I will admit that I am forever skeptical of the endless chain options that appear in Nottingham’s city centre. It can feel at times that smaller independently owned restaurants who often provide a higher quality of food are being pushed out of the centre of town.
However, Maki and Ramen opened recently on King Street and I’m not proud to admit I was intrigued. Its bright lights and large hanging dragon was enough to make even a skeptic like me willing to go and try it.
So, me and a friend went down on a Monday night to check it out.
I had expected the relatively large restaurant to be slightly empty as is often the case on a monday but I was pleasantly surprised by how busy it was, with the majority of the tables being filled, allowing for a more vibrant atmosphere across the whole place.
We were recommended this selection for two people; 2 ramens, a side and sushi. While the portions are relatively large, I do think this is a good recommendation. But, this obviously does drive up the price of the bill.
We decided to share all of our dishes, which I recommend as it allows for you to experience a wider variety of the varied menu.
First to arrive was the Chicken Yakisoba, a noodle and fried chicken dish.
The highlight of this dish was the fried chicken; tender chicken encased in a crispy outing.
The sauce was sweet, although not exceptional. It was nicely balanced with a light splattering of vegetables.
The Chicken Yakisoba improved when paired with the Kimchi, which luckily arrived next, as it allowed you to pair the sweet noodles with a more fresh acidity to cut through.
Kimchi is a fermented cabbage dish that brought the much needed freshness to the table. This version was more saucy than we expected, which benefited especially when using it as a sharing dish.
Additionally, I enjoyed the carrots that also ran through the cabbage.
Next to arrive was my most anticipated dish Takoyaki. Having first tried this at The Seafood Guys, I had incredibly high expectations for these fried octopus balls, covered in an aioli like sauce.
Maki and Ramen’s version had more noticeable chunks of octopus in each bite, although it did still have a smooth rich creamy element to the bite.
The Final side dish was a 2 piece scallop sushi. These do come in larger portions if you want, as well as a mix sushi platters if you want to try a variety.
I very much enjoyed this dish. The fresh fish paired with the rice. However for me the way that this sushi has stand out against any other sushi I’ve had is the rich sauce on the fish.
Our final dish to arrive was the TanTan Ramen. A pork and noodle dish with half a jammy egg on top.
The broth was great, having a nice light spicy kick pairing well with the richness that came from the rendered pork fat.
Whilst the broth was flavourful, the noodles themselves lacked a little in flavour.
Within the dish was a very healthy amount of tender pork, cubed, which made it far easier to enjoy it across bites.
In the coming months the restaurant will also be releasing a protein version of their ramen which should definitely be worth keeping an eye out for.
#Gifted
