TAKUMI RAMEN — Restaurant in Orlando

EDIT- this review was for "The Ramen" which closed and was replaced by Takumi Ramen.

Ramen is like Barbecue, there are many styles and within each, there are differences, and everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Here's my opinion on The Ramen. This is no "best of" post.

I went in after seeing some bad reviews on Yelp but I also heard great things from a friend who got there before me and has visited Japan a few times. His opinion was that it wasn't fancy, but more traditional and pretty consistent with the bowls he had in Japan.

I had the Shoyu, as as it comes, with no modifications or extra toppings.

The soup: Really good clarity, it didn't have any cloudiness at all. It was light in body but really rich in flavor without being over-salted. I've eaten a lot of ramen, this was the first bowl I wanted to finish in its entirety, and I did.

Noodles: I personally like my ramen on the al dente, borderline chewy side. The noodles came out perfectly for me (I'm a fan of Sun Noodles and these reminded me a lot of them). They weren't soft or soggy, and they weren't undercooked. You're supposed to slurp the noodles in order to pull a little air in and all that jazz. At most places around Orlando (and even Momofuku Vegas this week) I've never ever been able to get a proper slurp because the noodles are either "stuck" together or tangled and they don't separate. This bowl had the perfect slipperiness that allowed for a slurp without ending up getting half the bowl in your mouth or having to bite them off. The soup and flavor stuck to them pretty well!

Fat: I didn't miss it, but I feel like there could have been some more oil or fat infused in the bowl. I don't recall any added aroma oil or infused fat.

Toppings: I usually avoid menma, I'm just not a fan of the bamboo shoots. This batch, however, was really flavorful and fit the soup well, so I ate it all. The scallions and naruto (fish cake) were pretty standard. The egg was 50/50. My preference would be for maybe 30 to 45 seconds less cook time on the egg, and either a stronger/longer marinade, or the bruleed method. But it did have some seasoning and wasn't raw or fully hard boiled, so it went with the bowl without being a disappointment. The chashu was super tender. It had a little surface char either from a torch or griddle which was nice. It had a typical flavor and was a nice addition to the bowl. The best part was unlike other places in town (and Momofuku) you didn't have to tear super hard and get pork stuck in your teeth in order to take a bite. I left the nori sitting on the side of the bowl where it could stay out of my way.

At the table they bring you Sriracha, chopped white onion, house fried garlic (soft and in an oil base), and a house seasoning of black pepper, white pepper, and garlic powder. I tried a dash of each individually in a spoonful of broth and found they each add a great complementary flavor to the shoyu. So halfway through eating the bowl I added a bit of each.

The portion size was a bit smaller than what you'll find at other ramen places in Orlando but honestly it is plenty of food a s unlike when I eat at my favorites around town, I'm writing this 3 hours later and still feel great, not heavy or bloated at all. I get how people on ramen tours can eat 3 to 4 bowls a day if you don't feel miserable after.

I really hope enough people have a great experience here so that they not only stay open but expand hours to the weekend so I can...

First time at this place. I Found out about it because I have jury duty and It happened across the street during my lunch time. I am going to this place a 5 star being generous because of the service.

Service: super nice lady who is very attentive but she is by herself managing the entire dining room and the go orders. But they need help especially if they want to manage rush hour or a full dining room. 5/5

Food: I ordered the black garlic ramen and chicken karagee. Overall the ramen was decent. The broth was tasty but not thick or potent enough like it supposed to be for a black garlic ramen soup. The noodles were perfect firm and cooked. Love the tasty char Siu and seasoned egg. I was a bit disappointed of the chicken karagee. It looked amazing but the crunchiness was not there and it was missing seasoning. They did add a side of powdered seasoning for dipping but it is not the same. The prices for these ramen dishes are a bit over priced but we are downtown Orlando. So I am not surprised. 4/5

Atmosphere: it is a cute corner fast food style dining ramen place. Not much bigger than Ramen Takagi located in winter park. But this is a new remodel place with an open kitchen. I think they use the layout very well to maximize space and seating. 4.5/5.

I might come back here to try their tonkutsu if I am in...

Me and my husband were Next door having pedicures as we are about to embark On a cruise . Afterwards, we decided to try this place for the first time. When we walked in there was an Asian lady sitting at One of the tables and ignored. (Again, our first time there). We asked her how to order and she pointed out the kiosk to do so. We ordered wings, ramen and some egg rolls and have a generous tip. We went to the table and I forgot I didn’t order drinks so I went back to the kiosk to do so. They have a cooler out front so we front with all of their drinks in it, so my husband got one out and we attempted to scan it for the price. The lady who I referred to earlier started accusing us of trying to steal and threatening to call the cops. Now, remind you, I’ve already spent 48.00on Ramen. Then she assaulted my husband because they got in a verbal altercation, saying she was the owner. I spoke to the nearby businesses, and they said this happened regularly and that she has mental Issues and she’s not the owner. Beware of this place. It’s probably the reason that no one else was there...