Hokkai Ramen & Sushi — Restaurant in Bellingham

Went here with a group of friends because we had heard amazing things. Food was good but unfortunately the service was not good, at all.

Three of us ordered one sushi roll each, the other two ordered ramen and chicken katsu. The ramen, katsu, and one sushi roll were served first. When the waiter handed out the sushi roll he didn’t know what it was, so my friend asked “Is this the scallop roll?” and the waiter (in an unsure/confused tone) confirmed that it was. We all started eating and about five mins later the waiter appeared with another roll and again didn’t know what it was, and when asked to confirm if it was the Crunchy roll, the waiter in an unsure tone said yes. We continued to eat, and about 5-10 mins later the waiter came out with the last roll, which clearly had scallops on it and was clearly not what the third roll should have been. We all shared a moment of confusion wondering what happened, and it turned out he had incorrectly identified the first two rolls and we had eaten each other’s rolls due to his mistake. Now we are a solid 15-20 mins into our meal since the first food was brought to the table and our third friend still had nothing to eat since her roll was eaten by mistake. So we then had to order another one of her rolls, which meant waiting another 5-10 mins until she finally got her food. This felt wrong, like we should deserve some sort of discount or apology or something. When we asked if the roll could be taken off our bill, the waiter said “my bad” and told us we’d still be charged for everything as normal because it technically was the food that we had ordered. My other friend also asked for a side of an egg and he denied that as well. The waiter was generally kind, but definitely new or something and should really be careful about incorrectly identifying the food being served to people. It’s a good thing none of us had any food allergies because he literally served all three sushi orderers the wrong food.

Service was bad. But the food was good so I’m conflicted. I did firmly ask to have the roll taken off the bill which they ended up agreeing to, but I felt like I shouldn’t have even had to ask, let alone...

I rarely leave online reviews, but this place deserves it.

Service: * * * * ° I came on Valentine's evening, so it was busy. Minor lost points for a lack of waiting area, and a self-managed wait list, but I got the impression they weren't used to that much business. Once we were sat the service was prompt and excellent, especially given how packed it was.

Food: * * * * * I always try to find an avenue for improvement in anything I review. In that spirit, I personally greatly dislike selling soda by the can; it cheapens the feel of the meal and makes me want to micromanage my sips. Otherwise, however, the food is top notch. The ramen is well made, the broth balanced for proper flavor, and the meat wasn't bland and ignored as it often is in soups. I also had sushi, and the preparation was expert and effective: strong overbearing flavors were toned down, to allow the softer tones to shine through.

Atmosphere: * * * * ° The feel of a small, happy meal is well-served by the small spaces and closed feeling of the tables, but I never felt like I was lacking room to eat and enjoy myself. The decor CAN feel a little claustrophobic, but not in a consistent or, in my opinion, harmful way.

Price: * * * * ° I'm detracting points here for the cost of the drinks: $2 a can for sodas is a bit above what I would consider fair. I also think some of the appetisers are slightly small for the price. However, the ramen and sushi are both well worth the cost, and in generous servings. On a budget, you can get out of here for under $20 including tax and tip easily and while feeling full. Even going all out, breaking $100 would be hard without at least 4 people. Slightly more pricy than McDonalds, but you get better, and in some...

I went here with my wife and for the appetizers we had the Gyozas and Miso soup, both were very delicious, both tasted very authentic and the Gyozas were hand made and I felt like I could taste all the ingredients that were put into them. The Miso soup was good as well, it was just as expected and there was nothing to complain about.

For our main course my wife and I both got the "R8. Teriyaki Chicken Ramen" and with my order I specifically asked for my veggies on the side and they did just that with no questions asked. The Ramen itself was full of flavor and reminded me of my childhood when my mom would make me homemade ramen. The aromatics from the broth was amazing and you can really feel the love they put into the broth, with how clear the broth is and how much flavor it packs. You know the chefs know what they are doing. The noodles were japanese egg noodles and I loved it, it wasn't over cooked nor was it undercooked. Just right. 10/10 would come back here again and will definitely try the sushi next time I come. I was so happy with my meal that I...