Waited in line for 45 mins at that new ramen spot downtown

I went to Ramen House 88 last Saturday around 6pm and it was packed. The line was out the door and I saw like 20 people walk away before even trying. Once I got a seat, the broth was amazing but the noodles were kinda mushy. So here's the debate: is it worth waiting forever for a hyped place or should you just hit up a hole in the wall with no wait? I'm leaning towards the no wait option after that. Has anyone else had a similar experience where the hype didn't match the reality?

2 comments

2 Comments

mitchell.mark1mo ago

Yeah, "the noodles were kinda mushy" is a dealbreaker for me. I found this little joint called Noodle House 8 near my work that has zero hype and zero wait, and the chef actually hand pulls the noodles right there. That's my go to now for sure.

harris.emma1mo ago

Yeah, "hand pulls the noodles right there" is the kind of thing you can't fake. Once you've seen someone do that, it's hard to go back to the pre-packaged stuff from a Sysco truck. For places that don't hand pull, my trick is to order the noodles "extra firm" if they offer it, or ask for them to be cooked al dente if the place is chill about custom orders. It's a gamble sometimes but it usually keeps them from turning into a pile of mush by the time you get them home.

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