Kenzoku Mazesoba — Restaurant in Boston

An elevated casual Japanese noodle bar specializing in mazesoba and light seafood appetizers.

Boston has recently seen a surge in elevated casual Japanese restaurants, and Kenzoku is one of the additions. I visited twice in the past few weeks, and given its proximity to BU, it was bustling during both lunch and dinner times.

Since opening a few months ago, Kenzoku has introduced several cold seafood appetizers. Both the Uni Shooter and Ankimo seemed like a steal for the price, as these items are rarely found outside of sushi or omakase restaurants. While the quality of the Ankimo was just okay, simply having this option at a casual noodle bar was quite surprising.

They also offered a small selection of sushi rolls and bowls. The Pink Lady Roll was on par with the rolls I've had at other quality casual sushi restaurants around the city. Additionally, the takoyaki was the best I've had in Boston: its extra crispy exterior and huge chunks of octopus meat provided an extremely satisfying texture.

Brothless ramen originating from Nagoya, Mazesoba, was a dish I wasn’t too familiar with, but I enjoyed both the Shoyu and Mentaiko Cream varieties. The noodles had a satisfying chewiness, and the toppings created a well-balanced flavor profile. Each bowl featured pork as its base, with a copious amount of chives adding a pleasant earthy note to counter the rich meats. The minced garlic provided a creamy tang that melded beautifully with the fats, and the shish leaves elevated the dish with their subtle aromatics.

Would definitely come back to explore more varieties of Mazesoba. I haven't yet tried mixing white rice with the remaining sauce of the Mazesoba, as recommended on the menu, and I'm curious to see if this would make the experience even more satisfying. If you're planning to visit for dinner, I recommend avoiding peak times, as the wait can...

I've been looking forward to trying Kenzoku -- I'm always down to try a new bowl of noodles. It's located right next to its sister restaurant Futago, and there was no wait for lunch on a Monday. The restaurant is clean and spacious and the service was great.

I got the yuzu shio mazesoba ($19). It was a refreshing dish with pleasant flavors. The pork chashu was pretty good and the mixed greens added freshness and acidity. I preferred the taste of the broth before mixing everything together (more savory and less acidic/sweet). The noodles have a similar thickness to soba, and they are cooked well. The egg seemed like an onsen egg, and while mazesoba eggs I've had in the past have seemed to add a rich thickness, something about the doneness of the egg yolk combined with the cold liquidy broth made the egg kind of disappear into the broth. This dish is pretty light overall -- I've definitely had rich/heavy mazesobas, and this was not one of them. I personally prefer thicker noodles in this type of dish.

The serving size was decent -- they offered rice afterwards, but we were pretty full. If I came back, I would want to try some of their appetizers as well as the...

Kenzoku Mazesoba is a great eatery for comforting, brothless ramen (mazesoba). The interior is bright and the staff are accommodating.

The meal started with three warm Kurobuta sausages that were topped with pickled red cabbage and a mustard-based sauce over fresh greens. Overall, a well-rounded appetizer with a nice balance of textures, richness, and acid.

Next, the torched Hamachi roll had fresh fish slices laid on a roll and then torched. The hamachi was then topped with black tobiko and complemented with fresh ginger and wasabi. The roll was light and tasty.

The Yuzu Shio Ramen was the standout and featured braised pork chashu and a delicious poached egg. The medium-bodied noodles were a pleasant to chew with the toppings.

The vegetable mazesoba (vegan) included tofu soboro, mix of corn, quinoa, red pickles, and other goodies. It was a lighter flavor and we appreciated the opportunity to order the truffle oil on the side.

Overall, recommended for a casual and pleasant dinner among family and friends. The food quality and atmosphere make this hidden gem a...