Since moving to the neighborhood, I've been craving ramen on a pretty frequent basis. My last hood had no less than three separate ramen joints within walking distance, so it's been a bit of adjustment living somewhere with almost no ramen in sight.
Kenzo Ramen is about a 20 minute walk from my new place, so I'd been dragging my feet making my way over there and trying their food. But on a recent Saturday, the time was finally right and I walked through Kenzo's doors at around 11:30.
It's a really small place with only about five tables, so it's definitely a good idea to try and come during their off hours. (By the time we left shortly after noon, the other tables were all taken.)
I was impressed by the number of different ramens on their menu, but I found myself drawn to the Spicy Charsu Ramen ("Are you up for the challenge? Try to keep calm with this heart-hurtingly Hakata-style pork bone ramen that's made with only a few drops of pure capsaicin extract. Only for the extreme chile-heads.") I can't say no to anything that's super spicy, so it was a no-brainer. I went with level two in terms of spice, assuming that level three, the highest, would probably be just a little too hot.
And indeed, level two was practically too hot. I mean, it's serious business. It's also very tasty. All the components included in the soup work really well together, and I especially enjoyed the plentiful roasted pork. (It was just so flavorful.) The broth and noodles were right on point, too.
Would I ever order this particular dish again? Probably not. I enjoyed it but I would've liked to taste some of the dish's other flavors.
Yep, Kenzo's a keeper. I'll definitely be returning. read more