Kearny Mesa · Best Ramen in San Diego
Menya Ultra Review
Last updatedRanked #1 of 7 in Best Ramen in San Diego
The cleanest, richest tonkotsu in the county and the bowl every other shop gets measured against.
Score breakdown
- Taste96/100
- Consistency92/100
- Value88/100
- Atmosphere80/100
- Uniqueness90/100
The verdict on Menya Ultra
Ranked #1 of 7 — 91/100 in our Best Ramen in San Diego coverage
Menya Ultra's broth is simmered long enough to go opaque and silky without turning gluey, which is the line most San Diego shops fail to walk. The noodles arrive genuinely firm, the chashu is torched to order, and the ajitama yolk is still jammy. It is a focused menu executed the same way every visit.
What to order at Menya Ultra
Across our coverage the recommendation is consistent: Ultra tonkotsu with extra chashu.
Go at 2 PM on a weekday — the line at 7 PM regularly runs 30+ minutes.
Is Menya Ultra worth the price?
Menya Ultra sits at $16–20 — the budget band for this category. Nothing else we ranked in this category lands in the same price bracket, so the comparison is against cheaper or pricier alternatives rather than a like-for-like rival.
Menya Ultra FAQ
Is Menya Ultra expensive?
Menya Ultra is priced at $16–20, which puts it in the budget band for this category. There is no other option at the exact same price point on the same list, so treat it as its own bracket.
Is Menya Ultra worth it?
It scores 91/100, 5.4 points above the 85.6 average for its list. That's a solid recommendation within the category.
What should I order at Menya Ultra?
We recommend the Ultra tonkotsu with extra chashu.
What else is nearby Menya Ultra?
Hidden Fish (92/100 in our best sushi in san diego list) and K Sandwiches (92/100 in our best banh mi in san diego list) are also ranked in the same neighborhood, so it's easy to pair a visit.
What works
- Strong taste — scored 96/100 in our ranking
- Strong consistency — scored 92/100 in our ranking
- Strong uniqueness — scored 90/100 in our ranking
- Top-1 finish out of 7 spots we scored in this category
Know before you go
- Atmosphere is the weak point — 80/100, below the rest of its scores
- Go at 2 PM on a weekday — the line at 7 PM regularly runs 30+ minutes.
The full review
Menya Ultra's broth is simmered long enough to go opaque and silky without turning gluey, which is the line most San Diego shops fail to walk. The noodles arrive genuinely firm, the chashu is torched to order, and the ajitama yolk is still jammy. It is a focused menu executed the same way every visit.
On our weighted scale it earns 91/100 — the top score of all 7 places we evaluated for best ramen in san diego. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes.
What to order at Menya Ultra
Ultra tonkotsu with extra chashu
Price: $16–20
How we scored Menya Ultra
Every score on this page comes from the same editorial rubric we apply to the whole category: taste, consistency, value, atmosphere, uniqueness. The criteria are weighted toward what matters most in the category, compared against every other place we ranked in the same list rather than against an abstract ideal. We eat at the places we rank, pay full price for what we order, and re-score when a kitchen, chef or menu changes. Scores are editorial judgments rather than aggregated user ratings.