If you go for ramen, your best bet is to go for the tonkotsu or miso ramen. They make their noodles in house, so they are fresh and springy. And they adjust the noodle thickness based upon the broth type, so that's good. But if you like shoyu ramen, this really isn't their strong point; it will be more like a lighter tonkotsu broth with thicker noodles. They also offer dan dan men and chuka soba in the summertime, but it's not really the Japanese style. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, and the staff is very nice and attentive. Service is quick. I stopped by on the way to Breese Field and it was a delicious quick dinner. The bamboo shoots are made with a canned variety, instead of dehydrated, and the marinated egg is really just soft-boiled. So if you're a ramen snob, set your expectations accordingly. Even still, it was a solid bowl of ramen read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Shoyu ramen. Yes, shoyu. - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We came here for restaurant week in the winter. There was a wait which we counted on! We decided to put our name on the list and run across the street to IO for drinks and games while we waited. Once we got called, we were seated at the bar which was a great experience. Our server was attentive and filled up the many diet soda refills of my partner and my water refills. We got dumplings which were delicious, then Ramen, then mochi ice cream to close it out. The ramen was flavorful and the dumplings were the star of the show. They were juicy and delicious. I love that it's in a house-like building and there are many different rooms. It feels cozy and comfortable. I will return again for ramen. It's my #2 place in Madison! read more

What a great spot. We didn't make reservations because we thought arriving just after 5 on a Friday would be early enough. It was bar seating only which was ok but just a heads up. We had fast service. We ordered a few drinks off the happy hour menu and two apps. The shrimp tempura app was incredible! Edamame was delicious as well. Wish it was served with a sauce. The pork belly rice bowl was the best thing we tried. The pork buns and Totanksu ramen were also very tasty. The house made ramen noodles were fantastic. Didn't get a picture of the chocolate mochi ice cream but it was DELICIOUS!! read more

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Just tried Unami Ramen for the first time! It is located on Williamson St, across from Feast. There is street parking available, but they also have their own little lot. We came during happy hour in order to try some half off saketinis! We had the lychee, snow pear, and hanami blossom. The lychee was our favorite. For an appetizer we tried the spicy tofu buns. They were good, but we wished they were filled more. The one piece of tofu felt a little skimpy. For ramen we tried the pork tonkotsu and the vegetarian tonkotsu. I was really amazed at how rich and flavorful the vegetarian one was! I feel like most ramen places aren't able to mimic the richness of a meat broth with their vegetarian options, so I was quite impressed!! Our server was also nice so overall a great experience. read more

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Yummy food, especially the pork buns! Waitress was super sweet and we got sat right away. Place was clean & the dishes were unique but approachable. Gotta knock off a star for the sound inside, needed some softening as sound bounced off the walls and we could clearly here the convos happening far away and near by. But over all we'd 100% go back because that tonkatsu ramen was epic. read more

Coming back was like seeing an old friend again. We have not been back here since pre-covid so I was excited to re-try an old favorite. My partner and I shared the Spicy Pork Buns and they were delicious. The buns are fluffy and the spicy chutney is a nice balance of sweet and tangy. I also ordered the Lychee Saketini and it did not disappoint. It was pretty sweet but I enjoy a refreshing fruity/sweet drink. I ordered the Miso Ramen and had no complaints, it was rich and flavorful. The noodles had a good snap to them, you could tell that they were freshly made. The meat was tender and that egg is always the perfect finish to any bowl of ramen for me. 10/10 would order again! As before the restaurant looks the same, located inside a renovated house with lots of character. read more

Very welcoming staff! Super cozy clean space, nicely decorated. Really good fresh dishes one of the better ramen in Madison. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Appetizer, ramen & potstickers - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Found this place while searching for some good food near our hotel and I'm glad we did. Have to recommend going during happy hour like we did. Some unbeatable deals until 6pm. The shoyu ramen was fantastic and really portioned well. The ambiance was cozy with the outside being a little deceiving looking like a house. read more

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I truly do not understand the people who say this place is good, nonetheless the "best ramen place in Madison." I don't think they know what ramen is. I ordered the vegan ramen. It was the worst ramen I have ever had in my life. The noodles were certainly not home cooked - they tasted like hair. The broth had a weird almost sour taste to it. The tofu was clearly store bought as pre-marinated tofu. The bamboo was completely not fresh. The mushrooms were so chewy they could barely be swallowed. Portions were small for the $15 price. I have heard such good things about this place and tried to go so many times. I finally found an opportunity in the one 4 hour window a day they are open - they are constantly closed, and given how horrible the ramen tastes, I truly don't understand how they make any money. I did takeout so I cannot comment on the service. To second what I saw another reviewer comment: There are too many good restaurants in Madison to eat bad food. Please save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Vegan Ramen - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This past Friday, my friends and I met up for Happy Hour. Having enjoyed our visit there two weeks prior, we decided to return. Unfortunately, this time was not pleasant. After paying and tipping the waitress on the patio, the manager approached us and loudly stated that we had exceeded the dining time limit. We were never informed of this limit by her, the waiter, or any signs. As we were already preparing to leave, her loud announcement drew unnecessary attention to our table. She could have handled it more kindly. Additionally, as the only people of color in the dining area, we felt unwelcome despite continuously ordering food and drinks, even beyond Happy Hour. I sent an email to the restaurant requesting signs be put up to indicate the patio limit and asked for the manager to be reprimanded. I never want anyone to lose their job or for a business to suffer. What I will not stand for is a restaurant disrespecting guests, therefore I will not return. read more

I visited this establishment for a happy hour on Friday. My first time there meeting two friends. There is a small parking lot in the back with maybe 4 spots and plenty of willie street parking. The outside patio has a decent space for seating and enough shade. The waiter was nice enough but seemed shocked I tipped well which seemed odd. I did not appreciate the manager speaking excessively loud to inform me and my friends we had exceeded the time limit for dining when we were never informed of the time limit by her, the waiter or any signs stating this information. We were attempting to leave when she had to ADD how much time over the time limit we had exceeded and again she was loud drawing attention to the table. She could've have delivered that information MUCH kinder and we felt unwelcomed being the only people of color in the dining area. Additionally we were ordering food and drinks the entire time even past the happy hour and not simply sitting there. The level of embarrassment cannot be matched and I was truly enjoying the atmosphere and food with my friends. Never been faced which such rudeness for the past decade I have lived in Madison. read more

Came here for a girls night and loved the Valentine's Day special they had going. Priced great and food was delicious! Loved the dumplings and the Ramen. The Dan Dan noodles were delicious too but on the spicy side. It was so good I came back for take out read more

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My wife and I came for happy hour and tried 3 of their "Saketinis" and they were all great. The steak skewers were really good but I would have liked a little sweetness added, tasted like steak and soy sauce which wasn't bad. The ramen was amazing, we split one order and I added the whole spicy bomb to mine and it was the perfect heat level for me (my comfort range is habanero level for spice). Service was very friendly and attentive (we were the only people who sat at the bar), and the vibe was super chill and relaxing. read more

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Stopped by Wisconsin and didn't have too many expectations. But over all not bad. All the servers were nice, and food came fairly fast. Ordered poke bowl and had some of their pickled vegetable appetizers. The poke bowl itself was just okay. Lots of sides and great portion in that regard, but not much of the actual fish. Strong flavor of soy sauce and not much else, but overall not bad. The sides were a bit disappointing. Small portions and flavor not too distinct outside of vinegar, with the exception of the kimchi which had great flavor. But still not bad, and still hits the spot. Being from California where we do have lots of Asian food readily available it is hard to compare, but overall not a bad choice and still had a good time overall. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - a plate of food - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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The best (maybe only) place for legit ramen in Madison! Great broth and toppings! The noodles are special- not the soft mushy kind that is mass produced. These are more firm and have texture like real ramen is supposed to have. I wonder if the noodles are handmade. So grateful to have this delicious, authentic ramen place in Madison! Will definitely be back! The folks who left petty 1 star reviews about being told they had exceeded the time limit clearly did not read the sign at the front of the restaurant which says plain and simple that during busy times, each table gets a 2hr time limit. That seems very fair- it's a small restaurant with limited seating and 2hrs is plenty of time to eat. It's hard enough for good restaurants to make it these days- maybe take a minute before you leave reviews to tank a local business for something so small. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Shoyu Ramen - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Umami is back on Willy St and just as good as I remember! We enjoyed the spicy pork buns, the tonkostu ramen with a spicy bomb, tonksho ramen, and some sake to share. The spicy buns were so good I could easily see us ordering another plate. The staff is super friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back soon! read more

Genuinely some of the best ramen in the area! My husband and I have been trying to find good ramen and this place is definitely the best

Another RW stop for me folks! Glad I chose this one to change it up and get some alternative culture and grub experience. What better way to warm the heart and soul on a cold WI night than with Ramen right!? 830pm Tuesday night, busy but not bad. Got busy fast after I was seated however, really busy! People know where to find the good stuff I guess! I got the mushroom arugula salad, pickled veggies and the miso ramen which is miso broth, chicken, ramen noodle, flavor infused egg, nori, bean sprouts and mushrooms. So seemingly simple but the flavor combo is so complex and darn right good! The broth is where its at I feel and makes or breaks a good ramen bowl. Here they got it down pat! Pickled veggies I just happen to really like so I got them and devoured them. The salad sounded good, looked good and was good. For $26 with tax this was a filling meal, tasty meal, healthy meal and worth every penny. Great staff, fast service and good value. A perk of this place is that it caters well to both vegetarians and otherwise with its extensive ramen menu offerings. read more

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Been a few times, consistency good service, vibe, and good. I personally would just stick to the ramen as some of there appetizers fall short. read more

Great food, atmosphere and service. Best ramen restaurant in Madison. Recommend the steak kebabs.

I've been here twice now. I wasn't too impressed the first time, so I gave it another shot. I ordered the Tonkatsu with Shiitake Mushrooms. They charge for any extras you have, which is pretty standard of most ramen places, I think. The broth was flavorful, but pretty salty, so I didn't drink the broth after eating the contents of my bowl. The spicy pulled pork buns are delicious! I find it hard to justify paying that much for two buns, but it was pretty darn good. I got a Thai Iced Tea. It wasn't too sweet and kind of watered down, to be honest. Hopefully it isn't always like that. Service was excellent. read more

Went to Umami on Friday, the last night of Restaurant week. We were excited at the amount of food you got for the $25 dinner deal - a bun, 4 dumplings, a full-sized bowl of ramen, and mochi. I was also excited for the cocktail menu, which included a list of "saketinis" - sake based martini drinks served "up." We tried the umami lychee, Tokyo snow pear, and sake 75. All of these were delicious and refreshing, without being too sweet. My bf was excited to see that they had hitachino on draft - something he'd never been able to get before. I started with the beef bulgogi bun, which was so delicious and had a good portion of meat, that I could see myself coming back and just getting a plate full of them as my meal. Then I had the chicken & mushroom dumplings. These were good, but my bf's traditional pork & chive were better. Finally, to the ramen: I had the miso, and he had the tonkotsu. The miso ramen had that sort of silky murky look that lets you know it's the real deal, and it was delicious! You can tell someone is putting a lot of effort into that broth. The marinated chicken was well flavored, and the egg was good (not overdone). I also want to note that the service was phenomenal. Even though the place was packed, our water glasses were always full, and staff would check in if you needed more drinks, etc. I wanted to go back the next day. read more

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Approaching Umami, it looked so cute with it's house-like warming appearance. I love little gems, so was excited! Entering in, my friend and I sat and were excited for what to try. Also since my friend hasn't had dumplings before! I asked the server for some recommendations, and I can't remember how I phrased it exactly, but maybe never, ever should we ask anywhere again along the lines of "what's good here?", because her answer was the dreaded and overly simplistic "everything". Ok, not helpful, but I get if that's their answer, if they really think everything is good. But, follow it up by giving me more info to go off of, give me most popular, give me personal favorites, give me descriptions about the dishes as to why I might want to order it over another. After, pushing back on the "everything" answer, she did do just that and said she liked the tofu meatless buns best. We also selected a meated dumpling (new verb! :) The thing is, the food seemed warmed up. And the biggest issue was, it was fully warmed. I'm not sure of the procedures and I would expect to wait forever for a just hand-rolled dumpling, but the food should come out at the proper temp. Also, I usually never would comment on the server being presentable. But, here it really stood out to me unlike any other place before of all my numerous eating excursions... the server didn't seem well kept. She looked like she just rolled out of bed and came to work. This is by no means a high-end place, and that's fine, that's wasn't my expectation or point. But, again I never notice anything about the server's presentation literally anywhere, but I did here. It just came across that she didn't really care. And in any service type job where you're dealing with people, that's not a vibe a business would want their representatives to have when in front of customers who may or may not decide to return again. It's just strange. Sad to say everything just seemed "off". My friend who was trying this food for the first time, was not impressed. I tried to convince her don't let this be the bar set for all dumpling places! I wish them well and hope they can make some improvements. There's so many places to eat and several other dumpling options, so it's important to give diners a good and unique positive experience as much as possible. read more

come here if you want delicious food, chill setting, and delightful service. my server carissa blessed me and my friends with a great night, made us feel right at home while we ate some great food. definitely check it out. couldnt even take pictures of the other apps bc we ate it too quick. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - kfc delicious chicken - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Great spot of willy street especially on a chilly day and I need some warm soup! Been here a couple times and it's pretty damn good! A bit overpriced but delicious nonetheless. The ramen is good however, I wish it had more meat in it. I ordered the pork belly ramen and it had like 2 pieces in there.. However, the beef buns are delicious!! Really flavorful and the sauce was to die for. We also always get these asian sodas that are the BOMB. I'm adjusting my review based on my experience Sunday. It took me over an hour to get my food after ordering and nearly 30 minutes for appetizers and drinks. After spending 2 hours there my party and I were ready to leave and all we wanted was for our waiter to process my card but that took an extra 20 minutes. Taking off a star. Hope they improve this! read more

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Really mediocre and especially disappointing given that it advertises itself as "gluten sensitive". The supposedly GF rice noodle bowl was super bland - and given later symptoms, probably not even gluten free. If you're celiac, you know what I'm talking about. :( I could even deal with that, were it not for the absolutely abysmal service. We arrived super early (5 pm Friday) and were asked if we'd had a reservation. We did not, but since you could have shot a cannon in there and not hit anyone, I didn't think that should be a big deal. But we were made to feel like that was a big imposition. Isn't serving dinner your business?! The waitress was clearly no professional, and way more into flirting with some guy she knew at the next table than doing her job. Don't waste your time or money. There are plenty of better and nicer places to dine in town, read more

I've been here twice now, the first time being about 4 years ago. Both times I have gone were fantastic! My husband and I were able to get away for a night out this past weekend, so we decided to head to Umami again. The place is small and quaint, so there is often quite a bit of a wait time. But try not to let it deter you- it is so worth the wait. I really wanted to try the pork and chive dumplings that we had the first time we came here (so good), but my husband remembered how much food you get so he swayed me to get the edamame. It definitely didn't disappoint! My husband ordered the tonkotsu ramen and he slurped it up at a fast pace. I always get the miso ramen, it is to die for. I am craving it again as I type this out. Get the garlic bomb, you won't regret it! We devoured every single bite, and we left comfortably full. Couldn't ask for a better experience! read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Do not recommend if you are gluten free. There are a whole three gluten free things on the menu, two of which are just vegetables from the apps menus, and one is their gluten free ramen, which is not good. The GF broth lacks flavor and the rice noodles chosen are the thinnest rice stick available, which is not an impressive substitution for ramen. Really brings you back to the days when no one had gluten free options or when they did it was always a let down. read more

So so so good! Ordered the Tonkotsu ramen, the Korean BBQ rice bowl and dumpling apps. Also got an order of mango mochi, I think. The dumplings seemed steamed and fried. Which are incredibly good. The Korean BBQ rice bowl was flavorful and colorful. The Tonkotsu ramen is always a hit too. Atmosphere is clean, colorful and well kept. They have a patio area too. Will definitely be going back here! Hopefully soon! read more

Great place! Parking in the back and plenty of street parking. Nice modern space, casual but COOL. From service to appetizers to main dish to dessert...5 stars because it was very very very very very good! Dumplings - Crisp, juicy, but not drippy and greasy. Flavorful filling. Pork Buns! - Amazing with roasted pork belly. I could have a meal with a couple of orders and would be happy! Tonkotsu Ramen $12 and Worth every penny!! "rich pork broth with fresh ramen noodles topped with flavor infused egg, braised pork, marinated bamboo shoots, nori (seaweed) and green onions" - perfect description and combination of food and flavor in my bowl - which i emptied quickly, yup empty, tipped the broth back, like a kid with a bowl of milk watching Saturday cartoons! Green Tea Creme Brulee - i wasn't sure what to expect...WOW, so good! Creamy and pretty. The service was prompt and friendly and split our bill over 3 credit cards without hesitation. My entire group enjoyed every morsel of food and every drop of broth. I look forward to returning and also finding the food trailer sometime. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Classic Pork and Chive Dumplings!! - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Tip: parking behind the house. Didn't know that for my first trip and I parked on the street. I got the Omurice for brunch with a friend and they got ramen. I really liked the idea of the Omurice but I would say it was very salty because of the bacon. It would have been nice if it was pork belly or just less bacon. The bacon was in large chunks too. I highly recommend the potstickers with eggs, bacon and chives. This was absolutely delicious. I'm definitely ordering this again. The service was ok. Our water was refilled just once but my friend ever got a refill on their coffee. Space. It's intimate. Cute for a date night. Probably not the best for large groups (no more than 8). I am sure it's packed for dinner. Brunch was not so busy at opening time. You can make a reservation via email for brunch. Not sure if this is necessary but do it anyways? I'll probably go again and this one try their ramen. There are a lot options on their menu. I can't wait to explore some more. read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Brunch: Omurice - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Super fun and well curated menu. Great options for both meat, eaters, and the vegan in our group. Staff was attentive and appropriately funny without being overbearing. We definitely got there early, so it was quiet when we arrived but pretty active by the time we left. Overall, very happy with the experience. read more

Grabbed dinner and drinks here to round out a weekend visiting Madison. There was a little bit of a wait as their kitchen was apparently under-staffed for the day but nothing that was unreasonable. The restaurant itself has a nice and homey feel and the wait-staff was super friendly! We ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen with extra noodles and a spicey bomb and the Pork and Chives dumplings. The Ramen was delicious!! The noodles were perfectly cooked and with the spice bomb the broth was the perfect level of spicy! The egg was also perfectly cooked in the ramen which is always a nice surprise. The dumplings were also quite tasty and the spicy dipping sauce it comes with hit the spot! We rounded out the night with a few mango mojitos which were a perfect refresher on a hot night! Overall I was a huge fan of this place! The Ramen was spot on! read more

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I had previously heard great things about this place, so I had some pretty high expectations going in. And, while the restaurant was hip and fun and made me feel cooler than cool just by being there, the food wasn't anything I was about to write home to mama about. :/ I got the vegetarian option and it was fine, but I also think I would've been happier (and richer) if I'd just made some ramen noodles at home. My ramen was also smaller than I thought it'd be for the price ($12) and came out slightly cold (but it also might be that I just like everything to be scorching hot?). Sooooo overall, the ramen wasn't anything special and I really don't think I will be back anytime soon. It was fine, but your girl is in college and she's too broke to pay $12 for a 15 cent packet. Btw i am not a ramen expert by any means, so take that as ya will read more

Umami Ramen & Dumpling Bar - Vegetarian ramen option. - Chinese Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This was our first stay in Madison and Umami was within walking distance of where we were staying. It was cool and dreary so ramen sounded perfect. We also had the pork buns and the dumplings. We enjoyed it all. The buns were soft as pillows filled with pulled pork and pickled carrots, the dumplings were seared nicely and served piping hot. The ramen was flavorful with the noodles cooked just right and a delicious half of an infused egg. The server was friendly and it was a quaint little fun spot. My only criticism would be that the bun could have been a touch warmer. All in all a good experience. read more

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We expected too much from this place. We have been trying to come here for so long and when we finally did, it was not as great as I hoped it would be. That being said, their service was excellent. I loved their pork bun. The umami ramen had good ingredients but the broth could be richer. It lacked something distinct and I can't say what. Its just that we had just visited Sujeo and tasted their Sujeo Ramen and we couldn't help but compare flavors. Sujeo had a much richer broth. One thing I would recommend staying far away from is their dumplings. It was straight out of a frozen packet. Our's has raw edges as well- it wasn't steamed through out. We also tried their burrito for brunch. The chips and salsa that came with was the best. The burrito itself was nothing out of the ordinary. I would hope to get back here again to try their dinner menu. They have much more variety of Ramen for dinner. I won't come back for brunch again. read more

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Went here for dinner after doing drinks at Giant Jones brewery one night. This was definitely the right food for after! We got three different types of buns: spicy pork, spicy tofu and beef. We also got the chicken and mushroom dumplings. All were pretty good. The foods listed as spicy had a nice little kick to them and even the dumplings had a spicy sauce to add a little extra moistness and flavor to the filling. The beef buns I was also told were good, but the spicy options were the winners! read more

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Restaurant Week - yum! Really impressed with how hot everything came. Have been disappointed in past with Restaurant Week places- seems the food is pre-plated and served. 4 courses here and all different even though I went with a pork theme. Loved the pork belly bun. Pork dumplings good too-I got the spicy sauce which elevated them. Pork ramen was ok. Not a noodle expert and compared to some pork pho I had recently in CA which I preferred. Personal preference probably! Finally desert. Mango Michu. So pretty and tasty! Perfect finale. Solo diner at bar and felt comfortable. Service perfect. Bartender/server gets a shout out! read more

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Just arrived home from dinner... we ordered 3 bowls of ramen and dumplings along with sake. The sake arrived after 15 minutes but quickly cooled while we waited the 1 hour time for our soup to arrive. We asked the server to heat the sake back up to no avail. By the time our food arrived all 3 dishes were lukewarm. The server never asked about the food and never apologized for the delay. ******THERE ARE TOO MANY GREAT RESTAURANTS IN MADISON TO HAVE BAD MEALS****** read more

I went to Umami for brunch on a Sunday. There wasn't a wait at around 11am for a group of 8 which was awesome. Their brunch food was also really unique and really good. We got a round of KBBQ Beef Buns, Pork Buns, and Spicy Tofu buns to share. We also got dumplings for the table and those were really delicious and perfectly cooked. For entrees, I shared a Omurice and a KBBQ Beef Hash. The beef hash was a favorite across the table. It was really flavorful and the potatoes were crispy. Next time I go, I will definitely be trying the Biscuits and Tonkatsu gravy. The only reason I'm not giving a five star review is that the service was a little subpar. There were only another 8 people in the restaurant, but our waiter neglected us several times. Other than that, the food was great, and I will be back again. read more