Obento Ramen Bar — Restaurant in Gauteng

Obento- Translation "Lunchbox" Does not stock lunchboxes

First impression: Quaint & Clean, Bistro Feel, Cafe, Take Away Vibe, Casual, limited parking, Part Retail Frozen Foods, Plushies, Clothing. Service: Friendly & Fast (Waiter, On Point, Bright Energy). Compulsory Additional cost: R15 sur charge for a small palette cleanser (Otooshi) & COLD hand towel (Oshibori), bottomless water (Ohiya) before meals (attempting to be High End Dining) Suggestion: Should be complimentary or optional, as prices are quite high for items on the menu. Feels like a very forced cost. Energy Analysis: Heavy, Cluttered, Non-flowing, Stagnant Energy. Music played: Not themed to Restaurant. Radio Music. It detracted from the atmosphere and experience. Needs to have fitting music suitable for the atmosphere of eating. Especially appearing to be a more High End Restaurant.

Food Pineapple palette cleanser- Syrup based, better to have real fresh fruit sorbets Fine Dining standards if experience is included. Matcha White Hot Chocolate- Creative Use of Cute Characterized Chocolate on the Side to be mixed into the Matcha Tea, was a fresh sweet delight. Vietnamese Ice Coffee- Bland, way too much Ice, very watered down, hardly any flavour, not much coffee. Tasted like Plain Milk and Ice with a hint of Coffee. Soup Dumplings (Chinese)- there was no soup in 3 of the actual steamed dumplings, didn't enjoy the filling as it was dry and stringy vegetables with hardly any meat, weird texture and flavour for soup dumplings. (Frozen) has frozen taste. Not freshly made. Definately not worth R70+ for only 4...in which 1 was successfully considered a soup dumpling. Skin too Dry and Thick. Tonkotsu Ramen (Japanese)- Frozen Ingredients that were just warmed up with veggies and corn. The Corn is for the Western Palet as traditional Tonkotsu the flavor is cultivated in the bone broth flavor with minimal garnishing to affect the main focal experience of the broth, noodles and high quality cut of meat. Noodles were frozen therefore when reheated the Ramen was too soft and didn't have a bouncy texture. The Meat didn't look (darkened colour of meat, happens when meat is overcooked as well) and didn't taste particularly fresh. It does not taste like it was made on the day, as it was dry when it is supposed to be moist and juicy if Fresh. The Meat is supposed to be even in texture and colour. Egg got a bit overcooked by the soup. Bamboo shoots have a very overpowering flavour that didn't compliment the broth at all. Ru Rou Fan Pork Belly Mince Rice (Taiwanese)- Frozen reheated mince, can taste in the flavour and texture. Eggs were amazing, silky and smooth with subtle sweet flavour. Would be nice to get some stirfried pickled cabbage to balance out the oily savory flavours. Authentic Taiwanese Styles.

Style of Restaurant: Fusion, Japanese, Chinese, Taiwanese, Deli, merchandise shop with frozen food, clothes and plushies for sale.

It would be a satisfactory experience for individuals that have not tried any Asian meals before.

Food Authenticity: Not Food Standard: Price too High for Frozen reheated Food, Poor Execution of Quality, Minimal Freshly Made Items. Value for Money: Not Worth It. Restaurant Style Consistency: Mixed, everywhere. Reaction & Side Effects From Unfresh Frozen Food and Something NOT RIGHT about the Food- Bloating, Stomach Cramps that lasted 4 days for myself and my partner. More Care and Precaution should be taken for Quality of Food.

Cute Merchandise at entrance does not give a feeling of Fine Dining or Upper Class Restaurant for the Prices that are being Charged. Mixed themes.

Traditional Japanese Ramen Practice- Katdama would be a lovely practice to have. Complimentary second portion of noodles upon Customer's Request instead of the Compulsory Otooshi (appetiser) and Oshibori (hand towel) Ohiya (bottomless water) at R15 per person.

Authentic Recommendations: Ramen: Yamato, Japa (Authentic Japanese Restaurants with Japanese Chefs) Freshly made Soup Dumplings: Southern Style Chinese Restaurant 南方风味(Nan...

Claim to be traditional Japanese. We'll go look at my profile, I have reviewed many Ramen places in Japan and other places in the world.

Frist the positives. I had the Tonkatsu ramen. The broth is the best I have had in the country. Noodles where firm and well made. Good size serving. They have a good base to make a excellent ramen.

Gyonza where good. The dip wasn't like any Japanese dip I have ever had, it was more Korean. But it was good.

Negatives: The pork in the uninspiring. No flavor to it expect pork. Could do with a glazing.

The soft boiled egg was runny not gooey and not flavoured. It's a shame because the real thing is so easy to make. Room temp egg, boil in rolling boil water for 7 min. Cool immediately after in iced water. Should give a gooey soft boiled egg. Then peel and pickle over night in Soya sauce Sake Mirin and some sugar.

The Nori was not toasted. Also super easy to do and make such a major difference.

The rest of the ramen toppings where good and fitting a Japanese Ramen.

No Japanese beer. Hell you can buy Kirin at Spar Tops. I prefer a Sapporo. And must come in a lager bottle with a small glass to drink form.

Would have like to see some green tea at the table and some toppings for you Ramen( soya , chilli oil, sesame oil ,fresh chopped garlic)

Set Menü would have been nice but it would not work with there very un Japanese too long menu and the hipster Idea of a ramen bar atmosphere. They have single seating, but the have you sit facing the wall and not the kitchen as is Japanese custom.

Anyway I'm just picky. For what it is, they do it well. Some of the best ramen I have had in the country, if I don't count my own....

If I could put a zero star i would, From the booking to the service let alone the food was just horrid, i am not one to cry racism but wow did we feel it.

Me and my two friends fought a good fight to get a booking for a dinner and after a week of fighting we managed to be accepted, The table was at the door and when we requested to be moved we got greeted with a clean No while the other fairer race came and asked to be moved and they instantly got moved, the waiters did not give us the time of day after we refused their overpriced drinks and the chief was able to ask everyone how their food was but not our table, The food was tasteless overpriced and very small portions. we couldn't wait to get out of there as we did not want to ruin our evening with a right. '

There is nothing authentic about that place, just some racists , overpriced Joint that's the same size as a corner spaza shop, the treatment was even worse .

You should reflect on this,

Re: Response,

Our Reservation was at 17:15 and we only arrived at 17:30 baring in mind the 15min reserved time, and had you informed us of the searing rather than the cold decline, our view and responds would have been different

However , viewed as condescending or not this was what We experienced and took from that place, i am therefore sharing what i experienced, i literally had to walk and seat outside just to avoid dealing with how we felt being...