Kotori Ramen is off Copenhagen & 2nd Street. Solvang, CA This Afternoon I missed my favorite #1 Ramen eatery In my book! I was craving for their delicious Shoyu Ramen with Pork belly! I was greeted with warm & caring welcome by Mary! Mary asked if everything in the bowl was ok. I ask for no egg which wasn't a problem at all. I ordered Shoyu Ramen with double pork belly with a sprite . I was happy to see Mary, Erica, kiko, and Gyzel again! It's a very warm and cozy to eat there . All the staff are always so kind & friendly. Their price points are great! Their dishes are very high & great quality! Their dishes are so delicious, savory and mouth watering! I didn't have to wait that long , they were on it! Mary & Gyzel always asked me if everything thing is ok, so sweet of them! I also bought another double pork belly shoyu ramen & 3 Chili Bomb Crunch to go. Their presentation of each dishes is beautiful & delicious at the same time! Mary & Gyzel were both so sweet, kind, genuine, caring, super down to earth! They both have very positive upbeat energy about themselves that really radiates! These two are your rarest Diamonds, their shine can never fade! I would love to Thank Kotori Ramen for my absolutely wonderful visit ! I would also especially love to thank Mary & Gyzel for my making my visit so memorable & beautiful!! I'll definitely be back again!! I'll tell all my family and friends to come visit !! read more

Ramen Kotori - Shoyu Ramen double Pork Belly with chopped green onions, spinach, bamboo shoots, nori - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

We have not had a chicken ramen quite as good as this one. Order with extra noodles because the noodles are so delicious. We will come back! Outdoor seating is adorable with plenty of outdoor heaters. Service is friendly and helpful. We don't eat pork so the broths for the chicken ramen were excellent; it had the right amount of spiciness as well. We live nearby and this spot is always crowded with both in house dining and takeout orders. read more

My sister and I took the kids out to Solvang and figured we'd try this spot since it seemed kid-friendly. We came about an hour before closing on a Saturday. They only have outdoor seating -- maybe 10-15 tables max -- so we ended up waiting about 45 minutes, which was fine. What threw me off was the ordering system. You order at the front, someone takes your whole order, and that's it. If you want anything else, you have to get back in line. With kids, that's... inconvenient to say the least. Alcohol: Limited. No Sapporo. Options were honestly disappointing and felt like an afterthought. Prices: A bit steep for what you actually get. Solvang tax, I guess. Now the food: Kids' Ramen -- 5/10 My son is not picky and eats all kinds of ramen, and he still wasn't into this one. Tan Tan Ramen -- 6/10 Broth was okay, nothing exciting. Definitely not something I'd compare to any solid ramen spot. The ramen at the Sports Bar in Chumash Casino is way better -- and cheaper. Potstickers -- 6/10 Extremely basic flavor. A little salt or seasoning would've helped. Poke Bowl -- 6/10 My sister ordered it and I tried a bite... no flavor at all. Pretty, but empty. Overall, it just wasn't giving what it needed to give. Kid-centered outing or not, the food and experience didn't match the price or the wait. Glad we got to try it, but we most likely won't be returning. read more

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the wife and i were lucky enough to eat at Ramen Kotori this past Saturday -Jan 17 and it was delicious. the food was fresh and made with locally sourced ingredients. we were able to chat a little with the owner Francsico. he was friendly and answered questions we had about their menu and history there at the corner next to the ice cream windmill. a good selection of yummy food and great service. seating is a little limited but you can always take away if you need to. the whole town is very dog friendly and Ramen Kotori is no different. we would definitely eat there again the next time we visit the Danish Capitol of America read more

Ramen Kotori - crispy rice cake with mushrooms - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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In short, the only ramen spot in the area. Decent, but super busy. Early in December I took my family to Solvang, and we found ourselves one night without any dinner plans. We had been out and about all day, and it was cold, so hot soup sounded good. We heard about the ramen spot, so we decided to try it. To our chagrin, the line was going around the corner (like most places during the holidays) and the wait was more than an hour. But we found a trick: ordering it to go and finding somewhere else to eat it. The only seating was outdoors anyway, so what's the difference? So that's what we did. We both ordered a couple of tonkatsu bowls and they were ready in about 20 minutes. The broth was delicious and the noodles still held their own despite us taking about 10 minutes to find a place to sit down. Overall, decent ramen in the middle of a Danish community. I'd recommend it, but try to avoid the rush! read more

The Thai iced tea was pretty good. The veggie ramen was not bad. The broth wasn't as tasty as other places but the noodles and tofu carried the bowl. They didn't have chili oil for the ramen which I found weird because they sell and advertise their own in-house chili sauce. We had to wait about 15 minutes. It's a popular spot. The heaters outside didn't really do a good job at keeping us warm. read more

Ramen Kotori - Thai iced tea - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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Excellent ramen spot! Such a nice flavor and the staff are so sweet and helpful with ordering. There's outside and inside seating and it's very nice. The location is so cute and their service is quick too. 10/10 recommend visiting this place it's such a home made food feel read more

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Started off with the pork gyozas crispy on the outside, juicy inside, with a chili vinegar sauce on the side. For the main dish I got the Shoyu Ramen with pork belly. Broth was super flavorful without being heavy, noodles had that perfect bite, and the pork belly was ridiculously tender. Staff is very friendly. Parking is easy to find. Very small on the inside but intimate. And there is outdoor dining as well. Highly recommend. read more

Ramen Kotori - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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Kinda weird to say there's good ramen in the middle of super Danish Solvang but there is. We split a vegeterian bowl, it was plenty for 2, and it was delicious. Patio was tidy and a nice place to sit. Service was fast and friendly. Only complaint was the extra charge for chili oil and that the tofu we added in was pretty mushy. But we'll be back next time we're in town and maybe just change up our add-ins. read more

This is a cute little spot, you would go to the front to order then take a number and they would bring your food out. I ordered the siu mai and shoyu ramen. Siu mai was served with a black vinegar and soy sauce dipping sauce, I would like mine with hoisin sauce and chili out though. Shoyu ramen, the broth was ok I wish they have tonkatsu because it would be richer. I did liked the noodles, eggs, and the pork that comes with it. I would come here to get something different than typical American food. read more

Ramen Kotori - Shoyu ramen - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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Only ordered tofu baos as a snack while in town. Super limited indoor seating, if any at all. Outdoor seating is up against the ice cream place. The tofu Bao was delicious - the bun itself was light and fluffy, like a cloud. The tofu was quick fried and covered in a sauce while the mushroom and cucumber were thinly, evenly sliced and delicious overall! read more

Ramen Kotori - Tiny hole on the wall, 2-3 seats inside, the rest is outside next to the windmill ice cream shop. Order first, then sit - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

Wow, I never would've thought that some of the best ramen I've ever had would be in Solvang, a place known more for its Danish roots and cuisine! I got the Jiro Ramen, which is a special bowl that isn't available all the time. The broth was a rich garlicky and savory miso that was so good, I drank every last drop. The noodles were thicker than usual for this bowl, and they were cooked perfectly, with nice chewiness and springiness. It came with 4 pieces of tender chashu pork that seemed to be seared in a way that gave them an amazing toasty crust. There was also a generous amount of cabbage and bean sprouts. I paired this with a lemon soju drink that was huge -- the size of a tumbler of lemonade. This was also delicious, with a taste reminiscent of an Orange Julius or Creamsicle bar. My wife got a vegetarian miso ramen, which she also really enjoyed. The place is pretty small, and I've read that when it gets crowded, wait times can be long (but fortunately we got there a little early and were able to get a table without a problem). Staff are all very friendly and helpful. If you're visiting Solvang, take a break from all the Danish fare and give this place a try, you won't regret it! read more

Ramen Kotori - Cute windmill serves as a landmark - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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We stopped by Ramen Katori before heading home, and I was really impressed with our experience. I ordered the chicken karaage as an appetizer, which was delicious. My boyfriend and I both went for the vegetarian miso ramen with chicken since we requested something without pork broth. I really like how this place operates. You place your order at the door, and they give you a number to take with you to your table. We sat beside the trolley ice cream spot, which added a nice touch. After we were seated, they served us water and brought our food right to the table, which was great. The ambience was lovely, even though it's outside. I found it very relaxing being in Solvang, where the views are beautiful no matter where you go. The servers were attentive and kept checking on us throughout our meal, which I appreciated. Overall, Ramen Katori is a fantastic spot for a flavorful bowl of ramen, and I would definitely recommend it! read more

Ramen Kotori - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

Nice little Ramen place in Solvang. The food was excellent and the service was great. Right next to an ice cream parlor which worked well to satisfy our sweet tooth after dinner. I didn't take any photos but the Ramen there is delicious. read more

In a very cozy town, they are very quick to refill the water; the water is delicious, the barley tea is DELICIOUS, the vegetarian miso ramen is rich and well portioned, YAY! "The spicy tantan ramen is well portioned in addition to being rich" would definitely recommend stopping your stroll through Disneyland to partake in the yummy, restful, wholesome, nurturing vibes of this danish wasia fantastical town! read more

Ramen Kotori - Outside - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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Well... a little pocket of Japanese gastronomical delights has landed amidst this little Danish town of tourists . The folks at The Backroom told us to try this place out - talk about local gold !! We ordered Chicken Karaage was crunchy and moist - not overcooked with a great balance of green onion and a spicy mayo for dipping . The Shoyu Ramen broth was tasty and deep a no thin broth here . Went with the pork shoulder moist and tasty . Side of kimchi was bright and perfect . My partner ordered the tuna poke bowl and the rice was seasoned with rice vinegar to perfection , plus the seaweed salad was fresh and the Mami of Umami !! Damn ! Don't sleep on a great Japanese meal post danish sweets and German lagers ! Excellent service was the cherry on top! read more

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We were down to the last two tofu pieces of this dish and what was hidden under the penultimate piece was this pincer bug! We told the establishment and they responded by just saying "ew" and saying "we can give you a refund on the dish or make a new one". I asked if they could take back the other two pieces I already ate and they just giggled. No apology. It's our first time in Solvang and we were excited to see a ramen restaurant but this visit was unfortunate because of this. My daughter loved the ramen but the fact that there was no remorse for this incident just sours the experience. read more

Ramen Kotori - Pincer bug - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

Wait time can be pretty long and there is a hard distinction on where the line can be since it's in the way of people walking to and fro near the ice cream and other shops. Food we got was the Spicy Kimchi ramen and we got a size order of gyoza and the chicken karage. The spicy kimchi ramen is good but be careful of the soup base since it is a bit of a salt bomb if drink too much of the soup itself. We were interested in trying the kimchi fried rice but it was sold out the day we went and ate there. Overall I would say it is a nice option to try out if you have kids and you're in the mood for ramen they even have a kids menu option for them too. Otherwise just be aware of the long wait time and also once your name is called you be asked to submit your order then pay then get your table with a number. Wait for food by then shouldn't be long since we had placed an order for our food. read more

I'm always looking for places to eat in Solvang. I am in town once every month and it's only so many restaurants to eat in the area. I remember years ago when I saw this new ramen place pop up, I had a bookmark it and try it out. This restaurant is located in the Hamlet square windmill plaza. There are a couple of tables inside the restaurants off and there are also a lot of tables outside in the patio area and right behind of the windmill. They have a couple of good food options. There were three ramen options and a couple of the rice dishes sounded really good but I was too full to order it. On a different visit I got the pork belly kimchi rice it was really good. Very excellent taste and it's not something you would think you would be able to get in a town like Solvang. You order at the register and then you are given a number and you find at your table. Stop then later we'll bring your food over to you. There are utensils and napkins and also there are water cups along with water right next to the register that you get on your own. I ended up getting the shoyu ramen because it was their signature dish. I liked how all the ingredients in the ramen were crafted and cooked well. There is some parking around but it can be harder to find when the town is busy and full of visitors. read more

Stopped by Ramen Katori in Solvang and was immediately impressed by their expansive menu and focus on customer service. It's a patio-only restaurant, the ample umbrella coverage allows you to enjoy Solvang's exceptional year-round weather. There's plenty of parking nearby, just look for the windmill! I tried the Shoyu Ramen with pork belly. The pork belly was well prepared and the presentation of the ramen was a nice touch. They provided a side of chili paste which ended up being necessary as the broth and noodles were lacking flavor. Overall this is a fun spot with quick service, I look forward to trying more items on their menu. read more

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Very decent ramen. The only downside is that they have a limited menu with no tonkatsu

For the central coast, I think this is a pretty great ramen spot! When you get there, you order and pay first before getting seated. The bowl looks really small, but it's actually really filling. I have been getting the spicy kimchi miso ramen and it's actually pretty tasty! However, once I'm towards the end of the bowl, the sodium is really noticeable. The appetizers are okay. I'm not really fond of the ones I've ordered this far, but the oysters are really tasty! My husband and I killed a dozen in seconds! We were almost tempted to get a dozen more, haha. The ambiance is alright. When it's warm outside, you'll notice that there's a lot of flies around the tables/food. Other than that, it's cute! read more

Ramen Kotori - Dozen Oysters - Ramen Near Me - Solvang, California

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First time here a week ago. The food was was absolutely scrumptious. The service top tier. The vibes were cool. Mostly outdoor seating. Not a problem as you could people watch while you enjoy your meal. I ordered the fried rice with pork shoulder. The flavors were spot on! Just wished there was more of it in an order lol My wife ordered the tuna Poke and she absolutely loved it! Her favorite part of the dish was the sea kelp salad. * Chefs kiss* Next time we're in town we are going to have to hit up ramen kotori and try some of their other menu items. If you're ever in solvang this place is a must! read more

Ramen Kotori has only outdoor seating, which can be a challenge during the cool season, but they have patio heaters scattered throughout their small, limited seating area. Service was quick and very friendly. Succulents adorn their dining patio's flower boxes along the fence. Our selections were delicious. The Shoyu Ramen was perfectly seasoned and not too salty. The portion was a bit small, and their website photo looks much more generous than actual ramen received. The Chicken Karaage was perfectly cooked with the outside crispy and the inside meat moist and tender. One of their special selections on today's menu board was A5 Waygu Handrolls. These came as an order of two handrolls. We enjoyed this special as it was tender and had a great flavor. Overall, this eatery delivers delicious and flavorful selections but at a rather high price point. read more

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It was good. Food was ok and the service was good. It was cold and the staff made sure the heaters were on.

Guys. Eat here. This evening we ordered the shoyu ramen, cold dipping noodles, gyoza, bibimap, watermelon salad, a couple bao, Thai iced tea, and strawberry lemonade. Honestly, I would order it all again. Everything was delicious. All of the servers were very sweet and kind. The cashier helped our kind of large party find a place to sit even though they were pretty full. They were patient and helpful at every turn. I even followed them on Instagram, showed the cashier, and got a bunch of stickers! The ambience is nice. It's all outdoor seating, but roped in so that only people eating at the restaurant can sit there. It is dog friendly and it was a nice, shaded spot to sit in the evening. For sure eat here. I highly recommended it! read more

1. Tried the tan tan ramen - overall good but could use less salt. 2. Tried the veggie miso ramen- definitely not recommended. No flavor and excessive salt. 3. The veggie rice bowl was decent No condiments/sauces on any table. read more

When craving japanese ramen in Solvang, Ramen Kotori is an absolute winner. The quality of food and service stand alongside some of the best ramen joints anywhere. Located in a small plaza just off of Copenhagen Dr. An unexpected surprise from a small but efficient kitchen that uses fresh ingredients and delivers the umami that makes you hi-five your friends and family after the meal. Pro tip: This place is not for people looking for indoor dining. Enjoy the open air and heat lamps to provide additional warmth. Parking: Free street parking. Never met a person who didn't like a short walk in Solvang When you arrive, you'll get in line and place your order with the cashier. The cashier will then hand you a number and which at this point you can find seating. You'll find seating within the outdoor patio. Our family of 5 found seating pretty easily. Just takes some patience to allow other patrons to finish and the staff to clear the tables and wipe down. They can get pretty busy but they did great at attending to water to our family and others while we waited for the food. What we ate: Shoyu Ramen w/ pork shoulder plus Pork Belly 5/5 Spicy Tan Tan Ramen 5/5 Oysters (Special Menu) 4/5 Gyoza 5/5 Spicy Tuna Hand Roll 4/5 A5 Wagyu Hand Roll 5/5 (Special Menu) When I saw a Japanese Ramen joint in a Dutch-themed town, I thought, this is either going to be amazing, or going to be very bad. A wise man once said life rewards taking chances and new experiences. Ramen Kotori is one very great reward. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 read more

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Hidden gem if you want ramen in the middle of Solvang. Ramen was not heavy and flavorful. Staff was very accommodating and friendly.

Had dinner last night at Kotori Ramen. Found the entire experience regrettable, and I encourage those considering this place to re-consider, for the following reasons: 1. Cheap ingredients. The ramen was no better than the 10 for a dollar stuff by Maruchan. The "bluefin roll" is based on albacore from a can. The broth in the ramen bowls comes from a can. 2. Overall lack of cleanliness. My party of three was swarmed by flies - every other diner I saw had the same plague of visitors - and I lost what little appetite I had in short order. 3. All three of us - myself, my wife, and our adult daughter, spent most of last night violently ill. The owner of this nightmare would benefit from a visit from the health department. read more

The Food is amazing and great service. The town is lovely great for a day to go walk and do some wine tasting and then eat some Ramen

Food was okay. Wait time was terrible specially if you're a big party. They don't honor whether you came earlier than other parties. What matters is the gratuity for 6+ parties. We were a party of 6. Obviously its gonna be a long await. We waited for about an hour when the host said about 40-45 mins. No problem at all, it all went down when he called everyone but us. Even called a party of 4 and a party of 2 at the same time but these were people that were way behind us on the list. Prior to joining the wait list we told the host that we don't mind getting separated. Why didn't they? Well obviously they wanted to get the 20% gratuity. I approached him right after he called the 2 parties behind us and asked why he had to call them before us since we've been waiting for about an hour and a half. He then started stuttering, he thought we wouldn't notice but we did. Before this happened I asked to take a pic of the waitlist and he strategically covered the parties behind us so we wont realize that they called the parties after us. They finally called us after about 15 more minutes only for us to still be separated. Great. If they still would separate us whats the point of skipping us in the wait list right? Again for the 20% gratuity they didn't deserve. We began making our order thought everything would finally all fall into place until my "strawberry lemonade" came. A regular lemonade came no strawberry, I told the lady that i ordered a strawberry lemonade and I only got a lemonade only for me to get the response "thats all we have, I cant do anything about it." It would have been great if they told us this prior to charging us right when we placed our order. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN GREATER IF WE GOT A MORE SYMPATHETIC APOLOGY INSTEAD OF A HALF ASSED ONE. They gave us one bottle of service water for 6 people. One bottle was only able to fill up 3 cups lol. Worst service ever. We had to ask them again to give us another bottle which took a while cause servers wont look our way lol. I get that this is a small town but it would have been appreciated if they actually honored the waitlist we had to actually wait for and a little sympathy for people who actually wait in the cold weather to get food. You cant actually expect people to pay 20% gratuity when we dont feel gratitude towards the service we got. Also didn't actually have a regular lemonade in the menu so if you get a strawberry lemonade and they give you a regular one you are actually getting ripped off. read more

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a really beautiful ramen spot!! we had outdoor seating and despite the cold weather, we were very comfortable because of all the heaters :) the food quality was great, i had the vegetable miso while my brother had the shoyu ramen, and my family also got the crispy tofu and gyoza. everything was extremely filling and well-made! the service was also great, we had multiple servers helping us and they were all pretty kind to us which was appreciated would recommend!! read more

OMG I was honestly blown away. The food is really good and I wish we ordered more but it was our first time here. We ordered the vegetarian noodle bowl with some veggies on the side. I highly recommend checking them out. There was a long line to order and also a long line of people that had already ordered LOL. They do have seating but we ordered it to eat at our Airbnb. The employees were welcoming. It was clean and the food was good! read more

AMAZING FLAVOR. Exceptional service. Beautiful location. I am SO happy we decided to eat Ramen during our night in Solvang. This little restaurant is right in the middle of Solvang and totally worth a stop. The garlic flavors that I added to my bowl were exceptional. We walked up 3 minutes before they closed but the server allowed us to still order while also having great service. I love what they are doing here and can't wait to go back! read more

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Great hidden gem in Solvang. Especially if you're getting tired of Danish and American food. Or when you want sushi on a hot day. You order at the window but don't be confused, it's still a full service restaurant (so do tip). It's just faster for them to have you order at the window and then have it served to you. The food was delicious! Wasn't sure what Japanese food would be like here but it exceeded my expectations. We had the shu mai, chicken and pork bao sandwiches, oysters, and spicy tuna hand rolls. The oysters and chicken bao were the best but all of it was delicious! Going back again before we head back to LA because it was that good! Also talked with one of the servers who said the chefs come from Japan and have Michelin stars! This is just as good as a nice LA Sushi restaurant. The only downside is there's no indoor seating so you're left to the elements when it's hot out or raining. Definitely will be back! read more

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Extremely long wait. If you get there before the rush, you are lucky! You get in line, pay, you find a seat to sit, then they bring the food to you. I've learned this city is very different. Where I'm from--you get seated, you order, they bring the food to you, then you pay and tip. The gentleman was nice to provide seating I requested and accommodate us. The food was average and nothing spectacular. Overly priced (not sure if this is a tourist price). EXPENSIVE for the amount/portion you get. The food was okay and did not provide a lot of flavor. Not much to it. Plain and average. The seating area was SMALL!! Only outdoor dining which was so tight, tables were close and people looked like a pack of sardines. Would I come back? Maybe not. Average okay ramen noodles. Overhyped. Overpriced. read more

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I decided to check out this place out for dinner, the night before running a local half marathon. Sure it was kind of weird to eat Japanese food in a Danish town in California, but I gave it a shot. I placed my order at the door and paid for my food before finding an open table outside. That was perfect since the weather was really nice. Once my food was ready, an employee brought it out to me. My order was for the shoyu ramen with pork shoulder and gyoza. It was a surprisingly good bowl of ramen! Even the gyoza wasn't bad. I was definitely glad that I decided to come here! read more

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I had a really disappointing experience at Ramen Katori. We sat at one of the outdoor bench tables while we were getting ready to order some ramen. We had a small ice cream with us and the staff came over to tell us that they "don't allow ice cream" because it tends to be messy. Meanwhile, there was a family next to us with multiple kids eating ramen and making an actual mess -- and that was apparently fine. It made absolutely no sense. Instead of being welcoming or reasonable, they gave us a hard time over something so small when we were literally about to spend money there. Because of that attitude, we decided not to eat at this place and left. Very disappointing customer service. Not coming back. read more

Revisited Solvang after 6 years, finally found a great Asian restaurant in this lovely Denmark town, service is excellent, staffs are friendly and thoughtful. Plating is very nice and food is flavorful. Will come back when visiting Solvang again. Highly recommended. read more

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