Meh. This is about as Japanese as the Olive Garden is Italian. It's like, all of the parts are there, the menu items make sense, but something is a little bit off at every step. From the attempt at overly-hip decor, to the obnoxiously large wooden ladles instead of regular Asian soup spoons, to most importantly, the food, it was as though the creators lacked an understanding of what a Japanese ramen experience should be. I had the tonkotsu, since all ramen restaurants should be judged by their tonkotsu. It was very bleh. The broth looks like it ought to be rich, but it was overly salty, and not even soy sauce salty, but like actual salt. It was as though they added too much seasoning at the end to make up for lack of effort in the creation of the broth. The noodles were mushy. The clump of steamed collard greens instead of bok choy cabbage was a bit odd. The big chunk of pork belly instead of proper chashu slices was kind of annoying. It generally lacked umami, which is the whole point of ramen. Also ordered the takoyaki hushpuppies, hoping that they used the word hushpuppy inappropriately. But no, you actually get a southern-style cornmeal batter deep fried hushpuppy with some octopus chunks in it. This is NOT takoyaki. I wish they would at least call it takoyaki-inspired hushpuppies, or perhaps octopus hushpuppies, because for any one who knows what true takoyaki is, you are just setting them up for a huge disappointment. (Even if you accept them as some sort of fusion creation, they still weren't very good.) I can get that they want to experiment and be creative, but do that with some of the other dishes. They first need to get the basics straight. Do not recommend. read more

This is another example of the Yelp reviews not at all matching the quality of the place, in my opinion, though in the other direction of the criminally praised Mesa Latin Kitchen. ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/mesa-latin-kitchen-durham ) It's been a little while since I've had the ramen downstairs, so I can just say that it's "top notch" without going into more detail. However, I was just upstairs, where they don't serve Ramen since it spills in the dumbwaiter. (There's a Japanese word for those snacks I just don't know it) We LOVED everything we got: -Spicy miso chicken wings -Halibut sashimi -Lamb buns -Beef hearts -Beef tongue They had a fantastic Belgian-style sour wheat from Idaho on draft, I need to track that beer down. Bartender was a cool dude who was spinning Pavement. read more

This place has potential because the broth is good. Not good enough to come back considering the rest though....man....the service is awful- long wait to get a menu and it seemed like the original server totally forgot about us, then missing orders. It seemed like they had never worked together before...maybe even didn't have a concept of who's got which table ??? Very confusing.... anyway unfortunately really underwhelming. read more

A coworker had insisted that Dashi made some dramatic changes to their menu and I needed to give it another go. Went last week for lunch to try the hiyashi chuka, a dish of chilled ramen noodles served with veggies, egg, and shrimp. Think of it like Japan's answer to pasta salad. And to my pleasant surprise it was good! It was pretty damn close to what I used to get in Japan. The only thing it was missing was the dollap of spicy Chinese mustard. I sat at the bar and looking at other dishes being prepared they've definitely upped the portion sizes so that they're more in line with the prices they're charging. While last time I left still hungry this time I was satisfied with the portion size offered. Another plus is the service has improved dramatically. Last time I went the waitress acted like we were disturbing her by coming in to eat. This time the service was friendly and attentive. When the weather starts to cool off I'll have to give the tonkotsu ramen another try but a big thumbs up to the staff of Dashi for making improvements. read more

Nice laid back spot. Open tell 12am Monday thou Saturday . Nice decor, they also play a great blend of music. This restaurant has a D.C. Vibe too which is cool read more

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Made a yelp account just to review this place. Was excited to try ramen in durham as options are limited. We tried the takoyaki hushpuppies, a bit different than the original, sweet v savory; however they were surprisingly good and cooked well. Then we got the spicy tofu buns which were meh, not bad not great, ratio of filling to bun was poor. Finally the ramen, we chose a classic tonkatsu. The only good part of this dish was the soft boiled egg. The pork belly was non-traditional, but edible and quite small. The big mistake was adding collard greens and pickled onion. They claim the broth is milky and thick; what we got was a broth that was sour, thin and unfulfilling. I didn't taste any black garlic oil. Service was ok. Water refilled regularly. Lacking hooks for coats, as I've found many of these Durham restaurants to lack. read more

Tonight was my first night at Dashi. My family and friends all went to celebrate one of our close friends birthdays. He had picked out the place based on other Yelp reviews and through google. This place while very casually elegant was not at all what we had read. You should know that this restaurant is technically TWO restaurants. Their "lower" part is the one that contains their Ramen menu and when I say Ramen Menu thats all they have to offer. You get about 5/6 options. They also have a very minimal drink menu (coke, diet coke and water). My sister and I both ordered the Miso Soup and when they came out, they both looked totally different and tasted different. There was minimal taste and it looked quite gross, I only had a few bites. While during our dinner our waitress was very slow and looked panicky and scared the entire time. Getting our bill took forever and giving us change took even longer. Overall very disappointing restaurant, wouldn't recommend this to anyone. read more

Bottom Line: Great place to grab some noodles and apps. Some dishes were a complete miss, and the service had sort of hipster lack of interest. Tip: When you get to dessert, order the green tea pound cake. DO NOT get the mochi smore. If you are tempted, just order a second green tea pound cake. The good: We ate upstairs and the rustic dark ambiance creates a great setting for sake and fresh hot ramen. The karaage had the perfect amount of bitter and bite from the toppings to compliment the juicy fried chicken. The grilled chicken skins were char grilled so nicely I almost ordered a second. I had the tonkotsu ramen and it was delicious. Is it $14 expensive for ramen? yes. Will you find any better here for less? no. I could rave about the green tea pound cake for forever, but I'll just say it's one of my favorite desserts in the triangle area. The bad: When the takoyaki hush puppies weren't brought out with our apps I confirmed they had the order. They said yes and when they still hadn't come out with the ramen I asked again. The waitress assured me she had put it in and brought them out after I was almost done with the ramen. It felt awkward and I really didn't want them at that point but felt bad canceling. They also had very little discernible flavor and didn't add anything to the meal a hush puppy from the freezer aisle couldn't. The mochi smores had a very thin graham cracker that was unpleasantly bitter and was filled with entirely too little mochi to be eaten like anything that resembled a smore. I would come back for ramen and some other apps since they were spot on, but am afraid that if I try anything new it could miss like the hush puppies or smores. read more

We went to Dashi again after three months, it was lunch on the end of May. I've read a lot improvements in Dashi from earlier reviews, but not expecting much due to our experience the first time. Ya, they've improve a lot of things, add egg in the ramen, appetizer and dessert in the menu, lower the price, etc. However, the ramen only tasted slightly better. The broth wasn't bland, but it was overly salted. I put the chili butter (which was still not spicy at all, like the first time), and my broth became to salty that I couldn't finish my ramen (I almost always finish my ramen, anywhere else). My ramen was also served not hot enough (quite cold), which didn't help with the salty condition. I do appreciate their efforts to improve the overall quality. The owner also emailed me after my first review. I'm supporting this restaurant to keep improving itself and I think all of the waiters are really nice. However, for now, honestly....I'm still not a fan. Some suggestions that I can give: 1. Hire a Japanese chef maybe? For at least creating the perfect balance of flavorful but not just-salty broth. 2. Provide spicy ramen options or real spicy-kick sauce and not the chili butter. For now, 2.5 or 3 stars max. read more

I have been to Dashi twice now and I have enjoyed everything that I tasted. I'll be honest; I did not expect much from a bowl of soup. I expected that it would mostly taste like one big bowl of the same flavor but I was blown away by the variety of flavor and texture that can be packed into one bowl. Things that I will normally not touch (mushrooms for example) were delicious. I have been there twice and had the Shio and the Shoyu. I've also tasted the Miso and the Mazeman, both of which I liked but I don't know if I'd order the Mazeman for myself. Here is what I don't get: People complaining about the price. Those dishes are HUGE. I have yet to finish half of what I order, and I don't have any trouble eating a big meal. Maybe you don't want to eat that much, but you can take it home in their special little soup take out cups and it's just as good the next day. People pay $26 for itty bitty little tapas the size of one of the eggs in this dish. This is $13 for a gourmet, locally sourced, eco friendly amazingly mouth watering dish that is the size of two meals. So really, you're paying about $7 bucks a meal for what is worth way more. Also the service was good. So why only 4 stars? Because I'm going to be through their short menu list soon and I want to see more! Hopefully by the time I get back in there there will be some more. Never mind. 5 stars. It's Shio forever! read more

It's ramen with a Southern twist, not traditional Japanese. I wish I liked it more than I have the couple times I've been there. The ramen here is hard to eat - there's too much going on in the bowl and some ingredients that stand out in a bad way. The broth is not rich or savory, although it is salty. The added pork belly we had was way too thick and fatty. There was a big hunk of raw enoki mushrooms on the shio ramen that just made no sense. The added greens and things like pickled onions are interesting but completely overwhelm the bowl, and I end up picking them out after eating a few. All of these factors combined make the ramen a chore to get through, and I end up not finishing it along with feeling pretty disappointed by the ramen experience. I respect that they are trying something different, but this just doesn't work for me. I kind of wish they did offer at least one ramen bowl with traditional Japanese ingredients. Even the takoyaki is "takoyaki hushpuppies." An interesting twist, but... regular non-hushpuppy takoyaki is more enjoyable, and not something I've seen in any restaurant in Durham. Unlike hushpuppies, which are plentiful. I don't intend to criticize this restaurant for not being something it's not trying to be. It's a nice restaurant, and the food seems to be good quality. I just feel like a lot of the dishes here don't come together very well. read more

This place is very hit-or-miss on yelp so I was excited to try it for myself. I ended up going twice in one week with two different people. Both times we were seated quickly but we didn't go during the rush (it seems to fill up at 7:30PM on weeknights and 6:30PM on the weekends). Our Tuesday night waitress wasn't the best and the food took a while, but Saturday night's was great and our ramen was served within 15 minutes. I enjoyed my meal both times (chuka soba); my friend didn't like her dish (miso...too salty). My husband enjoyed his but felt like they had just used a packet of two minute noodles (which didn't bother me). The best thing we had was actually not even on the menu -- their housemade ginger ale! So fantastic and goes great with the ramen. I gave Dashi a 4 because I actually really enjoyed it and will go back (I didn't think it was too expensive at all, btw -- our entire date was $34!!! Very reasonable). However, I see why people are all over the map with the ratings...I think it must be incredibly subjective. But since that's the case, go see for yourself! And get some of the ginger ale while you're at it. :) Oh - one thing they need to change are the horrible chop sticks. Cheap wooden nonsense. Dashi, please get on this. read more

Great authentic ramen! Tonkotsu was on point. Ask for spicy paste not the chili butter. If you want it to have a southern kick to it then add the smoked pulled pork-that mixed w the escarole feels like southern cooking. Overall very good and easily the best around in triangle park. read more

Dashi exceeded my already high expectations. I had been waiting for this place for months, because I love Ramen. I've tried it all over the place and Dashi commits. They have some of the best stuff around. My wife had the Tonkotsu which had perfectly roasted Kurobota pork belly among other things. It was divine and left you full and happy. I had the Miso with ground pork that was perfectly seasoned as well as a soy marinated soft egg and assorted vegetables. Every bit of it was delicious. We will definitely be going back for the Ramen and trying the Izakaya this weekend. That is the bar upstairs with authentic Japanese small plates and tempting Sake. We can't wait. read more

The broth is off, the pork belly is okay at best (worst I've had in the last few years, but still much better than the broth). How do you justify opening a ramen shop without getting the broth right? Anyone who claims the ramen is good clearly has never been to any other ramen shops. I would gladly take the instant ramen over the junk they serve here. Atmosphere's nice though. read more

Had Dashi twice, both times were ok. Ingredients were good, just was sad that the flavors didn't come out in there dishes. Had the main ramen dish and also the chicken ramen. Nothing really spoke out at me. I'm looking forward to trying it out again because I want to support local businesses :) plus the times I went there was when the first opened up. Service was also good when I went. read more

Dashi - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Ehhhhhhh I had better ramen than dashi. I ordered the shout. It needed more flavor in my broth and my extra $4 of pork belly was VERY disappointing. it was just a chunk of over cooked pork belly. Most ramen places have it sliced up so you have to eat it with your fingers (maybe because it was dry so it was tough to use my chopsticks). That was my main problem for this place other than waiting a bit for my check. read more

Dashi - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

It pains me to say this, because I've been coming to Dashi for years, but the last four times I've tried to go, we've been so put off by the customer service that we never even got to sit down. While I understand and support their proof of vaccination requirement, you have to check in at Dashi to go upstairs to Izakaya. They seem to have almost no walk-in availability any more, including upstairs. I walked in with a friend at 5:15 one night and saw a dinging room that was largely empty; the person checking us in was extremely rude and said there was no seating available, upstairs or down. This weekend, again, we tried to go at 5:30 on a Sunday. The host was overwhelmed between reservations and take out and checking everyone in. I tried to show my proof of vaccination card upstairs and was told I had to go back down the stairs to show it, then the host was too busy to actually check me and let me go back upstairs to the almost empty bar. This has happened multiple times now. Luckily M Pocha and Alley 26 were able to accommodate us the last two times we were turned away from Dashi. Happy to return again once the service changes! read more

Got the vegetarian/vegan ramen and it was very bland. There weren't great options for adding spice, just the chili oil which was not hot or flavorful. Not a great bowl for the price. My friend liked their ramen though. read more

I am excited that we have a Ramen joint in Durham, NC! For all of us who have had stateside ramen at Ivan, Ippudo, and Momofuku in NYC, not to mention Daikokuya, Iroha and the likes in L.A, and Monta in Vegas. Please I am aware and reminded that we are in Durham. I am grateful for the vision of the team that opened this place. I loved coming to Dashi and found Nick, our host, to be warmly welcoming in the midst of handling a bustling and crowded place. I found the staff helpful and the bowls to be honestly served and the base broths to be improving at each of my three visits. I loved the energy of the joint. I loved how comforting my bowl was. I loved how I felt welcomed there and left feeling satisfied and grateful! read more

Dashi - My bowl of miso ramen with pork belly. Satisfying! - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Dashi is a great place to go on a first, second or 100th date. Great vibes, great food and an overall pleasant experience! Dashi has a wide ranging menu for all of your ramen-loving needs, the bowls do not come very spicy so make sure you ask for a side of their hot sauce and chili paste! I great way to add some bang to a delicious meal. Would highly recommend checking it out! Slightly pricey- ~18 a bowl if you add an item or two but definitely worth it! read more

These guys know what they are doing! Great service. Great drinks. Great food. I don't have anything else to say but yelp is making me so I have enough content in my review. read more

Went here two more times, one for ramen and one for the bar upstairs. Buns: There were some kind of special deal that we can get half off the buns or something, so we tried a trio of buns: lamb, tofu, and chicken. Tofu was meh. Chicken was good. The lamb was my friend's and my favorite. Ramen: After the first time, I had more realistic expectation walking in, and I had a much better experience. It might also be because I ordered the Mazemen - some brothless ramen that I hadn't had before, unlike the famous Tonkotsu. Not too salty yet full of flavors. I wish they had spicier chilli oil. Drinks: I had two drinks here: the Cardamom Old fashioned, and the Tokyo Drift. I highly recommend both of them. I'm not really the adventurous type to try new cocktails - I've had way too many bad experiences ordering wonderful-sounding cocktails. These two didn't disappoint at all. Thank you fellow Yelpers who recommended them. The bar upstairs is quite nice and cozy. Don't wear 5-inch stilettos walking up the stairs. I also had a couple snacks at the bar, but I didn't really care for it - I actually can't remember what I had that day. They have shelves full of jars containing vegetables either pickled in vinegar, or alcohol, and my friend and I had fun trying to guess what those vegetables are. TL; DR: Don't expect NYC/ SF/ Boston quality ramen. Lower your expectation and/ or be open about the definition of ramen. Order the Cardamom old fashioned and/ or the Tokyo Drift. Don't wear stilettos walking upstairs. read more

Dear Dashi, hire better servers and bartenders. Other Yelp reviews have a common trend of bad service. Unfortunately our bartender was less than par. Not one smile, not one recommendation, I felt like I was inconveniencing her by being there. It's a shame the service is terrible because our craft cocktails were awesome. Everything seemed to be made from scratch. Unlike other Yelp reviews, I found the food not only appealing to the eye but also delicious. The beet appetizer was intriguing and beautifully presented. We got 2 different types of Ramen and both were on point. read more

My friend and I were super excited for this place when it first opened and finally found an excuse to drive all the way to Durham to try it out a few months after it opened. We had both spent some time in Japan and were feeling nostalgic for authentic Japanese ramen. We had heard about the crowd here and because they didn't take reservations, we were prepared to wait for our table. The hostess told us it would be about an hour and a half wait so we headed to the bar on the second floor to wait. The bar was itself really crowded and we were barely able to find a table in the corner. Let me also say it was a Wednesday night when we went. After an hour and a half, two beers, and an order of takoyaki, we decided it couldn't be much longer before our buzzer went off so we paid our tab and relinquished our table to the dozens of other people waiting for a place to sit. After waiting another half hour outside on the sidewalk, the hostess informed us it would be another hour wait for a table. T__T; With no where left to go and nothing to do, we went to wait at the McDonald's down the road (this was in February so it was too cold to wait outside). After an hour, our buzzer finally went off, convincing me that it wasn't broken after all. The food at Dashi was decent, but I felt it was over priced. The noodles in the ramen I ordered was a bit undercooked for my liking and the broth was too salty. The portion size wasn't all that big as well. The wait staff was nice enough though and pretty attentive. Overall, I was so disappointed and heartbroken with the experience; maybe I just set too high of an expectation or something. Like I said earlier, we came prepared to wait, but a hour and a half wait time should not have turned into 3 hours. We were barely even in the restaurant for a hour overall. I don't think I will be returning. read more

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In a word SALTY Too salty Ordered cucumber appetizer (with miso) salty Then lamb belly buns (with miso) salty again Entree was Shoyu Ramen (way too salty with a clear brown broth) How can shoyu ramen be made with clear brown broth? With shredded pork (NOT melt in your mouth pork slices) and eggplant (WTF) and cloud ear fungus (WTHHF) It was drowning in salt you can't taste anything else The ramen was well made though But the meal was travesty I've lived in Tokyo for 3.5 years (and NYC) I don't think it can get worse than this The added star was for our server who did a great job read more

Dashi - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Uhm.. Yum. This place was really a quick stop on my way through town with a friend. The food was insanely delicious. Everything you could hope for in a ramen bowl. Service was good and food came out fast. You will want to drink the broth to tge last drop (or take it home!). read more

Honestly I was kind of disappointed by this place. Interior decor was cool, the service was friendly, I liked the open ramen bar where you could see your food being made, but the restaurant didn't deliver on what I think are the two most important parts of a bowl of ramen - the noodles and the broth. I tried the tonkotsu ramen (pork broth, piece of pork belly), and the broth was creamy and rich, yes, but it didn't have a memorable flavor. The noodles were also overcooked because they were mushy when I bit down on them. Besides the piece of caramelized pork belly (that was really good, actually) and the soy sauce marinated soft boiled egg, none of the other side ingredients stuck out to me. This place has potential to become a really great ramen place - it's just not quite there yet. The prices are okay - not particularly good, but I don't feel like I'm quite being robbed yet. read more

The only ramen place as far as I know of in the Research Triangle area and on its opening week. Be prepared to wait for an absurdly long time. Large parties definitely have to wait longer. I was in a group of 6 and we managed to squeeze into a booth that is probably more suited for 4. Dashi doesn't take reservations and there was a line out the door before dinner service on a weekend night. Get your name put down on the list and conveniently tromp upstairs to the bar area where you can either sit down and eat there instead, or sit at the bar, order a few cocktails and have a nibble. Bar: Service was slow, but not on purpose. The bar was filled to the brim with people waiting for their turn to come down to have ramen. After waiting for a bit trying to flag down one of the swamped bartenders (and when we got their attention, they were incredibly nice) they took our order. A little bit more waiting, and our cocktails and food trickled in. The Studasaurus cocktail is an IPA bitter bomb with traces of ginger and a very bubbly, effervescent pop. I ordered a chicken liver yakimono that took the longest of the dishes to come out for our group. Two skewers with 3 plump chicken livers each, on the cusp of being too rare (and probably for most people, so I wouldn't advise trying this unless you are a lover of liver) but it was creamy and juicy. Drizzled with a little bit of light soy and garnished with scallions. Ramen: I ordered the miso ramen. The soy marinated egg is soft, with an oozy, sexy yolk and firm but tender white. The ground pork was excellently seasoned and not dry. The ramen noodles had a pleasantly springy chew. The sweet potato pieces had just the slightest bit of bite back, but they were soft. There is a small bit of chili kick that builds the more you eat. I felt like I needed just one more ladle full of broth is my only complaint, which by itself to me was very mild in flavor. When we were seated the service was very fast and our food was served pretty quickly. I was quite pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed everything, from the bar and the ramen shop. My favorite component so far was the texture of the noodles. I'd love to come back during a weeknight or on off hours, if possible, which I'm not sure will happen. Note: The reason you can't order the izakaya while in the ramen place and vice versa is because of pure logistics--asked one of the staff. A dumbwaiter connects the two and that's it. read more

I love ramen. And I love lamb belly buns. Therefore, I love Dashi. Yes, the wait can be long, but just come prepared for that. This place is not the biggest, but they do have two floors. So if you just want ramen, head downstairs. If you want the small plates and ramen, you have to head upstairs. There is a small bar area upstairs too, and I just love the vibe of this place overall. It is dimly lit, the dark wooden decor, and you just feel like a cool kid here I think. Although, the service can be a little slow when it is busy, good food I think is worth the wait. Plus, once you get an order of the lamb belly buns, that definitely makes your tastebuds cool kids because those things are so good I almost always want to order extra orders of buns! The ramen is very filling and their tonkosu has broth they boil for 24 hours! The roasted pork belly with that is just perfect. And Dashi you inspired me to make my own seaweed popcorn. I had never thought of that before, but you made me addicted to that awesome snack. So any place that makes me recreate a dish at home is a winner to me. read more

As a tapa place, Dashi is not a good pick. Despite the fact that the plates look invitingly tasty, the food itself is actually second class. Also the price doesn't match the taste and the serving price. read more

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My friend and I decided to stop by for dinner on a weekday. It's hard to find good asian food in Durham, so I was hopeful Dashi would be a solid addition to my asian food craving arsenal. We were seated immediately. I was really impressed by the atmosphere. There are cool anime clippings on the walls. I ordered a ginger drink and the shio ramen. My friend decided on the tonkotsu. I found the broth to be bland and could not take more than 2 bites of the kamaboko. The smoked chicken was too overpowering. So I was pretty much eating mediocre ramen noodles in water with one bite of mushrooms. My friend really enjoyed his ramen however. I will not be returning. read more

Kudos to the improvement with the egg and slightly lower price. However the ramen itself is still lacking, but I'll take it since this is really the only option in the triangle. Service on a Saturday night was passable, not spectacular. Waited a while to get water, and even longer for the waiter to come take our orders. read more

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Best ramen in town! Doesn't matter which one you choose... - yeah there are more than one kind of ramen - you'll enjoy Dashi a lot! Great beers to share with friends over a bowl of ramen. read more

There's not a lot of food choice in Raleigh/Durham, so it's nice to see a restaurant that serves ramen. The service is excellent, but the food is not so good. Simple is best, and there's no way to tell what the tonkotsu broth tastes like under the layers of (salty) pickled vegetables and (salty) oil that Dashi buries their food with. The pork was way too thick, the broth too cold and everything just tastes of SALT in any case. Charging 15 dollars for a bowl of ramen means they need to seriously step up their game. I will probably be back, as my expectations are more realistic (... and honestly, because there are not many options in Durham). The noodles were cooked to the texture I prefer, and they are sincerely nice, so they get 2 stars for that. read more

Dashi - Tonkotsu - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

For the love of all things good and sacred go to the Izakaya upstairs! I've been to the restaurant downstairs twice and while both times were good, but boy have I been missing out. They were open at 12:30 AM when I really needed some food to sober up so we stumbled in and were astonished by the deliciousness! I don't remember the name of the Ramen we ordered but the egg in it was phenomenal and those hush puppies with the squid literally made my life. The chicken wings made my second life. Just kidding I don't have one of those accounts they're a little odd. So next time you're in the mood for late night snacks, go upstairs! Also our server was very sweet and the whole bar didn't seem to mind that much that we came in 25 minutes before closing ;) read more

Dashi - Those heavenly squid hush puppies !!!! - Ramen Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I cannot believe this place is still up and running. The food is mediocre at best and on our most recent trip, the ramen had NO flavor. If you insist on visiting, I'd recommend sitting upstairs in the Izakaya. For some reason, they have access to the entire menu downstairs (all the ramens), but downstairs does not have access to upstairs menu. Ramen is probably the worst I've ever had in a restaurant. Other Izakaya items are fine. read more

There were almost no other ingredients in my vegetarian ramen dish besides broth and ramen. Two strips of a green pepper, a few sprouts... I mean you could actually count the pieces of vegetable in this dish. Ramen are not known to be healthy so it was just a carb spike. So I paid almost $15 for a bowl of 20 cents of ramen. I went to this restaurant because my coworkers wanted to and I like to try new places but it was an unfortunate dud. read more

Dashi is definitely my favorite ramen place I've found in the area. There are a few closer spots to home, but the quality of the noodles and broth at the other spots is disappointing compared to Dashi -- it's worth the longer drive to get it done right! I've only had the ramen here and have not had the pleasure of trying their other food items -- someday! I've had a few different types of ramen from their limited menu, the tonkatsu is my favorite; the vegetarian broth was way too salty for me. I love that there are add-on options for extras like an additional egg or chili butter (I think that's what it was anyway...my husband loves it!). The service is generally friendly and efficient. It seems every time we go here with my young daughter, the staff makes a point to tell us outright that they aren't very kid friendly. My daughter loves a good bowl of ramen though, so we're still going to keep coming back! The drinks don't have lids and there isn't a child menu, but I've seen many families here besides mine with young children, mine probably the youngest I've seen there. During the lunch hours (ramen only), there are some dessert options of ice cream. If you need something sweet after a savory soup, it is an option here...and my kiddo gives it a big thumbs up! read more

So I'm trying to be more biased and less forgiving in my reviews. It has been pointed out that I enjoy food, quality service, and pleasant environments with a forgiving demeanor. Dashi dashed my attempts to be overly objective, there was little to overtly object to. Dashi is one of few authentic ramen houses in the triangle; coming from new england, where a melange of asian influences produce some amazing vietnamese, japanese, cambodian, and in-between flavors, anything un-americanized flavor is appreciated. The attention to detail in the warm dark decor, exquisite in its simplicity sets a mood. An open kitchen concept is the best way to share your meal with friends and strangers at a bar ringing the simmer pots of deep, luscious broths and salty-savory meats. An upstairs sake bar says come in, there is always room. On a busy friday night at 7:30, I shared a meal of housemade pickles and two distinct bowls of warm ramen soup with my fellow diner and commented after the pickles, I'd be back. We found no wait at the bar, and frankly wouldn't have enjoyed sitting anywhere nearly as much. We commented on the distinct flavors of the three pickled vegetables, two radishes and crisp cucumber and found the Tonkatsu and Shoyu Ramen bowls to be thus unrivaled. I might be a Ramen novice, but these were attentive to an elevated ideal. Long simmered broths, braised meats, housemade noodles - these are hallmarks of every great cuisine. TO enjoy them together in a single meal is a delight. Dashi serves great food, at a reasonable price - leaving budget for the sake sampler. read more

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