Hinata

I’ve been craving ramen for a good while now. Living in Jordaan is pretty sweet and offers loads of options when it comes to it. Somehow, I have not tried Hinata yet.

Hayden and I ended up there on a Sunday at 16:00 PM because apparently, there is no other choice in the world to eat at around. I had no idea Jordaan has the “not serving between x-y” rule. So anyway, “doe normaal” and don’t attempt to eat at 16:00 – or, head to Hinata.

Ramen cannot be a bad idea in November. It’s like a much deserved warm hug to get you through the weather, and possibly your hangover.

Hinata has a small and simple menu, with few options. That’s a good thing, usually – focus, focus, focus. You can basically choose between shoyu or miso, pork or vegan, normal or spicy. Naturally, I chose miso, pork and spicy: karamiso ramen.

The broth had a good consistency, although I was expecting it to be spicier. Liked the addition of the sesame seeds. The egg yolk was creamy enough and overall it tasted good. The pork did not impress me – while it was very tender, it lacked taste. In general, the toppings could have been a bit more impressive and so could the presentation.

Hayden went with shoyu, pork, not spicy: shoyu ramen. He enjoyed it but I didn’t get many comments on the broth: “it’s not so important”. Yeah. Again, probably why I run this blog and not him. The audacity…

Hinata makes their own noodles, cooked al dente and easy to grip with their super nice chopsticks that I definitely considered stealing. The restaurant is narrow and long and has a really relaxed vibe. It has an impressive bar, with loads of Japanese whiskey and options for cocktails. We have not explored it this time, and just stuck to a good old Japanese beer.

Another extra point for Hinata is their price – at 12.50 EUR, we received a big bowl of ramen that overall did not disappoint.

And now off to the part that annoyed me. I’m usually not able to finish a portion of ramen – I think generally the portions can be quite large, and I have no desire in stuffing my face until I feel sick. Also, I hate wasting food. Therefore, I always ask for my leftovers to go, something that has never been an issue…before.

Hinata does not let you take away your well deserved and paid for leftover ramen, because they get soggy and “the chefs are against leftover ramen”. Uhm. Okay?

1st of all – won’t judge your food by how it tastes tomorrow. I already had it nice and fresh, I got it, you’re good at it.

2nd – you’ll just throw this away: food and money, for the chef’s pride.

3rd – maybe I’ll eat it in like an hour?

4th – I know very well how soggy ramen gets and tastes. It’s delicious. Don’t take this away from me.

Now, I’d understand if a Michelin-starred restaurant doesn’t accept this, but it’s ramen we’re talking about.

The take away incident won’t affect my rating, as I rate quality and price, but it definitely put me off and will consider it when deciding if I should return.

Hinata offered a good meal for a good price, but did not over impress me. For now, my heart stays with Umaimon.

Value for money: 9

Food Quality: 7

Location: 8 (Westerstraat 40H)

Service: 8

Website:  https://www.hinataamsterdam.nl/

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