I haven't been to Niwatei in a while and I think their quality has dropped quite a bit... That, or I've just been spoiled with Michelin quality ramen. I ordered the Half Ramen and Takoyaki meal set ($12.98) and found it somewhat mediocre. The Tonkotsu Miso soup didn't have a very full bodied flavour and seemed a little watered down. The noodles, chashu and fishcakes didn't stand out either and I would have preferred more flavouring to the egg.
The takoyaki had a lot of sauce on it but did not have the crisp shell or fragrant aroma I have come to expect from this street snack. It was also lacking some of the chewiness in the middle - probably because there wasn't enough octopus in the filling.
While prices here are more affordable than Konjiki Ramen, I think I prefer to pay a little more for better quality when eating out.