I came here for dinner on Monday night and was intrigued to see a Japanese dry noodle spot open up thanks to Chinatown Chef Tony Hu. We ordered potstickers (good filling to wrapper ratio), fried octopus legs (good, standard) and I ordered the original (noodles were too soft/prefer to be more al dente, lack of a textural component in the dish so overall it felt very one-note, pork was very thinly sliced, there wasn't enough sauce or it wasn't flavorful enough). You know how when you're starving and the first bite you taste, you're so happy to eat that it automatically tastes good? Not really. I tried augmenting with adding hot oil but still wasn't enough. Unfortunately, the Japanese need to look towards Vietnamese or Thai cooks because they have better dry noodle dishes. But I will say our server was very nice and provided very pleasant service. The interior was nicely decorated and it was bittersweet because I was just in Tokyo 4 days prior. read more

this is one of the most underrated spots not only in Chinatown but maybe in the whole city?? the sukiyaki bowl is literally probably my perfect bowl of noodles-- chewy and perfectly cooked, unctuous meat+acidity from the vinegar. every time I walk in here there's like no people which is a shame but also makes it a great last minute dinner spot cause you'll never need a reservation. every person I've brought here has really liked it, and it's a cute clean space! read more

Kajiken - sukiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had low expectations for soup-less ramen but I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was! SUNOMONO - cucumber salad w seaweed and octopus. Loved this! In general it was a refreshing appetizer as the seasoning was vinegar based. There were plenty of octopus and they were pretty large chunks. Only thing is that the seaweed is a little bit fishy, so if you're not a fan of that maybe ask for this without the seaweed. TAKOYAKI - big fried batter balls with a little bit of octopus inside. Topped with a creamy sauce and Bonita flakes. It's a mix of sweet from the sauce and savory from everything else. These are always good and a great appetizer for the table! HOMURA - noodles with spicy minced pork. This came out looking like just dry noodles with toppings, but once you mix everything, there's actually some sauce at the bottom and it gets a bit creamy from the egg yolk. Noodles were perfectly cooked and chewy. It's sooo good and actually quite spicy. I'm still thinking about these noodles LYCHEE OOLONG TEA - this is actually bottled tea but it was delicious. Quite sweet and tasted just like lychee jelly read more

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Once again they have outdone themselves. Tyred the soba with the chicken. Wow you just can't go wrong with this place. It just keeps getting better service is always great. Just a very comfortable place. You have to try this place. read more

I loved this place. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was amazing. The whole set up is really open and looks like something you'd see in Japan. Service was fast and they had several people helping out at all times. They made sure to keep our water filled, which was nice. Takoyaki was good - I prefer the firmer takoyaki and these held their shape and filling after taking a bite. This was not too saucy and wasn't drowning in mayo for those who get deterred by that component. I got the soupless ramen - Homura with tofu! It was excellent. There is a little puddle of sauce on the bottom and you're supposed to mix everything up and enjoy while it is still warm (which is why I forgot to take a photo). The portion was just right, and because there wasn't as much broth like traditional ramen I didn't feel like I ate too much. I added chili oil to mine - surprisingly the chili oil was not that spicy in my opinion. Overall I loved this place! I would definitely go back. read more

Kajiken - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Kajiken recently opened and they are 100% worth trying, make sure you find your way here before tiktok finds its way because I guarantee you people will swarm here once it goes viral. This place serves Abura Soba--a soupless ramen, which I have not heard of anywhere else in Chicago. The service is super nice and helpful, and you'll get the gist of how amazing the ambiance is here when you dine in. The food is 10/10 and is super flavorful. I highly recommend the Homura if you like spice, the blend of the minced pork and the bamboo shoots with poached egg makes for super creamy noodles with a mix of great textures. The Tori was also pretty good but did not have as much flavor as the Homura. read more

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Located in Chinatown Square, Kajiken is part of a international chain that caught my eye for its interesting twist to ramen that I'm most familiar with. Their menu offers broth less ramen! I've never had broth less Ramen before so I didn't know what to expect. The restaurant is beautifully lit and has an open ramen bar concept that I really enjoyed. For apps, a friend and I enjoyed some classics - karaage and seaweed salad. The karaage was super crispy and was served alongside some spicy Mayo. The seaweed salad tasted great, however I wish there was more seaweed instead of spring mix at the base. As for the star of the show, we had the Original and the Tori. I had the Original and loved the tender chashu and the sweet and savory sauce that coated the stringy ramen noodles. The meal was simple, but each aspect was made so well that it made for a memorable meal! read more

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I'm so surprised this place only has four stars!!!! It deserves much more. We had the age tofu, the karatage, the original and sukiyaki noodles. Everything was delicious and beyond our expectations. The chashu was seared to perfection and the tofu was very crunchy and soft at the same time. The service was very quick, but we did go during a slow time. And we really liked the decor!! It definitely added to the whole experience. I would highly recommend checking this place out since it is still pretty new. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Pretty good ramen. Came here on Christmas Day since they were the only place without a line. Solid ramen and the dry soba noodles were great too. Would come back. read more

Kajiken - Spicy Tonkotsu - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The food was really good and came out super fast. Amazing service and the place has really nice scenery. read more

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solid ramen/japanese food spot. nothing crazy good but the ambience and staff were very nice and clean. we came by for a quick bite to eat. my gf and i got the takoyaki and the curry ramen. both were delicious but wasn't crazy good will come back again read more

Kajiken - Curry Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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One of the best places to eat in Chinatown, can't go wrong with anything on the menu. So much potential in my mind in terms of atmosphere. I wish they would dim the lights in the evening. The dining room is too bright. Let those beautiful lanterns shine! Update: we returned and the dining room was dimmed! If you want an amazing bowl of ramen, go to Kajken! read more

I discovered a piece of steel wool string in my food. It shows a serious lack of quality control in the kitchen. The sauce was not flavorful enough and too salty. One star for its poor quality control and disregarding for customer safety. It makes me wonder what other kinds of health hazards might be lurking in the kitchen. I strongly recommend that anyone considering eating here think twice before doing so. read more

Kajiken - steel string - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I got the Sukiyaki as takeout and it was absolutely delicious. I love how chewy the noodles are and the sauce is perfect -- not too salty.

This had been on my list of places to go for awhile, but sadly, it's not going on my list of places to go back to. The aesthetics of Kajiken are awesome, from the pergolas and wood paneling to the hanging lanterns, I loved everything about the vibe. The servers were also great, being friendly and attentive. No matter how great everything else was though, it couldn't distract me from how mid the food was. I would never say it was bad, but when competing with dozens of other restaurants in Chinatown, there's no reason to for me to ever come back. We got the tonkotsu ramen and the karaage, which if that's what you're looking for, literally go next door to DaiFuku and your mind might actually be blown at how good it is read more

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Excellent noodles! Our party of 5 tried different dishes, and they were all fantastic! Quick service and clean restaurant.

Very inviting atmosphere inside with very tasty ramen. Waiters are always there to assist you. Service and quick - did not take long to get the food and it was not too busy when I went. Would recommend and would come back read more

Kajiken - Homura - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a solid 3.5 for me. A cute little place in Chinatown. It was my first time trying Mazesoba. We heard great things about this place, so my friends and I checked it out. Service was decent. We did have to grab the server's attention. You can make your bowl with various toppings or pick from pre-set noodle bowls. From their appetizers, we tried their gyoza, karaage, deep-fried squid tentacles, and age tofu. All delicious! The texture and flavor were great. I got The Original bowl with poached egg and sweet corn. The appetizers were tasty, but noodles? Honestly, not my style. The noodle texture was good, but my friends and I thought the flavor wasn't there. I poured chili oil into my bowl and poured more chili oil and white vinegar with sesame seeds on every bite which made it better. I love my noodles, but it tastes like something I can make at home. Nothing that stood out. It does get cold fast and it's dry. It just made me appreciate and crave a hot bowl of ramen. I guess I'm more of a brothy gal. I prefer a bowl of ramen over a dry noodle. After this meal, I had more appreciation of the rich and deep flavor of the ramen broth. I wouldn't go back, but who knows, you might like it. Always worth trying it out once. read more

Never had a brothless Ramen before but it was a great experience. I took it to go and the packaging was perfect it keep the toppings hot and preserved the integrity of the noodles. Great flavors and textures. Just the right amount of heat. Service was quick and friendly. read more

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very nice service, Food was great. Not a big fan of the prices for canned beverages with no glass but's that just a me thing nothing deal breaking. The aesthetic of the place is very cozy feng shui. read more

Kajiken - Hamura and Karaage - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was all pretty good, I liked the sauce in the noodles and it was interesting being ramen without soup. The environment was clean and nice, waiters were fine but never refilled our water so we had to ask for more water. read more

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Soupless ramen place that recently opened up in Chinatown square. Not packed at all for a Friday afternoon lunch, which is surprising given the nice weather and school out. Service was fast so great for us. We ordered the original ramen and 2 rice don. The ramen wasn't too bad, I do prefer my ramen with less/minimal/to none soup . The ramen was on the salty side though and on the soft side. I have to say my favorite was the sukiyaki don (beef). The don is really small though, kid portion size. Given a new restaurant the place is new/clean. There's 2 gender neutral bathrooms. The inside gives you a Japanese feel with lantern decoration throughout the ceiling. read more

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I learned of this place a few months back and had really been looking forward to visiting. They specialize in mazesoba, or a brothless ramen. If you've never had this, it's delicious. Here the noodles are buttery and indeed delicious. Two things I wish were different though: First, though the noodles are meant to be soulless, ours came sitting in a puddle of what looked to be oil (sesame?) It seemed like a lot of oil, some people might like it, I did not. Second, the dish was at a room temperature, not hot but not cold either. I think what happened is that some of the toppings were hot and some were cold and when you mix everything together you get a luke warm dish. It was fine but didn't leave me wanting more. Priced were reasonable, though I thought the plain noodles were a bit too pricy at $9.50. The place was buzzing, lots of people. Service was fast and attentive. Music was a bit too loud. Overall good experience. Not sure Ill return anytime soon, but next time I get a craving for brothless ramen, this is the place Ill go. read more

I'm a regular; I absolutely love coming here. The place so cute on the side; I love the vibes in there. Your food comes out rather quickly. The Tori ramen bowl is delicious. I will say the chicken itself isn't great but I just eat around it. As for portion size, it's alright but I wish it was a bit bigger. Prices are fair; this place is nothing fancy but definitely delicious. read more

Kajiken - Tori ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ok it's advertised as soba but it's just soupless ramen. STILL GOOD THOUGH. So I got the Sukiyaki and it was really good! Little on the sweet side if you like that. I also got the takoyaki which was just ok. Wouldn't get it again. I would 100% go again read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

enjoyed the original abura soba with good flavors, condiments, and be sure to mix it well. also nice takoyaki.

Very authentic and inviting Ramen restaurant that feels like you stepped into Japan. The food was amazing. And the service was very attentive. Definitely coming back to try all the other options on the menu. read more

Kajiken - Sukiyaki Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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For some context, at the time this review is being written, this ramen shop has been open for only one month. I also learned that this a ramen shop is from Japan where they have 70 locations, and that this location is the third in the US. First, I loved the atmosphere. It was well lit, and had some cool decor. As you walk into the restaurant there is a huge Japanese style mural. The restaurant has a lot of paper lateens and cool wooden structures over many of the tables. Second, I loved the food. I ordered the tori ramen, the curry ramen, karaage, deep fried squid tentacles and the mango crepe cake for dessert. This is some of the best ramen I've had in a while. It's simple, but absolutely delicious. I liked both, but my favorite was the curry ramen. It's hard to find Japanese curry, at least in Chicgao, but this curry was amazing. It was on par with what I've had during my trips to Japan. It also clung to the noodles very well and the egg in to was a great addition. Also, ordered their karaage was hot, tender, juicy and the batter was crispy. This is a must order. I also tried the deep fried squid tentacles. I've never had this before and wanted to give it a shot. I liked it, it reminded me of calamari. The crepe cake for dessert was amazing. It was soft and had a great mango taste. Third, the service was great. My server was very nice, and food came out hot and fast. I felt they really had their act together even after only one month of being open. Fourth, the the value was good too. Everything I got was under $60 before tip. In sum, this is a ramen shop that is a must visit, it's worth traveling to Chinatown to from wherever you live. read more

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I really enjoyed this place! The staff was really friendly and the food was delicious. It wasn't very busy on a Saturday evening, but the interior was really nice. I got the Tori and it was delicious, especially with additional chili oil/vinegar and spices that they provide at the table. It was very hearty and the portions were a good size. read more

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I ordered take out with a homura noodle, homura don, and fried oysters. Fried oysters were good and the homura noodles were fine. The noodles were normal and the pork wasn't impressive. The poor review is for the comically small portion they gave us with the homura don. I think four normal bites and it was gone. I don't expect huge portions by any means, but this was pretty sad. read more

The noodle is good, taste is good, not too salty. The fried squid tentacle is good, service is good. Price is reasonable. The environment is clean, nice and peaceful. Will come back and try the don and fried oyster next time. read more

Kajiken - Original - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really solid ramen spot in China town I'm on the bigger side so it took two bowls to get me full and satisfied. read more

Got the Tori Abura Soba. The oil sauce is at the bottom unseen, but you mix it all up before eating. Well seasoned with nice at table enhancements. priced well but the portions are not huge. Room for appetizers and/or dessert. The salt plum sprite was fun to try but wasn't my cup of tea. Edamame was seasoned lovely. My companion loved the dumplings but wasn't impressed with the homura don. The restaurant was adorable and Picture worthy. Attentive servers. Although it's not at the top of my list for returning, mainly because it's not many chicken options, I still would recommend. China town is obviously fantastic. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Noodles were excellent and rare to see a soba shop! No ramen at all. Also tried the takoyaki which was one of the better ones I've had! Lantern lit interior that transports you to Japan read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was bussin enjoyed my first experience eating here and will be coming soon. Even the workers were filertious toward me, which made me chuckle . ETA on food was okay fast read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This place is very underrated. I'm not going to lie, I was skeptical hearing about brothless ramen but wow.. how delicious this was. The atmosphere in here is comfortable with friendly staff. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If you never try soupless ramen noodles from Japan this is the place to go! kajiken in Chinatown is a popular chain that serves some unique and delicious soupless ramen. The sauce that comes with it is super flavorful and a bit oily and it mixed well with the meat. Overall the interior is cute and service is good too. read more

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Well-worth a visit! Lively atmosphere (decorations, Japanese Pop music, overall vibe), very friendly service, very clean and bright inside, and the food is very good overall. We tried two brothless ramen, one chicken and one shrimp, and their chicken karage. We found the ramen to be very tasty and unique. Their portions were a little on the small side, but they do cost less than ramen at several of the places we usually eat. So that isn't a bad thing. It made it easier to grab a pastry afterward. I did not care for their chicken karage though. Even though the meat was probably at the correct temperature to be considered done, the meat felt under-done. Chicken karage is a bit of a challenge to cook, as you need to get the meat cooked, but not burn the batter. I will definitely visit Kajiken again though. read more

Kajiken - Entry - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Wow. Can I just say wow? Me and my husband ordered the original and the homura and they were both absolutely delicious. We both agreed the original was better. We lover their chasu. It was perfect. The flavors of the noodle and the fact that it was soupless makes it perfect to eat when it's hot and to be honest the restaurant itself is not the coldest and can get pretty warm. I love that there's multiple condiments at the table so you can season your bowl even more to your preference which in my opinion didn't need too much more, but I do love me some sesame seeds and garlic toppings. The homura was good too and the ground pork was tasty, however my only complaint is the pork doesn't really stick to the noodles so your left with nothing but ground pork in the bowl. Sort of feel I need a soup to scoop it up. Otherwise so delicious and if I'm ever back in town and craving ramen I'm coming here ! read more

new and the only aburasoba spot in chicago i believe. it's located where liang crispy roll used to be. the interior is cute and there's plenty of tables. the service was attentive and came by often to refill waters. we ordered the homura and the original. the homura was more saucy and a tad bit more spicy than the original. i preferred the original since i could adjust the taste to my liking with the side condiments. some of the condiments offered on the table were sesame seeds, chili oil, and vinegar. the portion size is pretty large and i was full after my bowl even without ordering appetizers. the noodles were springy and bouncy and my favorite topping was the menma! the total before tip was $30 which is really reasonable. i would come back again if i wanted a different taste compared to ramen. read more

Kajiken - homura - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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