KAJIKEN BALTIMORE — Restaurant in Baltimore

This is hands down my favorite ramen spot. But last Friday I went the service was seriously off.

I’ve only ever had two bad experiences here, and only one worth writing about and fwiw the negativity isn’t with the food. The newer hostess Antonio(?) seems a lil lack luster. As the lobby is piling up people and the bar is piling up with empty stools, and tables are clearing out, he doesn't clear any dirty dishes--- he does eventually help wipe down the bar tho. I’ve done food service (foh, boh, and bar) so I definitely noticed all this and it’s the first time I’ve ever had occasion to notice this at Kajiken.

Frankly the only reason I paid this much attention to him is because I was on the waitlist sitting outside. Where I also witnessed Antonio seat someone before me that definitely came in afterwards and added themselves to the waitlist afterwards. I sat right outside the window in the hostess stand and watched as he proceeded to seat an Asian dude before me that had come in afterwards without once even trying to contact me or anyone else on the waitlist. So this hostess, somehow on a Friday had inexplicably created a waitlist, as the whole noodle bar was about to empty, which indicates that he improperly sat people in waves that the kitchen then had to push out food to, and they all got up and left at the same time. Then he deviated from the waitlist. I was a hostess for 4 years throughout college bro---- you seat and stagger, and you stick to the waitlist.

I realized what had occurred, walked in and was sat immediately (ahead of other people I'm sure were also on the waitlist), and once I mentioned this not being cool, the hostess looked directly over at the individual he seated before me knowingly and tried to placate me with the excuse that this dude was already on the list. Like bro, just own it and apologize. This interaction either reads as slightly racist/preferential. Or like the people on the waitlist who walk away from overcrowding the lobby will only be rewarded with losing their spot in favor of those who are obnoxiously waiting and overcrowding the lobby. If you have a waitlist, stick to it. (Upon checking the other reviews---I'm not the only black person who's had some questionable experiences here as of late btw. This is not the norm for me here, but definitely a feeling I had dining here more recently).

The ramen was banging as always tho. I ended up getting my ramen to go, b/c the vibe just wasn't right. And as I tried to cash out I was presented with a broken ipad where I could barely modify the tip. I don't expect much from a typical Japanese noodle spot that's trying to flip tables b/c that's how they make money but c'mon a waitlist that is honored and a working machine to cash out on, should be standard. Another complaint, the waiters typically only initiate conversation/service with their section. If you see a waiter thundering past you and try to make eye-contact to ask for something they will work really hard to ignore you, and you should consider this the norm, so make sure you get everything you need the first time they come around. I will also note, that on days where the seating isn't staggered like it should be this issue of being ignored by your...

TLDR: Very tasty mazemen brothless ramen. Very popular location with no reservations so come at off peak hours or be prepared to wait.

Vibe: 4/5. Located in the heart of Homewood/Hopkins, Kajiken is a welcomed addition to the dining scene. Parking can be a bit difficult in the adjacent area, however if you expand your search a few blocks away, you should have no problem grabbing free street parking with only a short walk. Kajiken has a lovely interior that embraces the ramen bar vibe. Upon entry, you are greeted by a memorable floor to ceiling ode to ramen tapestry. Inside, the majority of the restaurant is occupied by a ramen bar counter straight out of Japan. There are 4 top tables available in the back of the restaurant for those with larger groups.

Service: 5/5. Considering how busy this location can get, the staff at Kajiken does a great job at serving their guests. My party of 4 came on a Saturday right when they opened at 12 noon and were seated immediately at a 4 top in the back dining room. The waitress was great at explaining the menu and was punctual at taking both our food and drink orders. Both appetizers and mains came out in record time and paced well one after the other. Overall, I couldn't ask for a better service!

Food: 4/5. As noted on the menu, Kajiken is known for their mazemen style ramen, which is a brothless version of traditional ramen. With this style, they use a different noodle which tends to be plumper and more robust than the typical alkaline ramen soup noodles. Along with the noodles, there are several unique dry spices and oils that make up the flavor of the dish as well as various proteins and veggies. For lunch, I ordered the honmura mazemen which included spicy minced pork, menma, poached egg, fish powder, chives, scallions and nori. After being thoroughly mixed, the ingredients played very well with each other, offering an umami bomb in every bite. The springy chew of the noodles was outstanding and definitely the most memorable part of the meal. Others at my table opted to order the soup based tonkotsu ramens, which I felt lacked the flavor and memorable experience that the mazemen did. The soup based ramen used a thinner style noodle which just didn't have the awesome springy mouth feel of the brothless noodz. Appetizer wise, the karaage and fried squid were perfectly fried and the perfect bites to prime our taste buds. Overall, highly recommend giving Kajiken a shot, just make sure to go...

Wow, Kajiken is definitely the best ramen in Baltimore by far. I was not a fan of Peko Peko which was a previous occupant of this store, and I'm so happy that such a delicious ramen restaurant has replaced it! I would 100% come back for the tonkotsu shoyu ramen and the karaage.

The karaage was perfect -- juicy, crispy, with great flavor (slight ginger flavor). I thought it was interesting that they provided two "sauces" -- I enjoyed the grated daikon sauce. My only qualm is that there are only 5 pieces! I want more!

The tonkotsu shoyu ramen was pretty perfect. The mix of tonkotsu and shoyu broth creates the perfect balance of richness and savoriness. The chashu is not overly fatty and the torching gives it some nice smokiness. The noodles are the thinner noodles and pair perfectly with the broth. The egg is perfectly jammy (though only half of an egg, again I want more).

The original aburasoba was great. It has thick noodles which have a good texture, and the flavor is good. I would definitely choose the tonkotsu shoyu ramen over this, but this is also a very solid option. I like that it's not too rich unlike some similar dishes I've had before.

The edamame was nothing to write home about. I'm not sure if it was the quality of the edamame or the cooking, but it was not tasty.

Overall the prices are very reasonable coming from a Boston resident, and it's certainly the best ramen I've tried in Baltimore. Looking forward to...