Soul ramen & Noodle Bar — Restaurant in Saint George

Have eaten here a few times for the ramen. It's just so-so-. Twice I have had misunderstandings with my order. This could be on me and not the staff for not communicating well. I try to order add on's with my ramen as just the regular ramen is pretty sparce. (that's a separate issue but I know what is included when I order) I have ordered extra "chashu" and twice I have been brought chashu buns. Waiter only hears chashu and both times instantly mistake that I want the "chashu buns" instead of the extra chashu/meat for the ramen. BTW, the buns are interesting but not my cup of tea. The chashu isn't the tastiest, melt in your mouth type but a braised chewy thin slice. Only comes with 2 small slices. If you notice the gallery photos on their website, the first row of photos is accurate with the exception of only 2 slices of braised pork and not 3. The second row of photos shows a nice bowl of ramen with 4 slices of rolled, slow cooked, melt in your mouth pork belly and 2 egg halves. Not what you get. Also I have asked for kikurage　きくらげ-wood ear mushrooms-add on. Waiter only hears "raage" and instantly thinks I want the deep fried chicken-karaage から揚げ. The karaage that I inadvertently received wasn't very good. I had a hard time finding any chicken in it as it was mostly breading (good karaage has hardly any breading) and small pieces like from the bottom of a frozen bag of nuggets. Asked for メンマ-bamboo add on and it comes in a side dish and not in the ramen so it could be warmed up in the soup before it's served. No big deal to throw it in myself though. Ramen broth was just ok. I had the tonkotsu. The soft boiled marinated egg was the highlight of the ramen. Too bad it was only a half egg and not 2 halves though. Might try again and be sure to clarify my order better, but the extra cost of the add on's start to make a cheap bowl of noodles the price of a...

I visited the Soul Ramen & Noodle Bar last night with my wife and two young teenage kids; and it was our first time dining here. We had Miso Ramen, Spicy Beef Ramer, Black Garlic Veggi Miso Ramen, and the Fried Goyza. We would have tried the tea, but at $10 a cup, it was a little pricey. We enjoyed the Miso Ramen and the Spicy Beef Ramen, but didn't enjoy the Black Garlic Veggi Miso Ramen. I thought that each of the ramens could have used something a little extra, to not feel quite so plain, but the flavor was good. The Fried Goyza was OK, but it didn't stand out as being any better than frozen dumplings/potstickers that you can purchase from any grocery store chain. The service was not great. They may have been short-staffed or something, but it took a very long time for a waiter to come and take our order, and they never checked on us at all after we received our food. Our water cups were empty for an extended period of time, and it was only after we received the bill that they offered a refill. The atmosphere was fine, but nothing out of the ordinary. Their large TV in the corner had a blue screen displaying, that said "waiting for programming" for the entire visit, while the other screen was playing an anime show of some type. Overall, food was pretty good, the service was not-great, and the atmosphere was okay. I'll likely be back to try some of their different food options, but hopefully the service will be a bit better next time.

Update: I revisited this restaurant a day later, and the service was much better and more attentive! However, on this second visit, I ordered my food, and then they came out a few minutes later and told me that they were out of that food. So I ordered a different meal, and a few minutes later they came out again and said that they were out of that item as well. So, the food that I got was...

Truly wanted to like this place. Fun youthful atmosphere, good customer service, prices you'd likewise expect from any decent ramen spot in Nevada or California. Problem is, it's not like any decent ramen spot from those states, nor anywhere else.

If you've ever bought lackluster refrigerated or frozen ramen packets from a Japanese or multicultural Asian market, well... an experience on par is what you get here. Boring broth with almost nothing in it. Meats are just okay at best. Noodles that were probably frozen, thawed and cooked; they don't seem fresh, but the prices are close (by Utah standards) to places that serve fresher ones.

Their fried foods are fried well, so the chef knows how to use a fryer. Still, the food is just borderline. You could easily make better at home, and you will if you go to Vegas, visit an Asian shop, and just buy probably the same stuff these guys are buying. I don't mean pricey either, I mean just hit the fridge and freezer aisles and take some stuff home. Maybe you'll spend less on gas than you would on their overpriced food!

I wish I had sesame seeds, Japanese seven spice, white pepper, and other things to make the ramen even somewhat serviceable. As it was, I couldn't finish eating it. Just watered-down and dull. A waste of money.

Anyone else experience the phenomenon about restaraunts in St. George getting crazy good reviews when their food is bland as cardboard, and places with flavorful food getting bashed? For years and years, this has been my experience here, and it makes finding good places to eat surprisingly difficult. I'm never surprised when I see new yet boring eateries shutting their doors after a year or two, though. The revolving door of mediocrity keeps turning...

Chalk this one up to another case of: "I have no idea what everyone else sees in it, and I'd never...