Zao Stamina Ramen - Bethesda

We had stamina rams and tokyo tonkotsu both great! that is the second time to eat here at lunchtime and the food and service was consistently good. it is a family-run rammenladen with not many employees, so they must be a bit patient. the only thing I should say is that I still use a fork, my skills have not mastered and would not get a plastic.

My man who is vegan and I came to dinner on Monday evening (they are closed these days). there were at least 5 vegan decisions that are rare. I eat meat and had the vegan labysoba, and it was so good! my man had the summer special hiyashi chu, cold smoked noodles he liked. the food came fast and was really delicious. will try other dishes again.

I had a disappointing experience at this restaurant. First, you have to scan a QR code to order everything yourself, and you pay upfront, including tipping, before receiving any service. This makes me wonder if a lower tip results in poorer service. Additionally, the music was very loud and had an overly poppy vibe that wasn't conducive to a relaxing dining experience. The black tonkatsu had an overwhelmingly strong pork flavor that was unappealing, and the Tamen Men were average at best. The only positive was the large portion sizes, but since we didn’t enjoy the food, that didn’t make much difference. I won't be returning.

On the look for a good noodle in bethesda. that looked at yelp and decided to try it out. it's not bad at all. probably not the most authentic Japanese rams I've ever had. but it is a good choice in maryland. I order tannin and dry soba nudel. tan tan is a little on the salty side, but for tan tan tan noodle it is acceptable. the dry soba nudel is very tasty! not salty, with the correct amount of seasoned, sweet and meat. mix it with the soft egg, it is super delicious. we also try the gyoza and chicken carrage. gyoza is nothing special, it would skip next time. the chicken carrage is hot and crispy. we ordered the lunch special that they add a few dollars for a page with the nudel, I was shocked to get only 2 gyozas! looks like I would pay a few dollars for a very special gyoza!

This is undoubtedly some of the best ramen I have ever tasted, even after spending many summers in Japan. To start, the atmosphere and ambiance of the restaurant are fresh and inviting. The design is both trendy and elegant. Their menu strikes a perfect balance, offering enough variety while remaining small enough to ensure each dish is well-crafted and expertly made. Overall, this has been one of the finest dining experiences I've had. Visiting from Minneapolis, I'm definitely going to miss Zoa. I can't recommend this place highly enough!