C L.
Yelp
Skip this place. If you're looking for a tasty hot noodle type soup you're better off frequenting one of the Vietnamese places in town for some Pho. There are just so many things wrong with the ramen here where does one begin?
The broth. Much of a tasty bowl of ramen depends on the broth. This, by definition on the menu has to use some "ramen flavoring" apparently. The broth is murky, warm-hot, and really just tastes bad. They tout a pork chicken blend. Ick. Traditional ramen houses make their stock on premise, fresh. If this place is from scratch, they need to change their recipe.
Noodles: they are so hard to describe...slimy? Gummy? Bland? Are all adjectives that come to mind. Again, traditional ramen houses make their own and they're delicious.
Meat: I got the Hokkaido ramen which is supposed to have "charsiu" in it-also known as "Barb-b-que pork" in Chinese. If you've seen it or had it, you know that it is characteristically red and a bit sweet. It can hang from a window it is so lean. This was not what was in my ramen. In my ramen was a very poor attempt at Chinese roasted pork, completely different flavor, texture, fatty etc--almost like a deep fried product purchased from big restaurant supply food provider already frozen. Perhaps that explained the oil slick on my bowl.
But the cherry on top was the horrific egg. I usually like egg. Imagine this, an egg only boiled a few minutes so it's yolk is still runny. Then, they throw it in the freezer overnight. The next day, month or year, they cut it in half and drop it into your once hot soup...just so it can thaw out in your bowl. Most tasteless disgusting egg. It was ice cold in the middle!
Eat it with your chop sticks. But don't dare put your chopsticks down --because there are no holders. So, you must put your chopsticks on your bowl or onto a table top covered in who knows what. And should you drop your chopstick while sitting at the bar...don't bother picking it up because their seats are the most impossible to get in and out of and incredibly UNcomfortable.
All this for $27 tab at the end because I got some lukewarm tea with it, but we won't mention that. Service was lukewarm too.
Worst dining experience I've had in Missoula --and I eat out a couple times per week. I would have given it a one star if it weren't for their attempt at a trendy underground rock decor that really lends itself better to a late night bar.