Oksumi Ramen & Bar — Restaurant in Lakeland

First let me start off by saying I was very excited that a dedicated ramen restaurant was coming to Lakeland.

Sadly I was very quickly let down by my experience.

The restaurant has little to no atmosphere to speak of with the exception of a mural on the wall.

The inside feels very much like one of those cheap quick service hibachi places you go for lunch.

I went on Sunday afternoon around 2pm.

The place was busy but not packed.

There was no one there to greet people at the door and no instructions on how to be seated.

So after about 2 minutes of standing around we decided to seat ourselves.

We sat for over 20 mins with no one approaching our table even though we could see the staff running food and talking behind the counter.

I finally approached a server behind the counter and asked if we could get service.

She seemed annoyed at my asking but followed me back to the table and took our order in a rush.

We then waited another 45 mins to get our two orders of basic ramen.

Even at some of the higher end ramen places in Tampa and Orlando I’ve never waited so long for ramen.

Then the food finally came and my suspicion was fully confirmed.

The broth was as basic as it could be.

It was passable but just barley.

The noodles were fine.

The pork you could tell had very little to no prep to it. Not much flavor. Wasn’t cooked especially well.

The egg that’s supposed to be a little running was pretty much solid.

I’ve had better ramen from quick service food trucks.

In fact, come to think of it, I’m not sure if I’ve had ramen that was this sub par from any establishment.

It wasn’t inedible by any means.

But if you are coming here for quality ramen you will be disappointed.

When it came time to pay I usually just pay by card but I happened to have a $20 bill on me so I assumed I could just use the 20 and pay the rest by card.

NO ONE ON STAFF COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO SPLIT PAYMENT TYPES.

That seems like a bare minimum for register work.

But maybe I’m missing the point.

Maybe this place is just supposed to be a quick service restaurant to simply scratch your ramen itch.

But if that is the case you shouldn’t expect for your entire meal to take upwards of an hour and a half to complete.

I want places like this to succeed.

Lakeland needs more culture added to its food scene.

But if what we are getting is horrible service and sub par quality food then it may just be a big waste of time.

Sadly I doubt I will ever come...

Oksumi Ramen Bar in South Lakeland is one of our absolute go-to spots whenever we’re craving something cozy, flavorful, and totally satisfying! 🍜🔥🇯🇵

Every visit is a win—from the friendly staff to the casual vibe that makes it so easy to relax and enjoy. Whether it’s a laid-back dinner or a full-blown ramen emergency, Oksumi always hits the spot. Always.

We’ve got our favorites down to a science: we always start with the Takoyaki—crispy little battered octopus bites topped with their signature Oksumi mayo. It’s one of those dishes where you’re genuinely sad when the last one’s gone. 😍🐙 And don’t even get us started on the apps—we’re obsessed with the Gyoza, Oksumi Bun, Calamari, Veggie Spring Rolls, and that crispy, golden Karaage (Japanese fried chicken). Every bite is packed with flavor and perfect for sharing (or not—we won’t judge 😋).

Now for the main event: the ramen. My go-to is the Spicy Tonkotsu—a rich, savory broth with a slow-building heat that’s just right. My husband is all about the Ultimate Tonkotsu White, especially when he’s craving something savory with a hint of shellfish flavor. We almost always kick it up a notch with extra spice, because let’s be honest—spice makes everything better! 🌶️🍜 When we’re in the mood to get creative, we go for the Build Your Own Ramen—a fun way to tailor your bowl exactly the way you want it (and yep, mine’s always spicy!).

Oksumi nails it with a perfect balance of authentic Japanese flavors and playful, customizable options. Whether you’re a ramen purist or love to explore, there’s always something new to love here.

If you’re anywhere near the Lakeland area, do yourself a favor and stop by. We’ve been coming here for a while now, and we’ll absolutely keep coming back for more slurp-worthy...

Very disappointed for my first visit. The soup lacked umami and strong flavor. The ingredients and flavor seem unauthentic and bland. Totally not worth the wait. However, due to the lack of ramen in the area, I would still give this place a second chance in a couple of weeks. Hopefully they improve and fix their problems.

(Extra)

At the restaurant I ordered the Tonkotsu black-garlic lover. I was suprised when the ramen got to the table because the ramen had tomato’s and cilantro. Even though I was slightly confused I continued to have a bite. I was extremely disappointed because it tasted like a chicken noodle soup you could at a local supermarket with a slight bit of garlic. The ramen egg was just slightly over cooked and didn’t hold as much flavor as expected. The actual pork belly slice was actually pretty good. It had a low fat content compared to other restaurants, but still held flavor. The only disappointment with the pork belly is that there wasn’t enough. Even though you can opt to have more for a higher price, the thin slice of pork belly wasn’t enough for the soup.

I’m not upset that the food tasted underwhelming but I was upset mostly about how Lakeland finally got a ramen place and the ramen bar at Greenwise does a better job...