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| - I wish I could give this a 3.5, because 4 feels a little high but it's definitely not a 3. Explored the menu here, having the xiao long bao, pork bao bao, tonkotsu, and tuna poke. Xiao long baos were a little bit of a disappointment, as I expected more flavor. But they weren't bad by any stretch. The pork bao bao was very good, as the pork belly was the main source of flavor. The rice cake on it was fluffy, but lacking the traditional baobao taco-look (it was more like a sandwich here). The tonkotsu ramen left much to be desired...the broth lacked a lot of flavor, and should have been steeped with the pork belly which had phenomenal flavor. Bean sprouts killed the flavor entirely and should have been left out. And a poached egg? Usually a boiled and marinated egg is in the bowl...the poached egg did not have the flavor that a traditional marinated egg would have. The bamboo shoots also had an odd flavor like they'd been taken in and out of a freezer many times...they didn't have the traditional crunch when they're 'fresh' from the jar. The poke tasted nothing like Hawaiian poke, and was missing the signature flavors, and instead just having a mix of soy sauce and hoisin. The seaweed was also the wrong variety for the dish.
Would I go back? Yes. In Charlotte/Huntersville, beggars can't be choosers if they crave ramen. This isn't Japan, LA, or Hawaii but it suffices well enough. I'll try their sushi next time!
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