Hokkaido Ramen House - Aksarben — Restaurant in Omaha

Went last night to eat here for the first time as someone who has tried most of the local ramen places this one definitely leaned towards the better side but still not the best in Omaha. For the good The serving amount was a decent size as the bowls go all yhe way to the bottom unlike some places where most of the bottom bowl is a platform that takes up half the space. The bamboo shoots were soft and not hard big chunks like other places i have been. The amount of toppings and food was great i should add. Another good thing from what i saw at least my wife likes the takoyaki balls so theres that as i didnt eat them. Flavor was pretty okay to be honest but nothing that stands out. And the water cups where pretty big which is a plus for me. Now the bads for beginners id say the decorations and atmosphere in general can be better felt too much like an otakus / geeks room than a restaurant and the lighting was a bit too bright. Which for me i think the decor does play a big part in the dining in experience. The server as nice as he was didn't write anything down and got my order wrong for one of the appetizers which was fine since i was able to taste the gyoza but i really wanted to try their crab Rangoons but i wont make a huge deal out of this. The other mistake was they put one of the additional toppings on my wifes plate than mine which again isnt too big of a problem since i can just fish it out and put it in my bowl. And I'll touch again on the food but the flavor it was very sweet like soy sauce flavor on everything to include the eggs and bamboo shoots and i ordered my bowl spicy but everything tasted like a very sweet soy sauce. And the noodles felt very much like instant noodle pack noodles for what tou pay for. And my last bad thing id say is the server was dressed like he was waking up from a nap wearing a yellow instant noodle ramen sweatpants and sweater with a matching bandana. Kinda cheesey if you ask me and not professional. Now Im not saying he should be dressed up as a butler ,but rather someone who you feel confident in taking an order and serving food. Overall for a quick tldr id give this place a 2.8/5 can be alot better if a little more effort was put in overall.

Edit for some...

We got the spicy hokaido, chicken karage, jalapeno poppers, and the pork don bowl.

The spicy hokaido ramen was pretty good, the broth was the best part but I still had some complaints. First I kinda expect some seaweed/fishcakes to be served with the ramen but wasn't, also I wasn't sure if the ramen was supposed to have chashu pork or not but the pork served was more of a thinly sliced pork rather than chashu. Again these are just small things the ramen is still really good

Next the chicken karage. This was pretty disappointing, the chicken was nice and juicy but the flavor on it was far from chicken karage, it tasted a little burnt Japanese barbeque flavoring on the chicken and then the batter itself was terrible, super grainy, it felt like it still had flower on it after the deepfry. This may be personal preference but when I think of chicken karage im thinking of a nice fresh crispy simple deepfry chicken thigh with black petter salk and a lime wedge, simple, elegant, easy, the sauce served with the chicken karage was a bit too complex also too many sweet dipping sauce, I think simple kewpie mayo is more than perfect, no need for 3 different dipping sauces.

Next the pork don bowl. Again I was a little bit disappointed, the portion were nices yes but flavor wise, it was lacking alot. The pork itself was a bit dry and flavorless when mixed together, the rice that was served with the bowl was a bit much, I mean half the dish was rice, and with it was served with diced carrots and green onions. The dish either needed more flavor with the pork to balance out the rice, or more with the dish than just carrots and green onions, but either way less rice.

Lastly the jalapeno poppers, not much to say on these other than they were jalapeno poppers, I guess the sauce they put on was kinda useless cause the cream cheese in them overpowered the flavor on the sauce on top of it.

One more thing with the appetizers, putting spinach underneath the appetizers was kinda useless and it looked kinda weird( completely subjective)

Service was amazing, atmosphere was a nerdy vibe if you are into it.

Tldr - ramen was great! Don and appetizers need a little work....

As I walked into the restaurant, I noticed it was moderately busy, but I didn't have to wait long to be seated. The timing between being seated, greeted by the server, taking my order, and receiving my food and drinks was very reasonable, which added to my initial positive impression.

The menu caught my attention immediately; it was easy to read, with pictures for each item. The variety of Ramen options surpassed those of other Ramen restaurants I've been to, which was a pleasant surprise.

As I made my way to the restroom, I couldn't help but notice that it wasn't necessarily clean, but it wasn't appalling either. However, the decor throughout the restaurant was fascinating and unique. Personally, I loved the vibe with all the anime pictures and action figures. However, considering my Christian standards, I wouldn't necessarily label this as a "family restaurant" due to some of the drawings and pictures, especially the cartoon drawing in the men's bathroom depicting a half-naked woman.

The Mocha Boba drink I ordered was tasty, albeit a bit different from what I've come to expect from other Boba drinks like those from Thirst-tea or Banh mi. Nevertheless, it was still enjoyable.

The Tempura Brussel sprouts exceeded my expectations; they were absolutely amazing. For my main course, I opted for the Garlic Tongkotsu Ramen, which while not the best I've ever had, was delicious nonetheless. My only minor gripe was that the meat wasn't cut up, which made it a bit difficult to eat without a cutting device initially served. However, it's not something that would deter me from returning, just something worth mentioning for improvement.

To my surprise, I was served a double deep-fried Oreo with a side of whipped cream. It seemed to be their "thing" here, and needless to say, it was also delicious.

In summary, my experience at this restaurant was unique, with delicious food that left a lasting impression. Despite some minor drawbacks like the cleanliness of the restroom and potentially controversial artwork, the overall dining experience was positive and memorable. It's definitely a place I would consider revisiting for its distinctive ambiance and...