Kiichi Ramen — Restaurant in Durham

UPDATE This has become a "Go To" spot for my Wife and I. She has requested to re-visit so much that the Staff recognizes us at entry. If there was a punchcard... it would be full. 😆

WHAT A PLEASANT SURPRISE!!

While out shopping / running errands with my Wife... we realized that we had'nt eaten. And now being mid-afternoon where should we go. Typically we're not one to try a "new place" when hungry because if it's bad then now it's worst.

I took the chance and suggested Kiichi as she had mentioned previously that shed like to try Japanese Ramen. Without even looking at the site or reviews, she said "let's try it".

Needless to say, I have my fingers crossed.

We arrived and walked up to the unassuming store front located on 9th street in Durham. As we entered we were greeted and sat at a small table midway the restaurant. It was Quaint. Clean. Bright and decorated as close to what I have experienced in small family restaurants in Japan years before.

Over the course of our visit we observed people from across the cultural spectrum dining in. The server was attentive, made recommendations and advised what to avoid taking into account my Wife's food allergies.

Hot Sake and appetizers to start Yakisoba noodles with chicken for my Wife and I chose the Miso Ramen also with chicken.

The food came quickly, it was fresh, the vegetables that accompanied her Soba were bright and not overlooked. My Miso Ramen was tasty and authentic, complete with a soft cooked egg and baby bok choy. I enjoyed an additional Ichiban beer, and my Wife took a soft drink.

At the end of our meal... as we placed the small leftover potion of Soba in the take away container I was pleasantly surprised to hear the 5 BEST words one can at a new dining choice... " That was Good - Im satisfied ".

Looks like we'll be back......

Came here Saturday for lunch, and oh boy was it rough. This ramen place is not worth your money or time.

My friend and I both ordered tonkotsu ramen, and ordered takoyaki as the appetizer. When we received our takoyaki, my friend noticed the middle of it being ice cold. I thought it was just the one he ate, so I proceeded to eat another one myself, and he was indeed correct. This was totally unacceptable, and we notified the waitress. She apologized and brought us a new order, and the inside was scorching hot, thankfully. The ramen was also not good, as the noodles were soggy, not al dente at all, and the portion was small. The broth didn’t have much flavor, and for the price of $15.99, it’s a huge rip off.

If you’re expecting something like Ippudo, you’re not going to get anything close. The only reason I’m giving it two stars is because they replaced our order, apologized, and didn’t charge us for it. Good customer service I guess. One waitress was speaking Mandarin Chinese to me, which I thought was weird considering I was speaking English to her although I am bilingual. Oh yeah, they were using microwaves to heat things up, which I thought was questionable, but that’s just my opinion.

Will not be returning as I have gave up on the search for...

The service here was fantastic, but the food wasn’t particularly impressive. Very good if you’re looking for something fast and on the cheap side. If you’re looking for something of higher quality, I would have to recommend Rose’s or Dashi.

FOOD:

The pork katsu rice bowl I got was pretty great, but the miso soup served with it might be some of the worst I’ve ever had.

My partner got some Tonkotsu ramen. We both enjoyed the broth and tender pork belly, even if the noodles were pretty standard.

We got an appetizer of chicken gyoza that was very underwhelming. Left me wishing we had ordered something else.

It seems like ordering Ramen is your best option here. I will update this review if I ever go back and try something else.

SERVICE:

Our waitress was VERY friendly, but the owner seemed to be stepping on the her toes a lot and checking up on us before she even had a chance to? I’m not entirely sure what was going on there - might just be my imagination.

The food came out VERY fast. We were impressed by the timing.

ATMOSPHERE:

The atmosphere was pretty nice - there was a beautiful bar and some nice tables. There are chalkboards with cute illustrations, mostly of Studio...