Ampersand Asian Supper Club — Restaurant in Westerville

I was so excited to try this spot and left so utterly disappointed :( For anyone who lives on the north side of town and loves ramen, you know that the best spot is Fukuryu Ramen in Bridge Park (You could argue for Asuka but you would be wrong). So when I saw that Ampersand was coming to Westerville I was stoked to have a ramen place on the North East side of town.

The experience started out well enough... Friday night, great atmosphere, music setting a nice ambience.

The first strike was the drinks, a vodka soda served without a garnish? Even the worst dive bars will give you a slice of lemon...but at an upscale "supper club" I would've expected a lemon peel twist.

The best thing I had was the pork buns, which was the best app I've had in months! So good and absolutely a must for anyone who comes here.

The Tonkotsu broth lacked the richness that I was expecting and the bowl it was served in was small and deep and the result was a lack of toppings for the size of the bowl. I ate the majority of the ramen with just the noodles and broth, which would be ok if the broth was up to par.

However the most disappointing experience of the night was the service. I was never asked if I would like another drink. In the middle of placing my dinner order the server left with a brief excuse and returned five minutes later. After we placed our order our server didn't return, and another person checked on us to see if our meal was good, which felt weird. No water refills... No asking if we would like another drink. And we weren't in a hurry we sat talking and the whole meal took an hour an half. Eventually we flagged down the gentleman at the bar to get our check. We got it and put a card out, but after a few minutes of no service we switched our card out for cash and left.

Normally after that experience with the elevated price tag, I wouldn't return. However, I've read other reviews of people with much better experiences. I will come back and revise this review...

Before I walked in, I must say, I had very high expectations. For the most part, they did not disappoint! First, the service and atmosphere are spot on. It feels very clean and modern, almost like you're walking into a modern Japanese establishment. The service was comfortably friendly. Patient and willing to listen to me talk about ramen and ask questions. I always appreciate that!

The ramen was excellent. Perhaps the best I've had since moving to Columbus about a year ago! The broth was killer. The shoyu egg was a creamy umami bomb (should've ordered an extra), and their hot oil was surprisingly delicious. The ramen noodles were great, but not the best I've had. I like my ramen noodles to have a little chew and toothsomeness. These qualities were present, just not as much as I would've liked.

So now I have to talk about the one and only shortfall that's caused the review to be a 4 star and not a 5. Towards the end of my bowl, I had a bite of something (I think a fried vegetable of some sort) that was reminiscient of old and dirty fryer oil. Anybody who's ever deep fried enough food will know this flavor. I suspect something at the bottom of a food container sat there and soaked up too much oil. It's a minor thing, but absolutely a shame when everything else was perfect.

I hope to be back to give them another chance and to regain the last star. But until then, better...

First let me say the women’s bathroom is very clean. Next, the steamed buns are delectable!!! My friends enjoyed the crab ragoon. I had the Shio Ramen minus the octopus and opted for their fried chicken instead. Let me tell you it was on point! Nothing we had in our party of 8 was a disappointment and I’ve been back now 4 times (it’s those darn tasty steam buns). My only gripe is it’s either too loud or they aren’t listening. Two out of the four times I’ve been there they have gotten the bill wrong. They have an option for a 2 or 3 serving steam buns. My first time there I ordered the 2 to try it and I liked it so much I said I wanted to add the extra steam bun to make the order 3. She brought me 3 more and looked at me like what did I want her to do. But that’s okay, it’s a misunderstanding but I didn’t like taking the extra home or paying for it but chalk it up to it’s a moment that is forgive able. The 2nd time our son was to pay for his and we were to pay for ours. We just said he would take care of the tip and they ended up using his credit card for all of our bills. In a nutshell don’t complicate or ask for accommodations and you...