OBON Sushi Bar Ramen — Restaurant in Tucson

I’d describe it as more of an interesting experience than a bad one! My review is based solely on my personal taste and that of my friends, so it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give it a try. First, we are 100% Asian, born and raised, so we may be a bit particular when it comes to Asian food. We’ll go through each dish we tried today — it’s a bit long, but it might serve as a helpful reference if you're considering it.

Omurice: Plain taste and small portion, not exciting but acceptable. (5/10)

Tonkotsu Ramen: Good portion size, not too salty like other ramen spots in Tucson. I wasn’t a fan of the noodles, but overall it was okay. (7/10)

Salmon & Asparagus Roll: Unfortunately, this dish was not to our liking. While we finished it to avoid wasting food, the combination of ingredients didn’t seem to work well together in a sushi roll. Just because a dish contains a lot of Asian ingredients doesn’t automatically make it a good representation of Asian cuisine — it needs to be balanced and cohesive. (2/10)

Matcha Pancakes: A heads-up that this dish didn’t resemble the pictures seen on social media. It’s essentially American pancakes with matcha flavor and whipped cream on top. I was expecting something more like fluffy Japanese pancakes. Overall, it was just American-style pancakes, which was a bit disappointing. (3/10)

We tried a few drinks: Bloody Mary: Too many ingredients made for an unpleasant flavor. It even came with a whole piece of meat on top for decoration. Thankfully, our server was kind enough to exchange it for another drink. As for the Sesame Latte and Strawberry Matcha, they were a bit plain but acceptable.

As for service, the wait time between dishes was an issue. My friend waited so long for their rolls that I had finished my ramen and omurice by the time they arrived. We don’t blame our server—she was amazing, very patient, very demure✨ We truly appreciate her efforts, and we believe this wasn’t her fault. However, it would’ve been better if the dishes had come out closer together, so we could enjoy our meals at the same time.

Just a note: our review today only reflects the specific dishes we tried and not the entire menu. However, if you're asking whether we would return, unfortunately, we would say no. There are other options at a more reasonable price that align better with our preference for authentic...

I’d like to start this off by this was almost a 1 star review. I was visiting friends that moved back to town. We walked down 4th Ave and then Walked into downtown area to grab sushi. It’s a Wednesday around 430p, and yes during Covid. We entered and spoke with the host we wanted to sit outside in the patio. There was maybe one group there and every other table available. He told us they were full due to reservations outside and we could sit inside. We were baffled and semi discussed this in front of him, thinking he would just seat us, which was not the case,and decided not to stay as my friend was embarrassed. As I leave reviews I like to give restaurants a chance to fix their errors. I called and spoke to the manager, Audra, and explained the situation. She said she could easily seat us, and would speak with the host. I told her we would discuss as a group and if we made it then great. We did end up returning as there are no other sushi places and glad we did.

Drink wise we got the Chiltepen cobbler, OBON margarita. Pictured below. The drinks were great! Also ordered a black tea old fashioned not pictured. Because of the ordeal the manager suggested some appetizers. OBON edamame was delicious, and the sauce it’s in new to me and different. Definitely recommend the Yuzu Yellowtail, super fresh fish and a great sauce.

Then we got buns , spam and pork belly, I’m not the biggest spam fan but the sauce and Kimchi was delicious. Pork belly was my favorite nice chunk good sauce, and bun itself was a good consistency.

Sushi rolls we ordered were Hafu, Shiro Maki, and Monster.

Hafu was best out of the 3 rolls, but both Hafu and Shiro have basically a salsa drizzle on it that makes it a unique flavor profile.

All in all I look forward to returning here and glad I spoke up and the restaurant was given the opportunity to...

This place is AMAZING. First of all before we even get to food, let's talk allergies and food safety. I called to make sure the sushi was seperated from the rest of the order for my gf and they called BACK to tell me there were other things made with fish products including some pork things that were not good for me. They were polite, thorough, respectful, and I really appreciate them taking the time to make sure that I would be able to enjoy my meal safely. Seriously, thank you so much for that! It's tough to eat when you're afraid of having bad reactions and you all made it an amazing evening.

Thank you for making my engagement night so special!

The food-

Tataki Maki roll- My gf LOVED it. Seriously she said it was spectacular and fresh.

Steamed pork buns- Another hit with the gf. I nibbled a bite myself I won't lie and it was the most succulent pork belly I have ever taste. Definitely delicious.

Pork dumplings- FLAVORFUL and addictive. Nice, crispy crunch and a sauce that was to die for. Definitely my favorite dumpling in Tucson now.

Korean Twice Fried Chicken Plate- SPICY and amazing. Those classic Korean flavors really came through and we definitely devoured it along with the rice and pickles which were also very good. One of my favorite dishes.

Tonkatsu Ramen- THE NOODLES. They were so thick and delicious that I couldn't stop eating. I couldn't thave the pork belly, but I'm sure it would have been tasty. The pork shoulder was tender, but a tad too salty for me personally. That's my ONLY negative.

Overall a spectacular meal, great customer service, and a wonderful evening. Thank you and your chef is...