Eva M.
Yelp
Ramen Nori is the new-ish Eastside cousin of Sushi Nori in Eastlake/Seattle. This location is in a strip mall area with plenty of parking, though not always in front. The restaurant seems to be authentic adjacent. The sushi staff are Mexican (not complaining, just stating the facts). The waitstaff is Chinese. Some folks are picky about such things, so fyi for those who cares. In general, the ingredients are legit; the preparations of one category could be different. The waitstaff is friendly, taking our orders and refilling our water. The interior is clean, bright, with that modern cleanliness Japanese vibe.
The Food:
Black Sesame (with Squid Ink) Ramen, $17 - 4 Stars
A photo of this ramen is what lured me here. Both hubby and I ordered one. The broth seems to have a slightly sweet savory profile that I wasn't expecting (savory dominant, hints of sweet). Not complaining, it tasted good. The noodles have a pretty good chew, though we have had better noodles elsewhere in terms of freshness. (Side note: They have a pesto ramen also. That was too "adjacent" for this first visit.)
Temaki (hand rolls) - 3.5 Stars
These are big and well stuffed - good - but also made them rather difficult and messy to eat with pieces of fish falling off. My biggest complaint about them is that they aren't fully "dressed", which made them bland without adding soy sauce. Trying to lightly drizzle soy sauce using the normal soy sauce bottle is a challenge. They are visually please, so I am disappointed that they are not a homerun. I didn't hate them, but I didn't love the execution. Minus 0.5 stars. I probably won't order these again unless they change how they present these.
My ask: Dress (i.e. season) the seafood please! The traditional cone shaped hand rolls are fully dressed.
Crabmeat & Avocado, $7 - The krab has sodium since it is a processed seafood. In this case, it helped the temaki.
Salmon & Avocado, $6
Toro & Pickled Radish, $17 (from the premium section)
Creamy Scallops & Tobiko, $7
Seared Salmon, $8, Otoro, $17, nigiri - 4 Stars
Both nigiri sets have good cuts of fish with the rice.
Salmon Avocado Roll, $9 - 4 Stars
Good seafood to rice ratio in this roll yielding a satisfying bite with each piece.
Side note: They are offering a free soft drink when you write a review. See photo.