Char Siu Ramen Review at Comic Strip Cafe Universal Orlando

Back in November 2021. The Comic Strip Café has revamped most of its menu. This news brought joy to theme park fans as most of the previous menus were rated below average. The main surprise involved a dismantling of previous Asian food options. Yes, the Comic Strip Café in the Toon Lagoon area of ​​Islands of Adventure serves Asian food. The Asian part of the menu converted to a ramen style menu with some rice dishes.

Ramen comes in three varieties such as beef, tofu, and pork belly. The pork belly version is called “Char Sui Ramen”. Guests buy it for $13.99. They make it a combo by adding an egg roll for an extra $3. The menu description for this bowl of ramen reads Char Siu Pork Belly Ramen with Tonkatsu Broth, Tare Egg, Bean Sprouts, Scallions, and Cilantro.

Before a more detailed examination, I must admit to having compared the bowl of the Comic Strip Café to those of Urban Pantry in Aventura. This comparison seems unfair since Urban Pantry ranks as a much better food court than Comic Strip Café. No matter what you think of my review of this dish, this new menu is much better than the previous one.

So how was that bowl of ramen?

Overall the ramen bowl was pretty good compared to the normal fare offered in the Toon Lagoon area. The portion size creates a positive start. The tonkatsu style broth adds a reasonable amount of flavor for a bowl of ramen. If you compare this broth to the many ramen places within a short drive of Universal Orlando, this broth fails. If you compare it to the standard expectations of a theme park food court, this broth tastes great. Some guests said the broth had too much salt. I suggest the potential salty flavor balances well with the rest of the ramen bowl.

Now the rest of the ramen bowl creates more division among the diners. Like most pork bellies at Universal Orlando, the portion size shines. However, the consistency of taste throughout the property does not meet a good standard. The included eggs add to the overall flavor but are nothing special. If you visualize ramen with a real spicy kick, this ramen will disappoint you considerably. Some guests have suggested that hot sauce is available. When I was there the only sauces were duck, soy and mustard.

All in all, this bowl of ramen could become a favorite theme park dish for many. I suggest you look for ramen off the property first. Still, if you find yourself craving non-traditional food at a theme park, this bowl of ramen fulfills that need to avoid burgers, fries, and pizza.

Finally, I offer one last strong suggestion. Don’t spend an extra $3 on an inconsistent egg roll. Sometimes that egg roll tastes decent. However, most of the time it tastes terrible. Anyway, spring rolls aren’t worth $3.

As always, eat your way!