Kinya Ramen — Restaurant in Gainesville

While it is a brand store, the quality it offered in comparison within Gainesville makes it quite a fancy place to go for its price tag. The ramen feels delicious and authentic enough it's easily second best in town, only behind Dragonfly and Sake Company, which is regularly overcrowded and can only get in through reservation at least a week ahead. On top of their quite more pop and modern selection of Japanese dishes, they also regular create new menu items that all generally feels exciting to enjoy. They even have time to make delicacies such as Ankimo liver (the liver of a monkfish, very authentic Japanese seafood delicacy). The most recent item is a plate of seared sliced scallops with Japanese condiments such as soysauce, another banger that I would wish they'll continue to keep on the menu. It's overall easily the best new Japanese restaurant in the town for the past 2 years and I wish they'll continue serve the town in the future. Some food recommendations:

If you want just full on values: Order a bowl of ramen then pick one appitizer item. For around 24 dollars (minus the tips) you can get quite a bellyful that'll last before midnight. The titualr Kinya Ramen is easily the best option, as the garlic oil's aroma is simply irresistable.

If you want some other delicious item to add to your serving: Porkbelly from Yakitori section is easily the best among all, with a slight Japanese green mustard to ease away all the oily feel you may expect from a piece of porkbelly. Chiken Karaage may look unappealing (which is the biggest weakeness of this dish) but it is made of thighmeat and thus delightfully juicy. I would even say it's better than the variant served in Dragonfly. Tonkatsu (Fried Pork Cutlet) is a new item added in and it's wonderfully delicious. The most important part is that while it's fried pork chop, the meat is not dry at all. Companied with fresh lettuce and Japanese Tonkatsu sauce, it's another meaty yet delightful dish to add...

Went here for a birthday dinner for my partner (they love ramen and have taken me to countless ramen restaurants from here to NYC). We were both incredibly disappointed :( The ramen itself was flat. The broth was not very good, and tasted like it was made super quickly with no time to marinate or absorb flavor. We tried the Tantan ramen, which from my understanding was supposed to be on the spicier side (it was near flavorless). Even with added chili oil, the ramen just wouldn't soak up any flavor. The noodles were the best part, and they were still very soggy and too mushy. Also, this dish has ground meat as the protein, which I should have noticed before ordering (that one's on me). The pork bun had the structure to be good, as the outside bun was so soft and pillow-y, but the pork wasn't cooked well and they were SLATHERED with salty sauce - to the point where that's all you tasted. The gyoza was also fairly mid, I've gotten better ones at Sam's or publix that I made at home myself. My partner got the Kinya ramen, which in my opinion, just didn't taste good. It was also very flat and had an extremely abnormally musty taste to it. For two Ramen combos (ramen and appetizer), a jasmine tea, and a Kirin beer, dinner altogether was around $60-70 with tip (and sadly, was NOT worth it). Thankfully our waitress was very sweet and we did enjoy the atmosphere. Just wish the food was good. We love ramen and we're so disappointed by this place :( We both returned home with very upset stomachs and aren't feeling much better the next day. Better luck at Dragonfly with their 1-2 ramen dishes (plus, Dragonfly's short rib buns are made in heaven). And if you ever find yourself in NYC, definitely check out Ippidu for some...

Kinya is a great way to experience Japanese food in Gainesville. Whether you are a novice or experienced in Japanese cuisine, it has everything to get your taste buds excited for a price that is more than fair in this economy. Tokoyaki (Octopus Balls) and Shrimp Tempura are delicious and come to the table steaming hot, not like it has been sitting under a heat lamp. The Ramen? Amazing. Broth that is truly excellent, deep and rich with a lot of flavor. The atmosphere is great for seasoned Anime followers and you can see the influence of the Japanese animation throughout the restaurant. Try their bubble teas too. Another great way to be refreshed and enjoy your meal. Overall an amazing addition to the community and a great way to escape the McBurger garbage that's out there.

Update: This is my second visit (second batch of photos to go with it.) I, yet again, cannot recommend Kinya Ramen highly enough. With the veritable feast we had tonight, I am yet again blown out of the water with the experience, the flavors and the atmosphere. The Pork Buns are magical. Saucy, tangy and a flavor that lingers. The Takoyaki is still one of my favorite appetizers and the Kinya Ramen is still rich and flavorful. The sushi is delicious too (pictured are the Kinya Roll and the Godzilla Roll). The tuna was fresh and felt like eating silk, the pork buns like little angel pillows and the boba tea (green mango for preference) is always on point. Again. Go here to break the monotony of pizza and burgers and give your taste buds an...