Came here today for lunch. I had little to no expectations of this place so the crew and I walked in at noon hour thinking that we would get a seat right away. It was p a c k e d ! This place seems to be very, very, very popular with the Chinese population. We waited a good fifteen minutes before we were seated.
This place is simple - in terms of the decor and the menu. It's your typical 'mom and pop' resto. You won't be running to Holt's to buy a dress before dining here. The brains behind this joint (they also work there in the kitchen and as a server) are two of the daughters of the Heisei owners. The concept used is very similar to their mother's Green Tea Cafe - keep the menu simple at a low cost and you will get customers coming in.
I ordered the Chicken Ramen Set, which comes with a choice of an appetizer and a dessert. As an appetizer, I ordered the salad and I ordered the coffee jelly as my dessert. All under $15, it was very reasonable. As for the taste of the ramen, it was a-ok. Perhaps I have been spoiled? I've tried ramen in both Hokkaido and Kyushu (two regions in Japan famous for ramen) so I wasn't blown away by Niwatei's.
Definitely check it out if you're in the area.
I'll be okay if I don't go back.
A solid 3 star ~