Katsu Ramen Bar — Restaurant in Lafayette

EDIT: Okay, I said if they were still here in a year, I'd give them another shot. Then that covid thing happened so it took more than a year. But yeah, NOT the same experience I had when they first opened. I tried the pork bun again and this time it was as advertised. Juicy, tender pork, great seasoning, perfect texture. Then the ramen. The spicy miso broth was just so, so good. And the pork belly was cooked exactly as it should be; tender, with a soft, flavorful ring of fat. Chewy, delicious, well-cooked noodles. Just great. Service was good and fast. I'm a convert. Highly recommend!

Original review below:

I can't begin to tell you how excited I was for a ramen shop to open in Lafayette. The excitement has passed. I'm hoping for their sake we caught them on a bad night. I started with a "juicy" pork bun that tasted fine but was oddly dry. Then, the ramen. The ramen tasted like... Nothing. Nothing at all. Maybe flour and water? Even after adding every spice at the table, it was like trying to down a bowl of water and Elmer's. The texture experience of a good noodle wasn't there either. It was more like Italian pasta or a packaged ramen noodle. If the egg was marinated, it wasn't for long, though it was cooked well. Even the pork - I know pork belly is supposed to be fatty, but it's also supposed to be cooked in such a way that the fat is an asset to the flavor, and edible. This was a thin ring of chewy pork wrapped around a core of bland gristle. Needless to say, I didn't eat more than a few bites.

One of my friends had the curry rice bowl, which he enjoyed, and another got okonomiyaka and liked it, but the other bowl of ramen at the table was, I'm told, as bland and unenjoyable as mine.

To top off the evening, the manager got the tickes wrong twice, leaving us to sort it out amongst ourselves, and then temporarily misplaced one of our credit cards.

I will say, our waitress was very good and was clearly trying to make the best of a bad situation. She may have been the most competent person there, from the looks of things.

I sincerely hope this place improves. If they are still around in a year, maybe I'll give them...

Katsu just vaulted to the top of my lunch time list. We started with the jalapeño bombs which were crispy, golden, and absolutely loaded, with just the right kick and a creamy finish that kept us reaching for one more. The takoyaki were textbook: pillowy inside, delicately crisp outside, brushed with savory sauce.

The star of the night for me was the spicy miso beef ramen: deep, rich broth with real miso depth, a slow-building heat, and tender beef that soaked up every ounce of flavor and absolutely tender. The noodles we perfectly cooked and the eggs were unlike anything I have ever tried; perfect yolk and texture that absorbed all of the flavors surrounding it.

Huge shoutout to our waiter, Morgan. Friendly, knowledgeable, and effortless under pressure—Morgan paced our meal perfectly, kept drinks topped off, and gave spot-on recommendations. Little touches—checking heat levels, timing dishes so nothing sat—made the service feel genuinely a delightful experience.

Bottom line: Katsu nails flavor, texture, and hospitality. Come hungry, trust Morgan’s suggestions, and don’t skip the jalapeño bombs or the spicy miso beef ramen. We’ll be back soon. 10/10...

This place should NOT be called a Ramen bar... there Sushi seemed fresh, but the ramen was mediocre at best! The waitress we had was very nice and really good at her job, which we ordered a Rock-N-Roll sushi roll and it came out first, and was pretty good. We then got our orders of Ramen, which I got the Spicy Miso Beef Ramen, the flavor was good and not too spicy, but the beef was 90% fat and 10% beef... it was so fatty that I had to take all the (supposed beef) out of the miso! You would think that the resturant gets there beef from leftovers that people don't eat and just throw all the fat in your Ramen! The other Chicken Ramen that was ordered had a very weird taste and smell! The meat that was served with both Ramen dishes were terrible! Honestly seemed like scraps you would throw to a stray dog, the atmosphere was okay... but the Ramen itself turned me away from this place... which i will say that recent reviews had me hopeful, I was WRONG! Will...