Nakaya Japanese Bistro
301 W Platt St,Unit C, Tampa, FL, 33606
Nakaya Japanese Bistro Menu
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Address :
301 W Platt St,Unit C
Tampa, FL, 33606 - Phone (813) 251-4234
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Accepts Bitcoin : No
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Michael A.
Ramen, Onigiri, and sushi were all fantastic.
(5)Nat W.
I have eaten at Nakaya a couple times about a couple years ago when it just opened up. Maybe because they were just open and not trained or what, but it was just an okay experience I think the price was right and food was good portioned. But their rice balls weren't presented nicely. The quail eggs in ramen were way overcooked and hard. Katsu was good but the service seemed small and the restaurant was just vast and empty with several dining tables.
(3)Larry C.
In my Ramen hunt around the Bay area & after seeing so many good reviews i REALLY wanted to check this place out for quite some time. After my visit, i'm sad to say i couldn't help but walk away just a little disappointed. Maybe my taste buds have been spoiled by having had the chance to eat ramen at a few memorable places in NYC (ippudo, momofuku ... just to name a few) this one fell a little short in comparison. Chashu Ramen - the ramen was very salty. A friend who also was eating with us also considered herself a "ramen snob" and has had ramen at numerous spots in California also thought the same. I was totally shocked! The pork pieces in the ramen were huge but a little tough and seemed like it had been cooked a little too long. The noodles were good but what killed it was the salty broth. Takoyaki - This was the one dish i was also really excited to have because i dont know of any other places in the bay area that has this authentic Japanese dish. This dish consists of Battered deep fried balls of octopus pieces covered with shaved bonito flakes. Although it came with four pieces, they were very small and the batter just tasted like globs of fried fat. Karaage appetizer - Deep fried pieces of chicken which pretty much tasted just like that ... deep fried pieces of chicken. nothing out of the ordinary here in taste as it was just flavorless to me even with the mayo like tasting sauce it came with. Maybe it was just the fact that it was super busy here when we arrived (A Wed's night), the place only had one cook at the time & the waiter was very nice so ill give it a silght pass. this place has a lot of potential and i really hope they do well but for now ill just have to keep on with my ramen search.
(2)Noelle L.
Nakaya Japanese Bistro is a wonderfully refreshing addition to South Tampa. While I love all of the dining options we have in Tampa, it lacked an authentic Japanese restaurant whose sole focus was not sushi or hibachi. Nakaya delivers just that! Situated next to Walgreens on Platt St (where you would turn left to jump on the crosstown), it is adorned with humble, understated decor. We came hungry and sampled a lot! Why 4 stars instead of 5? Fresh tuna tataki: some of the freshest, best sliced tuna tataki I've had! And only $5 for a half order (5 pieces) FIVE STARS Karaange (deep fried chicken dusted with curry powder) It was okay, but we definitely wouldn't order it again. THREE STARS Takoyaki (fried octopus balls adorned with pickled root vegetable, bonita flakes, and Japanese mayonnaise)... it was different than I've had before (the ball was not as crispy as I've had in the past. Still a unique appetizer that we will order again. FOUR STARS Garlic Beef Ramen... great flavor; way too salty though. We added some water to dilute it and it was perfect. The ramen were cooked al dente and were fresh; not that cheap sh*t you got to cook in your dorms in college. FOUR STARS Spicy Miso Ramen... good flavor; not as spicy as I was hoping for. The flavors were great, but again, way too salty. Diluted and tasted much better. FOUR STARS. Japanese donuts & ice cream: I mean what's not to love about fried dough done right? Great end to our meal. FIVE STARS We will be making this a weekly visit. This place is awesome!!
(4)Karen F.
What a great little place. I went on a Friday for lunch, and had an excellent meal. The dining room is larger than you would think from the outside, and tables are well spaced out. It made the room feel very peaceful and very relaxing. Service was quick and friendly, and my bottle of diet soda came right out, as well as a little ramekin of complimentary appetizer. For my meal I started with one of their specials - a half order of tuna tataki. Delicious. The order consisted of 5 fresh pieces of tuna. Then on to the ramen. I had their spicy miso ramen, but because I'm a baby, I asked for the spicy on the side. It was perfect. Flavorful broth, chock full of chopped pork, fresh noodles, and I loved that I could adjust the spice to what worked for me. My original intention was to bring half home, but it was so good I ate the entire bowl! I was not in a hurry, so the fact that food took a bit of time to come out, leaving me plenty of time to chat with my friends, was fine - but if you are on a tight time schedule, be aware. I will definitely be back, as I can't wait to try everything on the menu!
(4)Carlos J.
This is my home restaurant. I live less than a mile away and the food is fabulous. Kozohiko is a awesome even when he's not trying. They have been closed for a bit due to some kind of family emergency. but I hope to be first in door when they reopen. Please try the takoyaki and rice balls. Cheap prices and great food. We have to keep places like this open in our neighborhood. ..Carlos
(5)Kevin F.
The takoyaki and age dashi tofu were good, as was the udon. I definitely will be back. The service was really slow, but I think it might just be that they are still fairly new and haven't worked out all of the kinks yet... Lastly, one of the people wanted to get some ramen to go and was told they don't do that -- because the noodles would get soggy by the time they get home. So be prepared to eat your noodles at the restaurant :)
(3)Natalie M.
So I am a huge ramen fanatic...I usually hit a noodle place in each city that I visit. I even make ramen at home (full on dumplings, veggies, and hard boiled egg) so when I saw everyone checking in to the place, I had to try it out. We went around 2 pm so we were the only ones there. The waitress was very friendly and the service was very quick. We decided to order the Takoyaki which is the fried octopus balls. I have had them when they are crispy, this one was mushy and not to my liking. We also ordered the tuna tartare that was just ok. We also ordered the hamachi Kama which is the cheekbone of the yellow tail. It was good but I would prefer it to be grilled a little more to make it crispier. Next came our soup which I ordered the spicy miso soup. The waitress also bought out an extra glass of water for me because she said the soup broth can be spicy. If you guys know me, I can eat super spicy. The broth was not spicy to me so I had to ask for sriracha on the side to add to it. The description said there would be ground pork in it...I barely had any in mine. The broth was a little bland for my liking. Overall, the service was excellent but the ramen was ok.
(4)Coty S.
I do not want to appear ungrateful. It is great that Tampa has a Japanese ramen restaurant with a Japanese owner and cook that serves mainly ramen. However, in my opinion, the best dishes at Nakaya are not the ramen. The ramen soup bases are very salty, I have had both the shio and the tonkotsu soups. The noodles are just fine. But, the saddest part is the chashu pork... it is dry, flavorless, and flaking apart. Not falling apart, but flaking into shards because it is so dry. The egg is hard boiled. Hard boiled eggs are more likely to be used in cold Japanese dishes. To be honest, I have used the pre-made ramen mixes at home with better results. Also, the vacuum packed chashu pork is better. Other Japanese restaurants in Tampa have better ramen and pork. Nakaya shines in their excellent customer service, adorable location, and snack dishes. My favorites are the karaage chicken, onigiri, and takoyaki. The karaage dark meat morsels are the perfect representation of this dish. The takoyaki are also excellent and so are the oshinko. The onigiri is clasically formed with salted hands and are massive. I recommend to come here with multiple people to sample the ramen, and order many side dishes. The building is hiding behind a drugstore, and a little difficult to spot.
(5)Bradley B.
We came here on a Friday night. It's a small place with not many seats. We ordered ramen; one with pork slices and another with pork dumplings. Both were good, and I especially liked the noodles. Soup was a bit salty but pretty tasty. Ambiance is nice too. The place is small and hard to spot since the sign is somewhat hard to see. It's a good japanese spot, though. The service was very good/attentive as well!
(4)Sol F.
This is my first time in a Japanese restaurant. Nakaya is near my office so I finally stopped by for lunch on a rainy afternoon. The server recommended a few items and liking spicy food,I went with the Spicy Miso Ramen. It was delicious and very spicy,as promised. Service was attentive and everyone was very nice. I had to follow the Miso with a bowl of ice cream to put the fire out. I can't wait to return with my wife. This is definately a hidden gem.
(5)Anna M.
I have been to Nakaya several times in the past few months and I am definitely a fan. It is located at the end of a shopping plaza, tucked away, almost hidden by the Walgreens. Let me tell you, it is worth the stop. The restaurant is simply decorated with very few tables. The owner could fit more tables in the restaurant, but I am glad he doesn't. The restaurant is never too busy and never too crowded, and I would like to keep it that way. The service is very good and the servers are always attentive and friendly. The food is always fresh and delicious. I have tried several of the appetizers. The Agedashi Tofu is fried to a perfect consistency, and is delicious. The Rice Balls are gigantic, tasty, and inexpensive. The Gyoza is very good, too. But the ahhhhh....the ramen. The ramen is oh so good. I find myself craving it all the time. Being the creature of habit I am, I always order the Chashu Ramen. It is chock-full of giant pork slices, noodles galore, bamboo shoots, and a quail egg...yum! I have now turned my friend into an addict, as well. He always orders the Spicy Miso Ramen. His sinuses have been cleared and is blowing his nose non-stop by the time he has finished his meal, but he says it is well worth it. Keep in mind that the ramen broth is soy sauce based and is salty. I am a salt-a-holic, so this suits me fine. Nakaya has a great Happy Hour too! 2 for 1 Sake!! I will definitely be putting Nakaya on my weekly rotation for meals. I plan on visiting for lunch, too. They have some great lunch specials!
(5)Dana S.
I had high hopes for this place since it has Ramen and rice balls and I was okay with everything I got. I just wasn't a fan of the filling inside the rice balls. I wish they just filled it with some smoked salmon or something but I'll ask them next time if they can and just charge extra. I just got the regular ramen and it was okay, I wasn't a huge fan of the broth but the pork was good. I'll try the udon next time. I liked the octopus balls and the Japanese fried chicken. The curry powder on it was a bit much though, just like they sprinkled a bunch on it. The service was friendly and all the tables were filled when I got there so I had to wait a little while but I'm glad they were busy on a Saturday night. Can't wait to try more things next time I go.
(3)Darryl K.
I am absolutely obsessed with ramen. So good to see a good ramen noodle restaurant in town. I highly recommend the wanton ramen.
(5)James R.
I was looking for a place with a good ramen bowl... What I found was a place with a fantastic ramen bowl! Perfectly seasoned, with a great piece of pork, fish cake and quail egg! And a friendly attentive staff make this a definite go back to!
(4)Lori L.
Went there yesterday w/ my children, 8 & 6 & we love it! We all had the miso soup & it was great. Both my kids ordered California roll & both cleaned their plates. I ordered the green tea to drink & the spicy ramen! Love it so much! Just like my mom used to make! This place is authentic! Both the cook & the hostess were so incredibly sweet! They gave my kids an avocado tree to take home! Two thumbs up for sure!
(5)Quan D.
Quick Summary: A decent variety of ramen, though not a ramen specialty shop. It's more of a casual shop with a variety of palate pleasing japanese dishes; a good place to go if you're branching out of your normal cuisines. Tampa doesn't have a lot of ramen offerings, but I had a craving and was happy to see that they had a good variety here, my personal favorite Spicy Miso Ramen :) Before we got to the ramen, started with a couple of appetizers. They've got a pretty long list of appetizer, which are perfect for the sharing. Decided to go with Chashu and Kaarage. If you've never had Chashu (charshui, chasiu... various spellings) it's an asian style bbq, more on the lighter side not as strongly flavored as American style. It was pretty mild here, but the sauce added some good flavor. The Kaarage is a like very lightly breaded fried chicken pieces; I really enjoyed these as the chicken was quite moist and flavorful. My go to ramen for comparison is the spicy miso, and I was pretty happy with the ones I got here. The broth was a little lighter in flavor than I prefer, but the heat was definitely there. I think it would be cooler if you could customize the ramen; I like mine with some fresh garlic, corn, and a barely hard boiled egg... mmm mmm... but the bowl I had here was still pretty satisfying. It can be a little hard to find this location, squeezed inbetween a bank and a CVS. But they've got some pretty solid food; a good place to take some friends that are looking to expand their food horizons a little bit!
(4)Mary J.
First good sign was that it was difficult to decide what to order because there were so many dishes on the menu that appealed to me. Second was the attentive service. The staff is cordial, respectful and helpful. Make that a great sign. Third good indicator was that the food was so very enjoyable. The spicy tuna roll truly lived up to its promised spiciness which never seems to happen. My choice of two rolls were preceded by a crisp, tasty salad with dressing and miso soup that was flavorful and not over-the-top salty. The premise of this small but charming establishment seems to be to keep the look and feel simple but inviting and the food simply well prepared. Hope this is a place that not just survives but thrives. And that I get the chance to try everything that caught my eye on the menu.
(4)Wayne A.
Great food! Ramen is sweet, but not overwhelming. Staff is helpful, happy to see you, and super helpful. And the decor is perfect, being well thought out in its simplicity. I'm coming back next week to try more of the menu!
(5)Jess L.
I was excited for this ramen joint but after the third visit it was a big disappointment. The chef must not taste their soup because it was EXTREMELY salty. I tried my best to finish it but couldn't get through half of the bowl. I don't think it worth price for a salty ramen. I felt like I was overdosing on salt! I had the regular ramen and my husband got the spicy miso ramen both were a disappointment. Chef, please taste your soup before you serve. It is not healthy to overload on sodium!
(2)Steve E.
Nakaya is a casual dining Japanese restaurant located along Platt Street in downtown Tampa that specializes in homemade ramen noodle dishes and so much more. It's tricky to find this place, so here are some suggestions to make your life easier. Nakaya occupies the space formerly held by the Second Line Café, and before that by Nola Café. It is in a tiny little retail strip sitting next door to a big Walgreens on the corner of Platt and S. Hyde Park Avenue. If you pull in to the Walgreens parking lot and follow the signs towards their drive-through pharmacy pick-up window, you'll find Nakaya in the little building on your right, near Plant Avenue. Once inside the doors of Nakaya you'll find a very minimalist, but charming restaurant with about 10 tables and some space at the sushi bar. There are photos of the menu posted here in the Yelp pictures, and you'll see that they have a number of tasty noodle dishes, sushi, sashimi, rice balls, curry, and other traditional Japanese entrées for lunch and dinner. Brittany and I arrived for dinner, and we were promptly greeted and seated. The waitress brought over glasses of water and stood there to explain the menu and answer questions before scampering off to get us some hot green tea. We decided to share a sashimi salad appetizer, and that arrived within a few minutes. The slices of raw tuna, salmon, and snapper sat atop a mixed greens salad and we had a little dish of ponzu sauce off to the side for dipping the fish and pieces of salad. For my main course I ordered a bowl of chashu ramen which turned out to be homemade ramen noodles with spinach, seaweed, a cooked and halved quail egg, bamboo shoots, green onion, and slices of pork loin happily floating in a delightful soy-infused broth and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The noodles were cooked al dente so they had a nice chewy texture, rather than the usual tasteless blob that comes out of the cellophane ramen noodle soup package from your grocery store. My date ordered an extremely healthy-looking bowl of vegetable tempura seated on top of buckwheat soba noodles with a similar presentation of broth and veggies. Both of these noodle bowl / soups were very tasty, and we were happily pulling up the noodles with our chopsticks and trying our best not to slurp too loudly (although I am told that slurping is quite normal and a sign of respect to the cooks). But hey, I was on a date and trying to show off some good manners. The food was very delicious and extremely budget-friendly. I do hope that Nakaya is successful and stays around longer than their predecessors. Yes you should go, and slurp loudly my Yelp friends!
(4)Savitre S.
My friend and I were drawn to this place for one and only reason- it had ramen. Glorified bonified ramen, like the made from scratch kind that has been sadly represented by the cheaper kind that is the foodstuffs of dorms. Don't get me wrong, I love that stuff too. But it's just not everyday you find a ramen house in the Tampa Bay Area and lo and behold it was here. It's not very obviously advertised and hidden behind a Walgreens but in the quieter part of downtown Tampa on the verge on Davis Island. It was quiet and plainly decorated but the waitstaff were super nice and the ramen was worth the drive. Perhaps not the drool worthy beef curry ramen I had once experienced in Annandale, VA (right outside of DC)- but it will suffice.
(4)Edward P.
The ramen is a joke. Don't even bother. I returned mine. The owner didn't take the item off my check until I asked for her to remove it! I then tried a couple appetizers which were good.
(2)Kylie K.
Nakaya is a chic Japanese restaurant in South Tampa. The restaurant is spacious with refreshingly blue walls, clean wooden tables, and modern, plastic chairs. Our waiter, Nathan, seemed nervous but was very nice and was accommodating. The menu offered diverse options, including ramen, salad, and katsu. I was disappointed that ramen wasn't available as a lunch special--paying 9-12 dollars for a bowl of ramen didn't make sense compared to, for example, paying 8 dollars for the katsu lunch special (the lunch specials came with a small salad and a small bowl of miso soup). Although the waiter explained that ramen with a side soup would be redundant, for a ramen lunch special, the restaurant can easily serve, instead of the miso soup, tempura or seasoned rice. I ended up ordering the pork katsu special. The salad came with ginger dressing and was very tasty. The miso soup was slightly salty but was a nice addition. The katsu was served with a bowl or rice, tonkatsu sauce, mustard (not wasabi), shredded cabbage, and a slice of lemon. The katsu was small but was well-cooked and well-seasoned. The sauce was perfect, and the mustard was high-quality. Although, overall, the portions were small, I was happy with my katsu lunch special and would like to return to the restaurant to try other dishes on the menu.
(4)Giga S.
My shriveled tongue couldn't keep its taste buds off of my husbands Ponzu chicken dish for lunch. I was so excited about having a Ramen place near home but mine was ridiculously salty. I'm not trying to be rough; I mean, how do you make sure that every bowl is going to taste right? There was a man in uniform eating lunch that day next to us. I couldn't help but feel bad, I saw he had ordered the Ramen too. It's a cute place it only has a few tables. It's roomy, but it only has just a few-small-tables. Perplexing. Every single dish tasted right in the Philippines at this place called Ramen bar. Every single dish was perfect there. If you are traditional Japanese, then I have to compare you to that. Maybe I'll come back, my discrimination only reflects the batch of ramen that I tasted. Calling all Ramen!!!!!!
(2)Jason C.
I went with a friend a few weeks ago. We ordered the chashu ramen, takoyaki, and fried assortment. The takoyaki and assortment of fried stuff were okay but nothing special. The ramen itself had decently chewy noodles. The broth was however over-salted though somewhat flavorful. I'd say the main downfall was that the chashu was not only kind of cold but super tough to chew. I tried to rejuvenate it by dunking it in broth, but it could only do so much. I did appreciate the shichimi provided for the ramen. I also enjoyed the quail egg.
(2)J Z.
Look. This is bomb. Tampa is finally getting good restaurants that have some culture and this place is awesomely priced and has great portions!!!! I've been about 5 times and I hope this place stays around, if you like Asian food, you'll love this. Huge huge ramen bowls and the saki is cheap! For being in south Tampa this place could easily Jack up the prices and nobody would even bat an eye because of the prices of the surrounding restaurants. Get here ASAP and go often!
(5)Sarah W.
Best ramen I've had out side of toyko. Loved it here, took my 14 year old daughter and her friend for a birthday lunch. Great service and the food was amazing.
(5)Chris W.
I found it refreshing to find a Japanese restaurant that is not centered around hibachi or sushi. I read an article about Nakaya in the paper and really wanted to try it. The restaurant can be a little hard to find, but I knew where it was because I had eaten at the restaurant that was there before it became Nakaya. When we arrived the restaurant was almost full. We were lucky to grab the last empty table. The menu had a lot of choices but we found ourselves frustrated by it. It provided sparse details about some items and no details about many others. What's Chashu ramen and how does it differ from the regular ramen option? You certainly won't find out from the lunch menu. We pretty much had to interview our poor waitress with "What is this?" and more "What is this?" questions about menu items. I ended up selecting a lunch special, which I thought was a good bargain for the amount of food you get. For eight dollars I got ponzu chicken, miso soup, and a salad. The ponzu chicken was pretty good. The hostess and the wait staff were extremely friendly, but the service was so slow. It was well over an hour from our arrival time to our departure. I couldn't have lunch here again on a work day because of that, but I'd be interested in coming back for dinner and trying one of their ramen dishes.
(3)Walter H.
Absolutely fantastic, Best Ramen I've had in US. Reasonable price. Pretty shabby environment though.
(5)Michael Vincent Y.
i have eaten better ramen in other restaurants. Nakayas ramen is good but not the best, its a bit salty. i also ordered pork tonkatsu, the pork serving is small and we were disappointed with this. however the order comes with sa side of salad, white rice and miso soup. we also ordered gyoza which taste good! FYI i am half-japanese & my wife and i have tasted lots of ramen. all in all, nothing spectacular but worth the try for a fair price.
(3)Marie K.
Fantastic authentic Japanese food. I'm Japanese so my family and I are very picky. This is not a place for sushi, but other Japanese cuisine that are often overlooked in Americanized Japanese restaurants. What I mean is, tempura, croquette, fried entries, etc. The Japanese chef used to work at the nearby Joto Japanese Restaurant as a 'deep frier', so he's an expert deep frier. This may not sound impressive, but a lot of Japanese fried foods require finesse, so it really makes a difference. Highly recommended. The chef's wife oversees the front, super sweet woman. Wonderful service. Very, very reasonable price. In fact, I'm not sure how they're making money with that price! :)
(5)Tom I.
Casual Japanese joint with some good selections of Izakaya staples. This is not cheap imitation of tempura sushi teriyaki joint that you see everywhere in Florida, the owner is Japanese working in kitchen, and does pay close attention to what he does. I only did small tapas items since we were drinking...karaage, edamame, gyoza, chasu, ohitashi, etc. they were all good except chashi, but that is just my taste. Gals working there were so friendly and good. The place probably needs more tables or need to have partition to limit the size, as I felt the place was to big for number of tables available, but I'm sure they would figure out as they continue to succeed. Overall I enjoyed my experience here.
(4)Rob G.
As the noodlehead food fad pop up in many major cities I was excited to see this establishment come up on my food radar moreso that I can relate somewhat to this crave being a newbie noodlehead. Nakaya is a small Japanese Bistro of which you can miss in the blink of an eye when heading north on Platt. A safe mark would be to turn into the walgreens and navigate toward the back of the plaza where they are located. On my initial visit excited and didn't seem overcrowded, I entered and was told the kitchen was and hour behind on service. Grrrr..... left and gave them a second chance on an odd weekday where I even called ahead to make sure there was not much of service delay. So, those looking to dine there on a Saturday, I would recommend to call ahead and find out if there is anything that would cause much of a wait. The atmosphere is small and quaint with subtle Japanese accents. Being adventurous I ordered the Japanese soda for a beverage. This is one tricky lil devil of how they marketed this soda. First off the label is all in Japanese, second there is a strange blue apparatus on top, I asked by server on how to open this bottle and she was unsure finally noted some pictures on how to open this bottle. The blue apparatus had a safety device which you remove, then maybe gently push on top seal, however I pressed on the top with no caution and carbonation found its way all over my table. After cleaning up my mess I noted the bottle was sealed with a marble, cooool.... Upon taste, it was citrusy and refreshing, however if I tilted the bottle a certain way the marble would hinder the flow of drinking. Am I on an episode of punked with this damn soda??? what a thirst quenching challenge. Food lineup: *Pork Shumai - salty. no soy sauce needed for dipping purposes. *Karaage - these were lightly breaded, had almost a curry/turmeric seasoning blend which was a unique flavor profile and the chicken pieces were cooked to perfection. *Rice balls - 1 ball salmon flakes and the other dried bonito (fish) flakes. These flakes were tucked in the middle of the rice ball. I'm guessing these flakes were cured fish so yet another salty note. *Nabeyaki udon - a seafood/ meaty delight coming in a cast iron bowl piping hot. containing tempura shrimp, chicken, mussels, krab, a semisoft egg, spinach and udon noodles. Now udon was a thicker, rubbery sucka compared to ramen. Im not sure what to expect from the miso broth flavor build but again salt hits the taste buds again. But I managed to slurp many noodles while getting whacked in the face by udon and broth. *Fried doughnuts with ice cream and chocolate sauce: Sweet to tame my salty taste buds right??? almost... I hate to say it but the doughnut had a noticeable salt tone that the confectioners sugar couldn't hide. A dip in cinnamon and regular sugar blend would go a long way on this dessert. Jus sayin... To sum up my meal on each course unfortunately I'd have to say Holy Salt Lick!! Hence why I gave it 3 stars. I can almost go lower but I feel peoples livelihood depends on some of these review averages. The staff was very polite, helpful and attentive. Come chopstick knowledgeable since it is the main utensil they give you. The prices on menu items range $4 to $15 which is a bargain gem. BYOB with no corkage fee. I would like to come back and try some their other dishes, but ill let my taste buds calm down and Nakaya to work out their customer service when busy hiccups and flavor profiles. Til then this noodlehead needs to find some experience noodleheads to show me the way. On my way out the door, I think me and the chef had a moment, he bowed and I bowed back in depart.
(3)Amanda L.
Still our go-to place when we're craving some ramen. It appears that the ramen broth is consistently soy sauce based (I think our initial visit was a special that they had). Udon noodles are good, but not my favorite - not enough broth, and I've never been a fan of tempura soaking in broth and getting soggy. On the other hand, the soba noodles with a fish-based broth offered at lunch is really delicious, and the veggie tempura fritter that comes in it actually enhances the dish (and I am actually ok with it when it becomes soggy (surprise!)). All in all, a great Japanese noodle place!
(4)Natasha K.
I love this place! Their ramen is soooo good! The owners are from Japan and speak it fluently. I believe they are family owned. My husband and I ordered the regular ramen. Comes with ramen noodles, bamboo, naruto fish cake, pork slices, and quail egg. It was super yummy! They have different types of ramen that they sell here that comes with different amenities. The sunumono was very delicious! They give a generous amount. The staff are very pleasant and welcoming and so are the owners. I would recommend this place hands down as one of the best if only ramen shops in Tampa.
(4)Brian B.
Great rice balls, enjoyed the soba noodles and the tonkatsu pork.. Next time I'm back in TPA I will be enjoying a meal here again..
(5)Janet S.
Wonderful, quiet and zen like, in the middle of goddam nowhere. They had all my faves, octopus salad, hiyayakko, oshitashi, and three cold sakes later $31. Extremely good VFM and super nice peeps, nothing was too much trouble. Two peeps had the ramen, twas a bit salty for my taste.
(4)Corina F.
Delicious, authentic, fresh. The curry laksa is a must-have along with the Indian pancake appetizer. (Spicy food lovers unite!)
(5)Susan K.
Finally!!!!!!!! A GREAT ramen house in Tampa! I recommend the wonton ramen! Delicious and simple. This is where the locals find good ramen in Tampa.
(5)Jade Y.
I was beyond excited to learn about this little gem of a restaurant. Even more excited to eat here. The owner comes into my shop every once in a while, and this is how I came to know of Nakaya's existence (it really is hidden behind the Walgreens right off of Platt- easy enough to find if you're familiar with the area and know what to look for, but you're not going to happen upon it if you don't already know it's there). My boyfriend and I split the seaweed salad and the pork dumplings (gyoza), and our waitress brought us an appetizer from the kitchen- green beans and other veggies in some kind of earthy fish flake dry sauce. The bf doesn't even like green beans but I had to keep him from hoarding all the deliciousness. The seaweed salad was the best I've had in Tampa, and the Gyoza was pretty awesome too. The Ramen was just right- broth was super light but flavorful and not at overly salted. I do agree with another review I saw on here- it would be nice if the ramen ingredients were more customizable, but as is it was still fantastic. For dessert we split the green tea ice cream (mmmmm matcha). Matcha ice cream is always the perfect ending to a good meal. I honestly can't wait to go back as soon as possible!
(5)Mary E.
Ramen is soy sauce based not tokontsu but it was really yummy and the noodles cooked just right . The pork was screaming with flavors . We had the gyoza and the sauce that comes with it is phenomenal . The agedashi tofu was perfect that even my fiancé ate it . He hates tofu. This place is homey and the food Is made with love . Wish I lived closer to eat here more often .
(4)Thomas C K.
We were a bit disappointed after reading the TBTimes review. I had the Chashu Ramen and even though I like Ramen this was boring with little flavor. My wife had the shrimp tempura which she enjoyed . The atmosphere is a bit bare bones and needs improvement. Service is friendly but needs coaching.
(3)Darcy G.
Had a lovingly cooked dinner here. The staff clearly takes pride in their food and service. Prices were reasonable, and portions were generous. They also have a take-out menu if the sparse decor and Pandora jazz feed aren't your cup of tea.
(4)Seamus G.
Please be aware this is not a Japanese fusion place and it is also not a sushi joint, neither of these are a bad thing a matter a fact that's what makes this place so great! This place is wonderful! It is the closest thing we have found to traditional Japanese fare, other than sushi. The takoyaki was wonderful, as was Tonkatsu. However, the real winner was the Ramen! It is the real deal, with a nice broth, perfect noodles, quail eggs and all the fixings.
(4)Don K.
People of Tampa...... Support this place! What a great value for well done Japanese dishes. I surprised by the low menu prices and the three of us were thinking that portion sizes might be 2 pcs of this or that. But we order 4 apps and 3 mains and everything felt like a very fair portion. Very good ramen (broth a little sweet to me) but I think it will please most people. Try the octopus dumplings, and the roasted hamachi collar. The Japanese names and English descriptions are on the menu. And for the price, you can try many things (the way they like to eat in Asia) and take home the excess. The server was excellent, a little shy but so sweet in her service. After lunch speaking to her, she is a little nervous after only being open a few months.... if people are accepting of a Japanese restaurant that does not put sushi rolls front and center. I say this is important for the city of Tampa to support this effort to widen the offering of Asian cuisine. If you have an unadventurous person in your group, do not worry... they do have the sushi rolls that all Americans are used to and they have plenty of tempura breaded and fried stuff that should appeal widely. Go there. Appreciate the effort. And enjoy. Parking is easy with proprietary spots in Hyde Park area.
(5)Tran T.
This place is amazing! My boyfriend use to have to wait until we took a trip to NYC to satisfy his udon craving. He is a sucker for some traditional japanese udon. This place never ceases to amaze. It is a small restaurant, delicious, satisfying and affordable. Everything looks clean, our udon broth is always served hot and yummy. We always get the shrimp tempura udon, with the shrimp tempura on the side. This keeps the tempura nice and crunchy, I love that texture with my soup. The servers are always friendly, the food comes out fast. The chef is always consistent with his food, it tastes as good as it looks! The owner (lady) is also very friendly. We look forward to eating here every chance we get! We've only ever made it for dinner, I will have to try to make it for lunch one day. The drive from Oldsmar is a bit far but so worth it. I read a lot of reviews to try the ramen but the udon is SO good, I don't know if I will ever be willing to not get my udon to try the ramen haha.
(5)Paulina T.
Just tried this cute little Japanese restaurant right off Davis Island. The Takoyaki (Octopus Balls) are delicious! It's got a lot of flavor. Somewhat of a dumpling. The chef provided these sesame seasoned green beans that were pretty unique and tasty. The sunomono salad was good, not as vinegary as I'm used to. The Chashu Ramen was good, this is made with real egg noodles. The service was excellent. You know it's authentic when everyone dining in the restaurant is truly Japanese :)
(5)Julie P.
Our first time there was great! The service was quick and they were very friendly and welcoming. We had the chicken teriyaki and shrimp tempura. Both were good, and the wine is cheap only $4 a glass.
(4)Steven A.
Food is wonderful. I've been here 6-7 times and I always leave happy.
(5)Carolyn C.
My mother and I went for our "Girl's Night Out". The restaurant was almost completely empty at 6pm, but the menu looked promising, so we decided to order. My green tea (iced) was quite good and the appetizers of Edamame and Rice Balls were tasty, although the rice balls fell apart after a few minutes (I had hoped to take one for lunch the next day, but no luck). My mother got Udon and I got Ramen- both were inedible due to their saltiness. I got the Ramen with pork, but the pork was horribly overcooked and flavorless. My Mother's Udon came with Shrimp Tempura that smelled like it had gone bad- neither of us were able to eat more than a bite or two. When we told our waitress about the food, she apologized but did nothing to remedy the situation. Nothing was removed from our bill and the cooks/owners (all of whom were there) said nothing to us as we paid and left. We will not be back.
(1)Robert P.
Enjoyed the ramen and the ice cream donuts, apparently Frankie Muniz is a regular here. Would come back.
(4)SH K.
Overall, I liked the place. Tuna tataki was really good. Also had the chashu ramen, which honestly I thought was a little dry. Broth was not salty, which I liked. Place was very simple, and they could easily have added a few more tables. Haven't gotten their liquor license yet.
(4)Tammy K.
Originally from Japan, I am so excited to see a REAL Japanese restaurant with regular Japanese food, not Sushi or Teppan Yaki that is far from Japanese. Best Tempra in town. I hope they will be around for long. I wanted to give 4.5, but couldn't . I have never rated 5 to any restaurant, so there is that.
(4)Jim M.
My wife & I ramen lovers. We've been blessed to have had some of the best around, including the very best - Momofuku NYC. We love ramen so much that we have learned to make the broth in a traditional way. While we love it, we're not by any means experts. Having said that, the ramen at this place is good but not great. Its clear that the noodles appear to not be made in house. I suppose a minor thing as there are very good American ramen companies, like Sun Noodle. The noodles were more like the ones you remember from college. The broth is good, but still less than the Tonkotsu I make at home. The broth was 'not' the normal scalding hot broth you get at most places. i suppose that's good if you're the type of person who wants to jump in and eat right away (like me). But I'm used to the volcano scalding broth I've gotten at most place. The pork belly was good and the vegetables were fine. I liked it, and I guess I should be happy to get ramen at all in Florida. I just think they can step it up more.
(3)