Japanese Canteen

alas. I have returned.

and now in London, where pub food, sandwich shops and ethnic food reigns. So far I've eaten many a sandwiches, from Pret A Manger - brie with tomatoes and basil baguette? Simple yet delicious. It must be something about Europe that makes their sandwiches taste better. Ham and cheese in Paris anyone?

Anywho. Went to the Japanese Canteen for dinner tonight, right down the street from my dorm (finally the dorm life, co-ed bathrooms and everything. with showers where you have to press the knob in and it slowly releases as it stops projecting water. leaving you hella soapy, unable to see the knob, and terrified to touch any other surface in the bathroom. at least there aren't clumps of hair everywhere. UCSD I'M LOOKING AT YOU.) The canteen looked cute from the outside, very simple, white and red decor, ramen, udon and curries. The curries in a japanese restaurant should have thrown me off. Nonetheless I went with ladiezzzz at UCL, also American (desperately trying to meet some Brits. men, preferably), got the chicken ramen in coconut and lime spicy soup. Where do I even begin.

1) The ramen was overcooked. undercooked? either way it was way too chewy and doughy.
2) The chicken was really dry, and it was in SOUP.
3) the coconut and lime soup looked like it had been diluted with water, nothing like the tom yum soup like depth i had expected
4) the soup was also tasteless, forcing me to add soy sauce. to coconut and lime soup???? no.
so pretty much everything went wrong. it wasn't shitty per se, but hell no i will not be back.

maybe it's because it took literally 3 minutes for my order to be made as the cause to its shittiness. good ramen aint made in seconds baby. it's all about the day long soup process, only a n00b restaurateur would fucking fail at that.