We've eaten in both the downstairs ramen shop, and the izakaya (spelling?) upstairs which is a bar that serves Japanese bar bites and ramen. Our latest visit was very late on a Friday night after visiting an art installation in downtown Durham. My wife had the vegetarian ramen and I had the Korean-fried cauliflower off of the late-night menu. Both were delicious, and our bartender/server was very friendly but not eagerlo so. We weren't in a big drinking mood so my wife had the housemade ginger ale and I had Japanese beer on tap. The vibe was relaxed and urban-cool. Will definitely be back again. read more

Dashi - KFC - Korean Fried Cauliflower - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place has a great ambiance and Japanese feel. It's split into 2 levels: bottom for only ramen and the top as a pub type area where you can get ramen or small plates or just drinks. Although the ramen could have been better (probably 3.5 for the ramen alone), I'm giving this place 4 stars for the combination of atmosphere, wide sake selection, and for just being a place in North Carolina that actually tries to do ramen in a more traditional way (like not as a pho or an Americanized medley). It's definitely better than anything in South Carolina, that's for sure. I had the tonkotsu ramen, usually my favorite, with pork belly and added chili butter as an addition. The chili butter didn't actually had very much spice. I would've liked it more if it had been more of a plain chili/spice mix. The noodles were cooked well and there was a good amount. There was only one slice of pork belly though and it was more on the mushy side instead of fall-apart tender which was a little disappointing. As one previous reviewer stated, there were onions added to the broth which were a bit distracting in terms of flavor. Overall I did finish the noodles and a good amount of broth, though. There are some broth-less ramen options as well, which could be enjoyed by people who are not as familiar or comfortable with traditional style ramen. Overall I'd probably go again, if the chance arises. But I'd try and see if a different ramen was better than the tonkotsu. read more

Dashi - Tonkotsu ramen with chili butter. - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The photos looked very promising but oh the disappointment. We got the tonkatsu, wings, and dumplings. The flavor of the dumplings and wings were alright, but the wings were undercooked! That was annoying. I've read from a few yelpers that they use a lot of salt but I did not have that problem. It was salted enough, but the tonkatsu broth was ehh. It didn't seem like it's been cooking for 24 hrs... it was light and not rich at all. Also, the pickled mustard greens and pickled onions completely ruined the bowl of ramen - the pickle flavor overpowered the broth and it just tasted like pickled soup. Also they barely gave us any broth. Although the noodles could have soaked up the broth, they did not add enough in the beginning. I had to dig under the noodles to get to the broth. The only thing they did right was the ramen egg... read more

Atmosphere was really nice and waitress was good. The water that came out tasted like sewage. I know this sounds kind of strange but being used to well water it was very off putting... For such a nice ramen place I thought they'd be able to afford a water filter. Wish portions were a bit bigger for the price as well. Other than that fairly good experience. read more

Food is excellent and staff is very kind. Great for both lunch and dinner. Always a treat to get to have a meal at Dashi. Rotating menu specials mean there is always something new to try. read more

Overall great vibe and very authentic Ramen. This was my wife's first experience eating authentic Ramen and she wasn't disappointed. We walked in with no reservation and waited about 20 minutes but they have a cool lounge bar on the second floor of the building that you can grab a drink while your waiting for your table. If you aren't familiar with Ramen than this is a good place to experience it for the first time. They have multiple options and they have a lot more options to choose from Incase you're not the Ramen type. What we had: Ramen: Tonkotsu- flavorful broth with onions, eggs and pork belly! Definitely the best thing we had all night and at a really good price. Would definitely recommend! Spicy Miso Chicken Wings: these were good but nothing special, honestly thought there would be a little more flavor than there was. Dumplings: really good as well but not the best dumplings I've had in the triangle area. What you will get: -Great atmosphere for a date night -If you're looking to expand your horizons than this is a great place -Great service -Great Ramen at a great price read more

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Probably one of my favorite meals of all time. this is a great spot and I love either sitting in the restaurant or the bar upstairs. the drinks are a bit intimidating but good and the food is sensational. We got the miso chicken wings and dumplings to start and the wings are the best wings I've ever had! and for ramen I went with the shoyu. I want to go back here every night for the rest of my life. read more

Overall: 3.8/5 Food was not spectacular but it was a nice atmosphere/experience. This place has a lot of potential if they revamp the way they do the broth and get more of the rich bone/meat flavor into the broth. Wait/Serve time: 5/5 We ordered and received our orders pretty quickly! (about 10 mins) Service: 4/5 Friendly people, came to check on us and offer condiments. Ambience: 4.5/5 Lovely place this the décor of Japanese comics and wood. Quiet enough to talk but a mix between fancy and casual. Food: 3/5 The tonkotsu broth was not very flavorful. I think the flavor of the broth really makes or breaks the overall dish though. The meat was decent though. Portions were decently sized with a good selection of veggies in the ramen. Ramen noodles were nice and chewy. read more

Dashi - Tonkotsu - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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My meal there was very disappointing. We ordered wings, Tonkotsu and Soba ramen. It took them ~45 minutes to make the ramen; I've never had to wait this long for a bowl of ramen. Every single dish was really salty. Portion size was also kinda small. Definitely won't come again. read more

Dashi - Chuka Soba Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Finally, a place that serves authentic (or as close to authentic as you can get) ramen in the triangle!! Hubby & I were so excited to try this so we came on a date night. It was packed on a Saturday night so we ended up sitting at the bar at Izakaya upstairs. One complaint...it was cold so we had our jackets on. There was nowhere to put them at the bar. Kinda awkward to eat ramen with a warm jacket on. The place was hustling & bustling. Couldn't remember what drink I ordered but it definitely wasn't for the faint of heart. That drink packed a whallop but it was good! I ordered the Shio ramen & hubby ordered the Tonkatsu ramen. They were both delicious! The broth was rich with umami. Smoked chicken was tender & flavorful. The tonkatsu wasn't the fried pork cutlet usually associated with tonkatsu...It was a delicious chunk of melt-in-your-mouth roasted pork belly. Both ramens were served with a silky soft boiled egg marinated in soy. Perfect comfort food on a chilly winter night! Definitely will be returning to try the other varieties!! read more

Dashi - Tonkatsu ramen...steaming bowl filled with umami goodness! - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We decided to come by to give it another shot since I heard there were recent changes. I've gotta say it's worth driving from Raleigh for now. Obviously I got the ramen and it was fantastic. Not even really sure how to describe it other than delicious. Also wanted to try a few other things so we got the tuna with crispy rice and the tobandjan wings. The white miso buttermilk situation for the wings really made them stand out. Talked to Jeff and he was great. I'm excited to see what else him and the team do here. I'll definitely be back soon to try more stuff. read more

The iziakaya is cozy though a little dim. We enjoyed the yakimono/yakitori. They were flavorful and not overcooked. We shared a bottle of cold unfiltered sake that the bartender recommended that was well worth it. Unfortunately, the ramen we had was not good. I had the "Tonkotsu". It was salty and sour and had no depth, so the dashi and the tare were bad. My companions had similar reactions to their different ramen. The noodles themselves were decent, but they should rethink ramen. If they had a few more offerings as an iziakaya and either started over with their ramen or just dropped them altogether they could make 5 stars. read more

Looking for a restaurant close to DPAC, Dashi was my choice after a quick Yelp preview. I enjoyed the Misa Bowl which was flavorful and inviting on a cool, brisk Winter evening in Durham. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish and would enjoy something similar ​every week. It is a dish that warms your​ heart and your body. Our server was knowledgeable and her recommendations were excellent. They have an extensive drink menu for those who want to indulge during a nice quiet evening with family or friends. Another visit to Dashi is on my calendar when I am next in the area. read more

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I am sad to post this review. My hopes were so high. Traditional ramen. What could go wrong. Lots went wrong. We started with the pork bun. It was served cold and lacked flavor. Next I ordered the Shio ramen. The flavor lacked except for the salt. This ramen was served with local smoked chicken. The chicken was dried out. Finally the service was lacking. It is very loud in the restaurant. The waitress spoke in a soft voice. It was impossible to hear her. When you did ask questions about the menu she could not answer. Overall a disappointing dinner. read more

Obsessed with their ramen and whisky cocktails! Ambience is peaceful, staff is cool, calm and collected. Usually they are able to fit us in within moments of arriving, which is a plus, despite the fact that most seats are filled (they have great bar-seating). Go wild with the small plates before diving into a steaming bowl of ramen! Enjoy the delicious olive-oil infused cake for dessert; the perfect balance of sweet and savory. read more

5 stars for being a pretty decent ramen + Asian food place + a wide selection of drinks + small plates perfect for appetizers or bar food. The bar upstairs is a trendy, intimate setting. The service was fast, too, but it could also be because I went pretty late so there weren't as many people. In terms of judging the place based on the ramen: Just don't do that. It's not Totto Ramen or Ippudo or hand-pulled ramen noodles from Japan, but it's definitely above adequate for ramen cravings, and it's great to have a place like this in Durham! I'd come here over a lot of other restaurants and bars in Durham and Chapel Hill any time. read more

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Came with a party of 2 on a weekday for dinner. Because of its location in Durham, the best parking options are street parking. I parked at a metered parking place that was free after 7pm. Their specials for the day were their buns. I ordered 1 lamb belly bun and one Shoyu ramen with chili butter. Ambiance: 5/5 It has a neat, small shop, Japanese ramen feel. Service: 5/5 Our waitress was very helpful and patient. Food: 3.8/5 The lamb bun was delicious. It was the $4 single bun Monday deal instead of the typical $10 for 2 buns regular price. As for the Shoyu ramen itself, while the ramen was cooked perfectly and visually appealing, flavor wise, it was too salty which hindered me from fully enjoying the dish. The soft-boiled egg itself was delicious and the pulled pork in the bowl was great. Unfortunately, the saltiness of the broth overshadowed the great elements of the ramen. Overall, while it wasn't my favorite ramen, the great location of the restaurant and the ambiance of this ramen shop definitely makes it a great spot to go to if you're wanting some upscale ramen. read more

Nice everything but food, just like they heat fast food in the restaurant, totally unprofessional! read more

Dashi - I mean the ramen which I ordered is salty AF . - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Excellent!! This spot is known for the ramen but has a few other special items that are worth taking the trip for. We sat at the bar and had great service. They offer a wide range of drinks and their full menu at the bar. The star of the show was actually the dessert - the miso caramel ice cream made by The Parlor is phenomenal. I'm not a huge ice cream person but this is just devine - it's the perfect amount of salty and sweet and even better when paired with the chocolate. The tofu buns and the fried cauliflower were also hits. The edamame is covered with thick seasoned salt and is great to share. The boiled peanuts are tasty- a unique choice for a ramen place. We had an excellent time here. You must get the ice cream! read more

Ramen broth is very poor quality, highly over-salted to cover up for weak flavor. White people ramen basically. Good sake/whiskey menu though. read more

I'm glad I waited to come here after the hype had died down a bit! I came here with a group of 4 and we were immediately seated at 6PM on a Wednesday night. They don't take reservations so I was relieved that we beat the crowd (which came in around 7:30). I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen and my husband ordered the shoyu ramen. Apparently when Dashi first opened they didn't serve eggs or mushrooms in the ramen but now it comes with almost all of the bowls! You do have to pay extra for extra pork belly, fish cake, etc. We sat right by the kitchen so we enjoyed watching them take out a large tray of steaming hot boiled eggs to assemble into the ramen. The tonkatsu ramen comes with 1 piece of pork belly, lots of mushrooms, pickled veggies, boiled egg, and . I LOVED the boiled marinated soft egg and the grilled shiitake mushrooms. The yolk was creamy but not too runny, marinated egg white bursts with flavor. The 1 piece of pork belly was well-flavored albeit slightly chewy/tough. The tonkatsu ramen broth was very very rich and thick. The shoyu broth was more soy-sauce based and lighter. My husband preferred the shoyu broth and I preferred the tonaktsu broth. The portion sizes were large and I actually couldn't finish my noodles! As others have mentioned each bowl is $13-$15 depending on if you add extras. Overall I'm happy to have a ramen bar in Durham where I can get delicious broth and perfectly cooked soft eggs. I also appreciate that Dashi seems to change for the better, such as adding in eggs into most of the ramen instead of charging extra like they did for any added eggs when they first opened. read more

Really nice experience here.. ramen was good, oddly served but good. Rest of the menu was executed well- not a traditional izakaya but flavors were on point. It's one of the few ramen spots so it was a nice find- read more

Delicious food, which is honestly all I care about. Ramen is hard to eat though and I did get it all over the table, maybe they should provide bibs read more

Really a 4.5. Went with a group of friends after a midweek show at DPAC, so we arrived at 10:24p and were ever-so-politely informed at the Ramen door (adjoining but separate entrances for upstairs & downstairs) that they were closing in 6min. The host suggested we might want to sit upstairs at the bar, which was open until midnight, and he would gladly take our ramen orders and send them upstairs. That was a great call. Eating at the upstairs bar, which serves small plates, also gave us the opportunity to augment our Tonkotsu, gluten-free Tonkotsu, and Mazemen with Takoyaki (octopus) hushpuppies, each of which was a recommendation from the servers. After an emotionally powerful (and therefore emotionally exhausting) show (Rent), a bowl of warm soup with a tea egg, mung bean sprouts, pickled veggies, & pork belly just hit the spot. We all ate with chopsticks but while I used the curiously wide, ladle-like spoon just for broth, one friend used it as a vehicle on which to build a perfect bite at a time. Hubs, who prefers a noodle dish to a soup, went with Mazemen and got a toothsome noodle that I actually preferred, topped with broccoli rabe, house meatballs, and delicious crispy garlic chips. Oh, and chili oil. Too much chili oil for his taste actually; we recommend ordering it without and then you can easily add chili oil to taste. The hush puppies, which we ordered late and so which came out when we were pretty full, were a delight. Light cornmeal batter, chunks of octopus, and a wonderful nearly cotton-candy melt-in-your-mouth pork floss on top. I wish we'd led with them. We were served fast enough that we actually could have fit it in before the show, which would have given us more options than just the late-night bar menu; evidently Tuesday is homemade dumpling day upstairs at dinnertime. We'll know for next time. read more

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Ambiance was super nice, seemed pretty authentic. But then I got my ramen and it was served in a very smalll plate considering the price, almost no broth and it was salty to the point I couldn't finish it. read more

Craving ramen and being enthusiasts of Japanese culture and food, my 19yo son and I went to Dashi as part of a day out. The interior of this downtown Durham ramen bar is an appealing sophisticated-cool with exposed brick and a really fun collaged wallpaper made from black and white Japanese manga pages, many of them having to do with food. We wanted to try the takoyaki hushpuppies, but they weren't being offered, despite being on the online menu. We ordered both the vegetarian ramen and the shio ramen. The latter was smoky, but not too smoky. Rainbow chard was a fun NC addition to the vegetarian ramen (make sure you read the ingredient list and don't assume anything). The very real downside to our experience? The saltiness of our food. Holy cow. Both ramens were over-the-top crazy salty. I've eaten ramen all over Tokyo and NYC and Dashi's ramen is by far the saltiest I've ever had. It distracted me and made me unable to enjoy all the ingredients' flavors. We were also incredibly thirsty for the rest of the afternoon, so the negative experience lingered. If you've never tried ramen, I'd suggest you go elsewhere for your first experience, as this level of salt is **not typical** of authentic Japanese ramen. Sadly, many reviews mention the salt level, so Dashi doesn't seem to be listening, or to want to change. It's too bad! 残念! :-\ read more

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This was my first visit and everybody was super friendly--5 stars for the staff! I ordered the vegetarian ramen and it lacked so much flavor, I threw it away after a few bites (takeout). I personally get more flavor from oodles and noodles and that's saying a lot. I love ramen and I normally visit a spot in Raleigh but wanted to give Dashi a try since it's closer to home--I will make the drive to Raleigh from now on, this was not worth it. I can't speak on the rest of the menu, however, 10/10 do not recommend the ramen. read more

Ambience is nice and we didn't have a wait for lunch on Saturday. My father in law got the Shiso ramen. The broth had very little depth and tasted like seaweed water. My husband got the tonkatsu ramen. The broth had an odd taste of char like the bottom of the pot had burnt and there was so little depth of flavor again. Both broths were very thin and didn't taste rich at all. I got the Tatanmen ramen at the waiter's recommendation. This was clearly the best out of the 3. It had a little more depth and a nice spice, however the kale and cabbage had an interesting pickle taste that I wasn't used to in ramen. This was our second time coming to Dashi. We were underwhelmed the first time but decided to give it one more try. We won't be coming back. There is way better ramen in the area (M kokko). read more

I had always wanted to try a ramen bowl. Like, for a really long time! So I was super excited when my friend suggested we grab dinner here the other night. Dashi is located in downtown Durham, so be prepared to look for street parking. There's apparently an upstairs that has more tapas, and a downstairs with more ramen. We decided to eat downstairs. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, with minimal lighting and only about 10 or more booths along the wall. We decided to eat at the bar, where there was a bit more lighting, and we could see the food being made. Our waitress came quickly and ordered our drinks. We also placed an order for lamb buns. The lamb buns came rather quickly. The only con about the lamb bun was the price. $10 for two buns. However, they were very, very good. The bun itself was nice and fluffy and soft. The meat is savory and flavorful, and the pickled vegetables that topped it added a nice contrast. I enjoyed my bun; I just wish I had more. Our drinks were very good. When our food arrived, I loved how it looked. Overall, it tasted pretty good. It was a little difficult to eat, but I understand that I'm not really competent with chopsticks! Ha! I enjoyed the broth, noodles, and egg. I did not like the catfish in there. Too fishy for me. My friend got the more traditional ramen, with a thicker, milky broth. I was able to try it, and I was happy I chose mine. Overall, I enjoyed the meal, I just truly feel like it was way too expensive for me to do again any time soon. read more

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Its not that it was bad. It's that it wasn't ramen. Service was fantastic. Location and aesthetic was really very nice. Drinks were dope. Food, meh. read more

This was amazing. We started by not having a reservation, so we gave them our number and they texted us when a seat was ready for us at the bar. Next time, we will make reservations. The food - omg, all of it was perfect. We started with the Lady Edison jowl bacon buns. This small plate was perfectly flavored - the bun was just texture which perfectly complemented the high quality savory jowl, and the ginger cabbage was exquisite. We could have eaten several more. Spouse had the MAZEMAN ramen, which was nicely spicy, the savory rapini, garlic, and chili oil were wonderful with the pork meatballs. We had leftover sauce, which I will pair with soba noodles tomorrow night. I had the Chuka Soba, and this cool dish was perfect on a hot June night. I wanted a whole bowl of the sesame drizzle. The Tamagoyaki - Japanese rolled omelette- was savory and lightly chewy and unbelievably good. Best post-pandemic meal so far. read more

Plus: *Vegetarian options *Late night eats *Easy street parking Minus: *Lack of clear directions *Hit or miss dishes Vegetarian ramen is so rare to find and this is one of the very few places that has not one but two veggie ramen dishes. Having been here quite a few times, I have had the opportunity to try pretty much all things vegetarian they have to offer. There have two floors and their menus have minor differences. I have only dined on their second floor. During my recent visit, I headed there for dinner after a show at DPAC. My husband and I went there and wait for a good 4-5 mins before we could even get someone's attention. Apparently, it was open seating but, nevertheless the place was packed. We luckily found a table immediately and seated ourselves. During our previous visits we have never been there when it was crowded. Food: We ordered a couple of appetizers. They had a veggie squash special that night. So, we got that along with some dumplings. When we asked our waitress about the fillings of the dumplings she mentioned they are also squash but they are different from the patties we ordered. Somehow, we felt that they were very alike. They tasted good though. The cabbage underneath the patties could have been at least cooked. I m not a big fan of raw cabbage and did not go for it. For the main course, we got a curried ramen sans the egg and shared it. Now, we have both tried ramen here before and it has been really good. Unfortunately, during this visit I did not find it to be that great. The broth was pretty salty (not regular ramen salty) and almost made it an overkill for me towards the end. In the past, we have had their Korean fried cauliflower and the tofu bao buns and they have both been great! I will definitely go here again sometime, maybe when it is a little less crowded and give them another shot. read more

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Incredible! The broth here, as the name implies, is rich, flavorful, juicy, fatty, and everything you want your giant bowl of ramen and broth to be. The atmosphere is half the joy of eating here; it has that hip and trendy downtown Durham vibe, with the rustic and earthy elements I as an American associate with Japan - such as exposed wooden beams, light wooden decor, and menus made from Japanese Manga (comic books). But the food is what makes me return over and over; specifically the pork ramen. It's ramen with a Southern twist - rendered pork belly, collards, and a juicy pork bone simmered broth. It's to die for! Their fermented tea eggs are outstanding as well, I believe those are in every dish. Finally, their cocktails are outstanding, as one would expect from any trendy downtown Durham joint. My favorite though -- they even keep on tap it's so popular -- is the balanced and effervescent Tokyo Drift, with a hint of bitter. Highly recommend, but once you start you won't want to stop. read more

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Have been several times over the last few years and found the ramen to be solid. Had high hopes for the Omakase however our group left feeling really disappointed. Unfortunately all 5 dishes were underwhelming - the grilled mackerel lacked any flavor and was extremely pungent and difficult to eat. The fried assortment was also under flavored and would have benefitted from some sort of sauce to complement it. The 'wagyu' beef noodle dish had a very odd flavor profile as well. Overall the food was probably overpriced for the quality- I could not finish multiple dishes. The sake pairing and cocktails were good. read more

Had the veggie ramen and added chicken. Wasn't the best bowl of ramen ever, but more than serviceable! The winner of the evening was the KFC, Korean fried cauliflower. Very tasty. I sat at the upstairs bar which was darkly lit and well stocked. Too bad I wasn't ready to "go in" with the extensive selection. That will be a reason to go back. read more

I'm a local resident who works downtown and an admitted ramen snob. I usually only eat ramen in large metros with a diversity of options, but had a craving and forgot my lunch at home so I decided to give it a (second) try (had been here years ago, was also underwhelmed then, mostly by portion size and cost. I ordered the shio ramen, and was disappointed. Best part was the noodles and the soy marinated egg, but rest of the dish was subpar. No depth of flavor to the broth, no umami at all. Just salty. I couldn't tell what the stock was made of. Chicken was ok, I enjoyed the smokiness of it. At $16 a pop, portion size was reasonable but I felt like I could have made this at home easily with a can of chicken broth and store bought noodles. Look elsewhere if you want your moneys worth. read more

It has good ramen and yakitori. Service was friendly. We made a reservation ahead of time so there's no wait.

A southern ramen fusion restaurant sounds fun in theory but Dashi despite the excellent service and great decor misses the mark when it comes to execution. The kabob appetizers were bland and forgettable, ramen was overly reliant on salt with little other discernible flavor. I'd recommend ditching the fusion and concentrate on making quality broth, everything else will follow. read more

I got take out Miso. It was thoughtfully packaged and hot; it was good. I was treated very rudely when I arrived to pick up the order. Since no one was at the hostess stand, I stepped inside the seating area where there is a bar, and was called out and told to leave to wait by the door in this tiny elevator-sized curtained-off area with another patron while we stared at the curtain. It was so awkward. My egg looked like it was nibbled by a rodent. It's so sad; I used to really like this place. I don't think I'll be back... not worth the effort of finding and paying for parking, to not only not be welcomed, but be shooed away, and for a $16 bowl of ok soup. I recommend Rose's. read more

If I had three arms I'd give it three thumbs down. Honestly was pretty excited for this seeing as where I'm from there aren't a lot of ramen choices. Went for a date night with my girlfriend and was immediately given bad vibes from the bartender who was serving us. The Ramen was terrible it was awful, salty, essentially one flavor profile, salt. My girlfriend ordered a dry Ramen with meatballs and it's only flavor profile was rubber and a hint of spice. It was honestly really gross. Just overall disappointed and for the price point and the atmosphere you would think the food is good, but it was $78 and I think the atmosphere is really the only thing you go for here. authentic mom and pop Ramen places owned by Japanese immigrants are 10 times better and nowhere near as expensive. read more