Kajiken Champaign — Restaurant in Champaign

Very disappointed. We joined the waitlist and waited for 15-20 minutes, but ended up leaving because the system was completely ineffective.

The table layout was not conducive to efficient seating as there were little to no tables for one/two or tables ready for big parties. Many tables for 4 were occupied by a single person and no attempt to split them was made to accommodate new customers.

There was also no attempt to honor the waitlist either. A large group of almost 15 people entered right after we joined the waitlist and it seemed like they forgot about the smaller parties waiting ahead of them as they scrambled to clear the new entryway crowd. When questioned about our seating after they sat a portion of the big group down first, they just said they just responded with a helpless “I don’t know”.

It was poorly managed and there didn’t seem to be a clear structure of leadership/management so we left not wanting waste more time. If you don’t want to wait forever, you might as well hop on a 3hr amtrak to the...

I tried the spicy tonkatsu, and it was fantastic! The broth was super flavorful—not too spicy but with just the right amount of seasoning and kick. The chashu was tender and delicious, and the noodles had a perfect texture. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality.

I’ll admit I was a bit worried after seeing some mixed reviews, but I’m so glad I gave it a shot! They just opened, so it seems like they're still working out their waitlist system, but honestly, the food quality makes it well worth it. Don’t let any of the 1-star reviews deter you—this place is...

I really like Japanese curry so I was excited to try the chicken curry noodles here. It was really tasty and has an authentic Japanese curry flavor albeit a bit salty. There is a lot of curry sauce to cover the noodles and the chicken is lightly crispy which pairs well with the curry sauce. The food was prepared quickly and hot. The portion size was good enough for me, however others may find it to be on the smaller side. Edit: Don’t order takeout from here. The noodles were a giant clump stuck together on the bottom and there was very...