Yokai Ramen Bistro — Restaurant in Chadds Ford Township

I happened to come upon Yokai via both Upside as well as doing a search for local Japanese eateries. Since the bistro has very good reviews and an interesting menu, I decided to try them out. If you've not been here before, parking can be a little bit of a challenge as the lot is best access from either northbound US 202 (Concord Pike) or from Silverside Road and there isn't much parking up front. However, you don't have to walk too far to get in from your parking space. The interior is very nice and clean and is tastefully decorated. The dining area is spacious as well and plenty of room to make yourself comfortable. Both times I went (Friday evenings) was oddly quiet in the dining area; however there were several customers getting take out from the restaurant. For someone like me who prefers a quiet dining area, I don't find that a headache at all. For my first time there, I tried the harumaki spring rolls and the Jigoku ramen. The harumaki was very light and crisp and they came out nice and fresh. The sweet chili sauce complimented the rolls well and I enjoyed the light and fresh rolls. The Jigoku ramen (chicken karaage in a spicy miso broth) was also extremely delicious. The earthy spicy miso broth complimented the chicken very well and I enjoyed the heat from the spiciness. Yes, you can tell the server how much spice you want in there as well. I had ordered a "2" but was served a "3" but that didn't seem to bother me. The ramen noodles were cooked well and had just the right amount of chew and slurp factor. The other ingredients also went well with the ramen...including an extra helping of noodles. You get a pretty generous sized bowl and plenty of broth so if you want some extra noodles, go for it. This is definitely a good bowl to try out, especially if you love that bit of kick. For my second time there, I tried the chicken skewers and the Gyu ramen (beef belly in a house broth). I liked the sweet sauce they used on the chicken skewers but I was a little underwhelmed by the skewers compared to the harumaki. The Gyu ramen though was pretty good. Plenty of cabbage and other vegetables to go with the beef belly. The beef belly itself was pretty tender and I generally enjoyed it. However, the beef belly might need just that extra bit of seasoning as I did have to use some dashi and pepper to flavor it up. Even then, I enjoyed the bowl and had the same good experience with the ramen noodles. I definitely plan on returning to try their donburi bowls and a couple of their other entrees as the food overall is very good and enjoyable. If you are looking for a quite place that serves some good ramen, Yokai is a great spot to get...

We were really excited to try out this place as it's a easy drive for us and near shopping we regularly visit. Sadly we won't be back.

Atmosphere was just fine. The walls are nice to look at but I found the chairs and tables uncomfortable to sit at.

Service was fast and nice. Wait staff was attentive but they brought us our check with out asking if we wanted any thing else.

But the food was not great at all. I'll do a break down below of each thing we had:

Sapporo beer: Good beer and served with a cold glass so that was perfect. It would be nice if this Ramen place had a single Asian beer on tap though. 4/5 stars

Takoyaki: Was the Octopus in the room with you because it wasn't in these little balls of dough? I'm sure there was probably a tiny bit of octopus in these but it was so little as to be unnoticed. Way too much bonito flakes on top. taste and presentation: 0/5 stares

Crab Rangoon: Only thing I really liked. These are different then you'd get at most places. They are like little purses and the dough are flaky layers. There was a bit too much or the layers in the not filled part for me though. Flavor and presentation were great. 4/5

Miso Ramen: I have never been served any type of Ramen with out the half egg, but this one was served to me with out it. The meat (pork belly) was so dry it seemed like it had been sitting out for a long long time. The broth was ok and had decent, flavor. Noodles had a good texture. 3/5

Crispy Chicken Donburi: If the crispy in this dish meant bones then it hit the nail on the head. My spouse bit into a bone pretty early into this dish and had trouble eating the rest of his chicken. Otherwise he said it was fine. 2/5 for bones.

Yes this place is affordable but not so affordable to serve food this bad. I feel we could have done better getting take out from a cheap Chinese place. (yes I know this is not a cheap Chinese place so apples to oranges.) It would have been more value...

So it is Christmas day and it started out great until I got the worst phone call you could get. I'm 700 miles away from my family and my sister called me to tell me my mother was in the hospital. Not just in the hospital but on a ventilator and in a coma. I hadn't even called yet to wish her a Merry Christmas. So my husband and I had to leave his family's home because I had a total nervous breakdown. On our way out we decided it may be good if I get some food and a drink to balance my anxiety. This was one of the only places open. I looked like a wreck from crying but when we walked in Erika was nothing but kind and attentive. She sat us at the bar and shortly after Xiang came out. I'm a career bartender so I tend to be quite judgemental about service. I'm literally sitting here trying to find an issue and I can't. The service was impeccable from both Erika and Xiang. The food was absolutely amazing. I wish this restaurant was closer to home because I swear I'd be here at least once a week to eat and be served by this amazing staff. The food was so delicious and immaculately plated we even tipped the chefs. They managed to make me forget my problems during my time there. I'm very heavily tattooed as well as my husband and at times we are not served as well as we should be based on stereotypes. These ladies were great. And not just to us. I watched as they took care of other people. It was completely consistent. The food was insanely good. As depressed as I am I wasn't hungry at all but I couldn't help but eat it. The drinks were on point. I'll include pictures of the food but this is the best experience I've had in a very very long time. I'll make the drive from Philly just to come here. I recommend you...