Toko M.'s Profile

In Chinatown (San Francisco), there are lots of dinky little hole-in-the-wall eating places. Some are upstairs, some are downstairs, and most of them have pathetic service, and often, the eating places aren't very clean...  But I personally wanted to experience dining at a fancier Chinese restaurant, outside of the big city, without flashing lights, noise, and crowded streets.

So I ended up here, at "Tommy's Wok" in this quaint little town called Sausalito.

When I first heard the name "Tommy's Wok" I knew they weren't going to be authentic, and I thought the chances of this restaurant being halfway decent were even more unlikely. Boy, was I ever wrong. The name is totally deceiving!

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As you walk in, you see a beautiful tropical fish tank filled with sea anemone, clown fish, and other tropical varieties in the large fish tank on your right, and a hostess/waiter standing on your left who will invite you in to take a seat.  

The interior of the restaurant is also quite lovely. The decorative wooden chandeliers and slightly dimmed lighting both give this restaurant a nice comfortable atmosphere. Traditional Chinese artwork cover the walls. The presentation of their food is also quite nice. And the restrooms are clean!

Their food is Americanized Chinese food, with a fancy presentation given to it. Sure its greasy---but there's no MSG---and its quite delicious!   Their house fried rice had some of the best flavor I ever tasted in a fried rice. And that's saying a lot. I ate way more of it than I originally wanted to.  And I honestly have not felt that stuffed in a long time...  Their food is really good, but it really sticks to the gut.

Our food didn't come out extremely fast, (so you may want to order one or two appetizers) but when it did come out, it was (delicious and plentiful and) well worth the weight.

In between the kitchen and dining area is a glass "wall" divider. Looking through the glass you are able to see chefs in the kitchen, busy at work. Although you can't clearly see which dishes they are making, its still a cool concept.  

I also like how they have the hostess conveniently positioned near the entrance so that people are immediately welcomed-in and seated.  The service here seemed attentive and friendly but it was obvious that not all the waiters speak perfect english, but that didn't bother me. I mean, I came here to eat, not conduct a lesson in english grammar....  And besides that, the waiters seemed attentive and polite. They even refilled my glass in a timely manner!! That's good enough for me.

It should be noted though, that the prices are a little expensive here. Dinner for two here may fetch upwards of $40 depending upon how much you order.  You're paying for a nice atmosphere and fine dining. But alas, its somewhat to be expected.  I mean, this isn't Chinatown.

I did notice though, that a few other yelpers seem to be less satisfied about their to-go orders.  I didn't order my food to-go, so I can't speak in this regard, but they say that Tommy's Wok may give less food for to-go orders, or care less about  quality, so you have been warned.

Overall, I personally have nothing bad to say about Tommy's Wok. I was quite impressed.  And seeing that big tropical fish tank as you enter is a really nice touch, it really sets the mood for the level of fine dining that you are about to  experience here. Its certainly something that I won't soon forget.

So if you want to experience delicious tasting Chinese food in a nice relaxed atmosphere without all of the noise, hustle and bustle, and tourists of Chinatown, then you should drive across the bridge and come to this nice  restaurant in Sausalito.

In spite of the name and popularity of Sushi King, the outside makes this place look like a little hole-in-the-wall sushi place, and by most means of the word, it is.  

However, once you step inside, you will quickly notice that its bigger inside than it looks from the outside. The restaurant extends far into the back, where there is a sushi bar, and it even has a sectioned-off group party area on the left side.

During lunchtime they can get quite busy here and you may have to wait to be seated, and service slows down quite a bit too, so be sure to come early if you can. The food prices here are affordable, but the proportion sizes are nothing extraordinary. And to be honest, I felt like they put only the bare minimum into my bento lunch box.....perhaps I should have ordered sushi instead??  Their salmon and teriyaki chicken was prepared nicely, but it could have used a tiny bit more flavor. Their rice was excellent though!  It was sticky, and very delicious rice.  And that's saying a lot.

Also, the interior of the restaurant is decorated nicely, and they even have a few traditional Shoji (paper made) walls and sliding doors inside.  I like the ambiance that Sushi King has.  I think the amount of Shoufuku (good luck cats) is a tad overkill (most Japanese restaurants will only have one or two). But the hanging blue lights, flowers on the tables, and ceiling lighting was all pretty cool.

But sadly, the service here.... kinda sucks. The restaurant is big inside and so the entrance is a good distance from the bar and most of the tables (where the customers are sitting at).  So when someone enters the door, the waitresses might not even notice at first.

Take for example; while I was sitting down eating my food, I saw a man walk in. There was no waitress or host anywhere in sight, so he just stood there awkwardly (same as I did when I first came in). Then, finally a waitress walked up and asked him how many were in his party. The man said two. Then the waitress simply replied "OK, just sit anywhere you like."  WHAT THE?!  By now there wasn't a single empty seat anywhere in the house, so the man continued to just stand there awkwardly until she cleared off a table.  Now see, if she had been paying attention to the floor, she would've recognized that fact...

Also, when I was ready to leave, I placed a $20 dollar bill at the edge of my table. I saw the waitress walk back and forth, not even noticing it.  Now I don't blame her...  I mean, how can she notice that there is money sitting on the table when she has to cater to all those tables, clean them, AND watch the front door for entering customers?  It's ridiculous!  By now, atleast 20 minutes had passed since I had put money on the table. Still nothing.  So after my patience wore out, I got up, went all the way to the back where the cash register was, and stood there (for about another 5 minutes), while the waitresses continued to walk past me, carrying food. FINALLY one of them stopped and took my money!  

I probably could've gotten up and walked out without them even noticing...  they have very inattentive service here!   [-1 star]

But in all honesty, I can vouch that its not the waitresses fault. A restaurant  that is getting a constant influx of customers like this, SHOULD also have a host or hostess. Someone who's primary job is to watch the floor, welcome in customers, be friendly, and quickly make sure that they get seated into available tables. This way, the waitresses can do their job, which is catering to and busing tables, and they don't have to also keep an eye on the door. It's not complicated.

Many people on yelp are giving them a high rating. And its understandable, Sushi King is close to where most of those people live, and there isn't a huge amount of options for Japanese food in Natomas (unlike in south sac). Most people (unlike me) won't drive to the other end of town just to try a different restaurant. But honestly, if I had to choose between this place and Tokyo Steakhouse, I think I would choose option 2. Primarily because 1) better service and 2) I'm certain that I'll get a decent amount of food on my plate.

Sorry guys -- you can cut corners, and you can cut staff, but you can NOT cut the amount of food on my plate... [-1 star]

On the plus side of things, they have a pretty large selection of sushi to choose from on their menu. Hence the name, Sushi King. They are not authentically Japanese, but I do give them a HORAH for trying hard... The restaurant is clean and comfortable, and suitable for most crowds of people; families, business professionals, etc. Overall, this place is okay, but the service isn't the best. If you live in Natomas, and love sushi, you might want to give them a shot.

Before I came to Las Vegas I was worried about finding anything healthy to eat, that is, until I discovered this little gem. A Japanese food restaurant with a healthy spin on it?!  Vegas -really does- have it all!

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Sometimes, when you see the word "healthy" slapped on anything, it can mean dull/boring food with no flavor... but that's not the case when it comes to Teriyaki Boy: Healthy Grill.

Not only does their food taste good, but it also LOOKS good too. They use fresh vegetables, grilled chicken, lean cuts of meat, with low-fat sauces, and they don't cover their food in tons of fatty oil or batter. And their food doesn't look boring -- the food presentation is quite nice. In fact, I was shocked at how great their Yakisoba Bowl tasted and looked.  (Not to mention the fact that their Yakisoba noodles are made out of wheat!)

I noticed that they also have gyouza on their menu, but I didn't try it.  The reason is because I know that gyouza tastes the best when its deep fried, and crunchy, but that's by no means healthy. So I was surprised to see it on the menu at all.  But in all honesty, to me their gyouza looked a bit soggy from the picture, so I didn't order it. Perhaps next time I will.

I thought the prices were reasonable and the service is friendly and fast. They even remember your name and bring the food out to your table.  How many other fast food restaurants do this?  Not many. And even fewer can claim that their food is healthy. So that says a lot.

The interior of the restaurant is small, but not cramped. I also like how they have pictures of all of their popular menu items up on the walls so you can see them. The restroom is SPOTLESSLY clean. I thought that I was in a fancy hotel restroom. I was honestly impressed.

I removed one star because they are not authentic. This is very good food, but a makeshift version of traditional Japanese dishes. And then too, I noticed that they serve sweet & sour chicken on their menu -- That is not Japanese.

Now, for all of you people who are saying that their food "needs a little more flavor" (you know who you are), you are wrong. Your taste-buds needs to learn to eat healthy food, and pass on going to McDonald's a little more often. After eating junk food for many years, you have to re-acquire a taste for healthy food. And this right here, is your opportunity. Bon appetit.

To sum things up, in my honest professional opinion, this place is awesome.  I love Teriyaki Boy Healthy Grill. And I would most certainly come back here if and when I pass through Las Vegas again.

Even though Zen Sushi isn't authentically owned and operated by Japanese people, I like this place. The ambiance has a modern style... its hip and cool. And they also have a full beverage bar, which is a nice touch.

But its not just that... to be honest, I dunno what it is. Maybe its the comfortable COUCHES that they have in their restaurant which keeps me coming back. It kinda makes me feel like I'm relaxing on my couch at home.  It's certainly not the alcohol (I'm not much of a drinker). But still, their selection of Japanese/American beers, wines, and other alcoholic beverages is noteworthy.

Hence the sign out in front now reads "Zen sushi and lounge", its not just "Zen sushi" anymore.  (Yelp needs to update that)

I love how the menu and interior of the restaurant has been decorated. Some superior quality graphic and interior design work was done on this place!

But regarding their food, the menu items are a tad pricey.  And its not really a surprise. It's obvious that the owner is dishing out quite a bit of money for their full bar, and impressive interior lighting that they have. (The walls and ceiling are all lit-up with blue florescent glow.) The wine and drinks are affordable though, around $4 or $5, so that's not bad.  

But at first I was appalled when I saw the price of their dinner bento box (a whopping $20 dollars!), but then after it came out I thought "okay... that much food could be worth 20 bucks." and enjoyed the meal.

The rice was less than perfect but it wasn't bad. The tempura however, was spot on! It was AWESOME! Some restaurants really have a hard time with tempura.  It's often either way too greasy, or covered in way too much batter. I mean, sure, the batter makes tempura taste better, but it should not overwhelm the taste of the vegetables themselves. This is some of the best tempura I've had in a while.

Sadly though, the salad that came with my dinner was overcomplicated. It tasted (and looked) disgusting. Now, I know that a messed up side dish (like salad) might seem like a trivial thing to most of you, but speaking as a salad lover, I know what a good salad should taste like.... It's not hard to make a decent salad.  I can make a decent salad. And it need not be complicated. But I can let that slide...

The service here seems to be great. The attractive girls working on the floor are considerate and attentive.

Over all, Zen Sushi is a very cool place to just kick back, eat some sushi, drink some wine, and just chill. It has a cool, tranquil, serene kinda vibe inside. You have your choice of sitting at the bar, a table, or lounging on the couch. My only real complaint is that they are not open very late.  Some evenings their business slows down to a crawl, so even though they are often open as late at 10pm, if business dies off at 9:30, the door will also close, regardless of what the sign may say.

And that's too bad, because this is just the type of place that you'd find a guy like me, sitting inside of past 11 or 12pm -- if only they were open that late. But oh well, we can't have everything we want... [-1 star]

While I was looking over the menu, the waitress noticed a photo of their food on my smartphone, at which she nervously asked me "You with yelp??"  Chuckling, I replied "Yes..."

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Sae Jong Teriyaki is an interesting place. From the outside, you might think of it as just your typical hole in the wall, low-grade sushi joint. (It's strangely sharing the same parking lot with a gas station right off of Folsom blvd.)

The inside, although not very elaborate, is simple, and clean (as is the restroom). It looks small inside, but they also have a bigger dining room in the back where they can accommodate 6-8 people at one table. It's bigger than it looks.

I also immediately noticed that the left hand wall was almost completely covered with photos of their supposed "regular" customers.  To me, this seems a little silly (I would've liked more artwork on that wall), but perhaps they want to show just how much they value their customers.

Anyway, I was quickly seated and given a menu to look at.

At first, I honestly did not quite know what to expect, because Yelp has them listed as Korean food, but "Teriyaki" is most certainly Japanese...  I was a little confused, so I asked "Do you serve Japanese, or Korean food here??"

The waitress almost blew a gasket- "Nooo!!  Not Korean! Only Japanese~!!"

And that's when I opened the menu in front of me and pointed to a picture of  Bibimbap and I said "-THIS- is Korean food...."  Recognizing that I was not her typical ignorant American customer, and that she could not fool me, she replied "Uhh... w-we serve Korean / Japanese fusion food!"  

No way!  Really?!?!... why could she not have just said that in the first place?

I mean, I realize that they have to cater to what people want (and some people may have went somewhere else because they didn't want Korean food), but still, I think an honest business contributes to a good business. Basically, she lied to my face....  And If I had not said anything more, she would've had me thinking that everything on their menu was Japanese. And it makes me wonder, if they often lie to all of their less-knowledgeable customers? [-1 star]

But soon enough, I overheard one of the employees answer her cellphone with "Annyeonghaseyo~", which confirmed my suspicion.

They are an -authentic- Korean owned and operated restaurant. Who interestingly also serve Japanese food!

And this is really unique!  Its not often that I go to a fusion-food restaurant like this... (Korean + Japanese) Most restaurants in town (out of the ones who dare try to serve Japanese food) are Chinese owned. It's extremely rare to find a Korean-owned restaurant serving Japanese food. (Well, except for Toshis restaurant) And its a little surprising to me, because Korea doesn't have the best history with Japan. But putting history aside, many people in Sacramento love Japanese food, so its in their best interest to serve the food that people want to eat.  I can understand that.

The waitress also told me that Sae Jong Restaurant has been in operation for an amazing 20 years! That's a long time, and I don't think she lied about that. They seem to have a steady flow of customers and the prices here are very cheap.

Moving on to their food: Very affordable items are on their menu. And nice sized proportions too. Considering the fact that they are Korean, I decided that first I would try the kind of food that they can cook the best--namely, Korean food. So I ordered the Bibimbap. It did not have egg on top, but it was still very delicious. Lots of flavor and the vegetables were fresh. High quality stuff.  But I expected nothing less.

The next time I visited, I tried some of their Japanese food. I ordered some Chicken Teriyaki with Vegetable Tempura, and a side of Pot-stickers.  The Pot-stickers (although a tad greasy) were cooked nicely, they were crispy, and tasted good. Their rice and chicken teriyaki on the other hand, aren't even really worth mentioning. [see footnote]  The tempura was heavily battered, and a little too greasy. Sure, the batter makes it taste good, but too much is too much. Thankfully the salad was prepared very nice, and had a decent amount of dressing. I love a good salad.

Overall, I like this restaurant for their authenticity. Their Korean food tastes excellent---but they are not my first choice for Japanese food. I'm not saying that they can not cook Japanese food, they seem to cook it very well. But I must be honest, my favorite Japanese food places are run by Japanese people. That's just how it goes.

But do try them out! Their Korean food is awesome. If you've never eaten Korean food, go here!!

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[footnote] ( Every table has a teriyaki sauce bottle on it, so you can add as much sauce as you want, and I usually like teriyaki, but to me their teriyaki was a little boring. It was cooked alright, but I guess its because I like my sauce kind of thick and theirs was kind of runny, so it wasn't as good as I've had before. Sauce might be old.

Kru Restaurant is known for making "artistic presentations" out of their sushi. And, the owner is also a well-known executive chef, Billy Ngo.  But I think their success may be partly due to their location too. They are located right on the busy J street strip. Their location is superb!  

After hearing much talk about Kru Restaurant, I was eager to finally have the chance to go and check it out for myself.  It seems like every time I drive by, the place is always packed. And for a restaurant to have nearly 400 yelp reviews, yet keep a solid 4 stars is impressive!

It should be noted however, that the sign outside in front says that its "Contemporary" Japanese cuisine. My Translation:  "Americanized" Japanese cuisine. But that's OK, I think most Americanized Japanese food usually tastes alright.

When I first walked in, I just paused and looked around. I honestly wasn't sure which way to go or what to do. I wasn't sure if I had stepped into a restaurant or a pub. I saw a curious waiting area to my left, a bar in front of me, and a few tables/chairs to the right of me. There was a long ramp leading into a dark room in the back where who-knows-what goes on. (I found out later that the ramp leads to a larger, and nicer-looking dining area. But still, it creeped me out at first)

The Chinese guy behind the sushi counter (which was probably the owner) politely greeted me --but that didn't help-- I was still mostly confused.  And then, a young waitress burst out from the back, and invited me to take a seat as she came down the mysterious ramp.

The interior looks KIND OF Japanese, and then, it kind of doesn't. The bamboo and artwork is definitely Japanese, but the brick wall (and restaurant name) isn't. And the ramp located right in the center of the restaurant is just - odd... It makes you wonder, what in the world was this building before they turned it into a restaurant?  A clinic for the disabled??  Well, whatever the case, one thing is for sure, its now very trendy, casual, and "contemporary" ...

Service seemed reasonably OK. I came here on the day after new years, so it was mostly empty. (I wanted to avoid a noisy crowd.) My rice was cooked well, and the gyouza tasted amazing!  In fact, I ordered a 2nd round of gyouza, I was surprised that it tasted so good. My tempura however was a little too greasy for my liking, and the grilled teriyaki chicken was just.... wrong. It tasted more like charcoal flavor.  And it didn't seem to be cooked evenly. One bite was nice and warm, another bite, seemed cold. (Undercooked perhaps) I was worried that I would get sick, but fortunately my stomach didn't give me any trouble.  [-1 star]

(And---don't you guys start throwing things at me for being too "nit-picky", but I DID see a small object floating in my glass of water. Needless to say I didn't drink it.)
[-1 star]

Now, the universal question is: Would I go here again?  

Unlikely. Unless someone else pays for it. It's a little pricey here, and for what I was served, and the quality of food here (for me) wasn't quite up to par, not for that price. I might give it another shot during happy hour for the gyouza, but I won't make any promises.

I think that there are other restaurants (who may not decorate my plate so artistically elaborate), but atleast they can properly grill teriyaki chicken without me getting a mouth full of charcoal.

But in all honesty---if I was new to Japanese food, I didn't know any better, and had never eaten it before, (even if I didn't like the taste of the food that Kru served me) I'd probably still have given them a high rating due to how creatively their sushi plates are decorated. In many cases, good presentation of food causes the mouth the salivate more, and people will often tell you that the food even tastes better.

That's all fine and good. But in MY case, I'm more concerned with how it tastes, how its prepared, and how their service is.

Kru Restaurant is not authentically Japanese, but that's the most interesting part, they aren't trying to be. They acknowledge the fact that they are being bold, and different, and the owner takes pride in the fact that he comes up with his own creations. For that reason,  I think you will either love it or hate it, but doesn't hurt to try it.

I think Hunan Restaurant is one of the better Chinese food restaurants to go to in Fresno.  

Upon entering the restaurant I was enchanted by the interior decor. The lighting in the restaurant is softly dimmed but not too dark, and there is a faint red glow bouncing off all four walls due to the many Chinese lanterns that they have  hanging from the ceiling. Inside, are many chinese vases, paintings, white tablecloths, and stylish chairs; I thought the inside looked quite nice, (excluding the hole that was ripped in the furniture where I sat).

Also, their service seemed pretty decent. Our food came out (not all at once, but) relatively fast, and they surely made a it a priority to keep our glasses filled the entire time. Their food was delicious and fresh, although a tad on the greasy side, but alas, a little grease makes it taste all the better. So I'm not complaining.

Other yelpers say this is a family owned restaurant, so that may well be the case, but I'm not certain. Didn't have time to talk to the man in charge. Their employees seemed to be a mixed crowed of Chinese and other races, I even saw a black guy working there! (Now that's a first lol). But hey, I'm not knockin' it. I came here mostly for the food above all else. (But I guarantee, I will certainly remove a star for authenticity...)

As far as their location is concerned, I'm not so crazy about it. Hunan Restaurant is somewhat easy to miss, located within a shopping center, and in fact a number of yelpers are even referring to it as the "hidden treasure" of Fresno.

But regardless of that, it seems to be a well-known spot by the locals, and it became quite crowded while I was there. They seem to have made quite the name for themselves. They have some really big tables too, probably big enough to sit as many as 15 people at one table!  My only real complaint is that the restaurant gets real noisy when crowded. It would've been nice to have the "family reunion" a little farther away from us, but oh well...

I won't say that its the best Chinese food I've ever had (and the price seemed a little high compared to where I'm from), but the food certainly was delicious. Perhaps the higher price is due to their location. I don't know.

But I would definitely come here again, you should check it out. Seems like a real nice spot.

5 stars. If only this restaurant were located in downtown Sacramento. They would give all the other "Japanese" restaurants a run for their money. They are a BRAND-NEW, 100% native Japanese, family owned restaurant, right in Elk Grove!!!

As soon as I saw on yelp that this restaurant was owned by native Japanese, I hopped in my car and excitedly drove 20 minutes to try it out---and I was blown away.

When I arrived there, I saw that they still had the big "grand opening" sign right outside in front. The interior of the restaurant is very neat and clean. The decor isn't all that trendy, but its nothing shabby either. It's cozy. A Japanese comedy drama was playing on the television set. And there was a very nice little Japanese lady at the register who welcomed me.

The thing about this restaurant is that they don't have to go out of their way trying to BE Japanese, (like so many of these Chinese owned spots do) because they ARE Japanese.  And when they brought me out my food, my thoughts were "Oh yeah... this right here... THIS is how I remember it in Japan. This is what I'm talking aboooouuut!!"  

Their food is amazing.  As another yelper put it: "Don't expect any heavily sauced rolls covered in fried junk." Everything here is delicious.

And truthfully, I'm so -in love- with this restaurant, but I really hope they are able to make it.  In my opinion their location isn't all that great. I came there around lunchtime, and I was the only customer in there. But soon, a few other people showed up, but the place was still mostly empty.

It could be because they are so new, but still, in this economy, they had better get some more customers fast.  So come on yelp!  Spread the word!!

In fact, the nice middle-aged Japanese waitress working the floor asked me "how did you hear about us?" and I replied "intaanetto kara desu".   We had a nice conversation all in Japanese. (I figured perhaps she doesn't know about yelp).

I want to learn more about the history of this restaurant. From what I know so far, its family owned, been around only a few months, and I saw atleast 3 people working there. The waitress, her husband, and another Japanese woman -- all Japanese.

It's so great~!! I wonder if they even know what a potential gold-mine they are sitting on? (If only they had a better location)  You MUST go check it out.

After seeing that Genki Ramen gets decent reviews on yelp, I drove all the way across the island to Mililani Town to try it out.  

And quite frankly, this place is AWESOME. It's no surprise that they seem to be popping up all over Hawaii. It's quickly turning into a chain!

One thing that I like about this restaurant is its comfortable atmosphere. The arrangement of tables/chairs is good, and they have a little Japanese decor inside, its not too much.  The service is fast. And they also have some interesting items on their menu (which I have yet to try), such as their special kimchi ramen and the mapo tofu ramen. I hear that the chicken katsu curry is to die for.

The ankake rice... it was SOOOO good.

Also, I just LOVED their Japanese combination meals. (Ramen, Gyoza, and Fried Rice, Mmmm). And if you go there anytime between 2-5pm they also give you 4 pieces of gyoza free with each order!!  Did I mention that I love gyoza?

However, truth be told, to me their ramen tasted good but the gyoza did not taste all that great... kind of bland and soggy. (Maybe that's why they give it away for free! haha -- guess no one orders it)

Ordinarily I would not give a chain restaurant 5 stars, but in this case, I don't have any reason to remove any stars.  For a little hole in the wall, chain Japanese restaurant---surprisingly they get much love from me. ^_^

Genki Ramen doesn't look like much from the outside, but this is actually a very nice restaurant in terms of their food and what all they have on their menu. It's not fine dining, but overall its good food at a fair price.  If you haven't tried Genki Ramen, you HAVE to go there. It's great!

This is a a nice little family owned Saimin Restaurant in Honolulu. As others will tell you, Parking is scarce during lunch and dinner time so try to be here a little earlier. Or even avoid those times if you can.

One thing I like about Palace Saimin is that you can see where the magic happens. Yes, even if it looks a mess, Its good that you can actually SEE the kitchen.   But then, most restaurant kitchens are a total wreck during business hours.

And ordinarily I'd be turned off by a messy kitchen, but I am pleasantly surprised to say that the bathroom was super clean!!!  So that made up for it. If they are able to keep the restroom spotless in spite of how busy they get, and how chaotic the kitchen becomes, its a sign of a good eating place that deserves your appetite and money.

My Saimin came out considerably quick. It wasn't super fast, but faster than some other ramen restaurants I've been to.

Now to be fair, I must say that I'm new to Saimin. So I can't compare it to Saimin at other places, so my review here is not based upon the taste of the Saimin at all, but rather upon my overall restaurant experience. With that said, to me, the Saimin tasted a little bland. The noodle texture was nice, but it needed a little more flavor. Even adding soy sauce helped only a little.

Other locals say that it tastes perfect, so maybe they are right. But where I'm from, I'm used to eating ramen with a bit more flavor and ingredients... so maybe its just me.

Also, a small bit of advice, I recommend ordering the large bowl, otherwise you'll be disappointed. The small bowl seemed quite tiny.

For a ramen shop, Palace Saimin seems to have a overall good atmosphere and good service. Their not the best in my personal opinion, and I don't know who is, but I recommend giving them a try!