Yokai Ramen — Restaurant in Westford

Updated March 21, 2015- I ordered the Miso Ramen noodle dish with pork for my wife, but when I got the dish, there was no pork in it! My wife was pissed!!

This Ramen noodle restaurant just opened so we gave it a try yesterday for dinner. Here are my comments about our dining experience;

PRO's: Friendly and accommodating staff Clean environment My wife and I thought the Gyoza appetizer was very good and our Miso Ramen entrees were excellent. Very tasty with fresh ingredients. Glad to see so many customers supporting a new restaurant

CON's: Very tiny dining area that only has table space for about 18-20 customers. It was standing room only for a number of customers waiting by the entrance door for a table, which probably made the diners at the tables right next to them uncomfortable to have people lingering right over them as they are trying to enjoy their meal and converse with others at their table. They need to hire more staff. Only one server to handle all the tables! He was "Charlie Hustle" with a smile on his face all the time and never complained. There is a young female employee behind the counter who screams out in a high pitched voice when an order is ready. My wife and I found it to be very annoying. The crab croquettes were not very good and would recommend they remove them from the menu The "milk crate" chairs at the counter were very uncomfortable to sit in for an entire meal Limited menu with not many options for entrees

Overall, we thought our dinner was very good and would definitely return during off-peak hours to avoid the crowd. They just opened and are probably getting the kinks worked out. The opportunity areas for improvement that I mentioned are minor and can easily be addressed. With so many dining patrons, they should move their restaurant to the recently vacated Mac & Choose restaurant space a few doors down at the end of the strip mall where there is more space for diners. We would definitely recommend this Ramen noodle...

I decided to visit Yokai based on positive reviews and their advertising. Located in a convenient strip mall right off the highway, the location offers ample parking, making it easy to access.

Upon arrival, the experience was a bit confusing. While the staff was friendly, there wasn’t clear guidance on whether to wait to be seated or seat ourselves. We ended up retrieving our own menus from another table. The service was somewhat slow, and it wasn’t clear whether the restaurant follows a fast-casual or full-service model. The small space is well-utilized, but some areas appeared to be reserved for the staff’s own operations.

I opted for the unagi don over the ramen, as I don’t eat pork. The menu description for the ramen could use some clarification—it states “chicken AND pork broth,” but it would be clearer if it said “chicken OR pork broth.” This small adjustment would have influenced my decision to try the ramen instead.

Several items on the menu were unavailable during my visit, including the crab croquette and chili paste, so I wasn’t able to sample them. Additionally, we didn’t receive the cream soda we ordered, but the staff promptly removed it from our bill. For our meal, we had water, unagi don, and chicken karaage. While the unagi was served warm and the karaage batter was a bit too thick, the meal was still satisfactory, though not exceptional. We ended up grabbing a bite elsewhere afterward.

Overall, the experience was just OK. While there are areas for improvement, I’m hopeful that with a few adjustments, the experience can become more consistent in the future. I will continue to support local businesses and look forward to giving them...

This restaurant exceeded my expectations and is definitely among the best I've had in MA. We were there during their soft open so that meant some of their items sold out before we could try but I think that's a testament to how well their start was.

Environment has great vibes, easy parking, lots of comfortable seating, and has a fun and thoughtful design. Be mindful that the restaurant closes at 3 and reopens at 4! Staff at the front desk were welcoming and let us choose our preferred seating. Loved that Japanese pop music was playing.

The ramen was so robust and flavorful. The menu says pork and chicken broth but you actually choose one. I went with the pork-shoyu ramen and my partner went with the pork-shio and we were both thoroughly impressed with how tasty, full-bodied, and aromatic the dishes were. We learned that the broth was all homemade, with the full, painstaking 8hr boiling process that an authentic ramen bowl requires. The chashu pork was melt-in-your-mouth tender and torched for extra aromatics. The egg was nice and marinated with a soft, jeweled yolk, and the noodles were perfectly firm for a nice bite. We both cleaned our bowls to the last drop. In addition to our ramen, we got edamame and the chicken karaage. Both were perfectly seasoned. The karaage had a perfectly crispy batter and a tender juicy inside.

Things I would suggest are clearer signage about whether to wait at the door or the counter for seating and that there is a 1hr closing time at 3 (does say on Google) Aside from those small things, this place outcompetes some places we have closer to home and we truly can't wait...