The Dragon Room — Restaurant in Columbia

Last time I ordered an -actual- enjoyable meal from them, was the winter and summer of 2024. Recommending this place to friends and even strangers.

My last good meal was in May, but starting September, I’ve been disappointed three times in a row. Not sure if it’s new management, chef, or a loss of spark and love.

My go-to dishes: vegan ramen with kimchi and mushrooms, and vegan BBQ mushrooms.

First order: the ramen lacked its usual "zing." It wasn’t awful, but it didn’t have that special touch.

Second order: Ramen was basically just broth with a few collard greens. I was confused, to which the manager explained that they had removed the mushrooms and kimchi from the ramen due to customer complaints about the taste. She was kind and accommodating and added them for me. Though to charge the same price for ramen with fewer ingredients is beyond me. Paying extra to add them, doesn’t feel worth it. The broth was delicious but less than usual and leaving me to eat a huge amount of cold noodles.

Most recent order: BBQ mushrooms were way too spicy, overpowering the flavor. They used to taste like a delicious vegan kebab! but now it’s just too much heat.

Miso soup was a disaster I did not receive a single, a single! Scallion or tofu piece. Even though its advertised. It was too salty, and tasted like I was eating the bottom of the cup, or like a bouillon cube.

Final Thoughts: I understand that tastes vary, but it feels like this restaurant may be adjusting its dishes to cater more to the American palate, which often leans toward overly sweet or salty flavors. It’s like how many ice creams here are so sugary that they lose their depth of flavor. People are often accustomed to these artificial tastes, so it’s easy for them to forget what real, authentic food should taste like.

What I loved about this place was its ability to offer savory, balanced flavors that were truly satisfying. Now, with these changes, it feels like they're catering to those who prefer this overly sweetened or spicy, simplified version of food — and it’s a real disappointment.

Their workers are great, and I love the atmosphere, but ultimately, I come here for the food. I truly hope they rediscover what made this place special and stay true to the authentic flavors that once made it stand out. There’s still so much potential here, and I believe they can get back to what...

When I first ate at the Dragon Room a few month ago, I was excited to try a new restaurant in the Vista. The restaurant was crowded, it took us awhile to get a seat, and I thought the food was just average. One thing I did not understand was why the host was taking so much time going all the way to the back to grab all the plates, utensils, and napkins to set up the tables. This often left the front with no host for long periods of time, which also caused many customers to walk out the door.

My husband and I took our daughter out to eat on a different night and wanted to see if the service and food was better this time. I always try a restaurant a couple times before I determine how the food and service actually is. I understand restaurants have good and bad days, just like everyone.

Again, we waited awhile at the front to be seated. The host was again was walking back and forth grabbing napkins, utensils and cups to set up tables. Then when the host finally came to the front, she said it would be a 30-45 mins before a seat was available. When I asked if we could sit outside where there were 6-7 tables open, she said, “oh yeah, those are open”. Why didn’t she mention that? It made me wonder how many customers walked away because they were not fully informed. Next, our waitress only check on us twice. Third, my food was just okay. Of all things on my dish, the shrimp was the worse! I thought it was just me, but I had my husband, my daughter and another person next to us, try the shrimp. It look good, but taste like it had been soaked is dish soap. I hate wasting food, especially shrimp of all things! I was super disappointed and will not be returning.

Please! If you are reading this, try the PuPu Platter for 4. Please let me know if we got a batch of bad shrimp or if it really does have a...

Went to Dragon Room to try out their SC Restaurant Week special which was a Dinner for Two for $39 as well as some personal favorite menu items.

For starters, we had steamed shrimp shumai dumplings with ponzu sauce and egg rolls. There was also a small taster dish of Sichuan cucumbers delivered by our server that had a nice hint of heat to them. The dumplings with the ponzu sauce were savory and delicious. And the egg rolls...they are easily the best egg rolls in Columbia! We loved them so much that we had to order extras while sampling the dinner plates.

For the main course, the okonomiyaki cabbage pancake and bulgogi joe sliders were new to both of us and we loved them both. I'll have to remember to order the full-sized bulgogi joe sandwich the next time I stop by. Also included was garlic & ginger fried rice that had a wonderful ginger taste to it with just a hint of garlic.

For dessert, we shared the soy sauce ice cream. While that sounds like a weird flavor for an ice cream, it is certainly not one to be missed when it is available. It had a caramel like taste to it when first eating it, but finishes with that soy sauce flavor you were originally expecting.

Other must have dishes from Dragon Room that we've had in previous trips: Sichuan Hot Chicken (especially if you love Nashville style hot chicken), smoked pork ribs, and caramelized pork belly steam buns.

Typical of Kristian Niemi's other restaurants - Bourbon and Black Rooster - the food/drinks, service, and atmosphere inside the restaurant were on point as always. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a pan-Asian dinner that comes with inspired twists and turns! We are already looking forward towards our next dinner at...