Kajiken, a Japanese joint that opened last winter, is not a typical ramen shop in the U.S. The restaurant specializes in abura soba, a noodle dish featuring wheat noodles served without broth and instead coated in a rich, savory chili sesame oil and soy sauce-based tare. The menu offers the dish in many different variations, with toppings ranging from wagyu roast beef to fried tofu.
Kajiken is located in a far corner of the Idylwood Plaza. Upon entering, we were greeted with a chic interior decorated with Japanese lanterns hanging from the ceiling and intricate murals on the walls. The J-pop playing in the background added a nice touch.
The waiters were friendly and the service was quick, making our experience pleasant. For appetizers, we ordered the pan-fried gyoza, salad and karaage. We ordered the original abura soba and the tonkotsu-shoyu ramen as mains.
Pan-fried Gyoza – 5/5
It’s hard to go wrong with a classic like gyoza. The dumplings arrived on a cute platter, beautifully garnished with green onions. The yuzu dipping sauce provided a slight tang to contrast the savory meat. This was a delicious appetizer.
Salad – 3/5
The salad came with chopped tomatoes, spring mix, avocado, a fried shallot topping and an asian sesame balsamic dressing. These flavors and textures fit together, with the smooth tomato pairing well with the crunchy shallot — however, the greens themself were slightly bitter, making some bites more unpleasant than others. This issue could likely be remedied with soaking the salad leaves in water before serving. We would recommend skipping this dish, especially if you aren’t a big fan of salads.
Karaage – 4.5/5
The karaage is another Japanese staple: marinated chicken coated in a thick batter, fried to optimal crispiness. Our karaage arrived with a soy dipping sauce and sriracha mayo. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, the crispy coating providing an ideal textural balance. I wasn’t a big fan of the soy dipping sauce, and would’ve preferred a garlic aioli instead.
Abura Soba – 5/5
Before consuming, Kajiken advises that you mix the noodles for at least 20 seconds, then add additional flavored oil if necessary. The sauce sits at the bottom of the bowl, just enough to coat the noodles without being too overpowering. The dish comes with green onion garnish, cha shu pork, bamboo shoots, and seaweed. The cha shu was delightful: a little charred flavor, tender and succulent. The noodles fell nothing short of magnificent; even though there was a generous amount of oil, the taste wasn’t too greasy. It was also just the right level of saltiness, and the sesame was a welcome flavor.
Tonkotsu-Shoyu Ramen – 4.5/5
Tonkotsu ramen is another Japanese classic; it shows up at every ramen joint. Tonkotsu-shoyu ramen refers to a soy-sauce based pork soup, adding additional depth to the soup base. The ramen came with bamboo shoots, cha shu pork, a marinated egg and green onions. The noodles were deliciously thin and chewy. The taste reminded me of something nostalgic I couldn’t quite place my thumb on, but I thoroughly enjoyed the dish. One slight issue I had was that the soup was a little heavy for my taste, likely due to the fat interspersed with the liquid. However, Kajiken does this iconic ramen dish justice, and it did not disappoint.
We had a lovely experience at Kajiken, and will certainly be returning to try out more of their abura soba bowls. Kajiken also offers small rice bowls, in case noodles aren’t your style.
