That sounds fabulous and is a definite stark contrast from "the best local ramen" here in the Austin,TX area. It's apparently vogue here to have music so loud you can't hear your dining companion unless they shout.
My ramen experiences in Japan are very different to the ones abroad. In Japan, ramen is meant to be pretty quick, taking "fast food" to a whole other level: you go in, order and pay, sit down, eat, then leave. The eating environment is often either a tiny table, a seat at a bar or a small booth. It's usually not a place for social get togethers.
In Europe on the other hand, they're usually normal sit down restaurants. You have to go through the normal dance of waiting to be seated, ordering with the server, waiting 10-15 mins for your food then trying to get somebody's attention to pay when you're done.
In Singapore, music in the public is largely forbidden until further notice. Especially in restaurants, so people do not need to raise their voice to understand each other.
It was eerie at first but I enjoy the calmness in the city now, e.g. drinking a glass in a rooftop bar of a 60 story building in total quietude is an event.
Same experience here with some places. There is one really well known spot in Chicago that is supposed to be so good. It's right near restaurant row and it's obnoxiously loud, always has an insane wait and it's mediocre at best. For some reason people like it
"vogue here"? Only if "here" is defined to mean the United States as a whole. How are you going to know that you're enjoying yourself if you aren't half-deafened?
Good ramen, but not a good place for an introvert, in my experience. First is the interminable wait in line. If you survive that and place your order, seating is hell. If you are by yourself, you will be forced to sit at the bar so close to other patrons you are practically in their lap on a stool made to torture a monk. If you are worthy of a table seat by having friends, then you are in one of those fashionable metal seats invented by Torquemada’s welder buddies.
"Are you guys ok?", "would you like a drink top up?", "is everything ok?", "do you need anything?"
Dinners in US are irritable to me. I understand why and how it happens, I just wish there was a sign a wrist band or something to signal to waiting staff to leave me alone unless i ask for their help.
I feel like I've encountered less of that style of service lately. But I don't know though if it's that the types of restaurants I go to have changed, or there's a cultural difference having moved recently to NYC.
In Europe on the other hand, they're usually normal sit down restaurants. You have to go through the normal dance of waiting to be seated, ordering with the server, waiting 10-15 mins for your food then trying to get somebody's attention to pay when you're done.