Koiwa Ramen Bar — Restaurant in Ålesund

3,5 Stars - Let me explain. Super cosy place with very nice staff, and we are off for a good start. We have ordered one ramen based on chicken and pork broth. Both were ok but pork one was definitely more refined and tasty. -0.5 points for eggs. I know you can have ramen with hard boiled eggs, but soft boiled are so much better. Additionally pork pieces were tasty but very thin. Chicken bits were much better and bigger. A lot of pleasure and texture lost there, a shame. Now the big one - nuddles -1 point those have to be some worst tasting nuddles I had in ramen. It is stated in the menu what kind of nuddles are used - sure, great. But that does not help! They are not really that tasty, akin to cheap instant type. Sow a ver all not too far from a good ramen but unfortunately missed the shot this time. The desert was marvellous, perfect even! But that was not the point of our visit. ...

I understand that this place has only just opened, and it’s normal for new restaurants to need some time to refine things. However, I can’t really call what I had here ramen. Having tried many bowls of authentic ramen in Japan, what I tasted today felt more like a regular soup rather than proper ramen.

I truly hope things will improve over time, as the place does seem to have potential. For now, I can only give it 2 stars. I’ll be happy to come back in a couple of months to see if anything has changed and will gladly update my review if it has improved.

On a positive note, the atmosphere is pleasant, minimal waiting time (~10 minutes) and the staff are friendly and clearly...

food: 10/10 the food were excellent. Couldn’t be better.

Cleanliness/hygiene: 3/10 the waiter held the glass on the glasses mouth. You shouldn’t really hold the glass by the mouth. One of the glass we got was dirty and has dried stains. The wooden holder where they put the soy sauce and chili oil, were greasy. The inside of the wooden holder was full of chili oil. One the ramen spoon has grease on it and smells awful.

Atmosphere: 8/10 the restaurant is uniquely designed. It was nice to see familiar anime ❤️ but the way the seats were arranged is kinda tight. Could have more space for costumers to...