On my first day at the hotel, I decided to try the restaurant and ordered three meals. The first dish, chicken tom yum, was fine, but the second and third dishes, beef pho and spicy kimchi ramen, were frozen. I thought it would be fine since I followed the instructions to heat them. However, when I returned to my room, I was disappointed. The water had partially seeped into the pho but didn’t cook it fully, and the water never penetrated the spicy kimchi ramen at all. I ended up having to return to the hotel microwave to heat my meal properly.
Later, I reached out to the company and received a response for a refund, but they requested my credit card number. I was skeptical and only provided...
Aside from the novelty factor, my experience at the restaurant wasn't quite what I expected. When the machine served me my steaming bowl of pho, the noodles were surprisingly lukewarm instead of hot. I had to rely on the hotel's weak microwave, heating it up twice for 2 and then 5 minutes before I could finally call it "hot" soup. Once it was warmed up, though, the noodles and beef were delicious. However, the meatball was quite rubbery and made a squeaky sound against my teeth, which was a bit amusing. Overall, I’d rate it 3 out of 5. It's decent, but only if you're really hungry and don't mind waiting a bit longer to get it heated up.
I stayed at Aloft during a brief business trip and arrived late at night when everything was closed. I decided to give the vending machine a shot. I was hoping to get the beef noodle soup, but it was sold out, so I ordered another noodle dish (the exact name escapes me). To my surprise, the meal was quite good for a vending machine! The food was hot, flavorful, and really hit the spot when I needed something quick. For the price, I was very satisfied and would definitely eat there again. My only complaint is that many options were sold out. It's definitely worth a try if you're looking for something quick and convenient.
The bowl size is generous, and the food is served piping hot and delicious. The quality of the noodles is exceptional. As a ramen enthusiast, I find this machine to be fantastic! There's a wonderful selection of ramen, rice bowls, and other options. I hope they open more locations in hotels and public spaces in major cities. This is a game changer and truly captures one of the things that make Japan an amazing country. I hope to see these fantastic machines in the US as well. Great job, Yo-kai!
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The noodles had a nice al dente texture at first but quickly turned mushy because of the heat from the soup. There was a good amount of small beef chunks, but they were a bit chewy. The bok choy was overcooked and reminded me of rehydrated vegetables from Asian soups. The carrots were mushy too—what happened there?
Overall, the entire bowl was excessively salty and spicy, and I had to give up after just three bites.
I used my Australian card and was charge a $5 USD pre authorisation and then $14 USD for the bowl (twice as I bought 2 meals and was never refunded the preauthorised $5 USD. Ended up costing $30 AUD each bowl! Spoke with Yo Kai who said I would get the preauthorised $5 USD back and a month later, nothing. Avoid using non USA cards (at an airport hotel ? as it’ll steal your cash.
Considering it's a vending machine meal, it’s surprisingly good. The vegetables and meat rehydrate well. It’s a bit on the expensive side, but very convenient. Be sure to stir it and let it sit for a while right after you prepare it.
It's not a traditional restaurant; it's a ramen vending machine. The ramen is surprisingly delicious, given that it's packaged. It's a perfect choice when you arrive late at night and no other restaurants are open. Very convenient!
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The food was terrible, and the service was even worse. I would never recommend this place. I made an effort to visit and give feedback about the spoiled chicken, but the staff showed no concern.
It was easy and quick with a wide variety of options available! The customer service was excellent. I really enjoyed it!
