Located in the South End neighborhood of Charlotte, YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar distinguishes itself as a haven for those seeking an authentic and innovative Japanese dining experience. Tony Yum, the visionary behind YUME, brings a wealth of culinary expertise and passion from his roots in Hong Kong and his formative years in San Francisco's Japantown, where he previously owned a Japanese restaurant. This background lays the foundation for YUME's unique approach to Japanese cuisine, emphasizing authenticity, innovation, and a commitment to sustainability, particularly through practices aimed at achieving zero waste in the kitchen. YUME's ambiance, characterized by modern design and a warm, inviting atmosphere, mirrors Tony's vision for a space where exceptional food meets exceptional hospitality. Tony, shared his stories from his diverse background, and his approach to sourcing and sustainability (evident in his homemade soy sauce and house smoked mackerel) set the tone for a dining experience that's as enriching as it is delicious. It features a comprehensive bar and a sushi bar, each equipped with bar seating for guests. Its expansive dining area is furnished with both booth and table seating options, with the booths notably offering superior comfort. YUME boasts an extensive menu, featuring a delectable assortment of sushi, yakitori, and ramen, along with thoughtful gluten-free and vegan/vegetarian options to accommodate diverse dietary needs and preferences. Brandon, my waiter during the visit, is a seasoned professional with over four years of experience at YUME. His warmth and friendliness were immediately apparent, enhancing the dining experience with his insightful menu recommendations and thorough answers to my inquiries. It was clear he possessed an in-depth knowledge of the menu, demonstrating a passion for his role that was reflected in his constant, cheerful demeanor. The restaurant industry would indeed flourish with more dedicated and enthusiastic service workers like him. Brandon's recommendation of the “Beef Sukiyaki”($15) for lunch is a highlight, featuring soy dashi broth, thinly sliced sweet soy marinated beef, tofu with a spicy kick, a soft-boiled soy marinated egg with a perfectly jammy yolk, daily greens, scallions, roasted seaweed, ginger, togarashi peppers, corn and ramen noodles, all garnished with sesame oil and sesame seeds. The lunch special's option to add karaage chicken at no extra charge adds exceptional value to this comforting dish. The "Selected Sushi Set”($28), epitomizes the restaurant's culinary excellence, featuring an exquisite array of sushi on a chic black slate plate and banana leaf. This selection includes the freshest bluefin tuna, albacore tuna, saba (in-house smoked mackerel), sake (salmon), tako (octopus), hotate (scallop), hamachi (yellowtail), ika (squid), and hirame (flounder), showcasing YUME’s commitment to quality. Paired with pickled ginger and wasabi, each bite delivers a testament to the art of sushi. For those in search of culinary innovation similar to what one might find in renowned establishments like Nobu, YUME offers the “Truffle Salmon”($15). This dish, reminiscent of Nobu Matsuhisa's New Style Salmon Sashimi, represents the type of culinary creativity and excellence that guests can expect from YUME. It's a testament to YUME’s ability to draw inspiration from global culinary leaders while adding his unique touch, making YUME a must-visit destination for locals and visitors alike. There is an “Omakase” Experience at YUME, requiring over $200 and 2 days' advance notice, is a testament to the restaurant's dedication to culinary excellence. It offers diners a personalized journey through the best of what Tony and his kitchen can create, showcasing their mastery and creativity. Without a doubt, YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar has secured its place as a must-visit destination in my Charlotte culinary adventure.
Will never come back: the sauce of yakitori is soy sauce + sugar, the sauce of normal yakitori should be compound soy sauce; yakitori should at least be divided into sauce roasted and salt roasted, the store didn't have any categorization. The chicken heart was fishy, tough and hard to swallow. The skin was not seasoned at all, not even salted! The pork belly was undercooked and cut into huge chunks that were hard to swallow. The grilled beef skewers were so full of tendons that it was hard to bite off. The grilled eggplant that came up the first time was mushy (very noticeably burnt) and the second time the eggplant came up was only grilled on one side and tasted unpalatable. There was hair in the main course curry pork chop rice. After pointing out the problem to the waiter he quickly snatched up all the faulty meals and instead of refunding the faulty singles, he gave a tiny discount: spending 167 while the discount was $4. As someone who has been to Tokyo three times, this restaurant is a huge rip-off.
We just came back from our japan trip and was craving ramen really bad. Saw this restaurant with good reviews. We got one regular tonkotsu ramen and one with black garlic. If you're looking for authentic THICC ramen soup, this is not it. Its a very healthier version. It said it came with "greens" on the description, so i was thinking, green onions, nope its spinach, didnt like it in the soup. Also, not sure if they added milk in the soup as it sent me to the bathroom halfway in lol ( im lactose intolerant) The egg and meat was okay. The noodle they have is that yellow kind that sometimes have a weird after taste. Some people dont mind it, but the after taste is strong with me. Soup: ⭐️ ⭐️ Noodle: ⭐️ Will not order the ramen again but the rest of the menu looks good, probably will try those next time.