Ajisen Ramen Waterloo — Restaurant in Waterloo

I recently encounter a hidden gem in Waterloo for the BEST FOOD & SERVICE experience Ajisen Ramen will definitely provide you that. It was a busy day when I came in, servers were all in rush just to get everyone that comes in is to be seated. I was approached and seated right away because the staff we’re very attentive. I was asked what I wanted to order, but since it was my first time I have no idea what to get. Suddenly a friendly face asked how I was doing, I said that I’m good and still trying to see what food to order. The server suggest that I should try the chicken karaage and the soups are really popular so I listened to her suggestions and ordered that with the pork orginal. The food came hot and looks very appealing. The karaage is juicy and crispy like how you would like a fried chicken. I enjoyed eating the starters and still the soup which made me excited even more because the appetizer I got didn’t fail to satisfy. My pork original soup came, it was hot and flavorful. With the right savory and balance taste, every ingredient put into it makes a very delightful experience from a simple meal. It taste very homey that makes you crave for more. Servers were also professional, they keep on checking up on you even if they’re very busy with other customers as well. It was really busy yet they are approachable when you need something which I really appreciate. Overall, my experience in Ajisen Ramen was very satisfying. Food is a definitely a must try, service was top-notch and atmosphere is very pleasant. With a fast service, friendly faces, and good dining experience Ajisen Ramen will not disappoint.

Shout out to the staff of this establishment especially to my server Micah who made the whole experience very enjoyable! I know it gets tough to accommodate people especially to the restaurant’s peak time yet all showed warmth and...

Excellent drinks and decent ramen! Had the matcha Sapporo and was pleasantly surprised; I honestly wish they had advertised the flavours better because it definitely tastes like more than the sum of its parts (so no, it doesn't taste like someone dumped a bunch of matcha into some beer).

The ramen wasn't for me personally (I thought the taste of sesame oil was a bit strong), but you can tell it was skillfully made. The egg in my ramen was excellent, and the noodles were a great texture. The takoyaki was tasty as well.

The service was good, staff were friendly and you can tell they wanted your experience to be great. I was greeted when I went in, and was given a friendly goodbye when I left (even though the waitress was clearly busy and wasn't even the one that served me!) I think there are some small things that need improving on - for example, when my water was brought to me, the waitress had her fingers around the rim of the cup where my mouth would be. I noticed that chopsticks were being held by the "eating end" before being set on the table. Bowls of ramen were brought out with the waiters resting their thumb over the rim of the bowl when management should either be providing trays for food transportation, or providing bowls/plates with wide rims so that fingers can be kept well away from food.

I want to make it clear that I DO NOT think that the staff were unsanitary - the restaurant was clean, and gave me no indication that the staff did not care about cleanliness (yes, I did drink out of the cups and use the chopsticks, I trust that the staff did practice basic hygiene). But I think that the staff need to be trained on these last few details so that they can run a tighter shop (which is exactly what this soft opening is for).

I will be coming back to try out their other menu items (and to have the matcha...

We really wanted to love this place due to the variety in options! However we had a very mixed experience.

Starting with the drinks: we were so excited to try a Sapporo Matcha beer (first time seeing this) — until we took a sip and found a dead fly inside…

A bit skeptical, we tried our side plates: broccolini and crab bun were great! Osaka fried tofu was awful and incredibly difficult to swallow/finish eating; awful fishy taste and it is not fried like you would think. Would not recommend.

The ability to create your own ramen and choose from a variety of broths (including vegan) is an amazing concept — especially for a party with mixed dietary needs like ours. I am writing this review to warn about the mala broth — it is noted to be “spicy and numbing”, which we confirmed with our server to mean it is spicy to the level of numbing your mouth. Upon taking one bite of my meal, my tongue started to tingle and lose feeling, as if I was having an allergic reaction. Definitely couldn’t enjoy a bowl like that nor would I recommend! Also, I tried the beyond meat ramen which did not list corn in the ingredients, yet it came with a serving of corn which I do not eat. I returned my entire meal.

If you’re looking for a spicy ramen, tom yum is the best and most delicious broth. I requested for the beyond meat tom yum + the meat to be cooked a little longer. And my partner had the tom yum steak. We both enjoyed these bowls.

Thank you to our servers for their patience! More training on the menu would be appreciated to properly inform guests of the items. Overall, an...