the very best! Excellent Ramen, their broth and noodles are the best. And their curry is superb...a little black pepper gives it some snap. the portions are large! the cost is modest! and the sushi...what a deal! Perfect rice is the key and they have it. 11 out of ten ! our new favorite! read more

I was really sad and disappointed. I ordered the teriyaki chicken and rice and a Sprite in a can. The total with tax was over $19. It's not the price that bothered me. What bothered me is the chicken from the beginning? It was cold It looked like it was going to be so good too. It just tasted weird. I felt like it wasn't cooked all the way, but then I just kept trying to eat it. Hubby said no it's cooked . There was a couple hard parts in it that hurt my tooth and then I asked my husband to try it because I told him I feel like this was just off. Maybe like frozen and refrozen. It just did not taste good For me, I've never ate at a Ramen place and not liked it so this was very odd to me unfortunately because it's not a restaurant and it's a food place that's in the mall. I didn't feel like I had a manager I could go talk to you know maybe it was a mishap. All I could finish was the rice. The food took over 10 minutes read more

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The food was not too shabby at all & could not think of where this restaurant was located when the distance said it was so close to my house. For being mall food it was good & will go back. Got dinner for the whole family; it was fast, good food, good portions, & service was great, young kid did a good job. read more

We came to the mall and had lunch here. There are few lunch options here but it's good they have this place. We ordered the chicken katsu curry and enjoyed it. The only thing was that there was much more rice and curry than there was chicken, and there was also very few vegetables in the curry, but the food we did have here was pretty good. The curry could have been a bit thicker though. Overall we enjoyed our food here. You order at the cashier and then you get a buzzer when your food is done. The food was finished about 10 minutes and so it was not that long of a wait. read more

This place should be so busy! Ramen was delicious and done right, with the vegetables and meat on the side so they didn't get soggy. A bowl was more than any of us could eat. Service was great, food prepared quickly but still to order, a California roll was also good, selection of small Japanese drinks, price very reasonable. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food court seating, with good natural light and super clean. read more

I ordered japanese curry for the first time here and was pleasantly surprised! I usually go for ramen but decided to try something different this time and am glad I did! Chicken Katsu Curry (5/5) - The portion for this dish was very generous, the chicken katsu was well cooked and the flavor of the curry was delicous! They give you seaweed salad and pickled ginger on the side which is a really nice touch. I personally think they should separate the chicken from the curry, however, as the chicken can get soggy from getting soaked in the curry. But this dish was delicious! Matcha Milk Tea with boba (3/5) - This drink was good and was very cheap, only $4.50! I do think the matcha flavor could have been better as well as the quality of the tapioca pearls, but the drink was cheap so I did not have very high expectations. Next time I would try their matcha ice cream float! Overall I will be back! read more

Ramen Kaito - Chicken Katsu Curry and Matcha Milk Tea with boba - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

I LOVE this place. Every time I crave curry lately, it's because I'm remembering the last time I came here. The portions are perfect for 1-2 people each and they all taste amazing. The service is absolutely worth a little wait and you can tell they make everything fresh. The workers are always so helpful and friendly. The location is perfect as a place to stop by before leaving the mall or as a place to eat before starting to shop around. One of my favorite local places for curry! read more

Ramen Kaito - Chicken Katsu Curry Rice - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

One of the few places in the area that resembles Asian flavored elsewhere. Best of the ramen places around but it's the curry katsu that stands out. Tender meat, flavorful curry and super crispy pickled veggies with fresh seaweed salad. Yum! Matcha was super good before but had been watered down. Located in mall food court but don't let its location discourage. This may be the best Asian restaurant in the area ! read more

Best ramen in Santa Cruz! Everything is super flavorful. Make sure you order at least one of the marinated eggs because they are SO good. They also have containers that make the to-go orders really easy and without the noodles getting soggy in the broth. 10/10 every time! read more

Best ramen in Santa Cruz! Everything is super flavorful. Make sure you order at least one of the marinated eggs because they are SO good. They also have containers that make the to-go orders really easy and without the noodles getting soggy in the broth. 10/10 every time! read more

Just had the Kara-age curry. So good! The curry has a little bit of spicy to it but not overwhelming. The chicken was perfectly fried and tender inside. The meal comes with the curry sauce on the side so you can have as little or much to your taste preference. I don't get to come to this mall very often but definitely will be back for more curry and ramen in the future! read more

What a completely disappointing experience. I arrived at Kaito Ramen at around 1:20 and placed an order for two bowls of ramen, which I was told would be ready in 15 minutes. I then spent the next HOUR watching other customers come up, order food and and be served and leave. Twice I asked if my food was ready, and was told the kitchen was "having an issue". I did not receive my food until nearly 2:35 at which point the server offered a weak "sorry" and handed me my food with no further explanation of why it took them over an hour to make they're most basic menu item, and served other people ramen the whole time while insisting that the kitchen was having issues. read more

A wonderful gem to behold. I know the mall itself has lost its luster but don't sleep on the ramen from Kaito. Its wonderful aroma will capture your attention well after you finish your bowl. It's a testament that even in a quiet food court a treasure can be found. Thank you for making this gentle masterpiece. read more

Always super sweet staff! My favorite is the Spicy Garlic Chicken Broth Ramen. I substitute the pork for chicken and it just makes it even better! Good portion size a bit pricy but I don't mind paying for it because it's so yummy! Fun drink and dessert selection. I've heard the sushi is also really good! read more

I ordered the Kuru Tonkatsu ramen through DoorDash for $21.00. However, what arrived was a large portion of noodles and broth, and a tiny portion of toppings. The bbq pork portion (1 piece) was smaller than my index finger (I'm a slight female) and the portion of toppings was *tiny*. Everything would have fit in a small deli container. I called the restaurant and the owner said that there was "nothing he could do." Not true! He said that I should call ahead next time to ask for another piece of meat. Geez. Also, this particular ramen (the Kuru Tonkatusu) has a slick of oil across the top which leaves my mouth feeling very greasy. I know there is supposed to be black garlic oil, but this isn't particularly appetizing. What is frustrating is that I can order budget ramen from Hokkaido or Betty Noodle with a much more substantial portion of toppings for much less, and these are still tasty options. Kaito was supposed to be the more authentic better tasting option but was so dissappointing. Avoid this greasy scant ramen if you can! read more

We had the Spicy Garlic Ramen and Spicy Miso Ramen and our 9 year old had the Original Tonkotsu. All three were outstanding!! Amazing flavor, perfect portions and fresh ingredients. The owner was welcoming and explained the flavors and what each bowl came with. WE WILL BE BACK! read more

Ramen Kaito - SPICY MISO RAMEN - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

The man seems like owner was very kind and nice. Great quality of the food. Real Japanese ramen broth. read more

Ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry. Was very very happy with portion size as well as taste. Just like home

Usually get delivery. Really love the ramen and curry stew. Just love the quality of the ingredients and tastes. Excellent!

I tried the ramen once, it was amazing but I wasn't able to finish it because it was a lot of food. Which is good, my partner ate the rest and said he loved it! What I normally get when I am here is the sushi, the rice is always perfectly made and the salmon is fresh and delicious. This is one of my go to spots for my lunch breaks. read more

This was a perfect meal on a fun day at the Mall with my 2 y.o. grandson. The Tonkotsu pork ramen and a combination plate with chicken teriyaki were our choices and every bit of it was delicious, including 3 gyoza, seaweed salad, fun pickled extras and a lot of rice. It took a bit of time to cook, but that is because it was really good and not fast food at all. Yum! Can't wait to come again. My grandson ate the ramen with the chopsticks provided, no problem! read more

"Japanese Curry Done Right" Santa Cruz County is not exactly known for its diverse food options. However, Kaito's curry is a bright light in a bland landscape. Albeit it's located in a food mall court. Ordered: 1. Curry: Rich and full-bodied, very reminiscent of Coco Ichiban or curry served in Japan 4/5 2. Chicken Karage: Perfectly seasoned, juicy, and the proper texture to dip into the curry or eat on its own 4/5 3. Ramen: Mediocre and could use more seasoning 3/5 Pros: + Strong in select menu items + Friendly owner and staff + Located in the Capitola mall, so you can visit other stores after eating Area of Improvement: - Your eating in the Capitola mall food court - To-go containers use a lot of plastic; wish they would use more sustainable containers. read more

Was very pleasantly surprised to have such a fabulous dinner at the mall but I know the owner has extensive experience and loves his work. Brought the family and had a fabulous combination of plates including sashimi plate, gyoza, tonkatsu curry , vegan ramen and everyone was thrilled! Thank you ! read more

Used to be very nice when they had a real restaurant on 41st years ago. Now it is glorified mall slop. Top Ramen with a bottle of hot sauce poured in, and some petrified pork slices through which you could read the newspaper. Avoid. read more

Great ramen! Best in the area, great service. Price friendly. I wish they advertised more, there amazing! read more

Ramen Kaito - Jaja ramen and spicy garlic ramen. 5 stars. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Bwomp bwomp bwomp. Man, I was excited to find a ramen place (I feel they're so hard to come by in SC!) I was stoked to see they had a veggie ramen...and cool, veggie broth, too!! So I order the veggie & tofu ramen- hold the tofu. Hmmm, $20, huh?! Well, I'm sure it'll be packed full of veggie goodness to make up that price! But was it?...da f*!ck, no it certainly was not. Not only that, they left the tofu in there(I'm allergic to soy-_-). Look at this sad, sad excuse for $20 ramen!... How the eff do they justify charging that much?!?! NEVER again will I eat here. read more

Ramen Kaito - Veggie & Tofu Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

I should've known better to go to a sushi/ramen spot in the area. Service from the get go was suspect. Had to ask multiple times for water. The spicy garlic ramen was seriously lacking garlic and spice. The noodles were overcooked and stuck together. The spicy tuna roll and karaage were ok. Most places have a aioli or sauce to accompany the karaage but none were given. They did take off one of the ramens. That was the only good part of the meal. read more

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My Go-To place for ramen. I recommend the spicy pork ramen or the tonkotsu ramen. The service is always friendly and helpful!

Best place in town for very affordable sushi! My all time favorite, service is fantastic and the staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable! It's in the Capitola mall so the ambience is as you would expect for a food court. read more

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Kaito has been a favorite and the food is great here really miss the restaurant more than anything. I enjoy the ramen and sushi very much

Sorry to say that this is some of the worst food I've had in Santa Cruz. The broth was not very flavorful. The pork was riddled with fat and a strange gray color. The vegetables were canned or chopped with a machine. The tempura was awful. The batter way to thick, the shrimp in the thick batter almost non existent. The tempura was put right out of the fryer into a plastic to go container which melted the plastic. Super disappointing. read more

Most authentic ramen I've had in years! Very Perfectly great service, very great ambience read more

I absolutely love Japanese Ramen and have not been able to find any place in Santa Cruz. Koji and his crew does a wonderful job across the menu. They have a nice selection of Ramen, some very nice curry dishes, an array of sushi options and more. I highly recommend this Ramen if you are a Ramen lover. It's the best I have found in the area. Please give this a try. Kaito is located in the Capitola Mall in a easy access location on Clares next to Macys. They also offer nicely separated to-go containers as an option. Enjoy! read more

Ramen Kaito - Staff and counter area. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Awesome one and only ramen shop and sushi togo restaurant! Enter from Macy's side (food court side) for convenience. Delicious black garlic Tonkotsu ramen! Noodles chewy! They use the local one and only Yamachanramen custom made noodles. Broth is creamy and rich! So tasty! Yum! Many selections on the menu google try this hole in the wall spot in Santa Cruz! read more

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Not sure why all the bad reviews? I have given Kaito a second look and man it was good. Hot apps are on point. Sushi is clean and reasonably priced. Koji the chef was kind and the uni was the bom read more

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My Half eaten spicy garlic ramen had to pause to give this business some well deserved recognition. Very friendly service and delicious ramen 10/10 give this place a chance if you haven't tried it. read more

Ramen Kaito - My Half eaten spicy garlic ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

Rich flavors and good amount of spice. You can taste the balance between all the spices which is good. The saltiness of the broth can get overpowering the more you eat it, but I found it better to eat with the corn and seaweed in the broth. Service was good and the waittime was not long at all. read more

Ramen Kaito - Spicy Garlic with soft boiled egg and shrimp tempura! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Capitola, California

I came with a couple of friends for lunch on a Wednesday and we were seated immediately. We chose to sit at the lower tables where you take off your shoes, and I thought this was a cute way to make the meal feel more "authentic." Our server was really nice and constantly checked up on us, making sure our food and everything was okay. I ordered the pork katsu with curry and my friends ordered ramen. I thought the pork katsu was pretty dry, although it was nice and crispy on the edges. The curry was pretty good, and I really like how they put potatoes, carrots, and small slices of chicken in it. Usually most places just give you the curry sauce and the katsu. I also got to try a bit of my friend's tonkotsu ramen. The broth was rich and creamy and had a lot of flavor, and the noodles had a good texture and consistency. The portion sizes here are also pretty generous! This place is pretty good among the small selection of Asian restaurants in the Santa Cruz area. read more

This is Ramen Kaito located in the Food Court in the Capitola Mall. This was a glorious surprise. If this is how great restaurants survive after a pandemic, I am all for it. The food that came out of this shop was stunning. I'm sorry I don't have pictures. I ordered a small ramen...yes, I was able to get a half size serving so I could try more. The menu had so many wonderful choices. The ramen was prepared with a luscious pork bone broth with a nice hunk of pork and veggies that you added in. I also ordered the octopus and shrimp dumplings. These were delicately prepared with sauces and vegetables. This location is worth the trip. I will be back soon. Check it out. By read more

It was pouring the day after Thanksgiving and we were craving some Ramen and found Kaito on the Yelp app. We got lucky and found parking right up front. It is a pretty basic restaurant and I like that they had a Japanese style section where you can sit on the ground after you remove your shoes. Now on to the food...the chicken curry was good and flavorful. The Tonkatsu ramen was OK. I was not a fan of the sake ngiri which still had a fair bit of shiny stuff (skin?) on it. Nice people but service was a mess. We were left unattended for long periods of time, took forever to get our check and then get the CC back afterwards. The waitress ignored my attempts to get her attention which was annoying. They need more help especially during peak time. read more