YOI Ramen — Restaurant in Dublin

Great value, tasty food, and efficient staff - what more could you ask for?

With so many fancy Asian places to eat in Dublin, it's easy to overlook YOI Ramen. On the outside, it looks like your standard Asian takeaway spot with a menu that goes all the way from ramen and bento boxes to stir fries and poke bowls. The seating inside is a bit tight, but adds to the cozy atmosphere. They have some seating outside was well, if you don't mind the lacklustre view of a road junction.

We've been here for both dinner and lunch, and received very friendly and fast service both times. The first time we tried the Tonkotsu ramen, teriyaki soba with grilled duck and Agedashi (fried) tofu). The main dish were very good value compared to other Japanese places we've visited - big portions, plenty of proteins and different kind of vegetables, and super tasty. The agedashi was a bit disappointing as the marinade/sauce made had made it soggy, but it was still nice.

For lunch we tried the bento box and ramen again. The bento box was nice, but might be a bit small if you have a big appetite. The ramen also seemed a bit smaller compared to the first time we visited, but then again it was a great lunch deal and a satisfying meal nonetheless.

The only negative thing is that their desserts are very generic (Bailey's cheesecake, brownie) and probably not made on the premises. It would be lovely to have something more Asian to choose from, as we'll...

It’s hard to understand why this place is popular unless there are very few Japanese restaurants in Dublin. If the food isn’t great, at least the service should be—but it’s not. Especially during dinner time, the woman with glasses who handles seating and serving is extremely rude. She told us we couldn’t dine without a reservation, then seated three of us at a small outdoor table meant for two, and brought out a shabby chair from the storage for the third person. This place is clearly not prepared to properly welcome customers.

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Judging by the quality of their response, it’s clear that even the owner’s mindset isn’t ready to welcome customers. The issue wasn’t about sitting outside without a reservation, but rather the fact that they brought out old, strange chairs from the storage—chairs no one would ever want to sit and eat on. If extra chairs for three people weren’t prepared in the first place, doesn’t that mean the restaurant wasn’t ready to receive customers? The female server didn’t even apologize, and another short-haired female server practically threw the food onto the table. :) Who would dare visit a restaurant that seems eager to argue with customers? Such a restaurant, lacking even basic hospitality, deserves to go out of business....

All-around, a below average to average experience. Going to try to be brief with this one.

Reservation required, not hard to get. Small, local establishment with mostly friendly staff. Interior was well-lit and able to hold a conversation under normal tones.

We ordered hot sake, pork gyoza, sushi, and some ramen.

The hot sake was lukewarm at best, but tasted fine. The sushi was slightly above average, no real complaint. The ramen, in my opinion was quite average in quality and can be obtained basically anywhere. The broth lacked in flavor, the meat was bland, and noodles were alright.

The gyoza……ordered at the beginning of the meal. Waited the entire meal to receive it, while tables that ordered after us received theirs. We asked to simply not receive it as we had finished our meal, the manager had already removed it from the bill as we had waited so long (she also discounted the meal, we did not ask for this, but a kind gesture all the same), but insisted we take it to-go with us. We tried one, 3 out of 10.

All in all, we were excited to try this restaurant, as it has very good reviews, but it ultimately fell short. Would...