My friends and I really enjoyed our dinner here. Even on a Monday, it is a popular place to be so don't be surprised if you have to wait! It's also very small so it doesn't take many people to fill it up. We all enjoyed different ramen bowls. I had the miso, which was very filling but not as flavorful as I hoped! The other options sounded great though so I look forward to trying a different one next. The menu is very small so if you are picky you will most likely need to ask the waiter to substitute ingredients or omit things, which they will be fine with doing. Half of us asked for additions to our meals and the waitress was clearly used to it. I enjoy unique restaurants and this was surely one of them! read more

Dashi - Miso! - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great atmosphere, great service, great food especially the crunchy tuna! The miso ramen was on the salty side which was a bummer.

Visiting from SF Bay Area and came here with my aunt and uncle who recently moved here. I wasn't expecting a lot since I'm used to top tier ramen, but this place really exceeded my expectations! Very cool hipster atmosphere without trying too hard or culturally appropriating. I was absolutely in love with the literal wall of manga (Japanese comics) and drink menus having manga pages as covers! I'm a huge weeb so it was exciting being able to recognize the series they used! I got the kame negi (duck) ramen because I've heard good things about it but never got the chance to try. Never had duck broth before so I didn't know what to expect. It's thin like a shio or shoyu broth, but super rich (almost a little too salty) because c'mon it's duck. The meat itself was a little overcooked and chewy, not like juicy duck you can get from an Asian shop, and kind of oily. I usually don't eat noodles, but I liked these ones! I noticed everyone at the table had different size noodles depending on the soup they ordered, and this is a HUGE detail a lot of Westernized ramen shops miss so I REALLY admire their dedication to detail! I tried some of my mom's tonkotsu and it was VERY creamy and tasty, something almost nutty about the flavor. I usually only get tonkotsu so it was an interesting variation I haven't tried before! The hostess and server were super peppy and patient with my special needs grandma who struggled to sit/get up, eat, etc! Thank you! If I visit again, I would definitely come back here! read more

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My sister and I decided to come here before seeing a show at DPAC and it was a great choice! Our favorite food is ramen so we knew we had to check it out. We got the pork dumplings to start and the mazemen and miso ramen. I had never tried the mazemen broth-less ramen before and I was really nervous because I don't love a lot of hot spice, but this had just the right balance of spice and it was delicious! I loved the pork meatballs. The miso ramen was also incredible, we didn't love the potatoes in it but otherwise it was great. Our server was very helpful and attentive. We sat in the upstairs area near the bar, it was quiet at first but got very loud when we left and when the sun set it was a little dark. If we are in Durham again we will definitely stop by here! read more

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I came here because I was craving some authentic ramen, I ordered 2 ramen dishes with the pork buns. The pork buns were really delicious and there is no complaints there, and while the tonkotsu ramen was decent (def not the best i've ever had.. Sono in Raleigh is def better)... the mazemen ramen was really really awful. It was so salty to the point where it was literally not edible. I was really sad because i remember coming here once before and having a really pleasant experience before and am just confused what happened... maybe new management? Regardless, I could have just came here on an off day but try at your own risk. read more

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Great food and Ambiance! 10/10 on the Ramen! Service was also excellent and cocktails were very well made. Will definitely be back.

I love good restaurant ramen, but in the end, Dashi serves quite average restaurant ramen that depends on the placebo effect created by its price and the narrow, intimately-lit atmosphere echoing that of New York ramen shops. The broth was good and the texture of the ramen was to my liking, but it was missing the richness and bang that I've come to expect from restaurant ramen after eating it at more experienced establishments, whether it be in the form of an extra crispness on the pork, a delicious milky consistency for the broth, or a sweet component to balance out the savory flavors. My friend ordered the "dipping ramen" and was generally unimpressed. The menu has several ramen options, and I might return once or twice to try some different flavor combinations, but I don't think Dashi will be a go-to ramen place for me. We also ordered some roasted lamb buns during our dinner visit, and these ended up being the highlight for me - juicy, rich, slightly sweet, a big flavor combination in general. It was almost worth the $5 that each small bun was. The service was nothing special, and the environment, as mentioned, is intimate, featuring wooden furniture, small spaces, and dim lighting. We were seated at the bar, which kind of forces you to watch them make your food. Decent experience overall, but I think I paid a little too much to eat restaurant ramen that was just good. read more

Dashi - Roasted lamb buns. - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I don't eat ramen often but always enjoy it when I do. I liked the vibe of Dashi, small with interior design taken into consideration. I started off with their homemade ginger ale and it was quite tasty. I went with the Tonkatsu ramen and it was pretty solid. I enjoyed it, but would probably give the Shoyu ramen a try next time. I loved the egg, sometimes at other ramen shops the egg just tastes off to me, not here! I liked all their add ins on the table-- pickled ginger, seasoned bean sprouts, and spicy paste. I added a dollop of each to the ramen and was super happy with it. My only complaint was the service was pretty slow. It took a while to order and to get the check. The place was pretty busy and it seemed like everyone got seated at the same time so understandable that the waitress was a bit overwhelmed table wise. read more

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The food was perfect and the atmosphere is homey (lovely feeling). There's only one waitress/host, so it took me a couple of minutes to be seated, but be patient with her. Food took maybe 10 minutes after I ordered. Great temperature and presentation. Was here for business otherwise I'd come here often. read more

I liked it so much, I went twice in the span of three hours! I've got a ramen problem. As in, I crave it like a mofo and live in a city where there's like one place that has a pretty pedestrian vegan ramen option. Big cities have ruined me for ramen. I've been known to both a. burn my mouth in my overzealousness to get that good stuff in my belly and b. eat beyond my belly's capacity. It's not pretty but it is what it is. Hate to start it this way, but Dashi's vegan ramen is not belly-expanding worthy, I'm afraid. It's missing something, be that more pronounced umami, unctuousness and heat (they don't serve it hot enough to make you take your time). It's a generous bowl, don't get me wrong. It has tons of noodles, sprouts and edamame. I added tofu, which was rather bland and at most marinated in some soy sauce, when it should probably be fried so that it has some texture. I'm not going to dwell on the negative, though because I would gladly return time and time again to Dashi when back in Durham. Hits: -whatever those complimentary cracky crackers are that they give you in a tiny bowl (and an offer to refill, which I shamelessly accepted!) -spicy boiled peanuts (so salty, so good) -super cold sparkling rose in individual bottles -phenomenal service from the bartenders to our attentive server -late night bites-yes! Always a good thing -gorgeous interior with low lighting and natural wood everywhere I also enjoyed the tofu buns with pickles, but because the tomato butter wasn't vegan, it was a little dry and needed something else to take the place of the butter. I'm definitely fan of Dashi and like I said, would put this on regular rotation/recommend to others for the extensive ramen menu (would be cool if they added another veg option) but especially late night visits for cracky snacks like the boiled peanuts enjoyed in a sultry Japanese den at their gorgeous bar. read more

Our family was visiting Duke and decided to try here for lunch. It was a 10 min drive from Duke and you can find street parking around the place. I think there is a parking garage right across the street as well. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen and it didn't take that long to get it. The pork belly and the egg was excellent. The broth was just average and I was little disappointed with the veggies in the ramen. However, I am going to return to this place next time I visit Duke and try other dishes. Great atmosphere and service! 1. Cleanness- 5 out of 5 2. Cleanliness- 5 out of 5 3. Service- 5 out of 5 4. Food- 3.5 out of 5 Great Japanese ramen restaurant with nice rustic interior. Service is great and food is above average compared to other Japanese ramen restaurants. Recommend read more

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I have been so dang sad for a while now that my favorite ramen joint in Raleigh closed. My husband and I both had a good inward cry over it, then we went on the hunt to find our new favorite place. Dashi seems to be the solution to our emotional turmoil. I suppose it's worth mentioning that we actually ate upstairs at Izakaya. We put our name on the list for a table in Dashi, but went upstairs when we heard it was the same food, but also a whiskey bar. Here's the thing: I don't like whiskey and you can DEFINITELY smell whiskey as you climb the stairs toward Izakaya. I wanted to give 4.5 stars because of this, but the math major in me had to round up. Anyway, we plopped down at the bar immediately with zero wait, which was pretty solid for a night at 7pm. The bartender was fantastic. Dude spent some time educating my husband on whiskeys and then hooking him up with drinks he thought my husband would most appreciate (which he did appreciate them!). But the highlight: THE FOOD!!! I was so incredibly happy with both our meals. had the mazeman, which is described as being more like Italian pasta, and it was fantastic. My hubs got the shoyu and wouldn't shut up about it. Sadly, we weren't incredibly hungry, so we didn't try any of their smaller dishes. 100% chance i'll be back there soon.... just saying. read more

Authentic noodles in a nice atmosphere. Stays open late and in a quiet part of downtown Durham.

Came here on a weeknight for the first time to fulfill a ramen craving. I really enjoyed the ambiance; on the first floor, they serve ramen only, with a mix of tabletops and also ramen bar seating. It reminded of the atmosphere of quite a few ramen shops I've visited in Japan and in major cities in the US. Unfortunately, the Ramen was not quite up to par. Both my friend and I got the tonkatsu ramen, which is always my go to for my first visit at any ramen restaurant. The broth, while appropriately creamy and milky, was missing the sweetness and umami that I expect. I can't quite put my finger on what's missing, but there is definitely a flavor component missing. The noodles were appropriately chewy and I prefer ramen noodles to be, but they were all clumped together and difficult to pull apart. Clearly they had pre-portioned the noodles and allowed them to cool/sit in that way, and not used the broth to warm up or loosen the noodles before cooking. It made eating this "clump" of noodles difficult and somewhat unpleasant. Things that I did enjoy include the spicy miso paste that I added to my somewhat bland broth for some additional flavor, and the pickled bean sprouts. Overall, not a bad place, but good ramen (IMHO) comes from a delicious tasting broth which is missing here. read more

Dashi - Tonkatsu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I went to to this place with some of my classmates after a good night of volunteering. Now ramen restaurants and I had a rollercoaster relationship in the past with good and bad experiences. However, this was amazing and lived up to its standards. When we arrived to this place, the wait was long (45 mins), but we were in no rush and we used that time to explore more of downtown Durham. The inside of this place relaxing and brought chill vibe. The lights were slightly dimmed and the music matched the environment. It was quite the experience, it would be a great place if you are looking for something romantic. The service was good, and the food was delicious even though it was slightly pricey. I had the Tonkotsu and I could not stop myself from grabbing spoonful after spoonful. It was that good and the broth was worth having even when it is the last thing remaining. The ingredients blended well together creating a rich, flavorful experience. The roasted pork belly was personal favorite in the ramen. It was delicious and tender although there was not enough in my opinion. I was slightly sad when I finished it in my ramen since I was craving more! Overall, this restaurant was great and a definite must-try in Durham. Beware however that you may get continual cravings for this place again after trying it! read more

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

First of all I have to say: I love the warm cozy vibe inside of Dashi. It felt so good to walk in out of the cold and I was really excited to enjoy some great ramen. We started with some miso chicken wings.. and they were, well alright. Not spicy as described in the menu. They were just sort of salty and dry. I probably should have just stuck with the ramen but I was getting hangry so. Then came the Tantamen - and it was really good! I love the marinated soft egg and the pickled cabbage. Again, the promise of spice was a bit of a letdown. But all in all it was a really solid dish. Generous portion, well balanced ingredients and very satisfying. read more

Dashi is one of my favorite Ramen places in the. U.S. My work headquarters is in Durham NC so whenever I have to go there for training or company meetings I make it a point to bring my colleagues here. The vibe is very cool and if you sit at the bar you can watch the ramen be made which is a huge bonus if you are traveling/dining alone. Let us first talk about their beer selection. This is not your typical "Asian restaurant" where the best imported Asians beers are Asahi and Sapporo. They had a number of Japanese beers on the menu but I was most impressed that they had my favorite Japanese stout, Kurofune. Let's get down to why I always return, although the beers are a bonus, I really love their Tonkostu ramen. They add to it a seared pork belly (so rich and decadent) and a shoyu tomago. If you haven't had a shoyu tomago try it! It is a soft boiled egg soaked in soy sauce and the yolk is just a tiny bit runny and really adds to the noodles. I cannot say enough how these two simple additions really enhance the Ramen bowl. The other surprising part of this place is the desert menu. There is, in my opinion, a very underrated green tea marshmallow s'more on the menu that is just heavenly. The desert comes with two s'mores one for you and one to share. That ladies and gentleman is why I continue to return. I think I have been here at least 5x in the past 6 months which is saying a lot as I live in Arizona. read more

Our group of 5 came for dinner on a Saturday at 6pm, and we were immediately seated. The restaurant is directly across the Chapel Hill Street parking garage (free on weekends). I ordered the shoyu tonkatsu, and it was incredible! The portions of noodles and chasu pork were fair for the price. It was also well-seasoned, but I would've liked a little bit of heat. Overall we had a great experience, and I would return in the future! read more

Dashi - Shoyu tonkatsu ramen (front), Miso Ramen (back) - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

My second time here. First time was pretty good, but this time was waaaay underwhelming. I love that they confirm vax status at the door, as it's not a big space. I love the concept - fresh-made ramen with add-on options. I added marinated tofu, which was not hot, and the starter of homemade pickles lacked any interest in texture- all were tough and rubbery. The ramen had turnips in it, and some were not cooked well snd were pretty tough. I ordered the olive oil cake for dessert, and that was the bright point of the meal. Sprinkled with powdered sugar, moist and flavorful, I'd almost - almost come back just to have this. Service was pretty spotty. Nice waitstaff but not very attentive. She did remove the pickles from the bill, so that made it not so painful. Probably won't return. read more

If you are a ramen enthusiast and want to come here for ramen, or more specifically tonkotsu ramen, run. Run fast. Well if you don't, remember to come back and leave a review. read more

I've given Dashi too many chances since they opened in 2016. I know Durham is not a big city, and I can't always expect the same quality food as I could get elsewhere, but Dashi is... mediocre. I've tried multiple types of ramen here, always thinking I'd just made the wrong choice (tonkotsu, shio, shoyu), but have never been impressed. All the broths seem to lack a depth of flavor -- even the tonkotsu! And the toppings are likewise meh. A generous pour of chili oil is the only thing that helps. The fried cauliflower appetizer is pretty good, but I'd hardly go just for that. Overall, the best thing about Dashi is the ambiance. read more

I have returned several times (4 visits) and each visit is worth the wait. Highly recommend the buffalo cauliflower as a starter ! Great service every time I have visited. read more

Dashi - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Honestly, I've had better Ramen. The place is a little bit out of the way from the rest of downtown Durham, so I wasn't a huge fan of walking out there after the sun had gone down. Parking is also atrocious to try to find. The Ramen was served in a pretty timely manner (there were 4 of us), and the place was pretty full for a Tuesday night. However, the dishes come out as they are made and they're pretty salty. The portion sizes are pretty small. The ambience of the place is very nice though. The decorations definitely enhanced the food that we were eating. read more

I had heard good things about this ramen and it seems to be a happening spot, but despite excellent service, wont be coming here again. The broth was pretty flavorless and wasn't thick enough to coat the noodles the way tonkatsu should. The color was also more translucent than a thick milky broth. I enjoyed the pickled onion addition but the egg was excessively salty and i only got a 2 by 2 inch pieces of pork in my take out order. Very disappointing as someone who loves and regular eats ramen. read more

I love ramen but I must say, when my parents are I went to this place, we were a bit disappointed. It was highly talked about by some of my friends down here but I'm afraid it didn't live up to the hype. The broth was not very flavorful and I was not too excited about the garnishes. We are originally from New Jersey and the ramen here doesn't even begin to compare to what we're used to in the NJ/NY area...I know its not fair to compare, but it's the truth. The ambiance was nice though, intimate with a bar area overlooking the chefs making bowls. We're probably not going to go back, but I'm glad we tried it. read more

Came here after midnight last night looking for some good Ramen. I tried to open up the door to the Ramen place but I guess it closed but some nice people outside told me that the Izakaya was still open. With fresh hope, I climbed up the stairs and saw a long bar table with high chairs. I was greeted by a friendly bartender and she showed me the menu. After looking through each item, I settled on the Tonkotsu Ramen. About 10 minutes later, the Ramen was brought out and my first thought was that it hardly resembles the ones I've had in Japan. But I was still looking forward to the taste test. I actually ate the eggs first. First bite, it was too salty. At the end, I asked my bartender what the egg was and she told me it was marinated in soy sauce and some other ingredients. So that's basically a Tea egg to me, which is actually of Chinese origin. However, the Tea egg was way too salty. I can make those at home and all you need is soy sauce and eggs. No need to add additional salt since soy sauce adds saltiness to it, especially if you marinate it over night in the fridge. Let move on to the other ingredients. The pork belly was way too overpowering. I was expecting a few slices of pork meat but instead I dug up a huge chunk of pork belly which also had a decent amount of fat. Now the flavor of the pork belly was decent but it was just too heavy on my palette. I did like the pickled onions, they added some acidity which helped cut down some of the heaviness of the pork belly. The noodles were good and well cooked. Price factor, $14 for a bowl of Ramen is pretty steep. Both noddles and eggs are cheap if you just buy it from a grocery store or the farmers market. Sure, the pork belly probably contributed to the price but nobody needs to have that big portion of pork belly in the first place. The main focus of any Ramen should always be the noodles, all other ingredients should simply enhance the existing great flavor, not overpower it. read more

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

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Very strong restaurant overall. I was reading through some of the more recent 1-star reviews--apparently EVERYONE here is either a ramen connoisseur (despite never having visited Japan, cough) or just really cranky after the line at M Kokko was too long. To me, places deserving of a 1-star would be slow/rude service at an empty Denny's or anywhere that made you sick afterwards. Dashi is far from either of those things. I've eaten downstairs and at the bar multiple times. Downstairs, I love eating in a booth or at the bar where they prepare the ramen so you can see the cooks in action. Very friendly and professional folks. Upstairs is the sexier half--the bar. Excellent bartenders and the lighting is perfect for a date. I usually order 1 of 2 ramens: the miso or tonkatsu. Outside of NC, I've only had ramen in NYC but that was back when my taste buds were less adventurous, so I'm hardly an expert. I will say that, regardless of the weather, I always feel a lot better after I've slurped down a bowl at Dashi. They do a perfectly soft boiled egg, and I also love the dish coated in chili oil. I agree that the tonkatsu is occasionally on the blander side, but that has only happened to me once, fortunately. Normally it's a knockout dish. They rotate the vegetables in their ramen seasonally, which is nice. Their buns are always on point (spicy lamb!). They have a knack for turning out creative and seasonal small plates--I had some sweet potatoes coated in soy sauce and sesame seeds and they were KILLER. (And I don't care for sweet potatoes.) Brought a picky friend once and she ordered a beautiful steamed fish with vegetables that she seemed very happy with. I recommend the popcorn with seaweed, too. Place has an incredible selection of whiskeys, and if you haven't come for Whiskey Wednesdays, you're missing out. (Warning: those evenings get busy, so be prepared to stand at the bar.) I also got the chance to meet the manager, Gabe, a couple of times, and he is an outstandingly nice and generous fellow. I also like several of the servers. Overall, I think Dashi is an excellent restaurant in Durham--not sure where the hate is coming from. It's one of the few downtown restaurants open on Mondays, and it's also open late, which is nice for industry folks. Bonus: there is a parking garage across the street that is free after 7pm (sorry you didn't notice it, out-of-town folks bitching about the parking. When again has parking downtown in a popular city ever been kind?). read more

Save your money don't bother!! I wish I could of loved this place but no it was bad. Iam an avid ramen connoisseur and this place missed the ball 100% with seasoning, broth, and all of the components that should go into a traditional bowl of ramen. The kimchi was horrible and I took it out of my ramen, the broth was so basic and flavorless I had to add a ton of the table condiments to my ramen and it still didn't do anything to the broth. I ended up leaving hungry and disappointed. I unfortunately can't recommend and won't return. Also the space is very small and you can easily hear someone else's conversation. read more

Delicious! We had apps, drinks and dinner and all were amazing! We will be back. Korean Fried CauliflowerRamen Noodles read more

Worst ramen I've ever forced myself to eat. Leaving at least a couple stars because the service was attentive, sometimes I actually value service more than the food itself. The guy at the front desk at my hotel gave a strong recommendation for Dashi stating "My friend lived in Japan and said that Dashi is as close as it gets to Japan." I'm from Southern California and have eaten at most of the major ramen shops we have down here and know a good bowl of ramen when I see one. Ordered the Tonkotsu which is my go-to when trying out a new ramen spot. Watched the chef make it in front of me since I sat at the bar. Some of the ingredients were questionable but I figured it would just be unique. Took my first sip of the soup base and I've actually had frozen ramen from our local Japanese markets that tasted better. It was definitely missing something that I couldn't put my finger on. The chashu was off, noodles were off too. It was just all wrong. I probably would've just left without eating the rest of it wasn't so expensive and if I hadn't just spent 7 hours on a plane without eating lunch. Also ordered the karaage (fried chicken) which was surprisingly good considering how awful the ramen was. My only gripe with it was the price. $10 for 4 pieces of chicken. To sum it up, ramen was the worst bowl of ramen that I've ever had and I've eaten at somewhere between 20-30 different ramen restaurants. Pretty pricey, even by California standards. A typical bowl of ramen in California is about $11-$14 which is still pretty pricey for what it is...the Tonkotsu bowl at Dashi was about $15. The average order of Karaage in CA is anywhere from $5-$8. I guess if you've never had a quality bowl of ramen and are used to eating instant ramen, eating here is a step up. I have a feeling a lot of the positive reviews fall into that boat. read more

I absolutely LOVE DASHI!!! The ramen is always amazing and that homemade ginger ale is a blessing!! This is my go to ramen spot!

Atmosphere, service, and izakaya menu are great, but the (Tonkotsu) ramen is really disappointing. Like other reviewers, I found the broth to be really salty, fatty, and flat in flavor. The pork belly was also very tough to eat and not enjoyable. I would come back for the non-ramen items. read more

Expect a line down the block if you don't have reservations, but don't you dare consider this an inconvenience. Instead, think of it as a good indication that amazing, delicious food is in your future. I personally enjoyed sitting at the bar. We like being engaged with our surroundings versus in our own little bubble. Hasn't everyone had enough of that with Covid?Anyway, my husband and I both ordered the Mazemen and our daughter ordered the Tonkotsu ramen. It was like that scene in Ramen girl where you start laughing because the food brings you so much joy. As for their cocktails, they were very well crafted and they have a very nice selection of whiskey, sake, and scotch behind the bar. I am more of a bourbon girl so I stayed in my lane. Now that the weather is getting colder, I highly recommend this place be added to your list of places to warm up. Honestly though, it could be a hundred degrees outside and I would still probably volunteer to do the backstroke in a bowl of that ramen! read more

Dashi - Bourbon cocktail - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Super sweet people I love the energy! The food is mouthwatering it was the first time I came here it's amazing

This is my third time here and I'm finally writing a review! This has been a decent addition. To the Durham downtown food scene. I recently had been raving about the Ramen at M Kokko and a coworker told me I had to try the Tonkotsu Ramen at Dashi. I must say that if you do come here don't hesitate to get the lamb buns appetizer! The meat is extremely tender and seasoned to your palates delight. The Mazeman noodles are my favorite dish here. It is served with no broth. It has spicy chili oil, pork meatballs, garlic, scallion, etc. The Tonkotsu Ramen is probably the signature Ramen dish. It comes out steaming hot and takes only a few minutes to cook. There is no option to order it spicy but you can get chili oil on the side to take it up a notch. Ask for the "special extra hot" chili sauce if your really craving something . The Ramen itself is filling. Large portion of both broth and noodles. It is served with a 2 oz side of pork belly. Overall the flavor is okay at best. Hard to pinpoint what it's missing but it just does t quite stack up to its competition 2 blocks down. Definitely a great place for a small group or a date. Consider sitting at the bar and watch the cooks in action. I will definitely be back, but most likely for the Mazeman noodles. read more

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We stumbled upon this establishment while having a craving for ramen. Great staff and service but ramen was just ok. We had pork belly buns. It was delicious but just a little pricey for two little buns with very little fillings. The Tonkotsu ramen was delicious and I would recommend it. Tantanmen ramen was drowned in chili oil. I don't recommend it if you're sensitive to chili oil. We weren't impressed with ice cream and green tea pound cake. All in all, it's a nice little restaurant. Cute for lunch date! read more

Dashi - Caramel ice cream and green tea pound cake was ok. Don't recommend! - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Grabbed a snack at Dashi in Durham a few days ago. This was the first time for me. As we entered, we immediately walked upstairs to the bar area which also included a great deal of table seating. The décor and overall atmosphere provided a casual, comfortable vibe. We ordered Shochikubai Sake. The waiter advised that it was made with Northern California Sierra water and NorCal rice (we liked that being from the Sacramento area). I don't drink much Sake and I know very little about it. This was served at room temperature versus warm and tasted OK to me. Unlike a big, bold Cabernet, however, I would not want too much of this sake. We also had Black Sesame Nori Popcorn and Spicy Miso Chicken Wings. The popcorn was very good. It was flavored with some mix of Japanese seasonings and dried seaweed. Strong peppery flavor and a little greasy to the touch. The Spicy Miso Chicken Wings were somewhat too salty for me. They were apparently made with katsuobushi along with sesame seeds and scallions. I probably would not order again but it was something new for me to try. Overall, the wait staff was very effective and friendly. Interesting menu couple with reasonable prices. It is worth a try. read more

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Was visiting Durham for the weekend and wanted to get some late night food. We came to Dashi because I love ramen and after living in Hawaii we were used to having amazing ramen and I thought Durham could compare. The staff is nice here and the ambiance is a nice hip spot. Good enough for casual fare or a date spot. The food is just really not that great. I wouldn't say it's terrible, but I wouldn't come back. I was disappointed. I felt like the ramen would be better. We tried two different types and an appetizer, but I can remember what the appetizer was. Like I said, an okay experience, but I won't come back. There is much better ramen out there. read more

Dashi - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

From the Tonkotsu presentation to the fresh lemon ice cream from Parlour this was a fantastic early bird lunch! As a group of three we were seated very quickly and taken care of with great recommendations! read more

The popcorn!! Holy moly I would order it ten times over again. The edamame though, could have used a ~bit~ more flavor. The ramen had everything I could ask for -- I did add the mustard greens. The egg was perfectly done and had a great flavor too. The broth was a tad salty and the hunk of butter did intimidate me at first but I still finished the entire bowl read more

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