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I have walked by Boom noodle many times, and yesterday I decided to give it a try.
With 3 minutes left for the happy hour I ordered a few small plates and a microbrew. Salmon tataki and miso broiled rice cakes mmm.... the salmon seared sashimi was amazing, and the miso rise cakes were quite good as well. My friend ordered pork gyoza and okonomiyaki both of which were interesting and very tasty. My wife ordered the tokyo ramen which was somewhat of a disappointment to me, reminding me of my starving student days spiced up with meat and tasty broth.
I will return again to try some of the other small plates as well as the wok noodles which looked good, but I didn't try. I will stay away from the ramen as it is not one of my favorites anyhow.
I have been to Boom Noodle a few times and been totally non-dazzled on each occasion. Had some really bland udon, really weak cocktails, and the Belltown-y feel just rubs me the wrong way.
However, there is one saving grace. Well, two. The first is the miso broiled rice cakes, which, for the price and the amount of flavor packed into them, are worthy of a happy-hour stop. Just get a Kirin or something.
Second is the kimchi bowl, which has a deliciously savory-spicy broth, toothsome noodles, and fat, luxuriant slices of pork bouncing around. I'd only ask for more pork, more kimchi, and more heat -- both spice-wise and temperature-wise. Each time I've had it, the soup was tepid, like bathwater.
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The ramen here was a let-down. I suppose the happy hour price is not bad but if you came for a bowl of authentic Japanese ramen, I would skip this place. The Tokyo Ramen had all the ingredients but it just didn't come together. I don't think the person cooking it knew what the bowl of ramen is supposed to taste like.
So...the search for good Japanese ramen in Seattle continues...
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I really really want to love this place. It's very urban, hip, and well-appointed. They supply chili sauce and all the other trimmings without having to ask. The quality of the chicken and pork is excellent. But the ramen broth is just blah. I almost sent it back and asked for more flavor. I decided to spice it up and that worked, but the chicken-pork broth was almost flavorless and that ain't right! My husband's udon was slightly better - the bonito flakes were tasty and squirmed appropriately on the hot noodles.
Service was extremely prompt. Almost an eat-it-and-beat-it joint. And it was not half full. However the staff was friendly and professional so I wouldn't dock the rating for this.
I will go again to meet friends and to grab a bite before heading out on the Hill. I'll try something else next time. For the money, I think that the ID has many better ramen and Japanese joints. However, that's a couple miles south of where I wanted to be.
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First of all let it be known that I lived in Japan for 12 years and had high expectations for Boom Noodle. We drove from Bellingham to eat at Boom Noodle after hearing all the rave reviews of their authentic Japanese cuisine.
Unfortunately, Boom Noodle did not live up to the reviews.
I ordered the Miso Ramen and my wife ordered the Tokyo Ramen and we were both very disappointed. Where do I start...the soup itself was luke warm which was hard to believe. Authentic Japanese Ramen is served steaming hot, so hot that all you can do is sip a little of the broth from your spoon for the first few minutes till it cools down.
The Miso broth smelled more of sesame oil than Miso and lacked flavor. This was a real disappointment because Miso broth is so easily made.
The noodles reminded me of those in .39 cent Top Ramen, nothing like the noodles you get in real Miso Ramen. My noodles were actually still a bit hard!!
The pork was dry and without flavor and there was few vegetables in the soup, no bamboo shoots?
Overall, we ate our soup and did not complain knowing that who ever was preparing the Ramen here had no clue as to what real Japanese Ramen should be.
Would I recommend Boom Noodle for a good bowl of Ramen? I don't think so.
Also, those who have enjoyed the Ramen at Boom Noodle should take a culinary vacation to Japan and experience true Ramen soup....you will NOT go back to Boom Noodle again.
Does anyone have a restaurant recommendation they like that serves authentic Japanese Ramen?
One bright note, our beer was cold!!
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Up on the hill today and thought "hey, it's cold...let's go have ramen."
It wasn't lunch time and it wasn't dinner time. There was a decent sized crowd, though not terrible...which made us wonder if a handful of people called in sick to work because the service was SLOW. It took awhile to get seated, but the gent who wound up seating us was really polite. He offered us a spot in the bar, which we gladly took since we wanted to watch the football game that was on.
From then, it took a long time for anyone to take our order. From then, it took a long time for our food to come out. From the time we sat down to the time we finally got the food in front of us, just under an hour passed. No, I'm serious - I know this because when I sat down, I looked at my watch and noted the time because I wanted to know how long we had til we had to be at our next destination. Next time I looked back was when the two separate guys who were both seated after us got their food and we still hadn't received ours. So I'm willing to guess that maybe it's flu season and maybe a handful of staff were out, but I don't know - I noted that after we finally got our food, the people who sat down after us were tended to MUCH quicker than we were. So I'm feeling a little upset about this.
The food wasn't bad. They like salt, which is okay because I do, too. I had the miso ramen, which was rich, thick, and salty. (I made the mistake of getting a side of a soy-marinated soft boiled egg. Which wa awesome, btw, but whoa, salt intake.) The boy had theTokyo ramen with a side of kimchi which he said really helped it. But interestingly, both soups were bland enough that we were heaping on the chili sauce. It's one thing for the spice lover of the relationship to be dumping enough siricha in to make it a different color, but for me to do the same? Whoa there.
I DO think we'll be back but it'll be at a time where we don't have anything else to do at any point in that day because seriously, an hour wait? That's ridiculous, Boom. Come on now. The total politeness of the host and the good view of the TV in the bar and the size of the portions are what saved you guys.
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I probably would have never have came if my friend didn't suggest it. But she did, and I went, and some how I am a better person for it.
The food was pretty good, but I thought a little overpriced for what it was. My friend and I had the beef yakisoba and it was pretty tasty. His girlfriend seemed to like her meal until I told her it looked like diarrhea and she instantly stopped eating it. Sorry about that. I paid about $12 for my meal, which is a bit steep for noodles. It would be a little more appropriate priced if my meal was around $8.
I thought the layout of the place was pretty radtastic with its simple layout. Kind of reminded me of a fancy Japanese cafeteria. Though the picture of two girls texting each other on the wall was a little weird, other than that, pretty cool looking place.
I would probably end up coming here again, but it may take someone else to suggest it. Overall, not bad.
Zipzap Zubidy Bop!
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I was planning on coming here for happy hour but we got there a little late, so we just ordered off the regular menu. I ordered the Tokyo ramen and I think overall it was just aight. The broth was a little bland and there wasn't too much flavor. My friend had the Shio ramen and her broth was actually too salty...she had to add extra water to it. I think the Kimchi ramen was the most flavorful but it has some sort of weird taste to it that I can't describe.
I do like the cool drinks they serve there. I ordered a cucumber mint fizz and it's pretty good! Tastes just like a cucumber but fizzy and sweet. I'm not sure if I wanna come back here for ramen next time...since it is pretty pricey and it wasn't that great. Be prepared to pay $10-12 per bowl. Samurai Noodle tastes so much better and is a lot cheaper.
I love the spiked cucumber mint fizz! So refreshing. This drink was a great way to start a simple meal before heading out on the town.
For starters, my friend and I had the boom salmon tataki, seared with julienned veggies and ponzu sauce (tender fish, nice acidic sauce); and the miso broiled rice cakes (fantastic smoky, toasted flavor). Loved both of these!
Then I had the yaki udon with chicken, mushrooms, dried Thai chilies, and veggies like cabbage, etc. This dish was a bit on the salty side, but was also very good. I like the thicker, "beefier" udon noodles which are nice and filling. But if you get all worked up and excited to eat like me, mind the noodle splatter! haha
I also had a bite or two of my friend's beef yaki soba. This was also very good, the flavors taking me back to the time I've spent in Japan. Yum.
Domo arigato, Boom Boom-san. =)
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Boom has a new, expanded menu including the most delicious Pad Thai that I have had outside of Bangkok. Full of chicken and tasty fried tofu, this dish will satisfy the pickiest Thai food fans.
Ok. I know I said I would never do it. That I would never pay for a fancy pants $12 bowl of noodles because I'm a total cheapskate. I eat my words. I did it. I really did.
So I've been back here numerous times for happy hour and it never disappoints. The service is fast and friendly and the appetizers are so delicious. I highly recommend the ebi katsu and salmon tataki. The pork gyozas are also a good choice, crispy yet moist with a flavorful dipping sauce. However, take heed of the "no" in the okoNOmiyaki and steer clear. What a mess of mayonaisy aioli, peppers, greasy crunchy fried things, and bonito flakes suffocating a couple of pork pancakes.
Anyhow, I digress. So on a rare Friday evening when a few really good friends were in the city and we were slightly liquored up from pre-dinner cocktails at another venue, we decided to dine at Boom. I was hesitant given my self proclaimed cheapskateness but I was in the minority.
The place is packed and there's five of us. So initially when we were told it would be a 20 minute wait we decided to leave but then were told seconds later it would only be 10 minutes (and it really was). We're whisked to our table and here's the part that I don't like: family style seating. It's the only reason why I couldn't give a four star for this updated review. Four of us were sitting across from one another but our fifth person was off in a no man's land. The only way to speak to him was to either yell across the table or get up and sit in the empty seat across from him. By the way, this place gets really loud but after a few drinks, it becomes easier to overlook the loud conversations and the weird woman sitting right next to you taking furtive looks at your crowd of friends.
Anyhow, I suggested my staple appetizers: ebi katsu and salmon tataki which was a belly rubbing, head nodding, happy food sound success. Although, maybe I'm wrong, but I could have sworn they used to serve five shrimp per ebi katsu order, not four. As always, the service was fast and our waiter was very attentive but not overbearing, only making appearances when he sensed through some sort of weird ESP we were in need of something.
So I opt for a bottle of the unfiltered saki and an order of the seafood curry udon slightly cringing at the $13 price tag. I'm a cheapskate, I tell yah! Yet I reluctantly have to admit that it was worth the price. I can't speak for any of the other noodle bowl's worthiness of their price tags but my bowl was DELISH! The perfect amount of udon noodles, mussels, fish, shrimp, and veggies swimming in a miso curry broth. I had slight trepidation about the flavor combination at first but they pull it off very well. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Overall, I was impressed but I'm still a major cheapskate. It will take a special occasion with good friends before I'll justify dishing out $13 bucks for a bowl of noodles.
Outside of that, you'll find me at the happy hour.
People thought this was:
Boom Noodle is a high-end fancy pants noodle house that serves $12 bowls of noodles. They're in a… Read more »
For lunch a friend and I split the okonomiyaki, ebi katsu and the tokyo ramen.
The ebi katsu was amazing. The pancakes had some hidden hotness that we loved and Tokyo raman could've offered up more pork (splitting that was hard). Overall, a nice meal.
I loved the atmosphere, the chairs are beautiful and comfortable. Everything you would expect from a modern japanese restaurant.
Will definitely go back!
Fun place for nouveau Japanese ramen housed in a loft like space with sidewalk facing bar seating. However, the ramen and udon bowls are only slightly better and more traditional than the Zao noodle chain.
It's good place to people watch near First Hill area. That's all.
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I've only been here for HH and will probably only come here for HH. I can get good noodles from the HT Market right by my house. the food at Boom is good and cheap, and seems relatively healthy. I always order the chilled sesame tofu, which has a nice infusion of flavor - rare for tofu. Salmon tataki is also good, as is the karaage and pickle plate. i like the interesting variety of pickles and the fact that it comes with rice. stick some protein in there, and you've got dinner.
The pork and cabbage pancake was a little cumbersome to eat and not all that flavorful. As for drinks, the Cucumber mint fizz is refreshing and effervescent - these go down way too easily.
All in all, I really like Boom Noodle. The floorplan is airy and open, the service is decent, and the yummy bottle of sake you get for free on your bday is a nice touch.
I always thought this place looked nice, looking from the outside in, but once you're inside it kind of feels like a cafeteria at a community college. Maybe, it's the ambient noise from the patrons reverberating from the ceiling or the communal seating, I don't know. The food however, was good, very good.
We had pork gyoza, very solid and ahi tacos, maybe a little too cute for their own good, but yummy all the same. I could easily see working my way down the appetizer menu some day based on how good our choices were, but this is a noodle house after all, so I ordered yaki udon (chicken, mushrooms, cabbage & green onion) it was delicious and had a nice smoky flavor to it. My guest ordered cha shu pork fried rice which was pretty solid.
I'm not sure why a lot of previous reviewers are complaining about the prices, I thought that they were fair. While you might find similar food in the ID cheaper, the portions at Boom were large (I took half of my udon home) and they were pretty generous with chicken and pork in both of our dishes.
I probably would've never come here if it weren't for my friend's recommendation. Americanized-overpriced asian food? Common, I'm Asian, you're not going to fool me. But to my surprise this place actually wasn't so bad...
Lets see, we ordered the okonomiyaki, edamame puree, miso rice cakes, an oriental salad of sorts, and the stir fried udon. Good selection I'd say! The okonomiyaki was pretty good, whether or not it was authentic, I'll leave to the experts, but it was pretty good in my book. The edamame puree was surprisingly good. I never would've thought of preparing edamame this way, but it was quite good on the sweet potato chips. The miso rice cakes weren't very special. The asian salad, something you can probably find at most other joints. The stir fry udon was pretty good, but again, probably can be found better at some other smaller restaurants without the "ambiance tax" tacked on.
Speaking of the ambiance, this place has very nice interior decor. Very trendy and spacious. Good for groups and even a bar to boot. I'd be surprised if you couldn't find seating here.
In the continuing trend of trendy westernized noodle shops that I really don't understand why it even exists... This place is the same as any other place. Nothing spectacular, a little over-priced for what you're getting, and not all that authentic. But some of the food was alright, and isnt' that what counts ultimately? Maybe worth checking out once, but not one to remember.
This is one of those places that, judging from the decor and the menu, I would be surprised to find I didn't like. And it's not like I dislike Boom, but it just doesn't stand out to me.
To be fair, I've only been twice. Once I had an udon noodle bowl and the second time, the ahi tacos. Both dishes were fairly forgettable. The service was good though and the atmosphere a little austere.
I'm not sure why this place is missing the mark with me. I'm willing to give it another shot.
People thought this was:
Lovely, lovely setting. Long shared tables, modern streamline decor.
The happy hour fulfills nicely with a large bowl of "tokoyo ramen" and a cocktail.
The pickle plate is one of the loveliest appetizers - if you like pickles. Simple, beautifully presented and very reasonably priced.
Overall, prices are reasonable, food is beautifully presented and the decor is lovely.
****Just went to Boom last night and noticed that they no longer have the pickle plate!
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This place is bullshit.
Like, for serious.
How dare they not live up to a kick ass name like BOOM NOODOE.
HATE!
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I had a fantastic experience here. I only went here once, but I intend to return. I had ramen, and I've lived in Japan and eaten Ramen in many cities searching for great ramen and prepared fresh ramen myself, so I'm hard to please.
It was pretty satisfying good ramen! not like oh my god are we in japan ramen, but like, wow, this is really yummy! I didn't like that they had a lot of pork added in, that's not really authentic, but the noodles and broth were yummy.
Ethan had the cold soba noodles with wasabi, and it was delicious. I'm not usually a fusion fan, but it was fantastic. They used actual wasabi root, fresh. That stuff costs $60 a pound but when we asked for more on the side because it wasn't hot enough, they gave us a huge amount extra. How nice!
I liked the modern presentation of the tea, I love the decor for a casual place, reminded me of New York (sigh) A little disappointed that the server didn't tell us that the blood orange mousse wasn't served with the caramel sauce because they ran out that night, but that's okay. I'll be back to try the rest of the menu. Oh, and it was really inexpensive. Yay and Yummy!
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I came back here about a week, as I've been meaning to do for a long time. This time I had a very good experience overall. There was a slight miscommunication with who was seating me (as they had to clean off a table), but I was promptly sat within a few minutes.
Our waitress was fabulous and completely friendly this time. She was more than willing to be helpful and suggested that my friend get their version of the bloody mary with tequila instead of vodka in it - it was a great suggestion and the consensus at the table was it was delicious.
The food came out quickly, was done so much better than last time I was here, and was nice and hot. I forgot what I ordered but I was quite satisfied and all the other dishes I tried nibbles of were great too. Our main drinks came out quickly, but for some reason it seemed to take a while to get our saki bombs (which we were using to celebrate the completion of the Bar exam). Either way, the place was pretty busy and the waitress acknowledged the delay and apologized - so no harm no foul.
I'm quite happy to report that I've had a much better experience here and will likely be much happier to pop in here next time someone suggests if for HH or dinner on the Hill.
People thought this was:
I'm giving Boom another star, despite the fact I haven't been back yet. One of the owners has… Read more »
They don't offer your traditional Japanese tapas, but what they do offer are creative dishes that you can't find anywhere else. Everything was good, though the okonomiyaki was more like an omelette than how I'm used to eating it. Service was also excellent - friendly and quick.
JONASAPPROVED!
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Boom! I got your Noodles
I got your ramen
When I walked in the bar your server was pourin
Lickin my lips as he was Talkin bout specials
He said happy hour to make me smile
Cause his cooks were in the kitchen and I'm eatin with style
So he grabbed my drink and served me my first side
Said he'd serve all of mine today while I dine
He told me I'd love it till the very end
Hey Boom! I got your Ramen!
Boom! You is my friend.
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Bleah.
I tried to eat lunch here, I really did. It looked like fun. The hostess was pleasant and seated me right away. After that though, I apparently became invisible. The place was only half full. I got a few bovine stares in my direction from the waitstaff, but nothing remotely approaching service. I decided to go elsewhere, where the staff can be bothered. Thanks a lot.
Mmmmm! Ramen is truly the best cure for a sore-throat or a hangover.......
The first time I went to Boom Noodle, sometime last year, I was fairly unimpressed. My server was rude, my water was room temperature, and the miso ramen just wasn't that good. However, I decided to give it another chance when I had a terrible cold and didn't feel like walking down to Than Brothers, plus it was happy hour. I had a heaping bowl of the Tokyo ramen, which was super tasty! So soothing on a sore throat! The bartender was extra friendly, and I made sure to leave him a generous tip.
I've come back here since, again for the Tokyo ramen (which is also a great hangover remedy), and will surely come back the next time I need a giant hot bowl of soup to make me feel better.
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Ah Asian fusion, it sounds so wrong but when done right, it can be a beautiful pairing of East meets West.
Boom Noodle tries, it's sparse decor is a nice change from cluttered, over-the-top restaurants that like to display "kitschy" things for no reason at all. The glass windows are open during hot summer days but the way it's built, people on the sidewalk almost look like they can walk right into your ramen bowl - a little too close for comfort.
Onto Happy Hour (because that's what I do best): ONE ramen offering?! The Tokyo ramen was huge, served with a boiled egg and bamboo shoots but you're boom NOODLE, emphasis on the N.O.O.D.L.E. You gotta give the carb-lovers more options! I do give them props for their drink concoctions, the likes of which I don't usually see anywhere. I sipped on some cucumber mint (mint, ginger, calpico and soda) which was refreshingly but I couldn't help but envision cucumber slices on my eyelids - not good to compare to spa products.
I wouldn't mind coming back but Samurai Noodle is better on a good day and much cheaper.
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Had fairly high expectations for this restaurant, but was disappointed with the food. The ramen I had was salty, which overpowered any other flavor that was trying to come out in the food. Might give this place a second chance in the future, but if my dish isn't 50% less salt lick, I won't be back.
Fun atmosphere and bang for your buck- the noodles are really filling and the ingredients are fresh. Great vegan/vegetarian menu.
What to order: Miso Ramen
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I think the food is oversalted and crams too many ingredients into one dish. I like Japanese food that is subtly flavored and simple with only a few ingredients.
The shiitake soba noodle bowl was overcrowded. Tough and chewy veggies such as mushrooms, spinach and sprouts fight the noodles. It's a lot of work to consume, rather than being simple and satisfying.
The cha siu pork fried rice was extremely salty. Four types of protein is too much. Too many onions. Why did I order this?
Service is good. Once I was in a rush and the server was very accomodating. The portions are large and a good value.
I love trying different takes on traditional cuisine. Here I suspect they are cranking up the seasoning, and I sense a "bigger/more is better" style.
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The food is consistently good here, though the appetizers are a bit small for the price you pay. Not a problem, as the ramen should be why you come here.
Because of some food allergies I was diagnosed with a few months back, I've gotten pretty picky with the places I go out to now. Ordering is usually a pain in the ass, and sometimes I'll eat in just to not deal with it.
Last week I came here with a friend who was craving noodles, and I was dreading the experience, especially being in such close proximity to the ramen I love but can't eat anymore. The waitress answered all my questions thoroughly, and when she wasn't sure, she went to ask the chef. When she came back, she told me that the chef was going to make me a ramen dish FROM SCRATCH to accommodate my all of my allergies. The resulting scallop and chicken ramen with rice noodles that came out was heavenly.
These food allergies feel so debilitating sometimes, and it was nice to feel that someone went out of their way to make sure I could still eat there. I will eat there again, and again, and again.
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Eh. That's all I can really say is the food was just eh to me. Our server was attentive and friendly. The decor was pretty cool, au naturale was what came into my mind. The tables are set up like communal tables but because the place wasn't busy, we had the whole tables to ourselves and the service was good. Fast, friendly, and attentive.
We had the ebi katsu as appetizers and it was just average to me. It was phylo dough crusted shrimp appetizer. When I was munching on it, the whole time I was thinking, man, I wish I could be eating coconut crusted shrimps instead but oh wells. For entrees, we ordered the shio and tokyo ramen noodles. The broth was a bit too salty for my liking and again, nothing spectacular. The noodles was about $9.95. For the cost of basically ramen noodles, I was expecting to be blown away and was not. The bf loved his noodles but he didn't love it enough to pay that much for it when you can get your own package ramen noodles for so much cheaper.
I was tempted to try their desserts but thought better of it and instead, walked a couple blocks over to Molly Moon's for ice cream instead.
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I have been back at this place quite a few times after my very first, and things are still as good as they get, and of course the drinks still taste the same - they still make me feel tipsy, which is about the whole idea. Quick service, being-at-home feeling, happy crowd, good pupus: it doesn't get any better than that. Getting "boomed" at this place on some Fridays before dinner is truly a sweet deal!
I stopped by at this place for a Friday happy hour, so this is all I can make comments on. I really… Read more »
Not bad, I would come back again for a different dining experience and for some of the appetizers. I do agree some of it was salty, but I like that.
The happy hour menu is great, and the restaurant itself has that crisp, modern design which makes you feel a little more chic than you probably are.
I like the pancake (okonomiyaki) and the fried chicken drummettes were delish as well (tori karaage). Next time I'll go when it is cooler out and enjoy some needles, they looked good on everyone else's table!
We went here last night on a break from the Capitol Hill Block Party. They were really busy with block partyers, but were still friendly and quick.
The happy hour here (3-7 everday, including the weekends) is fantastic.
$3.00 Sapporos or $3.50 sake bombs. They have a list of really yummy sounding mixed drinks on the HH menu for $5.95 each, but I'm a beer girl so I didn't try any.
We tried the pickle plate, which my boyfriend was really excited about and pork/cabbage pancake, which was nothing like I've ever eaten before and I loved it.
We had 6 drinks and 2 dishes from the HH menu, and our bill only came to $35 before tip!! That is cheap by my standards. I am lookin forward to going back and trying the dinner menu-especialy the soba noodles. Be warned-dinner is not a money-saving experience. Bowls of soup are 9-13 dollars.
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Our meal happened to be on a cold Tuesday night- after driving around the neighborhood for about 30 minutes trying to find parking, we finally resorted to paying $3 to park at a closed business.
It was refreshing to enter the warm restaurant, and we were greeted and seated quickly at the end of a long, sturdy rectangular table shared on the other end by another small party. The decor and furniture left the best impression on my- the sturdiness of the table felt comforting under the tall ceilings and open-air atmosphere.
The waitress came to take our order within about a minute of us being seated, not quite enough time to look over the unfamiliar menu. Fortunately, there were a lot of choices for all of us including my vegetarian girlfriend. The waitress, on the other hand, proved either unwilling or unable to help us decide on our orders, and refused to recommend any dishes to us newbies. If anything, she seemed anxious to leave and asked us no fewer than four times if we needed more time to decide. We finally made our decisions, and our food came out in about five minutes, a little too quick for my personal comfort.
I ordered the Ramen with chicken, which, to my surprise, reminded me very much of the 10 cent packages from the supermarket, with stronger broth and a few added mushrooms and chicken. For $9, I was expecting something that at least attempted to feel home made.
Overall, the food was expensive for the quality, our server was poor (I can't speak for the others) and the atmosphere just a little too loud to hear the people in your party across the table. Obviously, they can't change the acoustics, but the food was just plain disappointing.
Had the Tokyo ramen (bland and oddly bitter), the edamame purée (pretty tasty but a little overly salted), and the salt and pepper tofu (meh). Service was weird and chilly, and atmosphere was reminiscent of the cafeteria at Ikea. I don't think I'll be back.
Oh man, I haven't been here in a while but I used to come here with my boyfriend pretty much weekly. But then stuff happened, we realized we spent too much on eating out... blah blah blah.
But just now I wanted one of their Yuzu Coolers and so... I decide to write my review.
This place is so cool inside and very inviting. It has a cafeteria seating arrangement but they always make sure to space you out if they can. Even when you do get squished up to another group of guests you still have plenty of room, thankfully.
All the food's rocked. I love the soy hard-boiled eggs and I have a fat crush on the okonomiyaki (pork/cabbage pancakes). But in all honesty the reason I always wanted to come here was the Yuzu Cooler. If you're into fruity drinks this is for you. Pear vodka and yuzu lemonade = awesome.
One day I wanted a Sapporo and they were out. That was kind of a bummer and really strange. But it didn't stop me from ordering a Yuzu Cooler and sticking around!
The table set up is a little unusual, but I've actually been to a lot of asian/asian-fusion restaurants on the east coast that have the cafeteria style tables, and this was definitely one of the nicest executions of that concept. As far as the food goes, I say boo. I have the apple shoji fresh juice, which was not very flavorful (out of season apples?) and also served warm which was not good. The okonomiyaki which was more showy than tasty. Wouldn't recommend it. The tokyo ramen was also very very disappointing. The gyoza was okay, mine weren't crisp (as I like them) but squishy, which is how I don't like them. However, if there was something good on that menu its the miso cakes. A lot of yelpers have mentioned them, and they're very good, both for the price and taste. My suggestion? Stop in for happy hour, grab some of those cakes and kirin and then go somewhere else for dinner.
Boom Noodle is one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle! Delicious, perfectly flavored dishes and yummy drinks! The yasai yakisoba is A+. As is the yuzu lemonade! The miso rice cake appetizer is another one of my favorites!
I've been here probably 6 times since they opened. The service and food is consistently great! The atmosphere is perfect in my opinion. It's casual yet classy.
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I hit Boom Noodle up again recently and it rocked my world! My server, Nicole, was right on point-- the perfect combination of friendly, upbeat, knowledgable and efficient. I had my usual, the Mizuna salad, with some rice cakes (favorite) and miso green beans. My friend had the red beet soba, which is another excellent choice. I'm still craving those rice cakes...I think they put a secret ingredient in there that makes me crave them fortnightly. When judging restaurants and deciding how many stars to give, I compare them with other places in the same price range, category, etc. Among other relatively inexpensive, hip, quick places to eat in the neighborhood near my workplace, Boom Noodle is my favorite. Hands down.
Happy hour on a sunny day with the windows open is just about perfect. I stick to diet coke or tea, but I hear that the bartenders whip up a mean kyoto blossom or mojito! The music is great and the staff have never disappointed me. I will always consider this place one of my staples.
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For me, eating out usually falls into one of two categories: 1) I'm hungry and don't want to cook… Read more »
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Japanese
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: International District
Category: Japanese
Redmond, WA
Category: Restaurants
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