Ramen Seto

Popped in this small place at around 6pm before heading off to the Theatre and we were served quickly (food on table within 10 minutes) and the staff were helpful without being overbearing. Being vegetarian we were only really interested in the Vegetable Tempura, Miso Soup and Asahi lager. Upon tasting the first two our taste buds were instantly transported back to Kyoto (which we have visited twice in the last 2 years). In terms of the authenticity of the Japanese food mentioned by other reviewers, I can only vouch for the dish we ordered but we were more than happy with it! (Another good sign was plenty of Japanese people popping in to eat too - and we were only there for 30 minutes maximum)

For a quick bite, I would definitely recommend this place based on our experience. If you want the full restaurant experience then this is not really the place to look. Now I know where it is I will definitely pop back if I am out shopping or experiencing nightlife in Central London.
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Paul
7 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 8
Thursday, January 05, 2012

I went there 2 weeks ago and liked it. My Japanese friend took me there. I would say the majority of Japanese restaurants are either Chinese or Korean owned (mostly the first). Especially the cheap ones like this one. If you want authentic Japanese food and cheap, you can try Taro in Brewer Street in Soho. I know the owner and he is Japanese.
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6 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 8
Monday, December 19, 2011

At first glance this place looks authentic, rustic and interesting but this is sadly deceptive.

The food is more Chinese than Japanese and seemingly confused in its identity. My 'chicken' fried noodle dish was very Cantonese in style in the way it was cooked, it was also a seafood dish and a chicken dish at the same time! If I want Chinese food, I'll go to a Chinese restaurant thanks.

The timing of the food was unacceptable, this place was not busy yet it took more then 20 minutes for starters, then another 15-20 minutes for one of our main courses! the other meal took another 5 minutes and was the wrong dish!

The service was atrocious! Short-staffed or not, people need to be attended to and made to feel welcome. The woman who greeted us seemed abrupt and preoccupied and the waiter was vague, inattentive and very slow.

Considering the great location of this restaurant and the standards of other Japanese/fusion style restaurants in London, Ramen Seto really needs to lift it's game big time! Until it does, we won't go back. This is a shame because this has so much potential, to be authentic (to its name) and unique.
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andos234
3 Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Saturday, November 26, 2011

I must say, I totally agreed with Alex.. I've tried it today as I'm looking for good authentic Japanese ramen.. So decided to try Seto Ramen as it has quite a few review about it. But to my BIG disappointment, I've ordered cha shu ramen n e soup turn out to be clear, tasteless and noodle was like eatIng rubber bands.. I initially thought the people that cook in the restaurant was Japanese, but after listening to their conversation, it turn out to be they are all from china.. How can Chinese people cook good authentic traditional Japanese Ramen.??? Can someone enlighten me pls... What a disappointment... This restaurant is for people that doesn't know what is real Japanese food and just wanna fill up their tummy. Might as well go to Mcdonalds..
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Ignatius E
1 Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 2
Thursday, November 24, 2011

Highly recommend to all, I've been going for years. I couldn't find anywhere else serving that great portion of food and still have the same great taste since my first visit, I think is reasonable priced (as I can notice many of the ingredients are truly imported from Japan).Once I met the owner,he is a very nice guy and absolutely from Japan.It is just worth it!
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james
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Friday, March 04, 2011

It is amazing to see so many great comments here but I'd say this is a place I would recommend people NOT to go. Nothing to do with price, location, service, or environment. I am only after good ramen but I think this is the first ramen I ever didn't want to finish.

I wanted Tonkotsu ramen but they didn't have so that's fine. I had cha shu ramen. Turned out: Soup was not impressive

Noodles: too many noodles and the texture is lifeless. Yes I mean too many noodles --- given that amount of soup. So there is no sense of a proper noodle/soup ratio there. (oh purely by the amount of noodles I can definitely finish it so it's nothing to do my appetite. I am a big eater!)

Cha shu was disastrous. In cubes and not in the typical sliced pieces. Rubber texture. Dry and not even well mingled with the soup. Some are even cold (just taken out from fridge?). Taste was awful. Not to mention it's got little attention to proper fat ratio in the cha shu. Basically not a bit of sense as to what the pork should be. Again JUST TOO MANY disappointing cha shu, and I gave up eating the rest of it.

Sprout was too much as well (well, my standard but it's not a major issue).

That is just the story with ramen. I order the steam peas thing and a dish of salmon sushi and they are totally unimpressive if not made in a Japanese style.
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Alex
3 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 1
Friday, December 10, 2010

This is the perfect place for good and cheap Japanese food near Carnaby St area. We usually go for lunch there. Our favourites are the chashu or negi ramen. Otherwise we order one of their chicken or salmon teriyaki sets. At around £9 per set, they give you lots of chicken/salmon with rice, salad and miso soup. Plenty to fill you up. One of the cheaper places to eat Japanese food other than Tokyo Diner in Chinatown (where their bento box sets are also good value for money). Their gyozas are not bad as well. When I want a lighter meal, I go for one of the dons. We also usually get some japanese pickles and a couple of soft drinks to round up a cheerful and filling meal for two. Their staff have always been really nice to us, so we have no complaints there. I have been going there for 7-8 years for weekend lunches. Always crowded and it is a bit cramp but still worth it to have a good, cheap, fast and filling lunch.
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E Chan
7 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 9
Sunday, November 14, 2010

The food here is good and cheap - especially for the location. The service, however, is surly at best, which I have always found sort of endearing until my last visit.

We ordered a bottle of house wine and they brought a different bottle saying that they didn't have any of the one we had wanted. They asked if this one was OK and we said yes, presuming that it would be of a similar price. Admittedly this was rather foolish with hindsight, but they didn't tell us that the bottle we'd been drinking was about £10 more expensive than their house wine and not even the next most expensive on the menu after the house wine. We challenged the bill when it arrived and we realised what had happened and got in to a "discussion" about the fact that they should have told us how much more expensive the wine they had brought us was.

In the end - because we would not budge - they did only charge us for the cost of the house wine, which was fair of them. But they were NOT happy about doing it and when I was putting my PIN number in to the card machine, the waitress hadn't pressed a button properly so the number I entered came up on the card machine and she started going on about how she had my PIN number now and saying "is this your PIN number" and then saying it out loud in the restaurant. I tried to laugh it off but I did not appreciate it at all.

This restaurant would be improved no end if the waiting staff went back to being simply surly instead of downright rude.
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Jane Owens
6 Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, September 29, 2010

I love this place.

Food is excellent and cheap, service is a little average and the place won't be winning any design awards but who cares when you get fresh authentic food for a stupidly low price, especially for it's location.

Go there now
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Mark
9 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Friday, August 06, 2010