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| - Gave futo buta a try with friends who were in town and would give it 3.5 stars. Overall, our food was decent but the prices were a bit high for Charlotte. If I wanted DC prices...I would go get DC ramen :) We met at 5:30 on a Thursday and had our choice of seating. When we left at 7pm, there was a wait for a table. So arrive early! There is outside seating, but in the heat, very few patrons selected that option.
Location: hard to find! Park in Post Southend Apartments (entrance off Bland, just before/after the light rail tracks by All American Pub). Park in the level 1 retail parking and exit out the back of the deck (where the dumpsters are). If you head toward the Charlotte Trolley Museum, you'll see Futo Buta to your right.
Atmosphere: great pictures on the wall and a cozy wood look/feel. However the water fill cart with cups, silverware, and a spray bottle for wiping down tables parked right across from our table made it feel a little unclean. It would be nice for them to move that to the back/behind the bar.
Appetizers:
* crispy rice squares were delicious. The tuna was fresh and paired well with the wasabi soy and the squares of fried white rice. Price: $12
* Smoked Pork Belly Buns: two soft buns with well sauced pork belly inside. Yummy. The buns are small so eat slowly. Price: $10
Sushi: we ordered a sushi roll that featured smoked salmon. My friend asked the waitress in advance how many pieces came with the sushi roll and she said 5. Not sure what happened to the 5th piece because it definitely came with 4! The plating was gorgeous but unfortunately, the taste was a no-go. It tasted fishy and the sauce had an unpleasant aftertaste. We returned this dish to the kitchen.
Ramen: all 3 of us ordered different bowls: Tonkotsu, Miso, and Fire & Ice. None of us had leftovers! These bowls are packed with noodles (I mean, really full) and had savory broths. The miso bowl (my order) had about 3 slices of pork belly and an egg along with the noodles/vegetables. My friend who ordered the Fire & Ice raved the most... I'm just not the biggest fan of kimchi.
Futo Buta is worth trying out. I doubt I'll ever be a regular, but I'm certain I will go back again. No appetizers, but will try another bowl!
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