Alkaline

Good vibes and good service. I've heard great things about the food but it was alright. Could be a consistency thing like others have said. The sticky wings had a great crunch but the sauce didn't add much of anything to it. Slight garlic flavor to it but didn't get much else. The BBQ Pork belly was my favorite for the night. Fatty and with a crisp edge to it. Enjoyed every bite with the scallions on top. Biggest disappointment was the ramen. I wish I could say I loved or hated the taste but it didn't taste like much of anything. No spice to it at all. Couldn't taste the coconut broth either. At least the chicken was juicy but I hope it would be sitting in broth after it's been sous vide'd Not pictured is the lumpia. Standard lumpia that is serviceable but not worth getting in my opinion. Not

There are a lot of Pho and Ramen joints around. Alkaline is different. Namely the meat in the soups are prepared with a care and process quickly noticeable as next level good. The portions of meat were surprisingly better than average. Also, the texture of the chicken and beef could not have been better and was coupled with a perfectly cooked soft boiled egg. An orchestra of ingredients were carefully prepared and assembled in a deep broth worthy of commentary. I knew Alkaline was going to be good, but I was surprised at how good. Vibe and feel was Norfolk cool.

Went here one time and it was amazing followed up with a second visit and the egg was under cooked not soft boiled the white was runny as well... The food was just lacking flavor from the first time not sure if it was an off day or what but just tasted way off

I've been to Alkaline three times now --- the first time was for a meet and greet I scheduled for a group that I run. I met some great people for a brainstorming session and forgot to leave a good word...but Alkaline is a great restaurant with a really cool atmosphere that is especially appealing if you are into anime and/or manga. There is artwork that reminds me of some of the more traditional Japanese restaurants that I've been to, but also things from Fullmetal Alchemist, among other things. To add, the staff is friendly and gave some good info when we asked a couple of questions about the food we were curious about. The ramen was very tasty, and the bowls are rather large (or so I feel). I got the Tonkotsu Ramen and my partner got the Smokehouse Ramen. We tried each other's dishes and liked everything, but what I REALLY wanna talk about is the "Miso Butter Cake"...I have not encountered such a cake at the restaurants I've been to before. If someone was serving it, I was not aware...but the Miso Butter Cake at Alkaline is seriously one of THE best cakes I have EVER had. I STRONGLY recommend it, especially with the scoop of ice cream. The cake is warm and melts in the mouth, but it's also buttery and creamy, and the pecans and the flaky crust of the cake (near the back of the cake) --- all of those things go so well together, in my opinion. It was deceptively filling as well, but it could be because me and my partner already had shared an appetizer and had our own large bowls of ramen, prior to tackling the cake. So, sharing the cake was perfect for us. If you try nothing else, definitely try the Miso Butter Cake!

This is by far the worst tonkatsu ramen I have ever had in my life. This should not even be called ramen , this should be called noodles and water with a side of flavorless, battered mystery meat, and some sort of weird, pickled garlic, topped with a poached egg?! I have no idea why so many people stand outside and wait for this food. Because they could literally cook noodles and water at home. This is an insult to Japanese culture and tradition. The 3x tonkatsu ramen literally only had the garlic toppings, one piece of battered deep fried pork, a poached egg, and shredded pickled garlic. There is no garnish, no green onions, and nothing tonkatsu or ramen about this dish. The instant tonkatsu ramen in my cabinet blows this place out of the park. The only good thing about this place is the sweet girl who helped me with my order by the name of Caroline. I highly do not recommend this place to anyone. Not even my dog wanted a bite of my food, and he eats anything he can get his paws on. Hard pass, save your money do not engage, you have been warned.

Wow! So good! We are here first time. The staff is wonderful, very friendly. The food is great! Wonderful ramen menu. Great beer and sake menu. Nice indoor space. Would definitely recommend it.

It was a great atmosphere with tone setting decor. The foods presentation was nice and the food was delicious. We tried the Mango Cream Soda, Melon Cream Soda, Lumpia, Sticky Wings, Kimchi Ramen and the Brisket Ramen, everything was great. The staff was very pleasant and attentive. We will definitely return.

I had the Triple Garlic Tonkatsu Ramen and a side of Fried Rice. As someone who has lived in Japan for three years and meticulously documented food experiences globally, I found this meal extremely disappointing. Regrettably, this was the worst ramen I have ever encountered. Core Problems: * Ramen Broth: The broth was noticeably tasteless. Despite its thick, creamy texture, it lacked any discernible flavor, tasting like over-concentrated water rather than a rich stock. * Off-Flavors: The fried rice, the eggs, and the pickled ginger all shared a strong, unpleasant chemical flavor. The rice was also excessively crunchy, and the ginger was nothing like the spiced Japanese variety. * Condiment Error: A request for chili oil was met with an unexpected mix of oil, vinegar, and fried garlic, which was not suitable for the dish. Highlights & Scope: The Tonkatsu was the sole positive, being thoroughly cooked and juicy. Note that the fried pork belly is extremely rich and best ordered in small amounts. My critique is limited to the Triple Garlic Tonkatsu ramen and fried rice. I know from other local spots that menus items can vary and that sometimes the flavor changes depending on the day, but these core items were a complete miss due to fundamental flavor issues. I can't say much for the atmosphere seeing that I went during the day right after opening.

Food was great, service was not. Only reason I'm giving four stars instead of five. I got a whiskey highball that was disappointing. The food was super good. Don't recommend stopping by if you're in a rush, but it's good for when you have a lot of time to sit down for dinner.

We have been to ramen and Asian fusion places all over the US and in other countries. Living in the DMV we are surrounded by them. I do not understand the hype at Alkaline. The waitress was great! She was one of the best parts of the experience. The Brussels Sprouts appetizer was the other. They were full of flavor. Definitely order these. The wantons- meh The ramen ... ummmm where was the flavor?? The broth is supposed to be the best part. We have never had to add fish sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, salt or anything else to a delicious bowl of ramen or pho. This was the first time we have ever asked for soy sauce in an effort to add some taste to the soup. Even the pork on the garlic ramen had 0 flavor. It tasted like pork battered in non seasoned panko crumbs. We were dipping it in soy sauce and using the left over sauce from the Brussels Sprouts in an effort to give it some taste. What's with the egg? My son hates the eggs so I told him I would eat his. It was barely cooked. When he tried to pick it up it opened and gushed everywhere. That was a first. All of the eggs were like that. We had 4 bowls of ramen. I'm not even sure if we ate 1/2 of the bowls. The only reason we forced ourselves to eat it was because we had a 3 hour drive home. Our bill was just under $100 and not worth it at all. This was a huge disappointment. Maybe we went on an off day. Out of all the places we ate at, on our short trip, this was the only place all of us said we'd never go back to. 2 stars for the Brussels and the waitress. After reading reviews it seems I am not alone in my assessment. One reviewer said this is a Filipino owned establishment. How do they not know what Patis is?? When I asked the other waitress she said she didn't know what that was. Patis is a staple in Filipino cuisine.

This place has amazing food! I ordered the beef noodle and chicken wings and they were great! They had a DJ and they were playing mahjong! Even though they were busy the service was great! I will absolutely be returning !!!

This is my second visit. I was not impressed by the flavor during my first visit, so decided to give it another try because the reviews here rave about the ramen. It was the same experience. The ramen lacks flavor, which was very surprising to me due to the reviews, and there are not condiments readily available. The ramen was very bland. The egg is also very runny (not a jammy egg like most ramen spots). The atmosphere is such a nice atmosphere, it's a chill place. We tried 3 different ramens and they all really lacked flavor. The service is good, we sat at the bar first times. There are not a lot of ramen options on the menu.

I got the duck ramen that was on a separate menu. It was really good. At one point I must have eaten ALL the spice that was in the dish. Probably should have mixed it up a little. At lunch in a Saturday it wasn't very busy. We were sat right away. The food came out quick and hot. The Asian wings were pretty good also.

My cousin and I decided to dine in at Alkaline on Saturday night since we heard nothing but great things about their food. We arrived around 7pm and were seated right away. The restaurant was a bit smaller than expected but the dim lighting and the great music definitely created a vibe that we really enjoyed. Unfortunately, it took quite a while for our server to greet us, but it gave us time to thoroughly look over the menu. Once our server finally arrived, we ordered everything at once and decided on the Fried Brussels Sprouts, Asian Sticky Wings and the Lumpia for apps. I then ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen while my cousin chose the Spicy Red Curry Ramen. The appetizers were served pretty quickly and we had to try the Asian Sticky Wings first, since they're all the rave. I liked them but I've had better. They could've added a bit more flavor to the sauce but the crunchy texture was perfect. The Fried Brussels Sprouts were pretty good and were cooked very well! The Lumpia was amazing though!!! They tasted very homemade and were packed with flavor. The Tonkotsu Ramen was good but it would've been better if I spiced it up a bit. My cousin enjoyed her Spicy Red Curry Ramen. She mentioned it being pretty spicy but wasn't unbearable. Before we left, we tried the Miso Butter Cake which included chocolate chips, miso caramel and candied pecans. The miso caramel gave the cake a sweet & salty taste which balanced everything out so well! It was delicious! Overall, I would definitely return again. The cocktails were amazing and the food was pretty decent, I just hope the service is a bit better next time.

Visited here with some friends and will definitely be back. I got the tonkotsu and it was the perfect bowl. The broth was flavorful and piping hot, the noodles were cooked so they still had some texture and bite, the shredded pork was amazing and the egg was the best jammy consistency. The playlist was popping in the background and the staff was accommodating to our group. Very reasonably priced as well.

Spicy as advertised. Chicken was juicy and paired well with the spicy red curry ramen

Went in the other night on a double date night for the first time. They had been quite busy and were clearly a little short staffed but that did not interfere with our experience at all. We did have a little on the longer side wait to be seated, but you could see that everyone was busting their ass to do their jobs. The bar was pretty full, otherwise we would have waited there. Once we were seated we ordered drinks and apps, and despite the amount of people they came out in a pretty timely manner. We ordered the wontons, green bean salad, Brussels sprouts, and pork belly. Everything was amazing and I could have ordered 4 more orders of wontons. For our meals we had fried rice and ramen. Everything I tasted was exceptional. We thought that since we had been told they were slammed that it may have affected the meal, but it was all delicious, and fresh. Our waitress was on her first day back from an injury (we pried), and did amazing! Right back into the groove and made sure we didn't go without anything we needed. She was fun, joked around with us, and made the entire night better. We hope we gave her a little fun in return. Overall, we'll be heading back there again soon to try more of the menu!

I've been coming here for years now but this is the first time I've left a review. We came in about a hour before they closed and were quickly seated. The inside is such a vibe - neon lights, cool artwork, anime playing in the front, it's just a really cool place. For the food, we ordered the fried Brussels sprouts, 3X Garlic tonkotsu, and the big smokehouse ramen. Brussels sprouts were really good - perfectly crispy and flavourful. The 3x garlic tonkotsu is probably my favourite ramen of all time. You get a cripsy pork cutlet on top with a creamy broth with tons of flavour. The noodles were cooked perfectly. We missed out on the miso butter cake but if you're there, def get it!!!

So been here several times and I have to say the service is always on point. Servers are nice and very attentive. The ramen is good. Not my all time favorite but definitely worth a try. The place can be a little noisy when it's full but you can generally still hold a conversation. I have no doubt that we will be back.

Nothing like my on a rainy day. We came in for a late lunch so it wasn't crowded. We were seated quickly & our server was attentive. We got the lumpia to start and they were yummy. I got the beef noodle soup Md ales for extra chili oil to make it spicier. The beef noodle soup was tasty, full of flavor. My fiancé got the curry ramen. His was really spicy! I'll definitely get that next time. A great spot for ramen!!

Delicious food and great environment. Unfortunately it is a bit pricey but they give you a huge bowl of ramen. We got the okonomiyaki tater tots, lumpia, and bowls of ramen. The tots were good but nothing too special, but i also have a high bar to pass for okonomiyaki. The lumpia was delicious but they just gave us two cut in half. I got the Kimchi Ramen which was loaded with meat and ingredients! Very delicious. Service was great as well, quick and they kept checking on us for water

Great service, great atmosphere, great food. Worth a visit! I really enjoyed everything that I ordered.

It's been a while since I've had alkaline and I was happy with my lunch experience. Came with a friend for lunch. I had the triple garlic katsu and it did not disappoint. We also had the lumpia as part of a special meal. The service was excellent honestly

Always such a great spot for Ramen and Asian fusion dishes! Service is quick and they always check up on you. The restaurant has cute lights and ambient lighting which made for a great dining experience.

The red curry ramen was very flavorful and wasn't salty. The warning on the menu with 3 peppers was right though because it was it was pretty spicy. If you are a spice fiend, I highly recommend this to you. The brussel sprouts were really good, but I don't know why it was only given on half of the plate. It was quite a bummer with that. They share a parking lot with other restaurants and stores.

Had the beef ramen with pork belly, and it was so good. Sat at the bar and service was great and bartender was very nice and friendly

I'm sorry, but this ramen joint ain't it. Alkaline is a Filipino-owned ramen place that seems to have a loyal following. We were curious about their menu, so we decided to give them a try for dinner. We ordered: +the Tonkotsu - a pork broth with shredded pork and scallions; the broth was okay, and not as thick and creamy as we thought it would be; the shredded pork, while marinated, was EXTREMELY salty, as if someone unloaded a pound of it in it, either accidentally or on purpose +the Kimchi Ramen - a kimchi broth that usually comes with shredded pork and scallions; the broth had a weird off-putting sour/vinegary aftertaste, and, no, not from the kimchi - not sure if it's the 'seasoning' or the 'spices' that were used? The kimchi, while fermented, could have been fermented longer, especially if you were using it to make a broth for it (think of jjigaes); I had requested to substitute the shredded pork for the pork belly, but there was never any mention of an upcharge, as it doesn't state that when you're ordering online - what's that all about? The noodles, while cooked al dente, had a mildew/old dishrag taste, meaning someone wasn't cleaning their tools properly, or they were wiping them with an old rag that hadn't been washed in a while. Super gross. In addition, the kimchi ramen was missing the egg - I thought it would be a nitimago egg, but it was a cold, slimy, watery poached egg that was not at all seasoned. Super weird. I'm not sure if it was even worth mentioning that the egg was missing, because it did not do anything to the ramen. Just be sure to check your items for any missing ingredients. Our server was Alisha R. - she was nice, but it took a while for her to come to our table, place our orders, and we just didn't see her throughout our dining experience (like, at all) until we had to flag her down to get the check. She never mentioned anything about the specials (such as the garlic katsu ramen), and we only found out about it on our own from an obscure little paper that was pushed off to the side on our table that looked like a drink menu. Nor, did she mention the upcharge on protein substitutions (this was also not mentioned anywhere on the menu/online ordering). There's basic service, but this was just way below it. We had trouble getting anyone's attention for missing items (the egg), refills, and the check. I don't think we've ever strained our necks so hard to catch someone at an eatery. The place seemed busy - I wished we had the same delicious experience that others have had. We regretted coming here. No dice, Alkaline. +old dishrag-tasting noodles +off-putting tasting broths +missing ingredients - check your orders +non-existent service +plenty of parking in the shared plaza lot

Definitely enjoy coming here one because it is walking distance from me but also because it has an amazing environment/ambiance. If you are in the mood for a good vibe with darker style bar/seating with anime playing this is the place! It is a great date night location but also just good for sitting there and takeout. I love that they have a happy hour and give 15% off during that time for the ramens. I enjoy their shoyu ramen and love the portion size. I will say that my friend who got the beef ramen did not enjoy it as much since it was too salty. Service here is also really nice and the amount of time you have to wait for ramen is not that long either. This is great ramen for a rainy or cold day if you want something warm in the Norfolk area. Definitely will be coming back in the future with friends whenever I am craving ramen close to me!

Alkaline has been a favorite of mine since their pop up days at Pendulum Meats I love the ambiance of their place from the color scheme to the neon signs. Toward the back near the bathrooms is a neon sign that says "mo money mo problems" in Tagalog and it's one of my favorites. So! Food-wise! My classics are the tater tots, tonkotsu (add pork belly, it's a must), and the miso butter cake. Their specials are awesome. Most notable menu items that I remember off the top of my head are the farmhouse ramen, the palabok shrimp toast, and the triple garlic ramen. I wish I could go back in time to experience trying it for the first time lol. The miso butter cake gives me the same feeling too. The music is always on point, staff is kind and courteous. It's a whole vibe really. I have to prepare my wallet anytime I'm there because I can't go without ordering a good drink, a few appetizers (sticky wings if I'm feeling like a baller), ramen of course, and dessert. Truly a Norfolk gem

I'll start off by saying that the service and atmosphere is great. The music and the vibe is really nice. I wish I could say the same about the food. The sticky wings was an appetizer there was no flavor. I can understand what they were trying to accomplish but they need push it further. There was no seasoning. The sauce was very bland and not sticky. The Beef noodle soup also had zero flavor. The broth tasted like it was store bought. This is the second time I have been to this establishment. I didn't like it the first time so I thought I would give it another try. I'm sorry that I did.

Absolutely love this place! Best ramen you can get in my opinion, I always get the beef ramen and my husband gets the tonkatsu ramen. Our servers name was Brittany and she was incredibly attentive, sweet, and friendly. The drinks are always really good here but are more on the pricier side however completely worth it, recommend the everything goes. Our favorite appetizer to get is always the green beans as well as the fried rice. The ambience is calm and pleasant.

I couldn't believe the place wasn't packed after seeing how good it was. I will be back! Brussels sprouts were amazing.

Nice clean location and great host at the front and bar I ordered the spicy beef and added bok choy. The food meal had the perfect amount of spice and a nice serving for the price. I ordered my meal to go. The order took about 10-15 minutes to receive.

Alkaline has been on my bucket list for YEARS, and I'm thrilled to finally check it off. First, the yuzu lager on draft was delicious. For our meals, husband ordered the beef noodle soup and I went with triple garlic katsu ramen. Both were full of flavor and richness. We swapped bowls a few times because they were equally delicious. We ordered the miso butter cake for dessert, which was excellent. The caramel sauce and candied pecans really set it off. Our server was very friendly, and the playlist was enjoyable. We'll be back!

The place has a great vibe, intimate and dim lighting with some cool decorations! Service was extremely friendly and food was good. You can even get a refill on noodles if you have extra broth left over at the end which was awesome!

Overall it was a great experience!! Food quality was surprisingly very good and I was happy to see that they served chu hais! I've been stationed in Japan the last three years and so far this is one of the best ramen spots I've been to in Norfolk. The chu hi was a bit watered down from what I'm used to but it was the nostalgic factor that made me content with it. Service was amazing, hopefully I'll get the same server the next time I'm there! Only giving four stars this time just purely on the prices. I was a bit confused on how my appetizer (Asian sticky wings) cost more than the ramen and just the surprise gratuity of having six people at dinner. I thought the standard for large groups at restaurants were eight people and above....I could be wrong but it was definitely a shock to see that 20% gratuity was already included in the cost. Regardless, a great meal experience and I can see myself coming back!

Went around 6pm on a Saturday evening. It was almost a full house with some customers waiting by the door. We ordered the wings appetizer which came out fairly quickly but it took a very long time for the ramen to come out. Also noticed that a lot of other customers were waiting a long time for their food. The wings and ramen tasted good. The music was loud and upbeat by the bar. The workers were all friendly however they could have stopped by more often for water refills.

I usually dine in and the service is great! There's usually one girl there in particular who always waits on us and she is the same one who took my order for my to go order. The dining room is always clean and I like that the wait staff seems to be comfortable working there. The Tonkatsu ramen is the one I go with 99 percent of the time but the triple garlic is also a really good broth. Tonight I went with the Tonkatsu and an order of house pickles on the side. The house pickles are amazing!!! I came from San Diego and this is the closest I can find to my favorite spot, I just wish they used more garlic!

This place is terrible. The ramen was gross It's not even authentic The Ramen tastes Instant ramen

Great service. Quick. The Asian wings were delicious. The ramen was very salty though. I haven't had ramen many times so I can't easily compare but it was definitely salty. The menu is slightly too small also. Not many options.

It was a rainy Friday night, and we couldn't imagine eating anything else but a delicious bowl of ramen. FOOD: They ran out of the tonkatsu ramen, so we ordered the shoyu ramen and asked to substitute the shredded beef for the braised pork belly. I've never in my life seen shredded beef in ramen, so I'm glad we could sub it for something better ($2 charge). They were also out of some cocktails, but I tried the "Everything Goes," which was pretty good. SERVICE: Pretty good service, although they should have told us what they were out of when we sat down :/ We didn't have to wait any time to be seated on a Friday night, which was pretty great. LOCATION: Spacious and clean spot! Many 4-top tables, so they are not too friendly for big groups. Will we return? Yeah, absolutely! It's a good ramen spot near our home :)

Since it's been years since my last visit, I decided to come back at their re-location. They're now located in a shared shopping center close to downtown Norfolk - right across from a grocery store and by other nearby restaurants. After ordering, the wait was not very long. My friend ordered the crispy brussel sprouts as an app and it was really good. It had a nice sweet and spicy glaze over it. For soup, we ordered the spicy red curry ramen. The flavor was very deep. It wasn't overly fragrant. And the soup was super creamy. The noodles had a very firm texture, though I do like mine a little more soft. The sousvide chicken was super tender and complimented the ramen so well. The only thing that was getting me was the heat. I had to drink water after each bite, lol. To be fair, the description said "very spicy". It went just a bit over my tolerance I guess. I also got the miso butter cake that I remember getting my first time around and it was just as good as I remembered. With the ice cream on top, it just balanced the saltiness of the miso. The cake itself was nice and moist.

I think I found my new favorite ramen place in Norfolk! This restaurant/bar is located in Ghent in the shopping center across from Aldi. The ambiance here is very modern with some cool artwork & neon lights. Great music selection. It was a very busy night for them the day I came so I waited for a few mins to be seated at the bar. There is maybe 10 seats at the bar. The dining area has more seats/tables. The drink I tried was the Love Letter, so delicious not too strong or sweet. They have a few signature cocktails & a nice selection of sake & beer. Now the ramen I ordered was the Spicy Beef one..this was probably the best beef ramen I've ever tried. The soup had so much flavor, the beef was so tender and juicy. Everything about it was perfect. I would definitely come back again just for that ramen. They do close Monday & Tuesday& open the rest of the week.

Embarrassed to say I haven't been to Alkaline since they got a new location, I've definitely been missing out! First thing our server was so nice and super helpful! We got the Tater Tot Okonomiyaki as our appetizer and each got a bowl of ramen. It happened to be a rainy day when we visited and the creamy Katsu was perfect! The veggie side also had an amazing flavor. I got 2 cocktails and they were both great & my husband enjoyed his beer. They have a full bar where I think you can sit at as well as tables. It's family friendly and a great place for a date night too!

The service is great and cleanliness is notable. But I can't give anything more than 2 stars for food - maybe it's an off day or maybe it's the first ramen order of the day (I was the first to be seated after they opened at 11am) that the cook forgot that he just had way too Much salt!!!! The broth and noodles are almost inedible. I just stopped eating and asked for it to be packaged to go - maybe I can add boiling water when I go home to water down the broth! So now am waiting on the miso butter cake (without ice cream, an option that's available to you for $2). It's just nippy outside, not in the mood for anything cold! After about 7 minutes, lo and behold - burnt walnuts (bitter!) garnishing an otherwise okay plate. The cake was burnt on the edges and at the bottom. Memories come rushing back and quickly reminded me why I never went back the first time I ate here 4 years ago! Sorry Dennis, I would have loved your recommendations... you didn't disappoint with the others!

Great ramen, great drinks, great service. The asian sticky wings are a must have for anyone coming here. The ambiance and lighting made the experience feel classy yet affordable.

I've been wanting to go to Alkaline for quite awhile. I always forget they aren't open on Sunday and Monday but I'm usually gone out of town by then. So I was really happy I finally got to go this past weekend. I ordered the spicy red curry ramen and tator tot okonomiyaki. Both were delicious and I was happy the noodles were nice and springy. The okonomiyaki didn't have traditional fixings or ingredients but still tasted savory and delicious. The service I've received was prompt and friendly. I hardly had to wait for anything including ordering, and checkout. I thought my server had good timing and promptness without making me feel rushed to clear the table. It's a fine balance between the two and it really is an art. I also liked how she didn't interrupt my conversation with my mom. All in all, the combination of service and food made it 5/5. I'm looking forward to visiting again in the future.

Cant say enough good things about this restaurant. Customer service is superb. It is extremely clean. I absolutely love the food.

My partner has been a huge supporter of this company, Alkaline since they were a pop up shop, since they were at a butcher. Today, I finally caved in and went... left with the biggest frown on my face and was incredibly disappointed. This place is watered down and has nothing going on for your flavor palette. Service, Ambiance: chill little place with decent seating, scenery and lighting. Service was good, just a quick spot. Asian Sticky Wings: crispy, good crunch to it but very bland... not much going on on the outside other than presentation, inside of the meat was very bland and just white, no sight of seasoning. Beef Noodle Soup: there was absolutely no depth in this noodle soup which is labeled as "spicy" on their menu -- no spice at all! No depth at all, this soup tasted nothing but salt and nothing else. Tonkotsu Ramen: it's hard to mess up tonkotsu ramen simply because of the process to get the actual broth however there was nothing spectacular about this dish. Overall service and ambience was cool. I would come back for that however, the food is very bland and I would never come back for the food.

Ambiance was great, everyone seems really welcoming and accommodating. And it's great place to have wine with really good price during happy hour. However, the food was not great. I have had better ramen and fried wing chickens somewhere else.

Before going to Alkaline, I had only tried Cup of Noodles or the kind of ramen you get in a packet. "How different could it be?" I thought. Well...it is really different, in the best way! I've tried the Kim Chi Ramen and the Tonkatsu Ramen, and both were absolutely delicious. The kim chi is not overpowering and adds just the right amount of flavor. The thing that sets Alkaline's Ramen apart from other restaurants (for me) is the shredded pork. I've been to other restaurants that use pork belly instead and while it was still good, it can be too fatty for my taste sometimes. On my most recent visit, I tried their sticky wings, and...wow. It had the perfect amount of crunch and the sauce was just sooo good. I'm typically not a bone-in wing person, but for these wings, I will be!

yummy food and great service, I will definitely be returning soon. my only critique is that the spicy items aren't actually spicy at all but that's easily fixed with chili oil.

I have great hopes for Alkaline. It was one of the ramen places everyone talked about in the area. Ambiance: The place was bright and very modern. It is clean, and you won't feel claustrophobic. Food: We ordered Tater Tot Okonomiyaki as our appetizer and Tonkatsu Ramen and Shoyu Ramen as our entree. The Tater Tot Okonomiyaki was the highlight of our meal. It tasted similar to a takoyaki without the octopus. It was our first time trying it, and we will try again next time. The broth for the Tonkatsu ramen and Shoyu Ramen were flavorful and delicious. The only thing I disliked was that they served it with shredded meat. It was my first time eating ramen with shredded meat. While I like variations, I was not too fond of the texture of the shredded meat on my Ramen, and I prefer the whole thing instead of the shredded ones. Service: Our servers were pleasant and friendly. They were able to accommodate my requests. I hope to try other things on their menu since, from what I've been told, they are an Asian Fusion restaurant. I am unsure if I am still getting the Ramen with shredded meat in the future, but we will still be back.

My first time EVER eating ramen that's not from my instant noodle stash back at home lol. I was super nervous to try only because I'm a shin ramen stan and anything other than that I hesitate with. Asian Sticky Wings: To start off my boyfriend and I shared these and they were AMAZING. The crispy breading was unmatched and offered the most amazing crunch. The flavor was also great and had an amazing kick to it, but not too much of a kick. You get 6 wings in each order so it was plenty between the two of us. Beef Noodle Soup: I decided to go with this one because it seemed to have simpler ingredients compared to the rest on the menu. On the menu it was listed as a spicy ramen but there was no hint of spice at all to me personally. The flavor was excellent and the noodles were perfectly al dente. However if you're not a big cilantro person I would definitely opt out of this one or ask for less to be added. I found it to be overpowering at times in this dish. Daiquiri: This drink packs a punch. The lime definitely is the star of the show in this cocktail. I would definitely order it again as it did it's purpose if you know what I mean lol. It was one of the cheaper ones on the menu as well at $9 Service: The service was great being that they were short staffed the night we went. All the food and drinks arrived very quickly even with the dinner rush. Our server was super attentive and checked in frequently to make sure everything was to our liking. Ambiance: Loved the neon signs throughout the restaurant especially as it got darker. They had a tv playing anime which was really cool too. Perfect place for a rainy day as it has a super cozy element.

Always great food and service. Never disappoints. My go to for ramen in Norfolk. Triple garlic!

Alkaline is our favorite ramen spot in Hampton Roads! We have been following Alkaline since they opened as a pop up and was glad to see them in their own space. It is a drive for us but good food (especially ramen) is worth a little drive right? I recommend you follow their Instagram page as well for updates and new kitchen items! We ordered the tater tot okonomiyaki, shoyu ramen, and the spicy beef noodle soup. The tater tot appetizer was perfectly balanced with the Japanese kewpie mayo, bacon, and the okonomiyaki. The ramen broth on both the Shoyu and beef noodle soup are extremely flavorful and tastes like a lot of effort had been put into it. We substituted the pork with shredded beef on the Shoyu bowl and it was a great combo. The ramen noodles were cooked just right and firm to our liking. On top of everything, the interior gives the place a warm and welcoming vibe with a modern touch. My only complaint would be the bowl of ramen could be a little hotter coming out but it's not that bad. We will continue to frequent this place for ramen cravings and suggest it to anyone looking for a ramen spot!

I've visited on a few occasions and overall--not impressed. I'll start with the pros: service and ambiance. The interior is nice; it feels spacious and modern. Nice vibes. Every staff member I spoke to was really nice. Helpful with questions and good conversation as I typically am a solo diner at the bar. As far as drinks: awesome beer selection and (although pricey) LOVE the miso butter cake for dessert. Don't like the ramen (more on that below) but their occasional specials hit the spot. They recently had a duck noodle pho-style soup that brought me in a few times. I honestly would only come back for that but sadly, it was a temporary menu item. Now the cons: you're here for ramen. But my opinion: the ramen just isn't good. The broth isn't very flavorful and I just don't like the fusion style--while open to new things, I find I just prefer authentic style ramen. Also, they use a shredded pork (which I haven't seen before). The flavor reminded me of BBQ pulled pork which was really off putting to me in a bowl of ramen. It seems to clash flavor wise with everything else in the bowl. Overall, if you're open to trying some fusion dishes, give it a try! But just not my personal cup of tea and I'll be getting ramen elsewhere. I used to love this spot but it seems to have declined since it's moved to this newer bigger location.