YATAI Ramen + Yakitori — Restaurant in Savannah

It’s a nice place to visit if you’re an enthusiastic fan of anime. The walls are decorated with nice murals of anime characters, as well as anime playing on multiple hanging TVs. I also liked the design aesthetic capturing the look of food stalls in Japan.

However, the food was not all that pleasant. We started with karaage—Japanese style fried chicken pieces. Karaage’s signature feature is that its breading is satisfyingly crispy. This wasn’t crispy at all. Everything was chewy. It tasted okay, but this was definitely not karaage. I would compare it to a chicken tender that was cut into smaller pieces.

Next was the shrimp tempura. I enjoyed it, but I can’t help but feel as if it was pre-packaged frozen stuff. It reminds me of the shrimp tempura that’s included in some of the bento found in convenience stores in Japan. Not worth the price.

I can’t complain about the takoyaki. While it wasn’t freshly prepared, it certainly had all the familiar takoyaki ingredients and flavor. When it’s made to order, it’s so hot that steam flows out once you take a bite. This takoyaki was lukewarm, however. That’s okay though. I still got to watch the katsuobushi (bonito flakes) dancing on top.

Last item was the vegetable miso ramen. I wish I could say that I enjoyed it, but I didn’t. Miso has such a distinct flavor, but I could barely taste it in the broth. The vegetables did not have a nice flavor or texture. The noodles were nearly identical to what’s contained in instant ramen packages. I couldn’t finish it because it just wasn’t good.

Again, it’s a nice place to check out if you’re an anime fan. But if you’re remotely familiar with good authentic Japanese cuisine, then I wouldn’t...

So I am reviewing off one visit. I came here because trusted locals said this was the best ramen shop and I have been looking for good Ramen since I moved back to the States from Japan.

Quickly I appreciate they try to create the outdoor feel of a noodle shop or cart.

The service this day was lacking, where people were nice, they seem extremely distracted and unsure of whom would actually take my order. I like the Japanese no interaction approach but you feel like an island to yourself with little on how to get refills unless you go back to the front and can wave someone down.

The food is the double edged sword. They offer broth types and additives that NO ONE ELSE DOES but same time where flavors are in point, the Broth is still very watery. (Especially the Miso) Broth should be almost a meal in itself. I tried the Shoyu as Soy base was my go.to in Atsugi. The soft boiled eggs were fully boiled and cut in two so they were fully cooked. The egg itself was so water-logged that the whites disintegrated as I tried to eat them. The Pork was over cooked to the point it stopped being seared pork belly and became Jerky Bacon.

Lot of technical issues that just pulled me from what is important.... The food. Anime shows and cute decorations are great but the star should be the ramen first. Granted 97% of the patrons have never been or never will go to Japan and do not know the difference, but as much as this place was hyped up. It's still very over priced for the level of food I got

That all being said I did have fun and will maybe go back when money is good, but for now I will continue the search for that Ramen dish that...

i had the tonkotsu ramen with pork chashu. it comes with all the usual toppings by default (bok choy, spring onion, soft boiled egg, fish cake, nori). i wish they’d given me a whole egg instead of half but it was still well worth the price and so perfectly done! i’ve had ramen in japan and this one was a great option for anyone looking for a just-right ramen that isn’t trying to be some fusion monstrosity. the ramen was a hit, and the cashier/server named hawk was very helpful and seemed genuinely happy to be there. great environment, great location that we walked to from our hotel in the historic district. i would give them 5 stars but i tried the “chicken karaage” and “yakitori” and neither met my expectations. karaage is dark chicken (thigh) meat marinated in ginger, garlic, sake and soy then tossed in corn or potato starch and fried twice. it should have a crispy but light exterior and tender, flavorful interior. this one was dry, breaded with panko, overcooked, crunchy, and flavorless. i asked if they had japanese mayo (kewpie) (because that’s what you eat karaage with) and i was told “i don’t know” dismissively while the server walked away lol (this was not hawk but some other server). yakitori should be dark chicken meat grilled over an open flame and brushed with sauce as it’s cooking. this one was dry, white meat chicken that seemed to be grilled on a griddle and had sauce drizzled over it after plating. anyway, have the ramen here! and a big shout...