits” so we had to make it ourselves; it is way overpriced if we have to cook it ourselves. And they put the wrong order in the kit; both kits were labeled chicken but one was beef :( i did not like the beef one at all, but the chicken one was okay. The staff was nice.

Truly authentic Ramen. I was fortunate enough to live in Yokohama, Japan for 2 years and was able to experience many types of Ramen, and Red Light Ramen by far has the best Ramen in Milwaukee (even better than the best Ramen I've had in Chicago). Justin, the owner, and Zach, head chef, are amazing and could not be more hospitable. Oh yeah, the slushie drinks are great too! I cannot recommend Red Light Ramen highly enough. Authentic and delicious!!

Such a shame how far red light has fallen since coming to Milwaukee. The quality is no better than store bought after the pandemic and service dropped off as well, but the prices kept going up. I guess that's why they couldn't stay competitive and decided to close. A shame really as they were the blueprint of ramen should have been but alas cut corners when others improved theirs. Plenty of better options at far better prices.

I ordered through Doordash and got the ramen kits delivered. I’m not sure if my experience would’ve been better if I was in the restaurant instead, but I wasn’t, so this is my review :) The biggest thing was my order was wrong. Along with the Mushroom miso kit and the rice bowl kit (which arrived correctly) I ordered tonkatsu but was delivered the chicken paitan. I’m not normally one to complain though, so I took the opportunity to try something new. The presentation and packaging was great! The instructions were super helpful and very easy to follow too. I prepared everything according to the instructions, but it didn’t taste super fresh. Not old or bad, but not super fresh. Like it had been sitting prepared in a fridge for a couple days or a week before it was delivered to me. The broth was also salty but still a little bland. At least not as flavorful as I would expect from a chicken broth at a ramen restaurant anyways. Just tasted like standard canned chicken broth with a few added seasonings maybe. I wasn’t impressed (and I’m pretty easy to impress when it comes to food.) All in all, the chicken paitan was ok. It wasn’t amazing, it was better than a 30¢ instant ramen from the store, but not something I would return to get again. I was planning on having the other ramen kit and rice bowl for lunch and dinner tomorrow, so I’ll edit this post with updates as I have them! I always found pics to help, so enjoy! :)