Ramen Kintaro — Restaurant in Santiago

The restaurant closes at 10 PM. We arrived at 8:54 PM. One of the employees was standing in the door. He was trying to tell us that the kitchen would be closing soon. We said we understood that you close at 10 PM. From the start, he was trying to avoid seating us, because they were closing in an hour. Unfortunately, some locals walked up and went straight to outdoor seating without speaking with him. He dropped his head and said to us, "Inside or outside". We chose to sit inside. They sent their server over that spoke the best English. He seemed nice. We placed the order for drinks as soon as he approached the table. At this point, we scrolled through the menu, waited for the drink, and observed the team. There were 4 tables inside and 5 tables outside, so figured that we had time, because none of the employees seemed rushed. The manager was breaking down receipts. The bartender was playing on her phone. No one was cleaning the floors. Our drink was delivered roughly 5 minutes later. We were fine and ready to place the order.

We ordered the fried chicken, teriyaki wings, karrage(Chicken) curry, and chicken miso ramen. I explained to our server that I am allergic to pork and that it may be best for them to just do the vegetable miso and add chicken, we would pay the difference, because this is my issue. He said, "Allergy, as in you will go into anaphylactic shock?" So, this tells us that he understood the situation. We thought everything was good to go. The food arrived to the table at 9:31 PM.

They did what they wanted to do. Everything was old and cold. The curry was re-heated and didn't have any chicken in it. They put a piece of fried chicken on top of it. Curry is like mashed potatoes when being reheated- dense and requires mixing, it was cold. The miso soup was warm and the broth was completely pork and there were pieces of pork in it. Instead of putting the chicken in the ramen, they put those fried chicken pieces on top. The teriyaki wings were good, but a little cold. The fried chicken as a whole had some old pieces along with cold pieces.

If they didn't provide photos on the menu, I would not have known this was wrong. In the picture, the chicken is shredded or in chunks.

Our server asked how was the food at 9:43 PM. We told him that we were there because of the reviews and unfortunately it seems like there is no passion in the kitchen tonight and that the food is cold and that the ramen had pork in it. He said ok. We asked for the check at 9:50 pm. He saw that we didn't eat the food and then started to put together what we were saying. He said sorry, but that was tough for him to do. We figured that voicing our position was a waste of energy, so we paid and drank our beer. We walked out at 10 PM. There were still tables outside and 1 table inside.

Perhaps, they really did want to close early. Perhaps, they should change their closing time to 9:30 if they want to be out by 10 PM. This was upsetting after a long day of travel and the fact that they didn't seem to care. An hour is more than enough time to eat noodles in an Asian restaurant, so I think it was just the service this time. They probably could have gotten us out of there by 9:40 if they came to the table when we called them over or got the small items out of the way quickly. We know what it's like to have someone walk in when the restaurant is closing and because we were in the last hour, we looked at the menu before showing up there so we would be ready when they were ready. We tried to eat the old fried chicken pieces,...

The ramen options are vast and the taste is incredible. Out waiter was very friendly and attentive. On the other hand, the host at the door has a very poor disposition. I respect the use of technology when getting on the waiting list, but you can't assume that the customer perfectly understands how it works. This host assumed I knew how the system worked and made me feel terrible when I didn't scan the QR code. Also, i wasn't aware it linked to a WhatsApp message system. There was no explanation on how it worked and once again, I was made to feel like an ignorant person. This was very upsetting as I decided to bring some tourists and I was left with a bad impression. Again, the food was delicious and our waiter was wonderful, but the host created the problem. I hope management takes the necessary steps to make sure the staff...

Our visit to Ramen Kintaro was nothing short of exceptional. Upon my partner’s enthusiastic recommendation, we revisited this gem, and it truly exceeded our expectations. The authenticity of the experience was palpable, especially showcased in the remarkable bowl of ramen we indulged in. Don’t miss out on their cocktail selection, many of which boast delightful Sake infusions. Personally, I savored the Karen—a refreshing concoction adorned with edible flowers and lychee fruit. It’s worth noting that during peak hours, particularly at lunchtime in the summer, the restaurant can get quite warm and humid due to limited ventilation. Nevertheless, this minor inconvenience paled in comparison to the overall fantastic experience we had. Highly recommended for any ramen enthusiast seeking an unforgettable...