Dashi Ramen — Restaurant in San Juan

I just want to say I've never meet a more passive aggressive owner in my life.

When we got to the place, it was beautifully decorated and they seated us very quickly, considering we're a party of 4. Waitress was very nice and our drinks came quickly.

Now for the bad part. First, they messed up one of our orders and gave a dish with Bonito Flakes to a friend with a seafood allergy. They thankfully did take it and fired up a new plate. We were like "no problem" because we understand mistakes can be made. Then, we started eating we quickly noticed the food was just honestly not good. The chicken was dry, salty, and smothered in a sauce that tasted akin to cough medicine.

The rice that accompanied it was in contrast, bland (I had no clue it was even possible to make stir fried rice that bland...), and you know what, we were even willing to not post a bad review or make a big fuss because restaurants can have off days, or a menu can have a weak item.

However, then came the waitress and when we voiced our concerns we recieved a snide comment "Oh you guys just aren't used to REAL authentic Japanese cuisine" Afterrwards, whom I presume is the owner, comes up to our table and just casually says "oh can I help with anything" and we were like "????, we just didn't like the food" and he also goes on that we just have to adjust our taste buds and that we are not used to real Japanese cuisine.

My guy, this is an Asian fusion restaurant. This food you're serving me is the furthest away from authentic. They're not putting Char siu (according to the owner the sauce was Char Siu, but then the waitress claimed it was Tonkotsu sauce), a Cantonese style sauce on their Chicken Katsu in Japan. Oh and I could taste you used the wrong type of breadcrumbs for your Katsu while we're on authenticity. If you want REAL authenticity, look at Kemuri or hell, even Peko Peko.

And honestly I really didn't care if it was authentic, but when you hide behind bad cooking with the guise of authenticity you disrespect the culture you're profiting from, and you push people away from trying new things. If people don't like your food, just accept it and move on. Don't get all "holier than thou" and try to poorly educate me on TRUE authenticity when that's not even the issue.

Nothing like paying full price for a terrible, overpriced meal. I saw that on another review you blamed the Jones act for your prices (because again, you cant take criticism) which is something MANY of us Puerto Ricans struggle with, but many other places still try to keep things reasonably priced. Also come on... normal rice, with seasonings, chicken and one egg is not worth over $20

TLDR: Ambiance and waitress were nice-ish, food was bad, owners attitude was worse and he tried mansplaining Japanese cuisine to me. Will never come again but I honestly doubt you're too heartbroken about that since you truly don't care about the...

So we went to Dashi Ramen today and it was very nice! The ambinace was spectacular, we felt like we were in the States not in PR. The place is cool and refreshing with awesome service, the staff is magnificent! We ordered the mixed goyza (fried pork and vegtable dumplings) and the Tiradito( a vegetable plate consisting of cucumbers, peppers, cherry tomatoes and scallions in ponzu sauce with sesame seeds) as appetizers. We also had the Tonkatsu ramen and the Yakisoba as main plates, as well as their ginger lemonde and then a ginger lemonade with vodka. The appetizers were magnificent, both were full flavored and well prepared, but the Tiradito was simply spectacular. The combination of flavors from the fresh vegetables and the ponzu sauce was magnificent. The dumplings were also very good, both were well seasoned and perfectly cooked, and the flavor profile was superb. For the main dishes we found the Yakisoba to be a cut above the rest, the balance of flavors paired with the freshness of the vegtables, shrimp and ultra fresh noodles and savory sauce was to die for. The tonkatsu was a bit dissapointing... the noodles were perfect both in texture and freshness, as was the pork and the egg. The only problem was that the broth was underseasoned and lacked creaminess (fat) so it could not quite bring the plate together. As for the drinks thier ginger lemonade is by far the best lemonade I have ever had in PR and the Vodka version should be patented and considered a national treasure. Overall this restaurant is a cut above the rest and definitely...

🟢Overall, great ramen. Slightly different than traditional but still tasty and delicious. Fresh ingredients and filling portions.

⚫️Ginger Lemonade -Great combination -Can taste both the lemons and ginger -Mix before drinking -Not too sweet or sour ⭐️Must order

⚫️Kimchi -Different than traditional -Hint of citrus -Medium spice ⭐️Must order

⚫️Edamame -Classic

⚫️Mix Gyoza - Veggies and Pork -Soy Sauce -Pan fried -Could be softer -Good filling -Vegetable gyoza is more crispy -Prefer veggie

❗️ Noodles different than traditional ❗️ Noodles are al dente

⚫️ Veggie Ramen -Sub: tofu -Great flavor with criollo touch -A good amount of veggies ⭐️Must Order

⚫️ Tonkotsu Ramen -Add: bok choy -Broth lacks a bit of flavor -But it’s still tasty

⚫️ Kids Ramen -A lot of chicken -High quality chicken -Very soft and tender

⚫️Kids Ramen -Sub: tonkotsu broth -Sub: Chasu pork -Chasu pork has good flavor

⚫️Kids Ramen -Sub: tofu -Tofu is the right texture

⚫️Service -Good initiative - brought ice without being asked -Kept us informed on our order -Took some time for the food to arrive

⚫️ Water -Small cup -Room temperature water with no...