Had dinner here last week and have mostly positive things to say.
I'll start with the good, the agedashi tofu was probably the best I've had. The tofu itself had a good crust, softened in the excellent tentsuyu broth that was warm and balanced yet robust, like a hug and a punch had a baby. It's not a hard dish to make, but it's not easy to nail it as solidly as Kuidaore did.
Skewers were delicious, not a lot to say about them, grilled meats on a stick, but there wasn't a thing wrong with them.
The ramen is where things went a bit sideways. I had the basic tonkotsu, as I usually do the first time I visit a place that serves ramen, to establish a baseline. The broth was a touch heavier-handed on garlic than I expected, not enough to 'ruin' it but enough that I thought 'hm, garlic' every time I sipped some. More importantly, the broth wasn't hot enough; I can't tell if it sat in the kitchen a while before coming to me or if they just serve it that way, but it was a bummer I regret not mentioning to the staff. The chashu and egg were spot on, very good, but the noodles were a bit soft and leaden (which makes me think it probably did sit in the kitchen a few minutes too long).
Also, they didn't have any croquettes (korokke), which was a Wednesday-dinner disappointment, as both me and my companion were really excited to see them on the menu. Was there a Wednesday-lunch croquette rush? Do they just not make them in case no one orders them? Put it on the Specials when you have them if that's the case, not on the menu. Theirs is mostly yam and cheese, it'll keep for a day or two until you fry it, why not make plenty ahead, have them on hand?
I might also suggest they rotate the rags they use to clean the tables a little more often, we browsed the menu in a faint mildewy waft, which wasn't best. (this one happens at all kinds of restaurants; rags aren't expensive enough, or troublesome enough to wash, to warrant not having a ton of clean ones on hand)
Despite all this, I'll go back, especially for that agedashi tofu, but I'll ask if my first experience with their ramen was typical.
flandroid
I'll start with the good, the agedashi tofu was probably the best I've had. The tofu itself had a good crust, softened in the excellent tentsuyu broth that was warm and balanced yet robust, like a hug and a punch had a baby. It's not a hard dish to make, but it's not easy to nail it as solidly as Kuidaore did.
Skewers were delicious, not a lot to say about them, grilled meats on a stick, but there wasn't a thing wrong with them.
The ramen is where things went a bit sideways. I had the basic tonkotsu, as I usually do the first time I visit a place that serves ramen, to establish a baseline. The broth was a touch heavier-handed on garlic than I expected, not enough to 'ruin' it but enough that I thought 'hm, garlic' every time I sipped some. More importantly, the broth wasn't hot enough; I can't tell if it sat in the kitchen a while before coming to me or if they just serve it that way, but it was a bummer I regret not mentioning to the staff. The chashu and egg were spot on, very good, but the noodles were a bit soft and leaden (which makes me think it probably did sit in the kitchen a few minutes too long).
Also, they didn't have any croquettes (korokke), which was a Wednesday-dinner disappointment, as both me and my companion were really excited to see them on the menu. Was there a Wednesday-lunch croquette rush? Do they just not make them in case no one orders them? Put it on the Specials when you have them if that's the case, not on the menu. Theirs is mostly yam and cheese, it'll keep for a day or two until you fry it, why not make plenty ahead, have them on hand?
I might also suggest they rotate the rags they use to clean the tables a little more often, we browsed the menu in a faint mildewy waft, which wasn't best. (this one happens at all kinds of restaurants; rags aren't expensive enough, or troublesome enough to wash, to warrant not having a ton of clean ones on hand)
Despite all this, I'll go back, especially for that agedashi tofu, but I'll ask if my first experience with their ramen was typical.