Maki & Ramen – Japanese – Nottingham

The latest installment in the soup noodle category is a chain, Maki & Ramen. They now have more than a dozen sites across the UK, the first of which opened in 2015. They have replaced Wildwood in King Street, an attractive wide open room with high ceilings. I am immediately cynical as I am greeted by a whack of a Japanese drum and spot a ‘thought wall to connect with fellow food enthusiasts’. I manage to make it to my table where my food is lifted by Irn Bru on their menu, presumably because they were founded in Scotland.

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Having supped some fluorescent beverage I take in the usual array of soups and sushi options. I opt for the classic pork Tantan (£14.50) with a special side of ‘Dynamite Prawns’ (£9.90). I usually address service issues later but it must be mentioned now. Having been seated slightly after 19:15 my ramen arrived at 20:08 with prawns at 20:14. That is particularly egregious for a cuisine that is usually fast. The 45+ minutes here compares to 15 mins at Hey! Dana and 30 minutes at Shobu. Other favourites I don’t have the data for but I can confidently say they didnt take this long! Redemption was available though if the food was outstanding. The broth itself was the highlight, rich and flavourful from the sesame although quite tame vs the chilli level on the menu. Other versions I have had were with minced pork but this was chopped. I don’t know what cut was used but it was unfortunately chewy and sinewy. The long awaited prawns were heavily battered with a thick, sweet sauce that made the whole experience cloying. If you’re advertising ‘dynamite’ I expect a bigger kick.

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A rather below par experience all round. The staff seemed perfectly nice but overstretched in all departments. We also noted the amount of Deliveroo orders going out and presumably being prioritised over restaurant customers, hence the wait. It was a perfectly reasonable bowl of ramen for the price but I cannot imagine why you would choose here over the many independent and established competitors in Nottingham.

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