Food was great, service was not. Only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five. I got a whiskey highball that was disappointing. The food was super good. Don't recommend stopping by if you're in a rush, but it's good for when you have a lot of time to sit down for dinner. read more

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This place has amazing food! I ordered the beef noodle and chicken wings and they were great! They had a DJ and they were playing mahjong! Even though they were busy the service was great! I will absolutely be returning !!! read more

Alkaline - Beef noodle - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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This is my second visit. I was not impressed by the flavor during my first visit, so decided to give it another try because the reviews here rave about the ramen. It was the same experience. The ramen lacks flavor, which was very surprising to me due to the reviews, and there are not condiments readily available. The ramen was very bland. The egg is also very runny (not a jammy egg like most ramen spots). The atmosphere is such a nice atmosphere, it's a chill place. We tried 3 different ramens and they all really lacked flavor. The service is good, we sat at the bar first times. There are not a lot of ramen options on the menu. read more

Alkaline - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I got the duck ramen that was on a separate menu. It was really good. At one point I must have eaten ALL the spice that was in the dish. Probably should have mixed it up a little. At lunch in a Saturday it wasn't very busy. We were sat right away. The food came out quick and hot. The Asian wings were pretty good also. read more

Alkaline - Duck ramen - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Great atmosphere and vibe. Really enjoyed the Ramen. They also have great deals for happy hour. read more

Alkaline - spicy red curry ramen - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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We have been to ramen and Asian fusion places all over the US and in other countries. Living in the DMV we are surrounded by them. I do not understand the hype at Alkaline. The waitress was great! She was one of the best parts of the experience. The Brussels Sprouts appetizer was the other. They were full of flavor. Definitely order these. The wantons- meh The ramen ... ummmm where was the flavor?? The broth is supposed to be the best part. We have never had to add fish sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, salt or anything else to a delicious bowl of ramen or pho. This was the first time we have ever asked for soy sauce in an effort to add some taste to the soup. Even the pork on the garlic ramen had 0 flavor. It tasted like pork battered in non seasoned panko crumbs. We were dipping it in soy sauce and using the left over sauce from the Brussels Sprouts in an effort to give it some taste. What's with the egg? My son hates the eggs so I told him I would eat his. It was barely cooked. When he tried to pick it up it opened and gushed everywhere. That was a first. All of the eggs were like that. We had 4 bowls of ramen. I'm not even sure if we ate 1/2 of the bowls. The only reason we forced ourselves to eat it was because we had a 3 hour drive home. Our bill was just under $100 and not worth it at all. This was a huge disappointment. Maybe we went on an off day. Out of all the places we ate at, on our short trip, this was the only place all of us said we'd never go back to. 2 stars for the Brussels and the waitress. After reading reviews it seems I am not alone in my assessment. One reviewer said this is a Filipino owned establishment. How do they not know what Patis is?? When I asked the other waitress she said she didn't know what that was. Patis is a staple in Filipino cuisine. read more

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Visited here with some friends and will definitely be back. I got the tonkotsu and it was the perfect bowl. The broth was flavorful and piping hot, the noodles were cooked so they still had some texture and bite, the shredded pork was amazing and the egg was the best jammy consistency. The playlist was popping in the background and the staff was accommodating to our group. Very reasonably priced as well. read more

My cousin and I decided to dine in at Alkaline on Saturday night since we heard nothing but great things about their food. We arrived around 7pm and were seated right away. The restaurant was a bit smaller than expected but the dim lighting and the great music definitely created a vibe that we really enjoyed. Unfortunately, it took quite a while for our server to greet us, but it gave us time to thoroughly look over the menu. Once our server finally arrived, we ordered everything at once and decided on the Fried Brussels Sprouts, Asian Sticky Wings and the Lumpia for apps. I then ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen while my cousin chose the Spicy Red Curry Ramen. The appetizers were served pretty quickly and we had to try the Asian Sticky Wings first, since they're all the rave. I liked them but I've had better. They could've added a bit more flavor to the sauce but the crunchy texture was perfect. The Fried Brussels Sprouts were pretty good and were cooked very well! The Lumpia was amazing though!!! They tasted very homemade and were packed with flavor. The Tonkotsu Ramen was good but it would've been better if I spiced it up a bit. My cousin enjoyed her Spicy Red Curry Ramen. She mentioned it being pretty spicy but wasn't unbearable. Before we left, we tried the Miso Butter Cake which included chocolate chips, miso caramel and candied pecans. The miso caramel gave the cake a sweet & salty taste which balanced everything out so well! It was delicious! Overall, I would definitely return again. The cocktails were amazing and the food was pretty decent, I just hope the service is a bit better next time. read more

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Went in the other night on a double date night for the first time. They had been quite busy and were clearly a little short staffed but that did not interfere with our experience at all. We did have a little on the longer side wait to be seated, but you could see that everyone was busting their ass to do their jobs. The bar was pretty full, otherwise we would have waited there. Once we were seated we ordered drinks and apps, and despite the amount of people they came out in a pretty timely manner. We ordered the wontons, green bean salad, Brussels sprouts, and pork belly. Everything was amazing and I could have ordered 4 more orders of wontons. For our meals we had fried rice and ramen. Everything I tasted was exceptional. We thought that since we had been told they were slammed that it may have affected the meal, but it was all delicious, and fresh. Our waitress was on her first day back from an injury (we pried), and did amazing! Right back into the groove and made sure we didn't go without anything we needed. She was fun, joked around with us, and made the entire night better. We hope we gave her a little fun in return. Overall, we'll be heading back there again soon to try more of the menu! read more

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I've been coming here for years now but this is the first time I've left a review. We came in about a hour before they closed and were quickly seated. The inside is such a vibe - neon lights, cool artwork, anime playing in the front, it's just a really cool place. For the food, we ordered the fried Brussels sprouts, 3X Garlic tonkotsu, and the big smokehouse ramen. Brussels sprouts were really good - perfectly crispy and flavourful. The 3x garlic tonkotsu is probably my favourite ramen of all time. You get a cripsy pork cutlet on top with a creamy broth with tons of flavour. The noodles were cooked perfectly. We missed out on the miso butter cake but if you're there, def get it!!! read more

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Always such a great spot for Ramen and Asian fusion dishes! Service is quick and they always check up on you. The restaurant has cute lights and ambient lighting which made for a great dining experience. read more

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So been here several times and I have to say the service is always on point. Servers are nice and very attentive. The ramen is good. Not my all time favorite but definitely worth a try. The place can be a little noisy when it's full but you can generally still hold a conversation. I have no doubt that we will be back. read more

Alkaline - Dining room - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

The red curry ramen was very flavorful and wasn't salty. The warning on the menu with 3 peppers was right though because it was it was pretty spicy. If you are a spice fiend, I highly recommend this to you. The brussel sprouts were really good, but I don't know why it was only given on half of the plate. It was quite a bummer with that. They share a parking lot with other restaurants and stores. read more

Alkaline - Black sesame ramen - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Has a nice high end modern bar ambiance. Our waiter was helpful letting us know what the dishes were like. Food came very timely and the ramen was a nice modern take. One of my favorite parts was the beef it could probably be a meal on its own and was very flavorful. The wings are a must have as well and were probably the best asian wings I've ever had. The desert bread was dry and didn't really satisfy me. All together though it was a good experience. read more

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Spicy as advertised. Chicken was juicy and paired well with the spicy red curry ramen read more

Alkaline - spicy red curry ramen - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Alkaline has been on my bucket list for YEARS, and I'm thrilled to finally check it off. First, the yuzu lager on draft was delicious. For our meals, husband ordered the beef noodle soup and I went with triple garlic katsu ramen. Both were full of flavor and richness. We swapped bowls a few times because they were equally delicious. We ordered the miso butter cake for dessert, which was excellent. The caramel sauce and candied pecans really set it off. Our server was very friendly, and the playlist was enjoyable. We'll be back! read more

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Nothing like my on a rainy day. We came in for a late lunch so it wasn't crowded. We were seated quickly & our server was attentive. We got the lumpia to start and they were yummy. I got the beef noodle soup Md ales for extra chili oil to make it spicier. The beef noodle soup was tasty, full of flavor. My fiancé got the curry ramen. His was really spicy! I'll definitely get that next time. A great spot for ramen!! read more

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Delicious food and great environment. Unfortunately it is a bit pricey but they give you a huge bowl of ramen. We got the okonomiyaki tater tots, lumpia, and bowls of ramen. The tots were good but nothing too special, but i also have a high bar to pass for okonomiyaki. The lumpia was delicious but they just gave us two cut in half. I got the Kimchi Ramen which was loaded with meat and ingredients! Very delicious. Service was great as well, quick and they kept checking on us for water read more

Alkaline - The remains of tater tots and lumpia - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Great service, great atmosphere, great food. Worth a visit! I really enjoyed everything that I ordered. read more

Alkaline - green bean salad, brussels sprouts, triflin' hot sauce - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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It's been a while since I've had alkaline and I was happy with my lunch experience. Came with a friend for lunch. I had the triple garlic katsu and it did not disappoint. We also had the lumpia as part of a special meal. The service was excellent honestly read more

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It was a rainy Friday night, and we couldn't imagine eating anything else but a delicious bowl of ramen. FOOD: They ran out of the tonkatsu ramen, so we ordered the shoyu ramen and asked to substitute the shredded beef for the braised pork belly. I've never in my life seen shredded beef in ramen, so I'm glad we could sub it for something better ($2 charge). They were also out of some cocktails, but I tried the "Everything Goes," which was pretty good. SERVICE: Pretty good service, although they should have told us what they were out of when we sat down :/ We didn't have to wait any time to be seated on a Friday night, which was pretty great. LOCATION: Spacious and clean spot! Many 4-top tables, so they are not too friendly for big groups. Will we return? Yeah, absolutely! It's a good ramen spot near our home :) read more

Alkaline - Shoyu Ramen sub Braised Pork Belly - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I'm sorry, but this ramen joint ain't it. Alkaline is a Filipino-owned ramen place that seems to have a loyal following. We were curious about their menu, so we decided to give them a try for dinner. We ordered: +the Tonkotsu - a pork broth with shredded pork and scallions; the broth was okay, and not as thick and creamy as we thought it would be; the shredded pork, while marinated, was EXTREMELY salty, as if someone unloaded a pound of it in it, either accidentally or on purpose +the Kimchi Ramen - a kimchi broth that usually comes with shredded pork and scallions; the broth had a weird off-putting sour/vinegary aftertaste, and, no, not from the kimchi - not sure if it's the 'seasoning' or the 'spices' that were used? The kimchi, while fermented, could have been fermented longer, especially if you were using it to make a broth for it (think of jjigaes); I had requested to substitute the shredded pork for the pork belly, but there was never any mention of an upcharge, as it doesn't state that when you're ordering online - what's that all about? The noodles, while cooked al dente, had a mildew/old dishrag taste, meaning someone wasn't cleaning their tools properly, or they were wiping them with an old rag that hadn't been washed in a while. Super gross. In addition, the kimchi ramen was missing the egg - I thought it would be a nitimago egg, but it was a cold, slimy, watery poached egg that was not at all seasoned. Super weird. I'm not sure if it was even worth mentioning that the egg was missing, because it did not do anything to the ramen. Just be sure to check your items for any missing ingredients. Our server was Alisha R. - she was nice, but it took a while for her to come to our table, place our orders, and we just didn't see her throughout our dining experience (like, at all) until we had to flag her down to get the check. She never mentioned anything about the specials (such as the garlic katsu ramen), and we only found out about it on our own from an obscure little paper that was pushed off to the side on our table that looked like a drink menu. Nor, did she mention the upcharge on protein substitutions (this was also not mentioned anywhere on the menu/online ordering). There's basic service, but this was just way below it. We had trouble getting anyone's attention for missing items (the egg), refills, and the check. I don't think we've ever strained our necks so hard to catch someone at an eatery. The place seemed busy - I wished we had the same delicious experience that others have had. We regretted coming here. No dice, Alkaline. +old dishrag-tasting noodles +off-putting tasting broths +missing ingredients - check your orders +non-existent service +plenty of parking in the shared plaza lot read more

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Definitely enjoy coming here one because it is walking distance from me but also because it has an amazing environment/ambiance. If you are in the mood for a good vibe with darker style bar/seating with anime playing this is the place! It is a great date night location but also just good for sitting there and takeout. I love that they have a happy hour and give 15% off during that time for the ramens. I enjoy their shoyu ramen and love the portion size. I will say that my friend who got the beef ramen did not enjoy it as much since it was too salty. Service here is also really nice and the amount of time you have to wait for ramen is not that long either. This is great ramen for a rainy or cold day if you want something warm in the Norfolk area. Definitely will be coming back in the future with friends whenever I am craving ramen close to me! read more

Alkaline - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Alkaline has been a favorite of mine since their pop up days at Pendulum Meats I love the ambiance of their place from the color scheme to the neon signs. Toward the back near the bathrooms is a neon sign that says "mo money mo problems" in Tagalog and it's one of my favorites. So! Food-wise! My classics are the tater tots, tonkotsu (add pork belly, it's a must), and the miso butter cake. Their specials are awesome. Most notable menu items that I remember off the top of my head are the farmhouse ramen, the palabok shrimp toast, and the triple garlic ramen. I wish I could go back in time to experience trying it for the first time lol. The miso butter cake gives me the same feeling too. The music is always on point, staff is kind and courteous. It's a whole vibe really. I have to prepare my wallet anytime I'm there because I can't go without ordering a good drink, a few appetizers (sticky wings if I'm feeling like a baller), ramen of course, and dessert. Truly a Norfolk gem read more

Alkaline - Tater Tot Okonomiyaki - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Had the beef ramen with pork belly, and it was so good. Sat at the bar and service was great and bartender was very nice and friendly read more

Alkaline - Braised beef ramen was so good - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Nice clean location and great host at the front and bar I ordered the spicy beef and added bok choy. The food meal had the perfect amount of spice and a nice serving for the price. I ordered my meal to go. The order took about 10-15 minutes to receive. read more

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Absolutely love this place! Best ramen you can get in my opinion, I always get the beef ramen and my husband gets the tonkatsu ramen. Our servers name was Brittany and she was incredibly attentive, sweet, and friendly. The drinks are always really good here but are more on the pricier side however completely worth it, recommend the everything goes. Our favorite appetizer to get is always the green beans as well as the fried rice. The ambience is calm and pleasant. read more

Alkaline - green bean salad - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I'll start off by saying that the service and atmosphere is great. The music and the vibe is really nice. I wish I could say the same about the food. The sticky wings was an appetizer there was no flavor. I can understand what they were trying to accomplish but they need push it further. There was no seasoning. The sauce was very bland and not sticky. The Beef noodle soup also had zero flavor. The broth tasted like it was store bought. This is the second time I have been to this establishment. I didn't like it the first time so I thought I would give it another try. I'm sorry that I did. read more

Alkaline - Asian Sticky wings - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I couldn't believe the place wasn't packed after seeing how good it was. I will be back! Brussels sprouts were amazing. read more

Alkaline - brussels sprouts - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I have great hopes for Alkaline. It was one of the ramen places everyone talked about in the area. Ambiance: The place was bright and very modern. It is clean, and you won't feel claustrophobic. Food: We ordered Tater Tot Okonomiyaki as our appetizer and Tonkatsu Ramen and Shoyu Ramen as our entree. The Tater Tot Okonomiyaki was the highlight of our meal. It tasted similar to a takoyaki without the octopus. It was our first time trying it, and we will try again next time. The broth for the Tonkatsu ramen and Shoyu Ramen were flavorful and delicious. The only thing I disliked was that they served it with shredded meat. It was my first time eating ramen with shredded meat. While I like variations, I was not too fond of the texture of the shredded meat on my Ramen, and I prefer the whole thing instead of the shredded ones. Service: Our servers were pleasant and friendly. They were able to accommodate my requests. I hope to try other things on their menu since, from what I've been told, they are an Asian Fusion restaurant. I am unsure if I am still getting the Ramen with shredded meat in the future, but we will still be back. read more

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Overall it was a great experience!! Food quality was surprisingly very good and I was happy to see that they served chu hais! I've been stationed in Japan the last three years and so far this is one of the best ramen spots I've been to in Norfolk. The chu hi was a bit watered down from what I'm used to but it was the nostalgic factor that made me content with it. Service was amazing, hopefully I'll get the same server the next time I'm there! Only giving four stars this time just purely on the prices. I was a bit confused on how my appetizer (Asian sticky wings) cost more than the ramen and just the surprise gratuity of having six people at dinner. I thought the standard for large groups at restaurants were eight people and above....I could be wrong but it was definitely a shock to see that 20% gratuity was already included in the cost. Regardless, a great meal experience and I can see myself coming back! read more

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The place has a great vibe, intimate and dim lighting with some cool decorations! Service was extremely friendly and food was good. You can even get a refill on noodles if you have extra broth left over at the end which was awesome! read more

Alkaline - Smokehouse ramen - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Since it's been years since my last visit, I decided to come back at their re-location. They're now located in a shared shopping center close to downtown Norfolk - right across from a grocery store and by other nearby restaurants. After ordering, the wait was not very long. My friend ordered the crispy brussel sprouts as an app and it was really good. It had a nice sweet and spicy glaze over it. For soup, we ordered the spicy red curry ramen. The flavor was very deep. It wasn't overly fragrant. And the soup was super creamy. The noodles had a very firm texture, though I do like mine a little more soft. The sousvide chicken was super tender and complimented the ramen so well. The only thing that was getting me was the heat. I had to drink water after each bite, lol. To be fair, the description said "very spicy". It went just a bit over my tolerance I guess. I also got the miso butter cake that I remember getting my first time around and it was just as good as I remembered. With the ice cream on top, it just balanced the saltiness of the miso. The cake itself was nice and moist. read more

Alkaline - Miso Butter Cake - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I think I found my new favorite ramen place in Norfolk! This restaurant/bar is located in Ghent in the shopping center across from Aldi. The ambiance here is very modern with some cool artwork & neon lights. Great music selection. It was a very busy night for them the day I came so I waited for a few mins to be seated at the bar. There is maybe 10 seats at the bar. The dining area has more seats/tables. The drink I tried was the Love Letter, so delicious not too strong or sweet. They have a few signature cocktails & a nice selection of sake & beer. Now the ramen I ordered was the Spicy Beef one..this was probably the best beef ramen I've ever tried. The soup had so much flavor, the beef was so tender and juicy. Everything about it was perfect. I would definitely come back again just for that ramen. They do close Monday & Tuesday& open the rest of the week. read more

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Went around 6pm on a Saturday evening. It was almost a full house with some customers waiting by the door. We ordered the wings appetizer which came out fairly quickly but it took a very long time for the ramen to come out. Also noticed that a lot of other customers were waiting a long time for their food. The wings and ramen tasted good. The music was loud and upbeat by the bar. The workers were all friendly however they could have stopped by more often for water refills. read more

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I usually dine in and the service is great! There's usually one girl there in particular who always waits on us and she is the same one who took my order for my to go order. The dining room is always clean and I like that the wait staff seems to be comfortable working there. The Tonkatsu ramen is the one I go with 99 percent of the time but the triple garlic is also a really good broth. Tonight I went with the Tonkatsu and an order of house pickles on the side. The house pickles are amazing!!! I came from San Diego and this is the closest I can find to my favorite spot, I just wish they used more garlic! read more

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Great service. Quick. The Asian wings were delicious. The ramen was very salty though. I haven't had ramen many times so I can't easily compare but it was definitely salty. The menu is slightly too small also. Not many options. read more

Embarrassed to say I haven't been to Alkaline since they got a new location, I've definitely been missing out! First thing our server was so nice and super helpful! We got the Tater Tot Okonomiyaki as our appetizer and each got a bowl of ramen. It happened to be a rainy day when we visited and the creamy Katsu was perfect! The veggie side also had an amazing flavor. I got 2 cocktails and they were both great & my husband enjoyed his beer. They have a full bar where I think you can sit at as well as tables. It's family friendly and a great place for a date night too! read more

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The service is great and cleanliness is notable. But I can't give anything more than 2 stars for food - maybe it's an off day or maybe it's the first ramen order of the day (I was the first to be seated after they opened at 11am) that the cook forgot that he just had way too Much salt!!!! The broth and noodles are almost inedible. I just stopped eating and asked for it to be packaged to go - maybe I can add boiling water when I go home to water down the broth! So now am waiting on the miso butter cake (without ice cream, an option that's available to you for $2). It's just nippy outside, not in the mood for anything cold! After about 7 minutes, lo and behold - burnt walnuts (bitter!) garnishing an otherwise okay plate. The cake was burnt on the edges and at the bottom. Memories come rushing back and quickly reminded me why I never went back the first time I ate here 4 years ago! Sorry Dennis, I would have loved your recommendations... you didn't disappoint with the others! read more

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I had a great experience at Alkaline. I really enjoyed the tonkotsu ramen and ordered another serving of noodles. I've now been here 5 separate times and have recommended it to friends in the area because it is so tasty. The servers have all been very hospitable. The happy hour special is a great deal: I want to say it's 15% off ramen and $1 off all add-ons with cheap drinks. The interior of the restaurant (including the bathrooms) is very nice. I also love that the menu doesn't have an abundance of items. I wish the water cups were a little bigger and that the long cushion seats did not move around. Still, Alkaline is my favorite ramen spot in Hampton Roads, and I will be back very soon. read more

Alkaline - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia