YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar — Restaurant in Charlotte

EDITED: Can't believe I never updated my review! Have been back many, many times over. If you like good fish, give Yume a try. It is pricy but you can what you pay for and I am never disappointed.

This is a hard review to write....I really, really, really want to like this restaurant. After all I've been waiting nearly a year to try!

First, food - we got an order of gyoza and the spicy miso tonkotsu ramen. Gyoza was pan-fried and pretty good. The ramen was great! Creamy broth and a good helping of toppings. I was a little disappointed that there was an upcharge for extra or extra-extra spicy ramen, since the ramen was maaayyyyybe a 2 out of 10 on my spicy scale, but otherwise two thumbs up for the food!

Now the hard part....the service. I will preface this by saying I recognize and appreciate that the wait and kitchen staff was truly working their tails off. That being said are definitely some improvements that could have been made. While waiting to be seated we went to the bar for drinks, only to be told alcoholic drinks were not yet being served. After being seated, it took 10+ minutes to be acknowledged, during which time we perused the menu and chose appetizers and dinner options -- only to be told by our waiter that they were serving a limited menu. This was a bit disappointing as there were only a few available ramen and appetizer options out of the extensive menu. Could have been easily avoided by separately printing their limited "grand opening" menu. We ordered the gyoza and ramen and asked the waiter for a recommendation on sushi rolls, but he took our order rather hurriedly and promised he'd be back to take our sushi order. He never did. Then, we waited. And waited, and waited. It took about 45 minutes for our 6-count gyoza to come out. No extra dishes came with it, so we resorted to passing the gyoza dish back and forth between the two of us. 10 or so minutes after the gyoza came out our waiter finally came back to check on us to ask if we were waiting on anything else. Um.....yes.....our dinners? When our ramens finally came, they were served with braised pork belly rather than chashu as was advertised on the menu. I overheard the waiter tell a different table they were out of chashu. Fine, but would have been nice to be given a heads up when we ordered. We had to flag down several people several times to fill our empty water glasses. I get that the waiters were crazy busy. But hostesses/employees who are not seating customers or doing little more than standing around and who catch my eye and notice my empty water glass should at least offer to fill it. All in all, we spent about 90 minutes in the restaurant for 6 pieces of gyoza and 2 bowls of ramen. I don't think our experience was unique. Looking around, it looked like at any given time only 30-40% of the restaurant was eating -- the rest was waiting for their food to arrive. It seems like the problem was overseating. They were more concerned about seating as many people as possible with little thought as to whether the kitchen could keep up with the volume. Since the bar was not serving alcohol, they sat people at the bar and every bar stool was occupied. Our table for 2 was originally 2 tables meant to seat 4, but they pulled the 2 tables apart, leaving only a couple inches of space between us and the table next to us. It was a confusion for the severs too, who kept trying to deliver our neighbor's dishes to us since apparently we both had the same table number (because, again, it was meant to be 2 tables seating 4, but they pulled the tables apart so they could seat 2 parties of 2). The overall experience was cramped and frustrating. Hopefully in the future they will consider their customer's overall experience and wait/turnover time, not just seating as many people as possible as quickly as possible.

Will I be back? You bet! Will it be soon? Probably not. I had high hopes for this restaurant and still do. Hoping they work out their kinks and I can update this review with a...

Located in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte, YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar distinguishes itself as a haven for those seeking an authentic and innovative Japanese dining experience. Tony Yum, the visionary behind YUME, brings a wealth of culinary expertise and passion from his roots in Hong Kong and his formative years in San Francisco's Japantown, where he previously owned a Japanese restaurant. This background lays the foundation for YUME's unique approach to Japanese cuisine, emphasizing authenticity, innovation, and a commitment to sustainability, particularly through practices aimed at achieving zero waste in the kitchen.

YUME's ambiance, characterized by modern design and a warm, inviting atmosphere, mirrors Tony's vision for a space where exceptional food meets exceptional hospitality. Tony, shared his stories from his diverse background, and his approach to sourcing and sustainability (evident in his homemade soy sauce and house smoked mackerel) set the tone for a dining experience that's as enriching as it is delicious. It features a comprehensive bar and a sushi bar, each equipped with bar seating for guests. Its expansive dining area is furnished with both booth and table seating options, with the booths notably offering superior comfort. YUME boasts an extensive menu, featuring a delectable assortment of sushi, yakitori, and ramen, along with thoughtful gluten-free and vegan/vegetarian options to accommodate diverse dietary needs and preferences.

Brandon, my waiter during the visit, is a seasoned professional with over four years of experience at YUME. His warmth and friendliness were immediately apparent, enhancing the dining experience with his insightful menu recommendations and thorough answers to my inquiries. It was clear he possessed an in-depth knowledge of the menu, demonstrating a passion for his role that was reflected in his constant, cheerful demeanor. The restaurant industry would indeed flourish with more dedicated and enthusiastic service workers like him.

Brandon's recommendation of the “Beef Sukiyaki”($15) for lunch is a highlight, featuring soy dashi broth, thinly sliced sweet soy marinated beef, tofu with a spicy kick, a soft-boiled soy marinated egg with a perfectly jammy yolk, daily greens, scallions, roasted seaweed, ginger, togarashi peppers, corn and ramen noodles, all garnished with sesame oil and sesame seeds. The lunch special's option to add karaage chicken at no extra charge adds exceptional value to this comforting dish.

The "Selected Sushi Set”($28), epitomizes the restaurant's culinary excellence, featuring an exquisite array of sushi on a chic black slate plate and banana leaf. This selection includes the freshest bluefin tuna, albacore tuna, saba (in-house smoked mackerel), sake (salmon), tako (octopus), hotate (scallop), hamachi (yellowtail), ika (squid), and hirame (flounder), showcasing YUME’s commitment to quality. Paired with pickled ginger and wasabi, each bite delivers a testament to the art of sushi.

For those in search of culinary innovation similar to what one might find in renowned establishments like Nobu, YUME offers the “Truffle Salmon”($15). This dish, reminiscent of Nobu Matsuhisa's New Style Salmon Sashimi, represents the type of culinary creativity and excellence that guests can expect from YUME. It's a testament to YUME’s ability to draw inspiration from global culinary leaders while adding his unique touch, making YUME a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike.

There is an “Omakase” Experience at YUME, requiring over $200 and 2 days' advance notice, is a testament to the restaurant's dedication to culinary excellence. It offers diners a personalized journey through the best of what Tony and his kitchen can create, showcasing their mastery and creativity.

Without a doubt, YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar has secured its place as a must-visit destination in my Charlotte...

I have been dying to eat here and I finally got the chance and my goodness, I left feeling drunk on good food, no booze needed. Everything was so delicious. The location is easy to find and has parking, which is greatly appreciated when traversing the city. The seating is very comfy and the atmosphere is really nice and chill. Staff are super helpful and nice, and are knowledgeable about the food. Foid comes out pretty quickly and oh dear lawd the taste is god tier. We had a starterof gyoza, followed by yakitori. The gyoza was super tasty and beautifully crisp on the fried side. Great balance of pork and cabbage on the inside, and the sauce was really tasty. For the yakitori, we had the shiitake, asparagus, and chicken skin. The veg was very tasty and well seasoned, but the chicken skin? I was in heaven. I wish the grocery store sold the skin removed from skinless, boneless thighs and breasts suz I wanna make this at home now. Crisp, spiced beautifully, just the rightvamiunt of char, and fatty on the inside. It was delicious. We followed thatvwith karaage and oh my stars. I love chicken and that was a love poem to the unsung hero that is the chicken thigh. Crispy, juicy, seasoned perfectly, and with the shrimp sauce? Perfection. Instead of going the ramen route for the entree, which was originally our reason for going, it was the donburi that called us with the sirens song of rice and meat. My mother got the yakiniku donburi and was silent the whole time cuz she couldn't stop eating it. So I can safely assume it was top notch. I got the curry katsudon at the suggestion of our server and it did not disappoint. Crispy panko breaded chicken, perfectly cooked rice, and that rich, thick, silky smooth curry sauce with the right balance of savory, umami, sweet, and spice. I could not stop muttering "It's so good. I'm so happy!" between bites while wiggle dancing in my seat. Cleaned the bowl of ever last speck of rice and sauce. It was truly that good. We finished the meal with the specialty dessert which was mint chocolate mousse cake served with mint chocolate ice cream. Refreshing, not too sweet, creamy, and the perfect end to a perfect meal. I cannot wait to go back and try more of what they have on offer. Also if you get the ramune and have weak wrists like me, just ask the servers for help popping the ball in. Worth the trouble. I had the orange one and it was very tasty. Not nearly as sweet as american sodas, but very orange forward in flavor, which made it more refreshijg instead of cloying. Thanks to everyone at Yume for such a...