A bit of Japan is tucked into a busy spot in Camp Hill. Step into Asoul Ramen, and the first thing you notice is the cherry blossom tree, blooming in pink and adorned with blue and pink lanterns. White lanterns illuminate the hostess desk. Counters and benches in smooth hardwoods brighten the space.
In the dining area, steam rises from heated rocks in a glass divider. Fish lanterns created from recycled paper seem to swim along the ceiling.
The owners of Asoul Ramen wanted to do more than extend their brand of authentic Asian tastes, which already included ramen and bubble tea restaurants in Camp Hill, Lancaster and York. They also wanted—and succeeded in creating—a dining experience wrapped in an authentic aesthetic, with highly stylized décor inspired by Japanese restaurants.
Comfortable tables and a sushi bar invite pairs and groups to enjoy their meals, but the truly unique settings are the custom-designed “honeycomb” tables, each encompassed in a hexagonal frame. On an upper level reached by steep stairs, the honeycomb tables seat two, for intimate dining with a view of the floor below. Honeycomb tables on the floor level seat up to six.
Keep going toward the back, and find additional booths framed in airy dividers. Even the water tumblers evoke a Japanese icon, depicting Mount Fuji in four seasons.
“Almost all the customers ask, ‘How do you get the décor?’” manager Jonathan Dee says.
The answer is simple. The owners drew inspiration from travels to Japan and Hong Kong. The uniquely Japanese style came from contracting a Japanese designer.
Asoul Ramen delivers an elevated aesthetic to Camp Hill. It sits in a corner of the Capital City Mall, with an exterior entrance in the area where other restaurants, including Primanti Bros. and Outback, congregate.
Conveniently, a Pennsylvania Fine Wine and Spirits store is next door, allowing customers to get just the right wine or liquor for their BYOB meals.
Photography Courtesy Of Asoul Ramen
The enticing menu leans heavily on Japanese tastes and dishes while adding dashes of Thai, Hong Kong and Chinese influences.
“We try to plan out new and unique things,” Dee says. “We’re trying to get new things all the time.”
The Chinese-style bao sandwich is a best-selling appetizer. It’s a light way to open a meal, with a fluffy roll wrapped around tender morsels of pork or chicken.
Ramen dishes based on Japanese recipes are simmered for 12 hours. The most popular is the spicy beef ramen, featuring a tasty bowl of noodles, scallion and bamboo shoots, all topped with thin, flavorful steak. Other ramens include the spicy Korean kimchi, vegetable miso, chicken (original or spicy), Japanese curry and Tokyo tonkotsu shoyu with chashu pork, marinated egg, corn, bamboo shoots, wakame, scallion and nori.
Seasonal tastes from the chef’s “Spring Awakening” menu entice with the creamy crab rangoon and the honeycomb omakase, a sampler of chili garlic edamame, lobster balls, takoyaki balls, shrimp tempura, tamagoyaki and seaweed salad, served in delightful fashion on a custom-made honeycomb-style platter.
The diverse Asoul Ramen menu appeals to groups of diners no matter what they’re craving. In addition to ramen, diners can choose a rice entrée, such as Korean BBQ beef cutlet, or sushi, including California roll or tempura shrimp.
Photography Courtesy Of Asoul Ramen
House-made beverage choices complement the appetizers and entrées, such as the nonalcoholic mango or berry mojito or the creamy matcha tea. Top off your meal with a dessert, such as the smooth matcha red bean pudding or the creamy mango crêpe cake. Plans are underway to offer ice cream and smoothies in Asian flavors, including green tea and lychee.
Since opening in October 2024, Asoul Ramen has attracted an eclectic clientele. Parents bring their children. Mall customers sit down after their shopping excursions. Date night couples cozy up in the honeycomb booths. Diners order from tablets at their tables, with choices of combo meals or customizing each dish with add-ons. It’s all enjoyed in an unmatched atmosphere designed to take ramen to the next level, beyond its street food roots and into an atmosphere that inspires leisurely enjoyment of well-prepared dishes.
Asoul Ramen
3735 Capital City Mall Dr, Camp Hill | 717-474-0003 (Reservations not accepted on weekends)
