Maki & Ramen — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

Visited Maki & Ramen for the first time on 07/07/2025. There was a queue due to it being so busy, yet we were seated very quickly. Appropriate expectations of wait times were communicated. Even a group with double digits numbers and no reservation was advised of a wait time that is very reasonable for a newly opened restaurant that is to capacity. I was impressed by the host's efficiency. We later found out he was the manager. I am in no way surprised by this. David is a force of nature in that restaurant. He is everywhere all the time clearly wearing multiple hats, helping serve, seat and dealing with back of house tasks yet still found time to chat with us, recomend certain drinks and asking us what we ordered in a successful attempt to build rapport and make us feel at home and welcome. We were served by Georgia who was polite and professional and really lovely to chat with. We had, chicken gyozas, spicy chicken teriyaki, black garlic tonkotsu and steak tataki ramen. All food came hot and perfectly cooked. For desert we had a trio of ice cream mochi which was a perfect end to the meal. For drinks we had a cherry blossom cocktail, 2 Habiki whiskeys and also shared a double Yamazaki with a Ramune mixer. We also had a pint of sprite but that doesn't really count. The Yamazaki with a Ramune mixer was at David's recommendation and it did not disappoint. The food was really good, the desert was the perfect ending without being sickly. The cherry blossom drink comes with dry ice and while it looks cool it doesn't live up to it in taste, it's OK but they have better options on the menu to choose from. The Habiki comes with a mixer by default. We had 1 with mixer and 1 without. It is slightly harsh so if you enjoy your whiskey straight I recommend this one over ice. The Yamazaki with a Ramune mixer was beautiful, order a double and share it with a loved one or have it to yourself, either way you will not regret it. Things that need slight improvement but that unless you are a major Karen you really won't be fussed about but mentioning them out of fairness: We asked for water for the table and didn't get it, by the time all the food came, there would have not been enough space and we had enough drinks anyway. We could have asked a second time if we were that bothered. There was no drinks menu on our table. When Georgia came to take our order we just gave her our food order and she gave us a drinks menu. She was very apologetic even tho it really wasn't a big deal. Our drinks came quick so we didn't see an issue with this either really. The lemonades were out of stock. We didn't go until after 19:30 so it's expected that some items might be out of stock since they are very popular and mentioned multiple times on social media. Possibly adjust the quantity produced for each day to accommodate the increased demand? Not a huge deal and I am sure we can try again for it next time.

Overall we had a really good experience. The people working there are incredibly nice, attentive and accommodating, the food is delicious, flavourful and well thought out, the drinks are lovely, I would advise asking for recommendations for insight on the best things to try. It is not a cheap restaurant but it is worth every single penny. We will return soon.

Note to potential guests: If you decide to go please know that it is really worth the visit but also please keep in mind that they are new in the area and therefore very popular, reserve a table to avoid disappointment, have patience with the people working there, they are doing everything in their power to make your experience the best possible but they are human and if the place is packed they can only go as quick as the...

So a day I went to check out this new ramen place that just opened in Newcastle. I've tried other branches of this chain before. that time, some guy who looked like the manager came over and asked for my feedback. I was like, “Are you sure you want to know?” He looked kinda helpless but still said yes—well, he did ask.

I told him, “My ramen is super bland, but somehow the broth has black pepper in it??” Manager goes: “Maybe it’s just personal taste…” Me: “I mean, me and my friend both ordered tonkotsu ramen, but they tasted completely different. That’s not about taste preferences, that’s about quality control. Come on, do better. 88.”

Anyway, back to the main point: I honestly went in with low expectations… but to my surprise, this place might actually be the best ramen I’ve had in Newcastle so far. Yup, I’ve tried 3–4 places (not saying I’ve tried every ramen shop here, NCL), but yeah—if you want fake ramen, this is the best spot for it.

Let’s start with the good stuff:

The noodles — actually decent! You can tell they used good ingredients. If the chef were just a bit more skilled, they could’ve nailed that chewy, bouncy texture.

First impression though — not great. Like… where’s my seaweed? Some ramen shops get flamed for seaweed that’s too limp. Some even toast it and get praise. This place? Seaweed is just… missing. I got no comment.

Chashu (pork) — surprisingly good! Didn’t get soggy sitting in the soup. Respect where it’s due.

Now, the real tea:

The soup— oh yeah, there’s MSG in there. You can taste it. That slightly-too-addictive, salty hit that makes your mouth dry after one sip? Classic instant ramen powder vibes, like the kind you get from the Asian shop down the street. That’s why I said: this is the best fake ramen in Newcastle. It’s like watching a football team score in the first 10 minutes then park the bus the rest of the game. It’s still football, just kind of insulting to the sport. Same here—still ramen, but kinda insulting to Japanese cuisine. (But hey, if MSG ramen is your thing, then enjoy.)

Gyoza — basically like the ones from the supermarket. Which is fine, the ingredients were okay. But the pan-frying? Meh. Not terrible, but not quite right either. They were just-cooked, but not crisped up. No golden crust, no slightly crispy edge. Again, technique problem. Shame, really—ingredients deserved better.

Staff though? Super polite. Service was on point.

Final thoughts: It’s worth trying once. It’s not real Japanese ramen, more like Japan-inspired food from another country. But honestly, if a friend asked me to go again, I’d be down. After all, this is still the best fake ramen...

We visited on friday for my daughters 21st birthday, we booked an early dinner (4pm) due to them having a private event that evening, we were fine with that as we were looking forward to trying the place, we arrived and sat more than 20 minutes before we realised we could order on the app, then 5 minutes later someone came and asked if we needed any drinks or would like to order, then 3 out of 5 of us received our food, nearly 20mins after food we received our drinks then nearly 30 minutes later the other 2 received their food, we asked a couple of times and was told the sushi and hot food do come out at different times and it should of told us online when we ordered, it did but it said 10 minutes not 30 between each, when the sushi came 2 trays were ok but one was absolutely vile, not fresh at all, the avocado had the strangest smell, it knocked us sick, so what was supposed to be a nice birthday meal was just rubbish the people who had hot food had finished 10 mins before the people who ordered sushi had even started, and to top it off the online order said the service charge isn't automatically added to the bill, yet it was when we checked our receipt, we left So disappointed, I wanted to tell a member of staff our concerns but I could get any of their attention, maybe they were too busy for their event on the evening, I get that events are important to promote business ect but it was such a shame, it looks impressive inside, really fun and trendy, it was a little too cold but we're right under the air-conditioning so maybe if dont sit there you'll be fine, but honestly everything else was so disappointing, this is the first time I've ever wrote such a negative review, I normally find something good even if I didnt...