Otaku Ramen

Reviews 3

LU

Luke Simons

I was really excited to try Otaku South. I got the Chachu Tonkatsu ramen and my friend got the Paitan. The first thing I did was chew on the wood ear mushroom. SO nice! The black garlic sauce was just awesome. My next stop was the soup. It was not as hot as I would have liked it to be and I was immediately struck by the strong porky flavor which was screaming for something to balance it out. The texture was fine considering the amount of broth that was in the bowl. I can see how noodles dont require as much broth if the broth is really thick. No one really likes to drink a bunch of thick broth. However, I do love to drink soup when I eat noodles. If the broth were a little less thick, hotter, and if there was just more of it, I would have FELT like I was having a more authentic experience. (Not saying it wasnt authentic btw) The undercooked egg was my favorite part. The texture was just looovely. Then I grabbed some chopsticks (which are awesome btw) and ate the noodles. They were definitely a little more rubbery than I expected, and were again not as hot as would have been nice. I would have suggested that they be boiled for maybe 20 seconds more before being served. Also, if the broth was hotter it would have helped that. Next I moved on to the tonkatsu. I have not been as attracted to several Japanese foods compared to Korean foods, but tonkatsu is one exception. Tonkatsu is something that I have definitely been attracted to and looked at pictures online and reviewed several recipes. The light golden coloration and the crispy outer layer seem irresistible. Maybe I was wrong to expect that in this scenario??? The tonkatsu was not thick at all, not crunchy, dark brown, and was not interesting or delicious to eat. I also asked for some fresh chilies to put in my soup and was told that it wasnt possible. Thats cool, however I am always impressed by restaurants that allow me a little bit more freedom to customize my food the way I know I will enjoy it. I ordered the chili oil, and was only given about a 1/2 tsp of it. It was not nearly enough to be spicy at all. There were not even any chili pieces in it, just the oil. I love seeing dried, fresh, fried, etc.. chilies floating around in my noodle soup... maybe thats just me. The ramen in my friends Paitan was BEAUTIFUL and I liked the texture; again, maybe 20 more seconds would have helped. When I drank the chicken broth, the only thing I tasted was chicken. When I make soups with strong meaty flavors, I always look for something fresh and aromatic to balance them out. There were some herbs, but not enough to make a difference. We both ate everything - very quickly - and were sufficiently satisfied. But then..... 32 dollars and 40 MINUTES later.... I was HUNGRY again :( :( In my part of town, I can get a HUGE bowl of delicious, spicy, flavorful noodle soup for about 9 dollars.. just sayin. I went in here looking to see how much of a "fusion" restaurant this would be, hoping it would be completely Japanese. While I understand that Japan is obviously influenced by Korea and China, I was interested to see gochujang as a side sauce, chinese buns, and the white porcelain cups with Chinese writing on them (which were cute, but just not Japanese). Again, maybe these are things you will see in a Japanese ramen shop... but if not... it just kind of decreases the authenticity and credibility for me a little bit. In the end however, any American who is spearheading Asian cuisine in Nashville and making a strong attempt to be as authentic as possible deserves praise!!! Thats why I gave an extra star. :) I know its hard to please people who have never even been to Japan and experienced ramen, or never really eaten Asian food at all. Hopefully I will get to go to Japan soon and will actually have some experience eating several kinds of ramen so that I am able to offer an informed opinion. I know you all will just keep getting better! Oh, and it was nice to see at least 1 Asian face on the line :)

TA

Taylor Berry

I have had many experiences with poor service, but I have never been so blatantly disrespected. I have certainly never been called a liar by a restaurant manager. You know the person who is supposed to smooth things over when a customer is not satisfied? Apparently this restaurant is taking a different approach. The manager came over to inquire why I was not happy with my mediocre food and horrible service. I was about 5 seconds into my explanation, detailing how I had called ahead to make a reservation and was told to "just come on in" only to discover a packed house with a 45 min wait upon arrival, when the manager cut me off and said, "I have been on the phones all night and I have never told anyone to just come in". Are you kidding me?! The only thing you say to a dissatisfied customer is "Im sorry. I will take care of it for you." If a manager at my restaurant spoke to a customer like that, they would be fired. Plain and simple. They clearly were not interested in hearing why I was not happy. Both the server and the manager were incredibly rude, condescending, patronizing, and outrageously defensive. Just in case anyone is interested, here is how service fell short: when I called asking about reservations I was told to just come in. I was not told that they dont take reservations and that there would be a wait. When we arrived and put our names in the list we were told it would be a 30 minute wait. We waited for 45 minutes during which two other comparable sized parties who had arrived after us were sat. Our server neglected to give us napkins, and neglected to refill our waters even though all 4 of us had finished them. I was never asked if I would like another beer. I ordered the hot chicken buns and instead of telling us that they were out of them, they just sent out the duck confit buns instead. I guess the hoped we wouldnt notice? It was only after we sent them back saying they were the wrong ones that they told us they were out. When we got our ramen we asked for soy sauce because the broth had no flavor. The server told us he couldnt bring us any because they dont make the broth in house, but rather it comes from their sister restaurant The Little Octopus. Then he proceeded to forcefully inquire why we were not satisfied. That was the point when the altercation began. Our complaints about the food and service were met with alarming hostility. Im sorry but if your ego is so fragile that you cant handle constructive criticism, then the restaurant business is not the right place for you, and if you think its acceptable to call a paying customer a liar, then you wont be open for very long. Good luck!

PO

Pouya Ameli

Went here on a Saturday, was really excited to try a new ramen place as options are limited in Nashville. PROS: - not as pretentious as Two Ten Jack. Seemed like it was more about the food. Gave me the initial impression of a place I could see myself visiting regularly. CONS: - They literally kicked us out after we waited for ~25 mins with the excuse, "Sorry, were not gonna be able to work you in before we close." Hence the 1 star. More details below, if you care to read. The Story: My girlfriend and I walked in, it was really busy and there were a bunch of people waiting. The hostess looked over and literally made eye contact with me as I walked through the door, so she obviously knew when we showed up (around 1:50pm - they close at 2:30pm). About 5-10mins after we arrived, another group walked in and the hostess came over and turned them away because they wouldnt have time to fit them in before close. Yet another group showed up about ~15mins after we showed up and the same thing. My girlfriend and I look at each other and were like, "Sweet! We made the cut!" Unfortunately, the hostess allowed us to wait at the front door, hungry, until ~2:15 before telling us we would not be served. Her excuse? "We can only make 6 ramen at a time." Obviously frustrating because I have no idea why it took 30 mins to figure that out. Im not mad at the hostess as much as I am the business policy. If you owned a new restaurant trying to make a name for itself, wouldnt you stay open an extra 15mins if someone has already waited a while for your food? Alternatively, if you absolutely had to turn someone away, wouldnt you offer them some consolation, like a voucher for a free appetizer or something during the next visit? Lets say you had plans to meet at a friends house for dinner. You spend time getting ready and driving over, only to show up at your friends door and have him/her cancel on you at the very last second, without apology. Wouldnt you be upset? And that is a friend, not a business that CHARGES you money for your meal. Im super bummed because I really wanted to like Otaku. However, I refuse to give this business any of my money after that experience. My experience at Otaku was the first time (and I hope last time) that I ever feel slapped in the face by a restaurant. No thank you.