Okiboru - Sandy Springs — Restaurant in Sandy Springs

I pretty much exclusively eat at Jinya just down the street but was excited to try tsukemen for the first time after hearing about it from Trash Taste (the name does not imply anything).

When we walked in we made note of how small the restaurant was which was nice but then we quickly realized how LOUD it was as well. The small space made the talking from other guests very loud and was also coupled with the fact that they were all trying to talk over each other. It was very unpleasant for my wife who has anxiety and is susceptible to sensory overload. During our visit she kept wanting to eat faster so that we could leave asap. Something to note for those with anxiety as this could be a deal breaker. Jinya is similarly loud but with the restaurant being larger it's not so bad plus Jinya has outside seating.

While checking in I noticed that guests are pretty much were required to join the waitlist via Yelp, our table was ready as soon as we got there because we joined ahead of time but the people that came in after us were told to join the list through Yelp. Thought it was a bit weird that they couldn't manually add them but it may because this restaurant is still relatively new and ironing things out. I keep this in mind for my review of the restaurant.

I'm not sure how busy this place gets usually, we went on a Saturday around 2pm and as previously mentioned our table was ready as soon as we got there, when we joined there was only 1 group ahead on the list.

After being seated the staff brought me and my wife glasses of water and I found it a bit strange that these drinks did not have ice in them at all. We were not too worried about it though and chose not to ask. However, my wife wanted to order some sweet tea but they didn't have that on the menu. Also a bit strange since every other restaurant in the south carries sweet tea but it wasn't too big a deal and she got coke instead. Maybe Okiboru is just built different when it comes to drinks?

Admittedly I came here for tsukemen but ended up ordering the tonkotsu because I just HAD to compare it to Jinya's Tonkotsu Black which is my favorite. The broth/noodles were significantly lighter and did not make me feel like exploding after finishing the bowl. The flavor was still really nice though and I very much appreciated the larger slices of chashu as compared to Jinya. I ended up ordering more thin noodles which is a first for me since Jinya has been completely stuffing me with just 1 bowl. The extra noodles came quickly and were nice and steaming hot to help warm up the broth that may have cooled down.

My wife was also excited for the tsukemen but we found out after looking at the menu that it was a chicken and fish broth used for all the tsukemen. My wife has a seafood allergy so she ended up ordering the Tori Paitan ramen instead (she usually gets Jinya Chicken Ramen). Her experience was very similar to mine with the exception that her chicken pieces were very tiny/thin which is much different than Jinya's thicker pieces of chicken.

Pros: Very light ramen so it's easier on the tummy Very nice flavor broth (pork and chicken in our case) Pork chashu is of substantial size Excellent service from the staff Not very busy (compared to Jinya)

Cons: No sweet tea No default ice (though you can probably just ask for ice) Small, thin pieces of chicken Must join wait list through Yelp to get a table Very loud

In summary, we'll definitely dine here again but we'll probably come earlier to hopefully avoid the loudness. If you enjoy a lighter ramen with a less packed environment I will definitely recommend this restaurant. I still rate Jinya much higher since they have many items that this restaurant does not offer (that crispy chicken is unbeatable) and will still be our preferred ramen restaurant. Okiboru is still new though so there's plenty of...

The reviews and the Michelin star rating are why I decided to come give it a try. Parking is in the back in a garage, and it's free! When walking in, the place was smaller than I was expecting. With the limited seating available, I knew I would quickly receive my meal and leave relatively quickly. Everything about this place is virtual, from scanning to your name to the list to the menu. There was a qr code for nearly everything, but if you wanted a physical menu, they would oblige. I ordered quite a few things to try since it took over 1 hour to get here! I ordered the shoyu brussels, chashu wrap, spicy pickled cabbage, spicy tonkotsu with garlic, and some sake. When I first scanned my name, a gentleman came a short while later and then said I could choose where I sat since there was more than 1 table available. Once I sat, I had to leave my phone out to scan the qr code and view the menu. A lady came and asked me if I was ready to order, which I wasn't then asked if it was my first time. I said yes first time then said she would give me time to review the menu. When a different lady came to take my order, I told her what I wanted, and then I waiter for the food.

The first item to come out was the chashu wrap. I thought it was good, but it was a bit messy because of the liquid escaping the tiny wraps. A tasty bite leading up to the ramen. The next item I received was the brussels. I had a few bites, and it was crispy, but as it was still hot, I could get the full flavor. I ended up eating this later and got the robust flavor of the sauce along with the crunch of the brussel sprouts. Shortly after receiving the brussel sprouts, the ramen and spicy pickled cabbage came. I took a few bites of the cabbage and ate the rest later. That flavor plus the crispness of the cabbage was out of this world! What blew my mind was when you first eat it, it's not spicy but you feel the heat but the more you ate, the spicier it got and when I did finish it my tongue was on fire. Excellent dish, and I would definitely drive over 1 hour just for that! When I first tried the ramen broth, it was good but then the more I ate it along with the few items in the bowl, I felt it was missing something to cut the creaminess and fat of that broth. With the added garlic, it definitely enhanced that flavor, but I feel that without that garlic present, I may not have enjoyed that broth as much. The noodles were some of the best I've had, and when eaten together with everything in the bowl, made for a delectable bite. All around, a good meal. I liked that I was in and out, and I could tell it was done efficiently. If I were with more people, I would have preferred more time between receiving dishes and not all at once. My suggestion to the staff is if someone is new, you can always say if you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask or even mention your favorites. I noticed with a table next to me, a waiter did this. Service should be consistent across the board with all patrons...

There is no need to go to any other place for ramen in Atlanta. This is it. This is legit. This is the real deal. I've probably been to at least 100 different ramen shops. Most in Tokyo. This is the first to emulate the true modern Japanese style. Jinya and Umaido does to an extent, but Okiboru isn't even in the same league. There is no one that can touch them right now! (I've been to every ramen shop in Atlanta and most are downright horrible and offensive). If you are a true ramen head, then this is where you want to be. I ordered the whole menu with 2 friends (except for the vegetarian ramen and the 3 vegetarian pickled vegetable dishes) and nothing was bad! Naoki, thanks so much for the experience! They do a double soup here and it's masterfully blended. Gyokai broths sometimes have the tendency to be a little too fishy, especially for western tastes. However, theirs is a perfect blend where neither the fish, pork, or chicken isn't too strong or over powers the other flavors. Their Yuzu tsukemen reminds me of Afuri in Japan. Their Buta Paitan tsukemen reminds me of either Michi in Tokyo or Fishtons in Osaka. Their Tonkotsu reminds me of a lighter version of Yoshimaru in Kyoto. My top 3 in order was the Truffle ramen, the Yuzu Chintan Tsukemen, and the Buta Paitan tsukemen. It wasn't easy to put them in order and I'm sure you will love anything you order there. I hope they can keep up this quality of service and product for years to come! If you put a gun to my head and asked for one criticism, I would have to say work on the menma. I like mine crunchier and am a big fan of the long strands of hosaki menma. I also think the egg good be cooked for maybe 20 seconds longer. I like them runny, but they should be at the point where they start to thicken and congeal slightly, just to give them a little more body. Of course these are my personal preferences and not in some sort of ramen rule book, lol. Despite that, they in no way take away from the experience! If you are still sitting here reading this then you are doing yourself a disservice by not jumping in your car and heading on over. Naoki, if you are reading this please consider...