Maki & Ramen — Restaurant in Great Britain

Edited review 2 months later I was invited to email my feedback to the restaurant and was then invited for a second visit. The staff were very friendly again, and we had no wait time. We had a pre booked table at 7pm and were running a little late but we were still seated quickly. I saw someone else wait for a table (they came in just after us) and they were also seated very quickly. Following on from previous feedback, I noticed a couple of signs that show the WiFi password. The menu has a lot of selection for meat ramen, there are chicken options too. There are still lots of vegetarian and vegan options. The different between vegan and vegetarian ramen is the vegetarian one has tofu and an egg, whereas vegan has no egg and 'fake meat'. I had the vegetarian hell ramen again, and it was just as nice. We also tried the pork hell ramen rather than the normal Tonkotsu and it had a nice flavour. We also tried the strawberry lemonade bubble tea with passionfruit popping pearls/balls. It was very nice. If you prefer a flat drink, you could try the flavoured green tea bubble teas instead. We also tried desert this time, and ordered the banana fritter and matcha creme brulee. We were given the matcha brownie as well, on the house, which was a pleasant surprise. The banana fritter and brownie come with ice cream. The deserts are a good sized portion, and can be shared. There is lots of choice on the menu, including katsu curry and sushi. Full disclaimer, I was invited back to see if I would change my review from a 4 star to a 5 star. I have now changed the food to 5 star, as I really don't have any complaints and enjoyed the atmosphere and the food. I would definitely come again, as it's a good social place to try Japanese food, or share a variety of it. If you are very experienced in Japanese food you may have some more critiques but I enjoyed the visit. If you have a larger group, and especially if eating in the evening, I would recommend booking a table in advance. It is quite a busy restaurant, which is nice. Toilets are upstairs, there is a disabled one downstairs. The women's toilets have four cubicles and they were quite tidy. I had suggested that on the table there could be spare cutlery, napkins, maybe some chilli oil or something else. There is soy sauce on the table. I appreciate this may not be how the chain operates and if you ask staff for something, they are helpful. Also, really minor point, but the straws aren't that good for having a bubble tea, just because the pearls are the same diameter as the straw and the straw goes soggy quickly and loses shape. However staff will happily give you a new straw :)

Original review when restaurant opened We had made a booking for 7.15pm on a Saturday night, so we didn't need to wait. It seemed quite busy inside. The restaurant is bigger than we expected inside, with seating round the back and the toilets are upstairs. The decoration is nice and on the walls are post it notes for suggestions and reviews (they give you a pen and post it notes when they give the bill). The drinks menu is accessible via a QR code but you may find you have no data/signal inside, so you need to access the WiFi. You do need to ask for the password and then it's fine (at the time it was makiguest for the guest WiFi). They had a few drinks unavailable which was a shame but also wasn't clear until you went to order. I loved how there were vegan and vegetarian options. I got the vegetarian hell ramen, which was nice, but not that spicy. My suggestion for the meat ramen is maybe if there's another meat, rather than just pork (Tonkotsu) because if you're not a fan of creamy broth you may want something else. Staff were really friendly and service was good. All our food came out at the same time. Maybe would be nice to have some other things on the table like spare napkins, cutlery,...

Our recent Tuesday visit to this new Highcross spot was a mixed bag, to say the least. While initially quiet, the restaurant quickly became busy, yet this didn't excuse the consistently poor service and neglected table setup. The 'welcome bong' gimmick felt more like a chore for the staff than a genuine greeting; one young male waiter's expression, in particular, conveyed utter resignation with each performance, creating an awkward and unwelcoming atmosphere.

​Service & Table Essentials: A Struggle

​Despite three front-of-house staff, getting attention felt like an 'extreme sport.' Our table was completely bare – no chopsticks, bowls, or serviettes – despite the host's promise. It took three separate requests, and finally, a trip to the bar after our food arrived, to get these basic necessities.

​Hit or Miss Food

​We ordered Katsu Curry Chicken, Steak Tataki Ramen, Vegetable Gyoza, Kimchi, and Salmon Avocado Rolls.

​The Salmon Avocado Rolls were poorly constructed and fell apart; we had to request them to be re-rolled and presented properly. The revised version was decent but unmemorable.

​The Kimchi was a pleasant surprise – nicely spiced and flavourful.

​Conversely, the Vegetable Gyoza was utterly bland, even with soy sauce.

​The undeniable highlight was the Katsu Curry Chicken. The chicken was perfectly crispy and flavourful, and combined with the rich curry and sticky rice, it made every bite a delight. This dish alone saved the review from a lower rating.

​The Ramen Disaster

​We saved the Steak Tataki Ramen for last, expecting it to be the restaurant's signature dish. We couldn't have been more wrong. The beef was tough, chewy, and the broth had an unbearable aftertaste reminiscent of dishwashing soap. The noodles were tasteless. One bite was all it took for us to abandon it. Visually appealing, yes, but a complete culinary failure.

​Final Verdict

​While the decor is appealing, and it's a new Highcross addition, I'd suggest a one-time visit purely for the experience and to tick the box. Don't go hungry, and certainly don't expect good service or consistent...

My friend and I visited on the 11th June at 1:30/2pm, unfortunately the visit wasn't as expected based on the other reviews. We left disappointed and I posted a review detailing what had occurred and why I rated our experience 1 star- at that time.

Maki and Ramen reached out and requested I send them an email regarding the feedback, I corresponded with Tanis via email and he genuinely cared about leaving a good impression on anyone who visits. He requested we give them another chance- on the house- to get an authentic increase to our previous rating.

We agreed and visited again today, 23rd July at 18:00, we ordered a Coke, tap water, a hell ramen and a steak ramen. We also got the chicken gyoza, matcha creme brulee and mochi.

This visit was so much better, it was like night and day! All staff were extremely welcoming (which they were before) , the food was quick (again as we experienced the first time) and the biggest difference everything was incredibly tasty. Service was quick but gave us enough time to talk and enjoy. The previous ramen we had was lacking flavour and the noodles were not the best, the ramen we received this time was completely different. The noodles were flavourful and the broth was well balanced- it had a kick but not too spicy. The chicken gyoza were amazing, the desserts were delicious too.

It's refreshing to see somewhere care about someone's negative experience and strive to improve on it without demanding a better review whilst doing nothing to warrant it, the team showed us this evening that the previous experience was a blip and something that wasn't up to their standard. Needless to say, prior to tonight it seemed unlikely we would return, however, now we'll definitely be back!

I don't eat fish myself, but the sushi other patrons were getting looked incredible and the cocktails seemed like they'd be a great experience with cute glasses and all sorts! We'll definitely return to try these out. Until then! Thank you to Tanis and the other servers that helped us out...