UKI UKI — Restaurant in Warsaw

Overall impression: I feel like this restaurant is one that is filled with passion and love for Japanese food. The staff were busy yet most were helpful when they interact with guests. Some were more blunt and expressionless (probably because of the heat in the restaurant and how busy it was). I went in the evening (around 7pm) and sat indoors and thought it was extremely hot in the shop despite all the air con and fans that were apparently in use. It was difficult to eat piping hot ramen when the environment was really hot, but this is more about the hot weather that has been around these days.

Food: I ordered the Tonkotsu ramen - I thought the soup was nice but tasted more like Shio ramen. I would have preferred a richer and meatier soup base. It was still really nice with quite an authentic Japanese (shio) taste which I liked a lot. I did not like the noodles as I found them very thin and too soft to my liking - I am more used to noodles that do not cling onto one another and is slightly chewy, rather than being cooked until quite soft.

The char shui meat was really lovely and so was the egg (they give you a whole egg which was really really nicely marinated and cooked). All the garnish of the noodle dish was really nice and went well with the ramen.

I also ordered a coke as I thought it was too hot in the restaurant and I wanted to cool myself down, but it was not cold at all, nor was I given any ice. It probably only just got placed in the fridge and was taken out and served immediately. It would have been nice to have an at least cool drink.

The environment: it was really really extremely hot to be inside the restaurant. I would have imagined that it might be better to sit outside in the summer. The tables were tightly packed with one another which of course, is understandable with the popularity of the restaurant, but would have been better if my leg was not almost touching that of the person next to me, and have perhaps a little hook/ basket for storing my bag, which is common among ramen...

This Japanese noodle restaurant, highly rated by a Polish gourmet website, was founded by Japanese but is now run entirely by Polish staff. This is the most amazing thing. Weekend afternoons are packed with Polish customers and there are even queues outside. When I tried to order something from the menu, but there seemed to be a clear division of staff roles, a young man I spoke to said to me "I'm not a waiter"... and nobody came after that. It was hard to order, because all the staff seemed to be killing the task or even someone because of the business in front of them. But it could be different to feel the atmosphere, assuming that I would come there at another time. As I left the table, one of the waitresses finally asked me, with a smile, how I liked the dish I had ordered. I suppose she played her part well. The food quality of the food was, as stated on the front page of the menu, quite high and authentic. The temperature, decoration, and sizzle of the dish were pretty good as expected, which means the kitchen staff are well trained.

The founder, a Japanese man, was originally interested in food culture and particularly admired the flavours of western Japan. After graduating from the Japan University of Physical Education and studying marketing in the Netherlands, he worked for a Japanese company in its overseas operations before moving to Poland. After helping out in a sushi restaurant in Poland, he struck out on his own business and successfully opened this udon restaurant. There were some difficulties in running the business He found it particularly difficult to share management and has now given up his management rights.

Warsaw #...

Some time after covid pandemic I've began picking up problems at Uki Uki: Too greasy broths (I know a nature of ramens/udons, but nowadays it can contain way more fat than it should and is often so fat that it's difficult to enjoy eating it.) Something change and it isn't a good direction. Too salty broths - yep, I know that a ramen would usually have as much salt as a recommended daily dose and a bowl could have have 5g or more. But more and more I found myself eating a bowl that tasted like having 7-8g or more salt. Udon noodles can often be overcooked. To an extent that it is difficult to grab them with chopsticks without breaking them

I've been always a huge fan of Uki Uki, have been eating there for over seven years, even went there to cure hangover after my wedding. I've been there over 70 times for sure. And I am a fan of Japanese cuisine and I understand that many dishes are supposed to be salty and thick, but the amount of salt and fat in some dishes I had were beyond the good taste.

I am leaving this comment because I've always valued this place, but some last 2 or 3 years showed that it's been having more and more problems. Maybe it's the growing costs or consistency, I don't know. Last time I've been there was a probably last one after a series...