Sweet Retreat (Poke-Ramen-Boba) — Restaurant in Alcoa

I visit this area often and have passed by this place a number of times. As a Ramen enthusiast, I always try to give any restaurant that serves it a shot.

TLDR: If you're after flavor, this ramen isn't for you. If you're into tough, overcooked, flavorless meat/broth, you might enjoy it.

Right from the start, I was surprised by how cold the dining area was. Not a great first impression. The young lady who took my order was polite enough, but seemed unfamiliar with the menu—probably not her fault though.

I went for my usual choice, Tonkotsu Ramen with Pork, which is typically rich and flavorful. I paid $18, which felt a bit steep for just a bowl of ramen and a drink, but I guess everything’s expensive these days, even Taco Bell.

I didn’t have to wait too long for my food, maybe about 8 minutes. When it finally arrived, I eagerly tried the broth—only to be disappointed by how bland it was. I asked for soy sauce and Sriracha, but they had no Sriracha—just chili oil. Alright, I’ll try to work with that. But there were no salt or pepper shakers on the table, so I was really trying to salvage the broth with the bare minimum.

Next, I tried the pork. Again, what a letdown. It was overcooked, dry, tough, and lacked any flavor whatsoever.

I forced myself to finish the bowl because, well, I’d paid for it. But I won’t be back for the ramen, and I’m not sure I’d stop by for...

What they say about hole-in-the-wall restaurants being the best is very applicable here. The hostess is very sweet and helpful accommodating the tastes of customers unfamiliar to boba tea. My fiancee and I went once for tea and came back shortly after to try the food.

We both had a Poké bowl (what I would consider deconstructed sushi) and it was absolutely delicious. The ingredients were fresh and the sauces were delectable. For roughly 13$, you get a load of food! My fiancee had to save the rest of hers for an early dinner while I finished mine off after not eating breakfast that day. They also serve ice cream which I have added to my tea to make a delicious creamy chocolate or cappuccino tea! I'll be updating this once I try the ramen!

The atmosphere is very quaint; being very clean and a "crisp" feeling when walking in. Almost like a pastel painting. It's comfortable to sit down and relax at a table or chill in the nest swing towards the back.

I highly recommend this restaurant! I will be frequently visiting here and enjoying the food, tea,...

Love the boba and love the very kind staff.

I've had boba tea twice and the ramen & pokè with a friend another time.

Boba & order efficiency: My daughter came with me the first time we got boba and it was sooo good! I saw they had the flavored jelly add-ins so the next time I got a boba with the lychee jelly...but they forgot the boba!!! Ok. I saw somebody else commented on that. Extremely odd. My take is you have to be careful to ensure your order is correct because they forget things (which is the only reason I didn't give them 5 stars, though I wanted to). My friend got the pokè and they forgot her mango and her sesame seeds.

Pokè & Ramen: I got the miso with chicken and was SUPER impressed that the chicken tasted like it had been fire grilled!!! Also I think the egg was smoked. It all had an AMAZING flavor! My friend enjoyed her pokè but, like I said, they forgot a couple things, though they were quick to rectify that.

The atmosphere is SUPER cute! It feels cozy and sweet and love the phrases in different languages on the...