Kaizen Sushi & Ramen — Restaurant in Dartmouth

My wife read a review that said this restaurant had the best Ramen in Dartmouth and we were in the area so thought we would give it a try.

I remember when this location was previously owned by a middle eastern lady who did an amazing shawarma wrap in what looked like a small mom/pa sandwich deli. I was thinking that they must of renovated the location as there was not much space with the old layout, but after walking though the door this was not the case. There were 4 tables lined up in a row quite close together.

After we sat down and looked at the menu I was quite surprised at the prices. In this type of restaurant and location, I would expect more reasonable prices but many items costed more than other nicer places we frequent.

My daughter ordered 2 sushi rolls. One was a little on the small side and the other one was a sushi roll with no rice which looked more a tartar on a piece of thinly sliced cucumber which my daughter who loves sushi tried and didn't want to eat the rest so we ended up eating it.

My wife and I had Ramen. The Ramen was a lot different than other Japanese Raman I have had. Many of the Ramen on the menu have similar ingredients with different meat/shrimp etc; The mushrooms used were the white button mushrooms (not shitake etc;) which I thought was odd. I will say the pork was very tender but the broth was on the bland side. I did get a little spice in mine which made mine a little better than my wives but she did not care for hers.

My honest advice would be to do a renovation on the space to make it more welcoming and give it a little ambiance to start. I would decrease the size of your menu and focus on a handful of items that you do really well, and use quality ingredients. If you don't have the funds to do this, I would change to a take out model instead or maybe have 2 tables at most in the current space. No one wants to eat that close to other people. Focus on quality, at a reasonable price and customers will find you. If the quality and price is not there, people will go once and not return and repeat business from locals is what will pay your bills. We eat out quite a lot and like to try new places. If we don't like it, we don't return but if we so, we make a point to return. I always try to support small businesses and hope you take this honest feedback and make some positive changes. I wish you the best...

Always in search of delicious Ramen, and tonight, decided to take a chance on Kaizen! Tucked away on Windmill Rd., with a view of the iconic Dartmouth Stacks, we ended up having the most delightful dining experience. Upon arrival, the owner greeted us with a joyful smile and welcomed us in; rare these days, anywhere you go and dine. He was helpful in suggesting dishes to us, and was bang on with his choices. My husband had the Spicy Pork Ramen, and with the help of the owner, I settled on the Beef with a request to add some spice to mine as well. He suggested the gyoza for an appy, and it didn't disappoint! I believe it was hand made, large and served like you have never been served Gyoza before! Dipping was sauce was lovely and had that expected tang of citrus!

Both Ramen soups were very good, and full of goodies...mushrooms, bok choy, green onion and a healthy portion of meat in both. Great portion size and we both had to take some home! At the end of our meal, our cheerful server showed up again to bring us an amazing Japanese brown rice tea that hit the spot perfectly at the end of a filling meal. We had no room for dessert, but will most definitely leave room next time! The pictures of sushi surrounded the little restaurant and we can't wait to return to try that next! Thanks for all the previous reviews, as it has helped us solidify this little gem as a new regular spot for us! The service was outstanding, and that too is becoming a rare thing in our dining out experiences...so thank you for that!! It makes an enormous difference for us and where we choose to spend our money for dining out!

With gratitude and...

Happy to go try this in person. Prices are high but I think a lot of the food is meant to be shared as the portions are huge.

I ordered the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen which I only got halfway through. The bowl was twice as wide as my hand, definitely the biggest portion in town! I took the rest home for another meal the next day. The pork was the best I've had in town, it was literally melting in my mouth. The noodles were delicious and chewy; definitely handmade. The broth wasn't as creamy and heavy as others I've had in town but I appreciated this as it was lighter on my stomach. The vegetables were delicious and they load the ramen with veggies. It wasn't too spicy so I asked for some extra chili oil on the side.

I love the atmosphere it seems like a very community oriented spot. I really want to try the...