This was such a pleasant surprise! I come out to Troutville once a month and went to Ike's on a whim. It's a must try! I don't want to be that person that's like "when I was in Japan..." but this is the BEST most AUTHENTIC Japanese food I've had since my last Japan trip. I ordered the tonkatsu ramen (added house spice) and had the agedashi dofu to start. I also got a classic highball which took me right back to a night out in Shinjuku. Everything was perfection. The highball was a great start to the meal and it just got better and better. The ramen noodles are fresh and cooked perfectly, the broth was flavorful and not too salty, the pork was perfectly cooked without too much fat. The agedashi was a perfect starter for a single diner. You get 3 cubes of fried tofu. The tofu is lightly fried so expect the inside to be juicy and soft. Staff were super friendly and communicated well. It was pretty busy when I got there around 6PM but the staff stayed attentive and courteous. This will be my go to dinner spot from now on. I'm going to tell all my coworkers about it! read more

Ike’s Kitchen - Tonkatsu Ramen with house spice - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

[[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a really cute Japanese spot with ramen, rice dishes, tonkotsu sets, and cute desserts.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]We sat at the bar tables and the atmosphere was really great.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Udon: broth is really flavorful and noodles are chewy. 4.5/5 Tonkotsu set: came with salad, miso, and rice 4.5/5 Katsudon: egg was delicious, katsu was a little dry 4/5 Taiyaki: 5/5, crispy and perfectly sweet Definitely check it out if you want some Japanese food! read more

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As one of the only ramen spots in Roanoke, this place was surprisingly very good and authentic. The tempura was fried to perfection and full of flavor. The gyoza was decent as well. The TanTanMen was very spicy, which is normally something I like but in this case it might have been slightly too much in outweighing the flavor a tad. The TanTan was good, but if you're a TanTanMen traditionalist like myself, you may notice the difference in flavor in that instead of a pork based broth, this one is sesame based which makes the broth a little thinner and instead of minced pork, they use minced beef. While this doesn't necessarily take away too much in terms of it being flavorful, it definitely is a noticeable difference if you're used to the peanut-pork based broth of most TanTanMen ramen. The service was excellent! Our waiter was super nice, attentive and gave us great recommendations on the food dishes. If nothing else, I'd come back again for the service as who doesn't like a nice waiter. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is big enough to accommodate a decent crowd which is also something a little different than a traditional ramen dive.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Definitely a recommend for any ramen lovers. read more

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Rarely do we have a restaurant of this nature making a comeback. But that is precisely what Ike's Kitchen has done. This Japanese popular restaurant that used to be on Electric Road and shut down during the pandemic, to then close down in March 2022, after its owner retired, But it seems that retirement wasn't in the Stars for Chef Ike who had been bringing traditional Japanese cuisine to the Roanoke Valley for over 35 years as Head Chef of other restaurants in the area and then in his own restaurant. It didn't take long for Ike's Kitchen to announce its comeback grand opening at its new location in the Lamplighter Mall off Williamson Road, in Roanoke, Virginia. Located where the old Wonju Korean Restaurant used to be located. With this background and never haven gone to eat at its first location I decided to go try it out today, and to my surprise I was pleasantly surprised to what I discovered. [[HIGHLIGHT]]A quaint little cozy restaurant, with a rich menu, wonderful creative Japanese Japanese cuisine, and very friendly servers who provided exceptional customer service to complete an extraordinary dining experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] To start off with I ordered a Hot Green Tea. As appetizer I ordered a Miso Soup and an order of Gyoza. Both tasted amazingly delicious with a unique, one of a kind flavor, that only a Master Chef is able to produce. For my main entrée I ordered a Hibachi Steak medium rare. The meat was so tender and tasty, and the accompanied fried rice with other ingredients had a unique magical taste, that immediately revealed and allowed my to discover the reason for the popularity of Ike's cuisine. For dessert I had the Taiyaki, which was something I had never had before, with a sweet indescribable taste that only the viewing of one of my photographs accompanying this review can do justice. Before leaving I asked my server Rebecca if I could take a peak at the bar of the restaurant which is not yet quite finished and take a couple of photographs to give the readers of my review a sense of how it would look when finished. And of course she graciously complied. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Needles to say that while I was eating several groups of people and a couple of individuals came in to dine and they seemed to be regulars of the place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] For all of the above mentioned details and more, I am so happy to highly recommend this wonderful restaurant with an amazing Japanese cuisine and give it five stars for an extraordinary dining experience. read more

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Friendly service. The most authentic Japanese food we have found since we came back from 3 years in Japan. Unagi-Don and Tempura were amazing. Karage is too oily and the fried tofu was just ok (tofu too firm and not crispy on the outside). [[HIGHLIGHT]]The bathrooms are a disgrace. A coat of paint and a mop would go a long way.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I would have given it a 5 if the bathrooms weren't so shabby and dirty.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Ike’s Kitchen - Unagi (Eel) donburi (rice bowl) - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Ramen was good. A fair amount of pork. The dumpling appetizer was fine. My son liked his rice bowl. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Seems like a fairly solid place but not outstanding.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We were surprised they don't have sushi. read more

I came here craving some Japanese cuisine, and my appetite was definitely satisfied. Food - great, the gyoza was good and the omurice was delicious as well. The omurice does come out rather hot, so be warned. Service - Good, they were very friendly. Parking - They have a small parking lot outside. Overall, this place is great. read more

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Unfortunately they didn't put in my to-go order so I had to go elsewhere. I did have the tantanmen. Today's wasn't as good as usual. The noodles were slightly undercooked and the soup was a little watery. read more

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This recently re-opened locally owned Japanese eatery is among the hottest places in town. The staff is happy, kind, and attentive. The restaurant is immaculately clean. The prices are fair and the portions are reasonable. But the real reason to eat at Ike's Kitchen is the fantastic carefully prepared food. I wish I could have tried everything! You can tell when a dish is made with care and love, and from my experience, it appears an immense amount of pride and care go into every dish. The food was a real treat, as was the friendly staff. If you are trying to decide if you should eat at Ike's, there's no deciding that needs to be done, no pros and cons to weigh. Eat here, you won't regret it. I plan on being a regular customer! I'll see you there! read more

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Got takeout and was WILDLY impressed. When we picked up our order, the service was friendly and helpful! I got the tonkotsu ramen and from the get go the broth was flavorful and delicious, with all the toppings complementing it nicely. My partner got the katsu curry which was warm and comforting. Finishing out the meal with taiyaki which was light sweet and absolutely delightful. I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone looking for a bite to eat in Roanoke. read more

Ike’s Kitchen - Taiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

The food is a 10/10, but you never know when you will get it... We've been here quite a few times. The food is absolutely incredible. However, it can take forever to get your food or just a few minutes - regardless of how busy it is. The last time my husband and I went, he got his food in less than 10 minutes and I got mine about 20 minutes AFTER he got his. He was trying to wait until my food got there, but his definitely was going to be cold before then. One time we went with a group of 4 and it was so frustrating how randomly food came out. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The decorations and the atmosphere is also pretty outdated, and doesn't look "fresh" and clean like you'd ideally see in a restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Arrived at 14:00 and asked if it was closed for break. I was greeted by 2 girls that informed me to have a seat anywhere. I sat in the dining room. Which had only one other party of 3. Ordered a water to get started and asked for a few moments to check out the menu. Few minutes later they came back to see if I was ready, with my water. I asked about the pricing of the gyudon and the older girl explained what it was and that it would start at $15. I ordered it and waited roughly around 10 minutes before a gentleman served my food. He was nice and asked if I needed anything else eg. a fork. I said I was fine because I can use the chopsticks that were on the table. After dining in I realized there wasn't any napkins. I was looking to see if I could flag down someone down but they all seem occupied in the kitchen. So I just took one napkin from the front. (Sorry) Finished the meal and was gonna flag down someone to pay when the same waiter caught me and brought the card machine. Overall, it was OK. This is my 3rd time coming back because I really REALLY wanted to like this place. Last 2 visits, while the customer service was nice. The food really lacked flavor. I got a Ramen, and Katsu Curry prior and it had no flavor. Big portion on rice. For $15, I can't really recommend the beef bowl. At least it had more flavor than the ramen and curry! But that's it. Doesn't come with anything else, no miso soup or an egg on it (bummer). How this place gets crazy reviews is beyond me. It has a following so they gotta be doing something right. Maybe I just ordered the wrong dish? read more

Ike’s Kitchen - Beef Gyudon - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

This is a delicious restaurant, i've been there with friends many times for lunch. The wait staff is very helpful. I like to try different dishes and the staff has been very helpful, making suggestions and so far everything has been so tasty would recommend their spicy soups. read more

The food is great. Closer to authentic Japanese food than the so called Japanese steak houses. Service is good and the waitresses are friendly. I have been eating there since they were in that tiny place on Electric Rd. and have never had a bad meal, or left hungry. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place they are in now is bigger and nicer than the old place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I highly recommend it. I've seen Asians eating there if that tells you anything. read more

I cannot believe I haven't gone here sooner. This restaurant is simply AMAZING!!!!! I don't think I can say enough positive things about it. I got the Katsu Curry and it was so comforting it's something I will try be craving for the rest of time. The Taiyaki was also DIVINE!! My partner got the tankatsu ramen and the flavor of the broth was sensational. The service was incredible and even though they had a rush, it was finished in a quick amount of time. The hostess was so friendly and nice and it was so easy to order on the phone. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We want to go back and eat inside the restaurant because it was cozy and charming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] HIGHLY recommend Ike's Kitchen read more

Friendly service and delicious food! We lucked out being able to get a table 30 min before closing since they've just reopened. They were busy and had a full house but it wasn't super noisy. They were sadly out of a lot of toppings for the ramen so we'll save trying that when we can get everything we want. For appetizers we ordered the shumai, gyoza, kaarage and takoyaki. Everything came out fresh and hot. The kaarage was nice and crunchy, gyoza had a nice crisp where they were fried but still soft on top. Shumai was freshly steamed and flavorful, takoyaki has a good crunchy outside and steamy inside. We ordered the omurice and the pork katsu curry for entrees. I didn't get a picture of the curry as my husband was too excited to eat it. The pork katsu has a very nice crust while still being juicy inside. Curry was a nice flavor, not too spicy. The omurice was cooked well, the underside of the omelet was ever so slightly runny to ooze into the rice. The rice had a good texture with small pieces of chicken. Overall a great experience, friendly staff, definitely want to be able to make it back to try the ramen. read more

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This place is so legit!!!! The ramen is amazing. There are actually a lot of options to choose from not just ramen. The flavor was very umami and there was plenty of food. I will definitely be back. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food & atmosphere![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was also fast & the staff were very nice. Definitely will be going back!

The words to express how wonderful this food is exceeds my vocabulary. We walked into a packed restaurant, the area is smaller (11 tables) but it was quiet from everyone eating at the same time, we were seated quickly and offered a booster seat for our daughter. They have a great selection of Japanese cuisine to choose from! We selected the Gyoza and Shumai for our starters and Katsudon and Katsu Curry for our main dishes and we were NOT disappointed; I can't wait to return! Get here early though I'm pretty sure they will sell out throughout the day! read more

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We absolutely love that Ike's is back open in Roanoke, VA. The Japanese food options and prices make this establishment a great option. We recently visited and ordered the Tonkatsu set. The salad was fresh and the ginger dressing was tasty. The miso soup came warm and the pork cutlet was very flavorful. The meal was also served with potato salad which was confusing at first as I had never had potato salad served at a Japanese restaurant. It turns out that it is a very popular dish and was the best potato salad that I have ever had. On the downside, they were down to one chef in the kitchen that night and were not taking any call in orders (we heard this over multiple calls that came in along with the reason). It took about 45 minutes to receive our food which was fine, however, we did wait another 20 minutes or so after we had finished for our check. Meanwhile there were multiple parties waiting for a table. With three servers and a very small restaurant, there were definitely some efficiencies that could be gained. Overall the food was good and the prices were reasonable. We will be back but hope that the staffing issues have been resolved. read more

Ike’s Kitchen - Tonkatsu Set - Japanese Near Me - Roanoke, Virginia

Food and service was good no complaints first time there. I think having a buffet would be nice then like myself that's not used to Japanese food could try everything to see if we like it more. read more

Absolutely my favorite in Roanoke! The gyoza is my go to app and I am still trying all the main course Tonkatsu sets are so divine and Gyudon makes my mouth water thinking about it, you can't go wrong at Ikes! Don't forget to save room for the Mochi!! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Updated from the previous location, more sophisticated.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Nice menu and the dumplings are the BEST!

Not only was the food so incredibly delicious, but the service was amazing as well! Our server was extremely friendly and very helpful when I asked for recommendations. It was so busy we had to wait an hour to be seated, but it was SO worth it! I had the plum onigiri, miso ramen, and mochi (strawberry and chocolate). I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu! read more

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Some of the best food here in Roanoke in my opinion the restaurant never misses and am always looking forward to coming here

I LOVE IKE'S!!! Amazing food, cute aesthetic ambiance, but they are way too busy to be using such a small space. Going during "off times" helps with faster service, but they really need more seating. read more

We were really excited to try this place out when they opened based on Reddit reviews but we very disappointed when we went. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The atmosphere is loud, crammed, and complete with fluorescent lighting that makes it feel super uninviting.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There also wasn't anything special or unique about the food. read more

Omg the food was sooooooooo good. We came here after a long hike and it was the perfect comfort food we needed.

All food and service was great. We love this place. Plenty of choices. great prices. Will be back again.

Never been and will never come back after waiting 47 minutes for a bowl of Ramen, when they finally brought it out, it was cold, so I just got up and left. You can tell their process is very unorganized service awful their attention to detail is weak, and their lack of customer service evident. Until they fix their service quality and delivering hot food, one star only. If the owner does not jump on rectify this apparent problem they have no right to stay in business.. maintain standards, Roanoke! read more

So good! I'm so happy you were able to re-open. The food was amazing. We tried a few new dishes this time and enjoyed everything we ordered.

We arrived shortly before noon on a Saturday and were seated immediately; and, shortly thereafter, the crowd arrived. Our first visit to the Lamplighter Mall location and we were not disappointed. The food is fresh and fantastic, the atmosphere is cozy, and the service is impeccable. The Hibachi grill options are arriving soon (pending Health Dept. approval) and we will be back to sample that! read more

I'm so happy they decided to reopen at a new location. The ramen noodles are just delicious. I always get the spicy ramen and we can't pass up the karage. The wait staff is always friendly and on the move. The new location is about twice the size as the original and always packed when I go inside. Can't wait to see what they do with the closed off bar area. read more

Great ramen at a great price! Super nice staff. The to go ramen is in a little'kit' to keep everything separate until you get home. Really good read more

Food is delicious, portions are decent I will definitely be back. Service is good and fast. Friendly staff.

Authentic Japanese cuisine, friendly and attentive service. The space is a bit cramped, but this seems temporary as there's a whole other half of the restaurant they have yet to open at this location. While the food was good, we both got the ramen and found it to be a bit bland and lackluster. Once we realized you could get extra spice to add in (chili paste with maybe some other seasonings mixed in) it helped quite a bit. Our appetizer and mochi were top notch, and other dishes coming out of the kitchen looked amazing, so we'll be back to try more. Solid Japanese option in the 'Noke! read more