Kimen Ramen & Izakaya — Restaurant in Centreville

I really wanted to love this place. It was a disappointment, with some good and some bad mixed together.

SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE: From the moment we walked in the door it was awkward. I asked for a table for 5 plus a high chair. It's clear they aren't prepared for parties above 4. The server seemed annoyed and perplexed about seating us. It took them several minutes to get things situated for us.

Once we got our table it was 5-7 minutes before we got waters and menus. The menus were photocopies stapled together. They were curled and worn, and the copies were not good.

After ordering, the food and drinks rolled out in good time. But drinks sat empty for long periods. My entrée came with the wrong meat, but nobody checked if we were happy with the food until everyone was nearly done.

There were no soup spoons. They had big ladles and little teaspoons, but nothing appropriate for eating soup.

The decor and ambiance was fine. The chairs were uncomfortable. The room was small and cramped. Two tvs were on, but no music or sound was playing.

Afterward, it took 10 minutes to get the check, then a couple more for them to run the card and return. It felt even longer because I just wanted to leave at that point.

FOOD: Besides getting the wrong selection, the food was hit-and-miss. The Katsu chicken was not seasoned. One of the plates had delicious slaw, but the other was dry like they failed to mix in the sauce correctly.

The Kimen spicy Ramen tasted good. And it was genuinely spicy. However, they bring this enormous bowl that's less than one third full. The small portion was a disappointment for $15, with only a very small amount of noodles in the soup. It's not filling.

PRICE AND PORTIONS: I was ok with the entrée prices. However, you don't get a large portion for the price so it sends like a poor value.

Also, a 20% gratuity was added to my 3-person check. There were 5 diners and a baby. That's a pretty small group for automatic gratuity. I was considering just keeping my opinion to myself, even after all the disappointments I experienced, until they added the 20%. That pushed a button for me.

CONCLUSION: I plan to never return. I felt it was a poor value, inconsistent food, subpar service, and an uncomfortable experience. There are better Ramen spots all around. Try your...

Often times, the work of a foodie is simple. We find comfort in Instagram and TikTok algorithms that bring forth the trendy and the new. Yet I find myself in positions where word of mouth holds more weight than any algorithm can suggest. The honest truth we foodies must face, is that endorsements from friends and loved ones will always triumph over any recommendation a computer can propose. Given to me by my older cousin, who acts as a quasi food mayor of Centreville and Annandale, I was eager to feast.

But there are times when suggestions can feel precarious, and that is in the discovery and defense of something new. Social media is often unkind to new talent, new creations, but the new needs friends.

This holiday I experienced something new. An extraordinary meal from a uniquely intimate community. To say Kimen offers warming familiarity and comforting taste in Japanese cuisine, would be total understatement. They have left a profound impression on what a true Izakaya can be.

In the past, I’ve found myself inclined to indulge in soju and grilled meats as the day turns blue but I realize only now that maturing can mean hot sake and agedashi tofu. Anyone can make a bowl of ramen, but Kimen serves ramen akin to the feeling of nostalgia. It is difficult to describe more humble beginnings of when we first had a bowl of ramen as children, but this foodie will be returning to Kimen hungry, and...

I was so pleased by how delicious the food was. It took me back to my memories of being in Japan. I ordered the chicken katus curry and the agedashi tofu. The agedashi tofu was perfectly fried, and topped with lovely bonito flakes and green onions. The dashi both it was served in was savory but not to salty. I got so excited when I saw it brought to the table I started eating it before I got my photograph which is why the portion I show in this photo is so small. Portion was actually quite generous, those were just the last two pieces that I posed together for the photo. The chicken katus curry was so delicious. The chicken was perfectly fried and still moist on the inside. The crust on the chicken was beautifully crispy and crunchy. The curry with sweet and spicy but mild enough for someone with a low to no spicy tolerance. The pickled carrot and pickled daikon garnishes complemented the dish perfectly and acted as wonderful pallet cleansers in between each bite. Plus the miso soup accompaniment was very good and was not over salted in any way. I highly recommend Kimen Ramen & Izakaya if you have a hankering for flavorful Japanese bar food in a small restaurant...