RAMEN-ISM — Restaurant in Amsterdam

UPDATE!!! OMFG!!! I was just accosted on the street by staff of this restaurant! He demanded to know if I had written the review below. I said it was mine, and he became very irate! He demanded I take down the review, and when I said I wasn't going to do that, he started grabbing at me and demanding my phone! He kept following me, screaming that my review wasn't fair. I told him loudly not to touch me again, and he finally stopped. If price and pretense were not enough, trying to intimidate unhappy guests should tell you all you need to know.

My original experience, in depth: I went in to try some ramen. There were only three choices (the pretense begins). One of them seemed acceptable, so I decided to try it. They wanted payment up front, by card only. I only had cash with me (the pretense continues). Then they said they would accept cash but would not give change (the tourist trap begins). I had either a 50 euro bill or what might have been enough coins to pay for the meal. When I started counting the coins, the eye rolling and hovering were on full display. At that point, I had enough. I canceled my order and walked out.

Next time you demand an updated review, be sure that's what you really want. Did you really think that putting your hands on me was going to improve my opinion of your business? Or that your childish tantrum could make my experience less disappointing? (pretense confirmed and complete). My original review was more than honest, and you have proven that beyond any doubt. You told me that I was rude (the pretense turns ironic), and you said it wasn't fair because I didn't stay and try the food. Unfortunately, you made that ...Impossible.

The original review: Overpriced pretentious tourist...

Small japanese ramen restaurant in amsterdam city centre. Staff were very friendly and polite - like what you normally get when you're in japan, which was really nice. Id probably advice to make a reservation as the restaurants quite small and it can get quite busy on weekends. Restaurant is more of the "eat quickly and leave soon" type of restaurant (like all ramen restaurants in japan). Not exactly a fast food type but not really a "lets take my time and eat for 2 hours" type either.

We ordered the mushroom tamrn special, the miso ramen special, starter/mini bites set (gyoza, vegan shrimp tempura, yuzu drink) and a homemade yuzu soda.

homemade yuzu soda: not completely homemade as they use the store bought yuzu syrup. Liked it but not exactly home-made. vegan shrimp tempura: amazing! tasted like the actual seafood. sauce was nice, and the batter was crispy. gyoza: ok. nothing special but not bad. myshroom ramen special: only available this week, in collaboration with mushroom tokyo. Tasted very authentic and portion size was just enough without feeling that you've overate ; but considering the price, the portion size felt a little small. miso ramen special: Very large portion. Not too much ramen, but there was a lot of meat and veg. Noodles were thick, wide, and wavy - not the usual noodles you'd expect. This ramen is very similar to a specific type of ramen in japan, even the saltiness. Be warned: this ramen, the soup, is extremely salty. In japan, most of the soups at proper ramen places tend to be on the saltier side, so this rameb is definitely authentic, but it's definitely extremely salty. If you like your food on the saltier side then you should be fine, otherwise this can be too...

We recently visited this ramen shop with high expectations after reading many positive reviews. However, our experience was quite disappointing.

We waited over 15 minutes for our food which was longer than expected. However, this was understandable as they were busy. We ordered the miso ramen, spicy miso ramen, and chicken karaage. Unfortunately, the ramen broth was surprisingly bland, lacking the depth of flavor we were hoping for. The chicken karaage also didn’t resemble the photos displayed on the menu or the table, it was underwhelming and didn’t stand out in any way.

On the positive side, the staff were very friendly and attentive, which we appreciated. We also really enjoyed their homemade Yuzu tea, it was refreshing and well-made.

As someone who has traveled the world and tried many ramen spots, I personally didn’t feel that this place lived up to the hype. Of course, this is just my own opinion and others might have a different experience. I hope the shop can improve its flavors to match the great service...