Ramen Tei

It pains me to write this review because I have enjoyed Ramen Tei’s thick & flavorful ramen over the past several years. My primary complaint is their mandatory 20% “gratuity” added to every order, even carry-out. Gratuity used to be something you would pay your server after you enjoyed a nice dine-in experience. Now you are forced to pay this additional 20% on all carry out orders. Restaurant owners should pay their employees a living wage and not expect customers to supplement it with a forced surcharge. To top everything off, you would think the portions would be consistent with the additional costs you must pay for your meal but, sadly, that is not the case. I ordered 3 identical orders and could feel a weight difference between two of them so I decided to see what was going on. The lightest was 14.4 oz & the heaviest was 17.25 oz, all dry weight without broth added. Every business is entitled to operate the way they see fit but I’m choosing to find other local establishments for all future Ramen purchases.

The first thing I noticed was that the table was really sticky. The other tables I checked out were also sticy. So it wasn't just me. Even though the food was pretty tasty, it is also pretty expensive for what you get. They automatically add %20 gratuity to your bill, So you will pay about $22 for just a bowl of ramen. They do not have refills either. So do not come here thirsty unless you are ok with room temperature water.

This is a quaint little ramen shop. Service is friendly, ambiance is calming, restaurant seems clean and most of all the food is amazing!! My husband and I had the miso ramen with added pork belly, and it was good to the last drop!! No leftovers this trip! Only downfall is surcharge of 20%!! That's incredibly steep for a place that doesn't even have normal waitstaff. We just had two bowls of ramen and water, and our total came to nearly $50!!! Holy cow that's insane! Ramen was good, but not that good.

Coming from NYC I and trying other ramen spots in st Louis I almost gave up altogether but was craving ramen today. So happy I made the 20 minutes drive. I got Tonkotsu ramen with spicy paste and extra egg. The broth is delicious. The pork chashu is tender and Tasty. Noodles were the thin ones I liked and cooked perfectly. This is the best Ramen spot in st Louis. On the other hand i don't agree with the add on 20% tip as your order from the hostess at the front as you carry your own number to the table of your choosing. No one checks on you. I had to flag servers down walking by. Service is not great.

The ramen is suited more for the American palate. Broth is extremely salty. Egg is marinated in a sweet soy sauce. Noodles are essentially angel hair pasta (overcooked and flavorless). The only redeeming quality is that the pork has a nice char and flavor. On top of everything there is a mandatory 20% tip for mediocre service.