Hikaru Ramen — Restaurant in Vinings

Overpriced, not worth it in flavor or value.

I really wanted to like this place and went out of my way to support small business, especially ones that opened during pandemic. I usually just cook at home. I'm a ramen fan since my days in California and Atlanta hasn't caught up in flavors yet. Even in CA where everything costs more, you pay on average $13 a bowl. I paid $14-15 here and they couldn't get my order right and portions are smaller.

First I ordered calamari, i was so disappointed they look and taste like onion rings. This is a clear sign it was likely purchased frozen and fried due to processed nature. I have no issue with restaurant doing this however they should price it accordingly. I would maybe pay $3 or $4 but not $8. Takoyaki tasted good but the actual octopus pieces were super dry.

I ordered the black tonkotsu ramen. I didn't get that delicious black kuro garlic oil that would make it black. So I got regular ramen with tonkotsu. Portion is a lot smaller. For $14 I expect either Bigger portion or better flavors. The meat and noodles I'd give 4.5 stars but the broth was lacking in flavor. I can make better broth. I do like the noodles, they are perfectly chewy.

I suggest to gain more business to lower the price point. I'd probably pay $7-8 for that small bowl and give them 4 or 5 stars and not complain. But again for something that high in price consumers expect better flavors, correct orders and bigger portions. I hope they do well as I know it's difficult during this time and they will if they take consumer feedback into...

Finally, Atlanta has a good Ramen restaurant. I had a traditional shoyu ramen, which is best way to gage the quality of ramen shops, and my companions had non-traditional curry ramen. We also ordered takoyaki.

The best indicator of good ramen is the quality of soup. It has to be hot enough to where you can see the steam coming out. Then the flavor. Both passed the test easily. Soup had rich flavors, hot, and didn't taste watered down. Then the noodles. They can't be overcooked and not sticking to each other. They serve thicker noodle, and had a chewy texture. Another pass. Then the ingredients. Shoyu bowl doesn't come with an egg by default. This was a disappointment. I had to add to the order for extra charge. Good thing was that egg was not served cold. Some places do, and that's a big no no for me. So aside from having to pay extra for it, another pass.

Takoyaki came out hot and fast. Nothing special, but they were good.

The only negative is that they don't have a black pepper on the tables. You have to ask for it.

Menu list is minimal, and this is exactly how it should be. Don't try and serve every popular Japanese dish. Focus on a few and make them good.

One other negative is the price. For 3 ramen, 2 takoyaki, and 2 soft drinks, total bill was $76. You will never pay this much in Japan.

But I'm sure I will be back to try...

I was passing through and decided to stop by on my way home. I walked in right after another couple, so I didn't receive the warm greeting they did. I sat at a table and waited for the waiter to come with a menu so I could order. I ended up getting a seaweed salad and a spicy tonkatsu ramen with bok choy, menma and an extra seasoned egg. The seaweed salad was good, nothing fancy. The ramen wasn't bad, but it wasn't spicy, which I was hoping for, and the broth didn't have the same complexity of developed flavors as some other broths I've tried around the metro. Also, I didn't know there would be a lot of raw onion in there and would have preferred less in my bowl. When I had a spoonful, the raw onion overpowered the broth and all I could taste was onion for a few bites on my palette. The chashu, I found it to be a bit difficult to eat, as I was expecting it to be a bit softer to chew. Now that seasoned egg cooked perfectly, but to cut it with the chopsticks wasn't practical. If it came already cut in half, I would have appreciated that element more. I loved the menma, and found it to be a great addition in my bowl. This element added the complexity to my bowl that I was sorely missing from the broth not being spicy and the presentation. All in all, a decent bowl of ramen, but not tasty enough where I would go...