Ramen Tatsu-ya
| Address: | 1722 California St, Houston, TX 77006, USA |
| Phone: | +1 346-226-3253 |
| Site: | ramen-tatsuya.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
SP
Sprouts Illustrated
Worst dining experience since moving to Houston three years ago. My kids and I "checked in" while my husband parked. My husband soon appeared, and we waited awkwardly for a few minutes until we asked if we needed to give our name. The "greeter" told us to go on in only to find ourselves in another wait. Eventually, we placed our order, paid for our meal and our tip. (Upon paying, you are instantly asked whether you want to give 15% , 18%, or 20%.) We were led through a fairly empty dining room which makes me wonder why we did so much waiting. The music was so loud we were unable to hold a meaningful conversation while we waited an eternity for the food to arrive. Ramen was dreadful--salty, thick, and lacking any sort of umami. It reminds me of when I first made miso soup for my Japanese husband by adding lots of miso paste to water with no dashi. My vegetarian ramen had plastic and metal clamps from the noodle packaging. A random server took the dish away and removed it from our bill but didnt adjust the tip on the new total. Having waited tables all through high school and college, I am very sympathetic to servers but also a bit more critical. Advice to owners: we should pay at the end. Ive been to the Austin mother store, and I do not remember feeling so discombobulated and disappointed. Also, the food was a better in Austin, not worth another visit but better. Im still irritated after eating here over two weeks ago. Im baffled by the positive reviews. Maybe we just got there on a bad day, but I will never return to find out. Jinya and Ramen Bar Ichi have great service and flavors.
AL
Alex Kelly
Service/Hospitality: POOR The restaurant staff are overbearing and beyond obsessive compulsive in regards to when you can enter the restaurant and where you can sit. However, I understand these policies when the restaurant is operating at maximum capacity. Both of my experiences were during off hours. My first time visiting I was asked to leave and stand outside because our party of two was incomplete. I was still waiting for my friend. The line was empty and I was reading the menu board. I was told " you should have never been let inside". Ok, thanks. I went outside. to return about 1 minute later. My second visit I knew better than to enter the establishment with an incomplete party (shame on me). Similar to my last experience, our complete party of 2 was repetitively asked if our group was complete. It seemed as if they were hunting for people to kick out. (4 people in front of us). After we ordered, we were escorted into the nearly empty dining room where we were sat directly adjacent to a couple in the community tables in the center. My friend and I sat one seat over from the other couple and I was promptly told "you cannot sit there your food is tied to this seat number". Please keep in mind the dining room was nearly 90% vacant. The manager came out and told me the same thing. We ended up sitting in a different seat much to the reluctance of the two staff we had spoken with. Food: Is very good. Build out: very nice. Conclusion: Tell staff to chill out during off/slow hours in regards to seating policies and incomplete groups.
JO
joanne chu
I am a big fan of the Austin location and naturally was jumping with excitement, and of course a little hesitant, to have them come to Houston. I say hesitant only because sometimes bringing a must-eat-place to a different city doesnt always mean you get the same quality. I came in with high hopes and I was not disappointed! I had the Ol Skool ramen with added Naruto Maki! So amazing that while I am typing this I am literally planning out when I am going back! This is now my favorite ramen place in Houston! The broth was nice and clean tasting and not salty. If you are looking for a healthier option on broth this is your choice. When you drive by you may see a line outside but dont be discouraged!! My friend and I literally waited in line for like 3 minutes outside but of course only to stand in line inside to order but at least we made it inside! haha...once Inside we did wait maybe 10 min to order. Still not bad. Now the less people you have the faster you get a table. So this is probably one of those times where you want to act like you dont have a lot of friends. Of course we did come on a thursday night at around 7:45- 8pmish. My friend had the tonkotsu ramen with the corn bomb and literally left nothing behind in her bowl! That should speak for itself! HA! They do serve wine in a can that provided 2 glasses. We shared the Pinot Gris which was also good. Your best bet on parking is the street. May take some time to find a spot but not bad. Probably plan on going when it isnt peak time. Enjoy!
SP
Spencer Taylor
Ramen Tastu-ya is a really awesome spot. The interior is lined with wood, metal tubing and red tile. Very open space with very friendly staff. The menu is exciting and steps out of the traditional ramen just enough that you can still recognize it for what it is. You walk in and order at the counter. Once you complete your order you are then escorted to your table with your drinks. Ramen comes out of the kitchen very quickly and its time to chow down. I ordered the tsukemen. Tsukemen is a style of ramen in which you dip cold noodles and meat into a hot condensed broth (tonkotsu for the win). Tatsu-yas broth is pretty solid. Rich, creamy, pork bone broth that I added a spicy bomb to for flavor. My only gripe started when I finished my noodles. Eating tsukemen is usually a 3 step process. First, you eat the noodle with the broth. Second, you add fresh lime juice to the noodle to add a little more depth to the flavor of the broth. Lastly, once you finish the noodle you ask your server for "soup wari" to add to your broth. Soup wari is a critical point in the tsukemen process. Its a special broth that loosens your condensed dipping broth and adds another layer of flavor to your meal. The soup cuts through the fatty richness of the broth, reheats the broth, and you can now sip to your pleasure. I missed that step and really that was the only issue. Still excited to come and try some of their other dishes like the Mi-so-hot.
LI
Lia Sato
After hearing about all the hype and rave reviews of this place, my family and I decided to try it out. Please keep in mind that I am Japanese-American, and have been to real ramen places all over Japan, so this review is not misinformed. The experience was incredibly strange, from waiting outside for a long time without being told that we could just walk in, to the fast-food style checkout and service. The servers were cranky and rude when bringing our food to us, and service was slow, and no one came to refill our water either. One of the waitresses was particularly rude, with an attitude that turned my family and I off. The music is so loud and creates an environment that is impossible to hold a conversation. When it finally arrived, the ramen itself was GOD AWFUL. It was thick, greasy, lukewarm, bland, and completely too heavy. I am typically a good eater, but I was not able to finish the slurry-like soup and noodles. My dad had wrappers and metal pieces in his ramen from the kitchen. Absolutely a w f u l. It is clear that this place is intended for instagramming, like-hungry hipsters with no regard for flavor or quality at all. Disappointing at the least.
