Hokkaido Ramen House — Restaurant in Mount Dora

I have been so excited for Hokkaido Ramen House to open here in Mount Dora. So, of course, as soon as I heard doors were open, I was there!

The ambiance of the restaurant is beautifully done, it's modern and tasteful. The booths are comfortable and the chairs/tables look great! The restroom door is massive and leads to a large single lockable room with handicap accessible bars near the toilet and a low(ish) sink.

The food was thankfully pretty good! I'm so happy to have more ramen options in the area! Anyway, I would normally just go for something safe that I know I'd like, but I decided to try the house Garlic Tonkatsu Ramen. Man, I am going to be tasting garlic for days! It was a little overwhelming at first, but I adjusted to the intense flavor after a few bites. Definitely a dish for those who really, really, really like garlic. The broth didn't taste or look as rich as let's say Jinya Ramen Bar, and had some coagulation of...fats or maybe garlic? The slices of pork were a bit overcooked and chewy, but overall pretty good. I'll definitely come back once the restaurant is open a bit longer. I know I'll be a regular.

My only real complaint was that the staff was underwhelming. There were a few servers/hostesses and not a single one felt welcoming, or even happy to be there. I understand they are all learning how to operate as a team, but for a Grand Opening week, I guess I expected a bit more friendliness? Or happiness to be open at all. Or even familiarity with the menu and the differences between ramen broths/offerings.

Anyway, I'm glad they are here. Glad they offer take out, glad the atmosphere is phenomenal and eager to try more (I hope the sushi is good!!).

Update: A rainy day is a perfect day for ramen, visit two was for take out and it was phenomenal. The pork charsu was not chewy and overcooked, it was perfect along with the egg. The normal Tonkatsu ramen broth was great! I upped my original review from a 3 star to a 4 star for food. Really it's like 4.5 stars. Really good tonight!

I was also really surprised at the cool take out Tupperware they provided which stores the broth in the bottom of the bowl with the noodles and other goodies in a separate compartment on top, which you can then combine once you're ready to eat at home.

Again, I'm really happy this place opened, really happy it's good. I wish it was a bit more affordable, but still a favorite place...

Alright. On Sunday, (11/26/2023), we wanted to try this place out because we’ve been waiting on it to open for a while. So we first walked in and it was incredibly crowded, the lady at the front was kind enough to take our names and numbers and said she’ll call us when it’s our turn. We head to target to kill time and spend around 30 mins there. No call. I walk in and ask where we are on the list and get told that someone walked in and asked to remove us from the list (???) the lady was kind enough to apologize and bump us to the top. 10 mins later, our party of two is seated. I have dietary restrictions and so I order the veggie ramen and some sushi while the other party ordered beef ramen. A while later, i get chicken ramen instead. I would’ve eaten it if I was able to, but because i can’t, I called the lady and told her I was given the wrong order. A bit later, my veggie ramen was served. While eating it, after getting to almost the very end of the bowl, I find a piece of chicken hidden underneath everything. I don’t know if it was an honest mistake, or if one of the chefs was upset that I sent the bowl (which i never ordered) back. Regardless, it was a very disappointing experience. Paid over 60 dollars total for three items and we both got sick from the food later. Sad to say that we won’t be going back. Peace...

With numerous reviews, we have been looking forward to visiting Hokkaido since its opening.

Our experience began at 3:20pm on Saturday, March 2nd, with an online order.

A relatively simple one.

1 order crab rangoon

Shrimp tempura roll

Philadelphia roll

US 441 roll

Fried chicken katsu

I paid online and included a 10% tip.

When I arrived 15 minutes later to pick up my food, there were 4 patrons - two couples - dining inside. It was an off time and the place was understandably nearly empty.

The bag of food was handed to me, I asked the server, “Is this everything?”, and her reply was, “Yes.”

Almost home, I receive a call from Hokkaido and am told my US 441 roll is not in the bag. They forgot it.

I turn around, drive back to the restaurant, and ask for the manager, who unbeknownst to me was standing next to the young lady who had waited on me.

I informed the manager what happened, that I confirmed with my server that my order was complete and in the bag, expecting some sort of response.

The response I received was a blank stare.

Not, “I’m sorry”, not anything.

Silence.

No customer service whatsoever.

Our first stop will be our last.

Social media and Google reviews carry some weight, can have an impact.

I plan on taking advantage of that medium in...