Lee L.
Yelp
Really excellent tonkotsu ramen. Confusing billing policy (more on this later).
We came here as a group of 8 on a Sunday morning, just after opening. Since there were two elderly guests in our group we were a little concerned about having a long wait, but by getting there early we were seated right away. There was only one person working the dining area at that time, and didn't receive any water for a while after seating and our glasses were never refilled during our meal. They automatically assume that everyone is going to use their phones to look at the menu, because we had to go up to the counter to look for paper menus. Note to staff: for a variety of reasons, some people need the old-school menus so it would be nice to at least offer them when seating guests.
It took several minutes for the server to come to take our orders, but we didn't really mind since we were catching up. We placed our orders and went back to our conversation.
Our impressions of the meal were:
Tonkotsu ramen - I absolutely loved this, perhaps my new favorite in the area. The broth was rich and almost buttery but not too salty, which seems to be a failing of a lot of ramen. The chashu was thick and tender, and the egg was cooked perfectly with a soft, creamy yolk texture. You have the option of either their house thick noodles or the traditional thin; we call went with the thick and it was a good choice. Absolutely no complaints about this. If you want black garlic oil that's going to cost you extra.
Vegan ramen - miso broth with tofu and vegetables. I didn't try this myself but got the report from farther down the table that it was very well flavored and liked.
Salmon poke bowl - unlike a dedicated poke restaurant, you don't have the opportunity to customize this dish. I personally don't like the kale - would prefer other greens - and the quinoa was something I haven't experienced before. Overall a good dish nonetheless.
Pork buns - this was a bit of a disappointment. Folded steamed bao buns with pork and pickled onions. There was waaaaaay too much hoisin sauce and the pork-to-bun ratio was low. The pickled onions were okay but didn't provide enough of a fresh crunch that would have maybe offset the heaviness of the sauce.
Now about the billing policy: when we were seated, we were told right away that there was a service charge automatically added so we didn't need to add a tip. We assumed this was because we were a larger group, but in fact on the menu it states that it will be added to the bill, with no specification for group size. However, it says that this service charge is NOT a tip or gratuity - but at over 16%, it would be deceptive to add that and then expect a further gratuity. That is, if the menu says that something costs $15, the added service charge makes it $17.50. Why not just increase prices to where they need to be, and then dispense with this fee?
When it came time to pay the bill, I tapped my card and was given a receipt, with no line for an added tip. So basically, despite what the menu says, the 16.3695% service charge is the gratuity. This was confusing but in the end it was ultimately fair (in my opinion). I suppose some people would take exception to being automatically compelled to give a tip, as one could arguably say that it creates a disincentive to provide good customer service because you're going to get paid regardless of your performance, but after having previously worked as a poorly-paid restaurant worker I'm fine with this. [end editorial]
Good ramen. Definitely going back for the tonkotsu.
