E.A.K. RAMEN by Machida Shoten West Village Reviews Summary

Ambiance and Cleanliness

Pros:

• "The vibe inside the restaurant was perfect - not much could be said about improving anything here."
• "E.A.K. stuck out to me because of its appearance. It was sooo Nice and clean!"
• "This location is well lit & most important clean."
• "I waited in the restaurant for a couple minutes while my food was being prepared and the vibe in there was very cool. It was well lit and cozy."
• "The spot has a nice ambiance without being too formal."
• "Large dining space."
• "EAK Ramen is a nicely designed restaurant with a large bar area and welcoming lighting."

Cons:

• "The toilets were disgusting. Avoid!"
• "There were flies everywhere and there was an odor in the restaurant."
• "The bathroom is a little difficult to access since it requires using an oddly narrow staircase."
• "The staircases going down the bathroom is sticky and the bathroom is filthy."
• "The whole time we were there very harsh smell of chemical (bathroom cleaner sort?) was present."
• "Caution: The steps to the restroom downstairs are steep and extremely slippery. Very dangerous."
• "Once I mixed it, the broth is covered w thick layers of grease, and it tastes overtly salty."

Service

Pros:

• "Friendly, helpful, patient staff."
• "Very friendly staff and fast service. The food was great and tasteful."
• "Service was fast, friendly, and efficient."
• "Great ramen selection and staff is super friendly!"
• "Staff was very helpful with ordering, because again we have never had this, and VERY friendly."
• "Our server, Akar was very helpful and patient with us."
• "The staff couldn’t do enough for us and it was rather busy in there too."

Cons:

• "The service was bad, too. Nobody served me until I raised my hand to ask them."
• "The service was odd.. No one really took care of me, instead I had to chase one of the girls to ask."
• "Service was inefficient and slow moving."
• "didn't give us water till asked later, no small plates even if we were sharing food."
• "After serving us, nobody came over partly through the meal to ask how everything was."
• "The server had the nerve to ask me to pay right when my food arrived because 'his shift was about to end'."
• "They were quite rude and did not try to help at all."

Food Quality

Pros:

• "Ramen was delicious, especially the broth."
• "The pork also just melts in your mouth perfectly."
• "The vegan ramen was delicious and the spinach noodles add a very nice touch."
• "Stellar Shoyu broth; thick and meaty without being too salty."
• "The Zebra Tonkotsu ramen was the best Tonkotsu I ever had! Deep and complex flavor profile of pork and chicken, creamy consistency with a layer of flavorful fat riding on top."
• "The noodles and broth are the real stars here. Both are substantial and flavorful."
• "The ramen and service were both amazing. The ramen was quite unique, especially with the big noodles."

Cons:

• "Portion is quite small for the pricing."
• "The noodles seemed slightly too firm, could have been cooked a bit longer."
• "The noodles were too short so you can't really slurp them."
• "Ramen broths were either too salty or too fatty, depending on the base."
• "The vegetarian ramen was little more than overpriced salty broth with a few measly slivers of vegetables."
• "The tamago didn’t tasted fresh."
• "The broth was pasty as if corn starch or flour was used to thicken it, too salty."

Value for Money

Pros:

• "They also have seating at the bar which is perfect for solo diners!"
• "Delicious food and such friendly service."
• "The green house has a less creamy broth but packed with good flavor."
• "We tried a couple different bowls of ramen. Can’t go wrong with any of them."
• "The noodles were nicely chewy and the pork was tender and tasty."
• "The noodles are the best I've ever had in NYC."
• "Service is fast and friendly."

Cons:

• "A bit expensive for what it is; I had to spend an extra $8 until I felt I had a satisfactory amount to go with my order."
• "For $15 (lunch menu) they can’t even fill your bowl up the brim?!!"
• "Overpriced, $18 a bowl, small portion."
• "They serve you with Bounty paper napkins and bendy straws like you’re at a church picnic."
• "The extras like meats and vegetables in the ramen bowls are relatively small portions."
• "They still charged me $10 more than what was on the receipt."
• "They charge for just about everything."