Ramen Dojo in San Mateo is a noodle hot spot specializing in spicy ramen soup along with a variety of savory appetizers. Customize your broth with soy sauce, garlic pork, or soybean options, choose your spiciness, and pick toppings like spicy cod roe and mushrooms. Or, you might stick to the classic Dojo Bowl, which is loaded with two fatty pieces of roast pork, kikuage mushrooms, green chives, shredded bell pepper, and a quail egg. There’s also a scoop of chicken gravy (a mixture of ground ginger, garlic, and shiitake mushrooms) that quickly blends into the broth.

Stand-out appetizers include the steamed pork gyoza made with tasty, delicate wrappers, deep-fried squid legs, and the refreshing seaweed salad. The eatery is intimate and seats about two dozen people, however the hyper-efficient staff keeps things moving, so you don’t have to wait too long for a table. Stop by Ramen Dojo Wednesday through Monday for lunch and dinner.