Dosunco RAMEN — Restaurant in Tampa

Upon entry we were greeted by a very friendly server who immediately sat us after pointing at at a table that still had dishes on it and said that they just needed to clean it up real quick. The whole restaurant seemed a little bit understaffed as far as service, but it's also a pretty small room. There were three tables full of dirty dishes when we walked in, which isn't to be unexpected in a situation like that, but does kind of leave a weird presentation. Once we were seated we were given no direction on how to get started, which was really weird being from out of town and all. Eventually we looked at this very tiny little card that just had a little face on it and turned it around and low and behold there was the QR code. But the server didn't tell us that and there was no signage anywhere indicating that that was what we were supposed to do. When the server came back over they asked us if we had found the menu okay, which of course at that point we had. 😆 We ordered the gyoza and the karaage to start and were underwhelmed by both. The gyoza was cold around the edges as if they had heated up just enough or maybe sat on the counter in the back for a little bit too long for the edges to get cold. And the chicken appetizer was just subpar at best. Not really any flavor in the chicken or in the sauce. Though it sort of bridged the gap if you use the sauce from the gyozo with the chicken. 🤙 The soba tasted and felt like maruchan you made at home and left sitting on the counter for about an hour. It was by no means awful, but not exactly what we were expecting in a dish like that. And the spicy miso had a pretty decent flavor, though a little neutralized. The spice was the equivalent of a shin red ramen that you would buy at the grocery store. Not too hot, but had a tiny bit of kick. The pork belly wasn't horrible, but again was just sort of medium in my opinion. The green onion was cut into these huge chunks instead of being finally cut and spread over the top. The ground beef inside the ramen was actually quite tasty and there could have stood to be more in the dish. Other than that, again, pretty underwhelming. The table next to us had apparently ordered the hottest ramen that they have and they were exclaiming how their mouth went numb. That's not my bag, but if it's yours maybe you should give that a try! We had a fine time and after driving as long as we did today, we were just fulfilling our tradition for our first dinner in a new town being a ramen shop (if applicable). To be honest, this one wasn't even the first on my list, but it was a lot closer than the one that I wanted to try initially. And again, after I drive as long as we had it made more sense to just take the convenient route and hope for the best. This wasn't the best but it definitely wasn't the...

Got suggested this place from a few new friends. I don't know too many places here but I did enjoy my meal, and surprisingly affordable!

I ordered a drink, ramen, gyoza, and dessert and it was much less than I thought! It was way more reasonable than other places. The Tea was good, as well as the gyoza. The way they grilled it came out really nice!

The service was very quick, I barely had to wait any time for my meal to come out. The waiter also made sure I was taken care off. I'm a very thristy drinker of water, and it's rare that I would get a refill before I even finish my first glass of water!

Unexpectedly, the mug for the Tea was very entertaining. Did not expect that at all! It's a small touch, but that was a touch that made me really enjoy my tea!

The ramen was good. I can't complain there, I do wish it had a bit more to it, but I like it nonetheless. I had the Donsunco Ramen, without the spice. I didn't care for the spice, it's not to my personal taste. For the most part, the egg was cooked well, set soft boil, and the meat was also a mouth watering piece. Noodles done well too!

I finished it all and had some flan as dessert. There was no part of the meal I didn't enjoy. it was a good meal and I took in every bit of it. If I had to say, this is the first time a place had every dish check out as good!

All in all, it's a place I would recommend who like Ramen. There didn't seem to be too many options on the menu, but what they did have, they passed...

Don't come here. I'm serious. Because then it'll be too crowded and I'll have to deal with a longer wait.

:)

The restaurant is very small. And it's typically VERY packed. We got there for a late dinner, and were lucky enough to be seated before they closed. If you're not good at waiting, have no fear--they will still serve you sake as you wait!

Our group ordered some gyoza to start, and I ordered the Spicy Dosunco Ramen with extra pork for my entree. What I love about this restaurant is that you can see everything they are preparing. Since we were sitting at the bar, we were able to get up close and personal with the staff--and the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. They're all very precise and swift in their movements, moving around each other like a well-oiled machine. It's like they all have eyes in the back of their heads!

By the time our ramen was placed in front of us, my napkin was soaked from catching all of the drool from my mouth. Who knew something based off of soy beans could smell SO GOOD?!

I devoured my entire bowl. The soy bean broth had a nice kick to it--not a sudden heat, but one that builds over time. All of the elements worked so well together! If you're a big protein person, shoot for the extra pork (do you even lift bro?).

Overall, I can say Japanese Kitchen Dosunco is now one of my all time favorite places to eat in Tampa. Don't miss out on this hidden gem! Or do. More...