Osae Sushi Ramen Bistro — Restaurant in Colorado

This is so sad to post. O'sae used to be my favorite Ramen place in the springs. but their portions of meat and other ingredients have shrunk and their overall quality has changed. I stopped eating ramen there last year after the meat portion was reduced to thin slices instead of meaty chunks of braised pork. I always ordered the same dish, and they stopped including all the toppings that are in the pictures of their ramen on their menu and in adds. I used to really enjoy the umami synchrony of all the toppings. It seems lonely now with only a few ingredients.

But after last night's meal we won't be eating there again. For 16.95 my mom ordered a teriyaki beef bowl. It said there would be vegetables, the picture showed juicy thick cuts of meat over rice. What we received was thinly shaved dry slices of beef that were under seasoned. Maybe they had no flavor because they were too dried out? Whatever sauce they put over it sank into the rice and didn't leave any juiciness. It was just dry overcooked chips of beef. Maybe equivalent to 3 regular sized pieces. After tax and tip that was not worth a $20 price tag. That was like stale leftovers you dig out of the fridge and then convince yourself is worth eating. We abandoned it and made teriyaki chicken from a freezer meal I had on hand. What a disappointment. This was supposed to be a birthday meal and we chose to order in so it would be less chaotic as friends were coming over later. I had to cook my own birthday meal. We called to tell them it was so bad, they says they could give us a $2 refund for no veggies. It came as a $2.50 account credit to the menufy app that needs to be used on future orders (?). Also, when you order sushi rolls to go they squeeze them into a shallow tray that smashes the toppings and deforms the shape so it looks really unappetizing when you open it. Totally sad. The Ichiban roll doesn't taste as good as it use to. So many things were just off from our expectations and our past positive experiences

Maybe there is new cooking staff compared to a year or two ago when it was amazing?

For an almost $100 meal it was really a let-down and we won't be ordering there again. Sad to see a good restaurant go down. If they could have kept the high quality of each ingredient and the good portion sizes of meat and increased prices as needed with that we would have kept going there. Good food is worth the cost. But now it's expensive and not very good = not worth it. Maybe they think they need to stay in a certain price point to cater to the military lunch crowd, so they've made some quality cuts, but they've lost their gold star...

Updated review: They remain at 3 stars for me. Although they have some of the best cream cheese fried wontons I have ever had and what is with that sticky rice (Lemper)? Wow! Oddly delicious. Also their jalapenos tempura was great! Despite that, their teriyaki chicken bowl with rice smelled like the chicken was rotten and all the "teriyaki" was at the bottom of the rice and just tasted like soy sauce. Their stir fried udon was good but nothing special. The spring rolls were good but the peanut sauce has separated and watered down. I really hate when a place is this inconsistent. They are so promising but the miss the mark on some crucial things. This is their second chance and they forgot an item in our order as well. I don't know if I'll want to spend money at this place again. Good for those who like it. Maybe it hits the mark for you but for me I think I'd only suggest their wontons, jalapenos tempura, and sticky rice (lemper). Other than that maybe skip this place.

Old Review: I really don't want to leave a mediocre review for these guys. I REALLY wanted to like the food but there were just some things that couldn't be ignored. First, the ramen. It was a little subpar to what I'm used to. That wasn't my main issue. My problem was the Maguro. This is something that NEEDs to be fresh. At least freshly defrosted. If it smells like fish, you throw it out. I was just utterly disappointed because I had frozen tuna in my freezer and could have just made my own nigiri. The reason I order it from a restaurant is partly laziness but more importantly because I expect it will be at least slightly better than what I make at home. This wasn't. This review was based on a single experience, so I will probably try again and possibly update my review. Everything else like rice quality, noodles, other sushi dishes were pretty good, which is why they...

The pretty Lady cleaning the tables and refilling drinks is excellent! She greeted us and I loved everything she did from there on. From starting to seat us before being rudely interrupted by another wait staff to really just being attentive like a server at a restaurant should be, I appreciate her. I felt she cared. Our waitress who rudely interrupted her to get us seated needs training. She forgot to ask us about beverages and then disappeared after she took our order. Again, give that lovely lady a raise who seems to just be tending the dining room! I wish she was our server. Anyways, after that we ordered some sushi, sashimi, the plain wings, and mie goreng. My youngish daughter (9) loves crispy sushi and said the Tempura California roll was the best sushi she's ever had! Lol I mean she was excited and it was good. The fried bone in wings were solid too. I felt maybe it needed some more seasoning for the price but I wasn't upset. Very tender and still crispy, not dry whatsoever. I personally love yellowtail and ordered the Hamachi Tiradito. Loved it! Just as I expected. Knife skills could have been better but I'm not hating on that. I'll order it again. Then comes the Mie Goreng...😞 A complete let down. Hardly any flavor, the meats were way overcooked, needed more kecap manis and there weren't any fried shallots on top. Just felt like someone made it that had no idea what they were making. It's all good though. I made it edible at home haha.

We need better Malaysian/Indonesian foods in The Springs! There's literally nothing...

But all in all, I love this place for everything else! I will be back for more of the sushi rolls and to try the ramen,...