Umaido

Reviews 7

KA

Kay

I have been here 3 times. Their service has always been pretty decent, the food, great! However, last night my friend and I visited and I ordered the Ultra Spicy level 1, which I always get. It has just the right amount of spice. However, last night, our main dish came before the appetizer and when we asked our server where our appetizer was she said they were still cooking it (do not tell your customer theyre still cooking your appetizer). Then, I realized that my ramen was beyond hot and just too spicy for me to eat. I told my server if I could get something that was less spicy, that I always get this one and it was too spicy to eat. She told me that I would have to pay for another one, and in a rude manner she says, "..and I dont think youre gonna want to pay for another one." Ive worked in the service industry before, if someone doesnt like something and really cannot eat it, then you replace it for them or fix the problem. You do not tell them that they have to pay for something else. The manager came over and he finally fixed it for me and was really helpful. Our server then disappeared and didnt pay us any attention. Then, another server told us their credit cards werent working and we would have to go the ATM across the street to get money to pay....ummm what. Then the manager said they were working and he processed our payments. Never saw our original server. Was the weirdest experience. Great food, but needs better customer service.

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Jenna Pirtle

My fiancé and I were looking for a new place to add to our usuals and are very happy with Umaido. The place itself is not very large and had an industry feel to it. The seating is limited to a large, communal, high top, bar seating, and only a few individual tables. When we went at about 6:30 on a Sunday, we had a short wait for a bar seat in front of the open kitchen. We started out with pork goyza, braised pork belly, and a fried shrimp steamed bun. We had two ramen bowls, one honey miso and one seafood, plus some house sake. The appetizers all came out fairly quickly and were all cooked and presented well. The ramen gets fresh sweet corn, bean sprouts, seaweed, and green onion to top it with. The honey miso was light and sweet, the seafood was rich with the flavors of shrimp and scallops. Though I recommend eating the scallops and other seafood quickly, as it can overcook in the soup. Also, beware of the hot and spicy red sauce. When they say its spicy, they mean its spicy. One dip of your chopsticks into that stuff and youre sweating. I was really impressed with the service because it appeared that one girl was serving everyone and who appeared to be the manager was both in the kitchen, seating people, and bussing tables. The two of them ran the whole front of house while about five others cooked in the back.

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Jessica Hensley

I brought my younger brother here because he wanted noodles for his birthday lunch. It was a Sunday afternoon and the house was full, but the wait time wasnt long. Our waitress (who had only been working there two weeks!) was kind and helpful during the ordering process. My brother got the Tan Tan, my sister the Tori, and I the Seafood bowl. All of them were delicious (the tan tan was the best in my opinion).They had some dessert options, but we didnt have any so I cant say whether or not they were good. For three people, an extra serving of noodles, and a ~20% tip, I spent $44.The wall covered in drawings, names and scribbles, combined with the techno/edm music playing lightly in the background, and the big screen tv playing a sports channel gave it a very fun, relaxed feel. There is also a bar. As far as I could determine, there was only water or alcoholic beverages to drink, and the only utensils we were given were chopsticks and a miso spoon. While that was not a problem for us, it may make it a little harder on someone looking for a place to bring a kid. I would definitely come back.

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Catrina Mead

Three years ago, Umaido was amazing. Since that time we have remained regulars and seen a very steady decline in service and quality. The staff changes so often, it seems almost weekly. The food used to be worth traveling for: deeply flavorful broth, soft-boiled eggs, and soup with plenty of toppings. Lately, the recipes have changed, or no one cares for quality control. Soup comes out lukewarm and there are few toppings (tree ear has disappeared completely). The pork is frequently slices of only fat where it used to be meat with bits of fat on it. The soft-boiled eggs which I used to love, are now cold, hard-boiled, and rubbery. No more runny yolk to stir into the broth. If this had been one poor dinner, I would have written it off as a bad day. But this is an experience that repeats itself over and over. Its finally time to say we wont be returning, and Im sad for what Umaido used to be, but I wont miss what it has become.

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Mike Matthews

Upon entering, there was a glaring problem, not many other asians. The noodles were sub par. I lived in Tokyo and ate ramen noodles from wooden carts while serving in the Navy at Yokuska, Japan on many occasions. The ramen noodlea at Umaido lacked the chewiness and pull one expects from freshly fried noodles. I saw the kitchen and didnt notice any noodle making and cutting machines. The texture of the noodles were indicative of dry noodles. The broth was salty and lacked the taste of real bone broth. I suspect it was a dry powder soup base. The worst part of the dining experience, surprisingly was not the food, although a disappointment, was the service or lack of. I thought the service staff acted like novices. For the most part, the staffs demeanor was reminiscent of clueless bimbos. Overall, I honestly think Shin ramen is better and 30 dollars cheaper for a table of two.

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Matt Pennington

This is simply one of the best ramen places I have visited. It might be one of my favorite ramen places outside of Japan. The rich and delicious (when you order the rich broth vs the normal broth). I would suggest some hot oil or hot noodles to cut that richness. The salted soft-boiled egg and roasted pork are spot on. My friend and I also ordered the Takoyaki and it was wonderful. They are delicious little batter balls of fresh green onion and roasted octopus. The bonito flakes, Takoyaki sauce and Japanese mayo make it that much more authentic. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. However make sure you go in knowing that there will most likely be a wait. It is quite popular, but well worth the wait.

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Matt Segall

Umaido is amazing. Ive eaten here and its newer sister restaurant Hajime. The ramen is out of this world. I ordered Tonkotsu with Pork Belly and Rich Soup. Perfection. Heavenly. Ethereal. Im not able to reach the adequate descriptors. My wife and son each ordered a bowl of Toki Ramen, and they had the equally stellar experience. We also had some oolong tea which was great. Rich soup is $1 extra and essentially they make the broth more decadent. Order it. Please. Its phenomenal. The added pork belly in my Tonkotsu was perfect. It added a bit of smoke to the broth. I cannot say enough good things. Simply put, Tonkotsu Ramen from Umaido and Hajime have reached the pinnacle of comfort food in my book.

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