Issac K.

I just came here a couple of days ago for a Yelp event (please check that review for my thoughts on the pork bun and Sapporo-style ramen on their menu). I liked it so much that I decided to come back and dragged my co-worker with me. The interior is sort of a long narrow-ish setup, with seating on one side, and the ordering counter on the other side. Edison-style bulbs lined the area, providing a warm, orange-ish light. Cozy. You walk up to the counter and order. They'll give you a number and bring your order to your table. I ordered the blackened tuna bun and O.G. Miso ramen (with an addition of pork and egg), with a Yuki Tora sake. The tuna bun was tasty. I believe the tuna was aburi torched, and it was topped with carrots, scallions, wakame, and sesame seeds. It also had eel sauce and wasabi, which created a great flavor combination between the piercing spice of wasabi and the sweetness of eel sauce. The O.G. Miso ramen used a miso broth, with carrots, cabbage, shiitake, topped with scallions, sesame seeds, and a piece of nori. And of course, I added pork and an egg to it. I love shiitake in my ramen broth, as it adds a bit of savoriness, and also provides a bit of meaty texture. The miso flavor in this broth is much more prominent compared to the Sapporo-style ramen, however, I found Sapporo-style broth much more complex and balanced. I think what I was missing in this would be a drizzle of sesame oil. I also got a Yuki Tora nigori sake with my meal, which I found I loved from the Yelp event a couple of days ago. One with the meal, and another one as just dessert after the meal. Also convinced my co-worker to try it, and he also liked it. This place is definitely worth the visit. In general, you won't find ramen this good unless you're willing to go into the city and pay as much for an hour's worth of parking as your meal costs.

Jen W.

It has been just over a year since I was last at New Wave Kitchen and I have been itching to get back here! Finally, while in Wakefield for an event at the local theater, I was able to have another New Wave Kitchen bun! Yes! For those who don't know, the menu is on a large black board on the wall to your right as you enter. Order at the end of the bar right near the blackboard. The have yacht club soda's, bottled water, sake, wine, beer and a couple of other canned or bottled beverages to add to your food. I went with the blackened tuna bun this time and a house salad. The bun is soooo good. Tuna cooked rare, wasabi spice, fresh, crunchy veg. I made a yummy noise with my first bite and my dining companion said 'guess it's good'. Ha! They had a bit too. I had to share. The house salad is a big bowl of fresh spinach with shredded veg and a miso dressing. It was tasty and filling. Just what I needed. My dining companion had the Hot A.F. ramen. I had a small taste and it *is spicy. I couldn't have eaten it, but they sure managed to scarf down the whole bowl. Satisfying and filling. Each Ramen bowl has a variety of 'add on' ingredients available for a small fee so you can 'make it your own.' Ingredients are locally sourced and fresh and prices reflect the quality of the food. The bartender was the only FOH staff along with a couple BOH. They were friendly and helpful. Very happy I finally had a chance to return to New Wave Kitchen.

Ali D.

Plenty of delicious and clean vegan options. Very picky husband loved his tofu rice bowl. I had the salmon poke light rice and it was perfection. Full of yummy vegetables. They dressed it with a gentle wasabi sauce. Really nice people, great environment.

Delaney M.

Variable menu with many options which was perfect for us because we were craving tuna, rice bowls and ramen! We were highly impressed with the bites which included the tuna hand roll which came with a wasabi dip which was delicious and it was packed with tuna. My boyfriend got the cuke salad which was light yet flavorful with a little spice! Truly this was a 4.5/5, only because the honey chicken bowl could've come out a little warmer than it did. Nonetheless there was a healthy portion of chicken in it and the peanuts were a nice textural crunch. The OG miso ramen bowl I got felt just a little bland. I know most bowls are better with a tonkatsu style broth but you can really make a miso broth punch and it didn't. I'm glad I got a side of chili oil to spice it up a bit, because I was nervous about trying their coined ~very spicy~ miso broth. The space was open and inviting with low lighting great for date night and they're known for their sake bar. We had a cute window corner for people watching! Service was very nice especially because we came 30 min prior to close and called ahead to check to see if it was fine!!

Rachel O.

If you know me, you know how I feel about New Wave Kitchen (spoiler alert: very good feelings) so this review is specifically & only in reference to their new bar! A few months ago, New Wave began transitioning away from being a BYO establishment. They now carry an assortment of wine, beer, sake, & other funky things to pair with their killer food. I saw that they had something called "Sake Jelly Shot" on the lineup & I had to try it, just because. I don't know what I was expecting but I don't think I had the highest hopes back then. Now, months later, I must admit that I'm kinda obsessed with this weird bev. It's sparkling sake in a small, 6.1 oz can. The directions say to "serve chilled and shake well more than 20 times." Shake it more than 20 times. Shake it to death. Shake it like a polaroid picture. Yes, it's a carbonated beverage, but trust me. Shake it! The jell-o type substance in the can will pulverize after shaking vigorously, resulting in a weird, viscous, bubbly, sweet-but-not-too-sweet drink. It's peach flavored. I've never had anything like it. You gotta try it for yourself to see.

Michael P.

Noticed this place several weeks back and checked the menu out and knew I had to try it. The tldr; Pork Bun ($7): 4/5 Pickled Daikon Special ($6): 5/5 BBQ Chasu Ramen Special ($18): 100/5 Overall experience: 5/5 The ramen noodle: I'm a tough critic when it comes to ramen, most shops have a sad noodle, lifeless, no chew, dry-packaged store bought level stuff. New Wave Kitchen was anything but. This noodle had a good amount of spring, it had a chew that held up from the start of the bowl to the end of the bowl, and it was a joy to eat. The broth: was so flavorful and had a perfect amount of body without feeling too sticky and maintained a great silky consistency. I'd guess this was their tonkatsu, but not completely sure, either way, it was a great balance of flavor. Mild spice and plenty of aroma oil and solid depth. Toppings: julienned carrots, scallions, sesame seeds, nori, soft boiled egg (+$3) and pork belly chasu. All great companions to that colorful canvas of a broth. But man, the pork belly was spot on. Perfectly cooked, crisp and the fat was rendered so well. I personally would have liked for a little of the 5-spice flavor to shine through more, but that may have been the chef letting the ramen flavor shine. The pork bun: I'll be honest on this one, the pork in the bun itself was a bit dry. I was actually expecting more of a chasu pork bun where this was a shredded pork that could have used a bit of seasoning and sauce mixed into it. The sauce put on the bao bun made up for it and overall, I thought it was flavorful but could have been a little better. Also, I think $7 for a bao bun is a little on the steep side, it was quite small for that price. The daikon pickles: I didn't know that you could make a daikon pickle taste quite like this. Typically daikon pickles are vinegary and lean on sugar for a very sweet and mildly tangy pickle. This, however, was seasoning with turmeric, garlic and lemon. Delicious flavor combo. Again, same critique on this one, a quick pickle like this is easy to execute and daikon at the Asian grocer is 99¢/lb regularly, so I thought $6 was a little pricey, not to the same degree as the bun, though. Thoroughly enjoyed the flavors. Overall, a great experience. I thought it was a little on the expensive side for a ramen shop, but I happily pay for great food and service and you got both here. After I finished my food (you pay first) I said outloud, "yep, that was worth it". [Edited to add] I didn't realize this is a farm to table restaurant so the prices likely reflect that, however my sentiment remains the same. Maybe just something to keep in mind when assessing the value you get. For some, value isn't a factor and quality and taste are paramount bar no price. I have an honest day job so I will always take value into account for my reviews. Side note, when first put my order in we grabbed a seat and then the owner wrote the special up on the board for the Chasu Ramen bowl. I knew I wanted that and I was able to pull and audible and change it to get that instead. Very nice of them to accommodate. Nice relaxing feel inside with plenty of room to chow down. Would absolutely come back. This should be on your list to try for ramen spots!

S Nicole M.

Scrumptious, fresh food served up right. The dishes are pretty, fresh and local! I called in a pick up order of salmon poke add tuna while en route and it was ready when I arrived. Less than 15 minutes. Was greeted warmly at the counter and was on my way after picking up my eats. There were three different parties dining when I arrived... Two outside and one inside. Dining room is spotless with cool music playing. Plenty of seating with AC but I'd probably opt for an open table outside for some Wakefield people watching. Thinking you could probs bring your doggo, too. The poke bowl has ruined me as I will now be unable to be completely happy with any other bowl. Generous amount of fresh firm salmon and tuna pieces (I added tuna to the salmon poke menu offering), atop a well blended mix of brown and white rice. It was accented with fresh pea greens, lettuce , cabbage and some knockout homemade pickles. The dressing had a nice ginger, chili heat that was not over-powering. When I opened it, I thought to myself, "self, you'll never finish this whole thing. Just have a bite and we'll dig in at home". Welp. It's gone. After eating it in THE CAR where I parked. Needless to say, it's dang diggety delicious. Take out, eat in with byob, or take out and eat in your car - but check this place out.

Zach B.

This was my 2nd visit to New Wave Kitchen and the anticipation was high! I ordered the OG Miso Ramen and my husband had the Killer Tofu Rice Bowl. Both were outstanding: so flavorful and colorful and satisfying. One of the things I love about this place is how friendly everyone is. We were greeted by the tall guy behind the counter (I think he's an owner but am not sure) with a big smile and a "Let me know when you're ready to order and I'll be glad to help you." I overheard him chatting with diners at other tables as well. The menu selection is terrific and includes many gluten-free and vegetarian options (and I believe vegan, too, but am not sure I am remembering correctly). It's a casual place with a fantastic selection of beer, sake, and soft drinks--way more options than you'd expect to find in a small place. They even had Sapporo beer on tap when we were there! The one hiccup was the time it took for our food to come to our table after we ordered. There was a slight delay which we later found out was due to staff training. It happens. Everything still came out piping hot and delicious. The tall guy came over to apologize and check in and all was well. At other places I might have taken off a star in my rating over something like this, but this place just makes up for it in all other ways that the delay was easy to overlook--and I know from past experience that they are usually prompt and efficient.

Billy S.

If you are have been searching for the PERFECT bowl of ramen, look no further than New Wave. Sometimes restaurants can be hit or miss, especially with ramen. After coming here for over two years, I can say that New Wave is one of the few that has gotten consistently better, even when I originally thought there was no room for improvement. Some examples: -Originally located a little off the beaten path, now in a cozy spot right in downtown Wakefield -Used to be BYOB, now serving ice cold beer on tap, along with a nice selection of saki and canned beer. Ordering is a breeze, Matt will cheerfully guide you to the perfect meal to suit whatever your taste is. Want spicy? They've got it. Want mild, but still packed with flavor? No problem. Gluten free? Tons of options, and all every bit as good as the glutenous ones. The service is fast and friendly, and you will feel like you are at home here. Pro tip: if you see the Chashu Ramen on the specials board- pull the trigger. You won't regret it

Absolutely fantastic every time. Great vibes. Excellent music. Went tonight and had another exquisite meal. Everyone who works there makes you feel right at home. We had special pork belly buns , house ramen , and our favorite - the tuna nachos. Let's support our small businesses in town whenever we can.