Mark T.
Yelp
If I give them points for anything, they are not stingy regarding proteins. At least now I can have my pudding if you subscribe to Pink Floyd! Alas, the meat wasn't *that* enjoyable, and I didn't stay for pudding.
I ordered a Char-Siu Pork Bun and the Paitan Ramen.
The pork bun was a bland, monotonous, and uninspired disaster. This had a too-thick chunk of boiled meat, mayonnaise, and a single piece of lettuce half the size of a playing card that didn't make itself known. No other vegetables, no other sauce, nothing.
The only flavor notes from the meat were a little salt with some weak acid from the mayo. It was tender, but tenderness is irrelevant without flavor. Without anything else, the mayo and meat were not a winning combination.
Word to the wise: have the picture resemble what will be served on the plate. The pic had a BBQ'ed, appropriately thin piece of pork with BBQ sauce and a fair amount of lettuce.
When it came to the Paitan ramen, this attempted to offer some redemption but failed. For the broth, I felt its flavors and textures were somewhat muted. Some weak savory notes, a little salt, and done. It lacked spices, herbs, or something else that would punch up the flavor to something I would delight in grabbing the bowl and slurping out. I asked for some Sriracha, and while they didn't have that, they offered me some spicy sesame oil (paste-like consistency). A little spice makes a WORLD of difference.
The Paitan also did not skimp on the meat, and the ramen's char-siu had some savory, grilled flavor. Not an explosion of yum, and not entirely melt-in-your-mouth stuff, but passable. The shredded pork was fine, though it seemed to be added in clumps instead of being spread evenly and didn't add anything to the dish.
The noodles were fine; no complaints there. As for the scallions/green onions, I could take them or leave them. Full disclosure: I am generally not a fan of green onions. Still, I feel they didn't add enough overall texture or freshness.
Where I will absolutely award them points is the service. Kat(?), who took care of us, was terrific. She was kind, attentive, personable, and had a great sense of humor.