Namba Ramen & Sushi - Naples — Restaurant in Bonita Springs

Read this first: Don't go there expecting your standard Naples Sushi experience. This isn't the place you go to and order something like the giant volcano greasy hot lava roll covered in melted mayonnaise and two or three other colorful sauces culminating in a puddle of indiscernible flavor or the carbon monoxide infused super bright red yet flavorless yellowfin tuna. Don't go there if you don't know the difference between Sushi Maki and sashimi. Don't go there if you need an enormous selection of poorly done rolls because that's all you eat. Don't go there unless you actually care about the food or unless of course you want to learn. Learn the difference between real Japanese style sushi as opposed to the pedestrian Americanized fare that is unfortunately ever so prevalent. Learn about things like rice that has the proper tooth, temperature and rich flavor. Or about a very nice selection of quality fish such as suzuki, botan ebi, aji, beautiful sliced scalloped or the salmon belly all of which is served at the requisite temperature so the Flavors open up, as compared to the typical ice cold. Maybe try the very nice wagyu dumplings that are clearly made in house and all the of the components and flavors are discernible yet meld together unctuously. This is not a place with someone behind the counter that has been trained just simply do sushi and rolls like an assembly line worker, proficient yet uninspiring. This is a chef-driven menu from someone with a pallet that knows nuances and adds the requisite accoutrements to achieve that higher level of flavors. Even Little Things like the Nori being crisp when applicable or the higher quality variant of a true wasabi as opposed to what is simply green mustard powder used almost everywhere else. It's nice to know that I no longer have to go to the East Coast for food like this. The only thing I found disappointing was their selection of sakes. It unfortunately pales in comparison to the rest of the menu and it could be described as sophomoric at best, especially considering that is something that could be corrected with a few minutes work. And I'm sure it will be corrected soon. But don't let that keep you from going. Lastly, Although a very simple dish and typically uninteresting, the Negi Toro was the first dish we were served and it is simply outstanding, not only in terms of Clarity of flavor but also traditional execution. If you go and don't order one,...

This place was excellent, I did not expect this great of sushi and ramen right here in Naples.

The server was friendly, very informative and descriptive. He made great recommendations.

We had the "Spicy Tuna crispy rice", which was absolutely phenomenal. Not your traditional sushi dish, it had a nicely crisped rice cube topped with a delicious tuna and aioli mix, a very light piece of pepper, roe, and micro cilantro. So excellent, I could eat this every day.

We also had the o-toro fatty bluefin tuna belly. This was a very good piece of nigiri, nicely seasoned with a light hit of Wasabi (real Wasabi, bright and fresh, not the horseradish stuff), and glazed with something the server mentioned they cure for months. While delicious, and I recommend trying it, it's definitely not something you could make a whole meal of.

The dynamite roll was very good, and the soy paper it's wrapped in was a nice difference from the Nori I've had other places. The filling was delicious and slightly warm still. (It's baked) We had this third and it was good, but didn't hold a candle to the previous two plates.

The ramen we had was the Hokkaido, and we ordered two egg halves with it. It was a delicious tonkatsu ramen base, with king crab, calimari, and shrimp. Overall it was very good, the 3 misos they mention being in it are in no way overwhelming as miso can be sometimes, and the broth had a nice subtle spice aftwewards that could be washed away with a sip of drink, so it didn't overwhelm your palate. The noodles were delicious as well, with a nice amount of bite to them.

We tried the Yuzu cheesecake for dessert, and it was absolutely phenomenal. It was light and airy, not a heavy cheesecake. The sauce was yummy and not overbearing.

Overall, a must try if you're in the area. We let the server guide our meal, and we were not disappointed. The food was awesome, and I definitely see myself...

My eldest daughter has been wanting to try this place out for a few weeks. The opportunity arose a couple of days ago so we nipped over there and had my other daughter and 9 month old son come too. There are 8-10 tables max and and 3 or 4 were occupied with couples and a single top. The waiter, Colin, was extremely well informed re the dishes on their small menu, friendly & has a sunny disposition. We ordered the grilled octopus (one 5” tentacle) shrimp tempura (15 little balls, the size of a nickel with tiny pieces of shrimp) and the chicken jidori(a small breast) as appetisers aka small plates. We then had the Hokkaido Ramen, Hakata Classic Ramen & Beef Hayashi Ramen. You can also add custom toppings which range from $1-$3 each. The food was delivered by a cute young woman. Colin has suggested a bowl of white sticky rice to go with little pieces of the chicken for my grandson, which I appreciated as they don’t cater for young kids. We all enjoyed the shrimp tempura, but none of us cared much for the chicken & the octopus? I plead the 5th. It tasted like wood. The Ramen dishes were enjoyed, depending on your palette. ( I thought mine was the best!) The winning item was the Green Tea Creme Brûlée which we all agreed we would all go back for! Really delish and invented by the owner/chef. I was very taken aback when the check arrived for almost $103 excluding the tip. I kept my mouth shut, tipped 20% and we left. The only serious down fall in our humble opinion was the outrageous prices for the appetisers which cost the same as the Ramen dishes, which none of us paid attention to the prices. We all just thought the were $10 or less. Our bad. $15 for a 5” octopus leg? Seriously? To end on a positive note, the food was beautifully presented & we are still talking about the $6 desert which was out of...