Why: Kenji’s Ramen recently opened up on Mill Plain Boulevard where Little Italy’s Trattoria used to be. The casual family friendly restaurant specializes in ramen made with their signature broth which is made daily from scratch and cooked for over eight hours.
What I tried: To start, my dining companion and I had the edamame. I settled on the Veggie-cado Ramen and my dining companion had the Kenji’s Chicken special entree, which consists of a boneless chicken breast in a shoyu marinade atop a shredded bed of cabbage. Steamed rice, miso soup and salad are served alongside the chicken dish.
The edamame was served in the pods and deliciously seasoned. They were a tasty start to our food experience at Kenji’s.
The veggie-cado ramen includes avocado and cilantro with the broth, noodles, kikurage mushrooms, seasoned bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, saut?ed mushrooms and yellow corn. There was also two large squares of tofu in the ramen. Marinated pork belly and a soft-boiled egg are included in the other ramen options.
Dining Out review: Kenji’s Ramen
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
Where: 204 S.E. Park Plaza Drive, Suite 103, Vancouver.
Contact: 360-984-6744 or www.kenjisramen.com. Kenji’s Ramen is also on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Health score: Kenji’s Ramen has received a pre-opening Inspection and is scheduled for a routine inspection in the near future. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants with a score of 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
I found the broth appetizing and not overly salty. The add-ins individual flavors were distinct from one another which keep the large bowl of ramen interesting to the last.
My dining companion was surprised at the large portion size and noted two layers of chicken that amounted to a whole breast. Although he is not a fan of cabbage, he ate all the shredded cabbage under the chicken which was doused in a tasty dressing. Fresh, steamed broccoli was also plated with the chicken. The rice, miso soup and spinach salad with a unique dressing that hinted of wasabi completed my dining companion’s meal to his satisfaction.
We both agreed everything we had embodied a fresh quality, which imparted conscientious preparation, and the presentation was attractive.
Atmosphere: The restaurant feels somewhat industrial, with exposed ducting and a tall ceiling above standard interior walls that divide the space’s operating areas. Most of the walls are painted either gray or green. A large expanse of slate on a wall near the entrance makes an attractive, earth inspired accent, and a photo mural of the cityscape of Tokyo with Mount Fuji in the background decorates the dining room. Tables and chairs, some of which are paired with a wall bench, make up the seating options in the dining room. Ample amounts of natural light enter the space from the entry and rear of the restaurant through large windows.
Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Among the starters are agedashi tofu (deep fried), gyoza, chicken karrage (Japanese version of fried chicken with different spices) and wakame salad (seaweed salad). Ramen options include so soy ramen with pork and chicken broth and Kenji’s special shoyu tare, sea salt ramen which is similar to the so soy only with shio tare, the “Couve” ramen made with a rich pork broth, and Kenji’s ramen made with the rich pork broth with Kenji’s fusion tare and kimchee. All ramen can be made spicy or extra spicy. Pork katsu is also on the menu. Dessert options consist of mochi ice cream and deep-fried mochi ice cream.
Other observations: The waitstaff is friendly, polite and attentive, the atmosphere is comfortable and tidy, and the food is fresh and priced fair.
Cost: Small plates cost $4 to $12. Ramen is $10 through $12. Special entrees are $12. Dessert is $5 and $6. Beverages cost $1.50 to $3.
