We REALLY, REALLY, REALLY wanted to like this place more than we actually did but unfortunately, it came up just a lil short for us. Don't get me wrong, however. Nothing was bad but the first thing we noticed upon walking in was the strength of their AC was zero to non/existent. During 90+ degree VB temps, it's gotta be kickin'. I literally had sweat rolling down my face, neck, back, and arms. It was sweltering in there! And on top of that we were crazy enough to get Ramen. Silly us, right!? In the end, I really should've opted for their highly raved chicken wings instead.
So let's break it down....
a) yeah, I get it... it's a fast casual dining establishment but I am not a fan of the plastic bowls for their ramen. I found the plastic disposable bowls were very similar to the frozen soups I buy at Costco but without the lid. I think reusable bowls would be a better option.
b) if you're gonna serve any kind of Asian soup, you should offer proper sized spoons to slurp the broth! The teeny, tiny, plastic spoon they give you is hideous and borderline aggravating. Useless.
c) NO nori in my ramen?! Is that even allowed!? It's like, a crime not to have nori with tonkatsu. Maybe that's just me?
d) they only had cocktail napkins for customers to use to wipe their mouths and hands. Not even a single paper towel when I requested. What in the world!? Don't even get me started on the ONE teeny, tiny folded up napkin in the utensil packet! Not even big or strong enough for a baby's hand. I kid you not.
e) AC definitely needs to be cranked up when it's hot & humid outside! Windows facing the afternoon sun is brutal.
f) kind of hidden. Not the best location but hey. Parking is sufficient enough.
g) I appreciate their efforts in trying to recycle and all that but I wasn't a fan of the trash system. Looked complicated to me and I couldn't fit my plastic bowl into the small slot for "Plastic" so it ended up going in the trash along with everything else. No place to put your tray either so we just left it at our table.
The Good Stuff:
a) Peach Berry Tea with Crystal boba pearls is the BOMB! I would def come back here again just for that. Worth it.
b) Beef gyoza was on point! Get those for sure!!
c) tonkatsu ramen flavor was actually good. Pork was very tender and they were actually quite generous with the portion. Big fan of that! Not so much a fan of the noodles, though. I got 3 fish cakes whereas my son didn't get any even though we ordered the same thing. Weird. I was sad I couldn't finish the broth due to having a small spoon.
d) playlist was bomb!!!
e) I heard their wangs are legit so if there's a next time, that's what I'm getting. They say it's Bonchon worthy.
I'm on the fence about returning. It's kinda out of the way for me but since they're the only ramen spot in that immediate area, I guess it works. Just not my top 3 choices for ramen at this time. I do like that they offer fresh poké and smoothies, too. I'm not in any rush to return but overall I'd say it's worth a visit. read more