JINYA Ramen Bar - Kennesaw — Restaurant in Kennesaw

A tale of two courses: Hits and misses at Jinya Kennesaw GA. Walking into this restaurant with nothing to anticipate as we are just driving/passing by . The ambiance was a blend of cozy and chic. My afternoon started on a high note, with two appetizers that were simply outstanding to me, and an incredibly insightful bartender who set the tone for an auspicious lunch. However, the experience was ultimately a mixed bag, with the main course failing to live up to the spectacular beginning. Our first order of char siu buns arrived, classically plated. The bun itself was wonderfully soft and slightly sweet, with a satisfying pillowy texture. The filling of pork belly was a masterful balance complex blend of sweet, savory, and aromatic notes. Which I think I've tasted a star anise touch. They were, in a word, flawless. The takoyaki followed, and these savory octopus balls were equally impressive. They were perfectly crispy on the outside, giving way to a warm, soft, and almost custard-like interior with the original takoyaki umami which also complemented by the sweet and savory drizzle of takoyaki sauce and the delicate, dancing bonito flakes on top and add up that gave me a surprise of its creative spin on a classic concept and introduces a new, successful twist of egg salad. At the bar, Mr. Cain was truly a master of his craft. Instead of just rattling off drink specials, he took the time to chat with us and gauge our personalities. His ability to perfectly match each of our cocktails to our individual tastes was uncanny. The drinks felt less like beverages and more like a personalized extension of our moods, elevating the entire experience to something special. Unfortunately, the momentum from the appetizers and drinks came to a halt with the arrival of the ramens. The wonton chicken ramen with a broth that is thin, watery, and lacks the expected rich, savory flavor of a good chicken or pork broth. It may taste like plain hot water with a hint of chicken-flavored salt, but without any depth or umami and Opting for a bowl with added spinach, I was surprised to find that the vegetable significantly changed the flavor and smell profile. The earthy, bitter notes of the spinach didn't harmonize with the rich, pork-based broth. Instead, the spinach taste overpowered the subtle and complex flavors of the broth, making the ramen taste imbalanced. Ultimately, Jinya offers a journey of highs and lows. While the expertly crafted drinks and amazing appetizers hint at a kitchen capable of greatness, the disappointing ramen shows a clear lapse in execution. I look forward to returning soon and seeing this dish become a true...

Wow…this was actually one of the worst restaurant experiences I’ve had in a long time. As a Jinya fan (I’ve visited Alpharetta, Sandy Springs & Athens), I was so excited to finally see it on my side of town! However, what I didn’t know was the absolute and utter disappointment about to ensue.

We arrive to a very packed restaurant. It was about 5PM on a Friday night. We walk in to get seated and…I have no idea who approved the architecture or if it’s even up to fire code…because the tables are SO CLOSE to each other that you literally cannot get in without rubbing your butt over top of the tables next to you. I would say it’s maybe a foot of space to get in and out of the booth? I was curious and held up a pair of chopsticks- it is barely bigger than this (see attached photo). This was not a good start. Next off, it was so so noisy inside you could not have a conversation with the person sitting across the table from you. Between the poor acoustics of the restaurant and the blaring music, we had to shout at our waiter for our drink orders. My friend eventually got sick of shouting so he asked the waitress if they could turn the music down. She rolled her eyes and walked off. Surprise…nothing changed. He was still irritated so he flagged down another waiter and asked the same request. His response? “Ummm….I can see shrugs”. Maybe it was because a manager was up front because this time they actually did turn it down a little. At least now we could have a conversation that didn’t involve shouting. Our waitress never followed up.

Our food came out and I had ordered the pork chashu bowl. I had previously ordered this in Athens and loved it. Well…leave it to Kennesaw to mess up a good thing. So the rice and pork was hot, the mushrooms and egg were ice cold. I’m sorry, but this was disgusting. I tried to mix it together but when you have hot food and ice cold food, it just doesn’t blend. I ate what I could and took the rest to-go so I could microwave it at home. It was difficult to get drink refills- our waitress barely came back. I am not a fan of sitting on top of the people next to me- they always tend to stare and eavesdrop on my conversations. If you want privacy, or even a nice dinner for that matter, you should avoid this place. Personally, I hated how close the tables were because when I went to leave, I basically dragged my coat over the poor people’s table next to me because there was simply not enough room to move. Oh yeah, and the last 10 minutes of our meal they jacked the music volume up to where we couldn’t talk again. Everything that could’ve gone...

Sorry in advance for the length review! I have some mixed feelings about my first experience at Jinya. I'll go ahead and start with the good! My group tried a few appetizers and 2 types of ramen.

Takoyaki and pork gyoza were amazing, I was very excited to try them and they absolutely did not disappoint.

Also gave the special soy glazed chicken wings a try. The sauce was delicious and they had an amazingly crunchy skin.

The jinya bun was without a doubt the highlight of our visit. Absolutely the best bun I've tried anywhere. The meat to bun ratio was wonderful, the bun was pillowy soft and felt so fresh! The flavor was out of this world. Would return just to get jinya buns, they were that good.

After reading reviews of other locations, I've wanted to try Jinya for quite some time. I was thrilled to see a location opening up near me. I wanted so badly to be blown away, but it just didn't happen. All of this to say, the ramen left us all extremely disappointed.

We ordered the chef special tangy shrimp cilantro ramen and the tonkatsu black ramen. The broth for both were extremely underwhelming. Quite literally ZERO tang to the tangy shrimp ramen. The tonkatsu black was incredibly bland. I have NEVER had ramen at a restaurant and thought "wow this is lacking salt and flavor" and we found this to be our experience with both bowls. They lacked the rich depth of flavor you look for when you order ramen, and we were SHOCKED because our appetizers were bursting with flavor.

I don't know if this is because this is a new location or if Jinyas recipe just isn't what I hoped? Absolutely willing to try again in the hopes that we came on a rough day with some inconsistency to the recipe.

As far as the atmosphere goes, it is EXTREMELY loud and I don't recommend to anyone who may get overwhelmed by that. The music was loud and the staff was constantly yelling, which I've gathered is something that they do at Jinya, but I couldn't even hear what was actually being said. It was more obnoxious and overwhelming than anything. Our service was decent, although everyone seemed incredibly frazzled and the wait for everything was very long, hopefully they will get into their rhythm since it's...