KoKuu Ramen and Sushi Bar — Restaurant in Kirkwood

Kokuu Ramen really stands out in the St. Louis area Japanese Cuisine Restaurants. Upon entry, you will be greeted with an enthusiastic friendly welcome from the staff いらっしゃいませ!(Irasshaimase) which is traditional greeting in konbini and small shops in Japan to make a guest feel welcome, the welcome really set the tone from the start and makes you feel welcome and comfortable. The dining area is open, bright, and decorated with traditional Ramen-ya decor. I was immediately seated by Ava an attentive and friendly waiter, she took my drink and food order and swiftly brought out drinks, appetizers, and even asked how I would like my meal paced up to dessert to ensure everything was prepared perfectly. I ordered a yuzu juice, matcha gyokuro, and Thai boba tea for drinks, pork cutlet buns and a mini karaage bowl for appetizers, spicy creamy chicken ramen with Kokuu inferno chili paste, curry chicken karaage, tuna and tobiko nigiri, a philly roll, for the main dishes, and red bean taiyaki ice cream for dessert. The yuzu juice was citrus forward with a refreshing sweet flavor but not too overly sweet. The matcha gyokuro was perfectly balanced with slight bitter and earthy notes. The Thai boba tea had a nice balance of milky and sweet flavors, but not too overly sweet, which a lot of places make Thai tea too sweet and Kokuu nailed it. The pork cutlet buns were soft and fluffy and melted in the mouth, pork cutlets themself were moist and seasoned and sauced perfectly. The mini karaage bowl was a nice mix of moist and crunchy fried karaage chicken, an ajitama that had a nice balance of soy and sweet flavors, over a soft bed of rice. The spicy creamy chicken ramen was a perfectly flavored blend of cream, spices, broth, ajitama, chicken chashu and crumbles, with flavorful and chewy yet bouncy noodles, and the Kokuu inferno chili paste was red pepper forward and added a good amount of heat(not sure what their spice scale is as the menu had 3 peppers, on my heat scale I’d say it was a 2 of 10 peppers, nothing crazy hot but well balanced and flavored), I also added some S&B shichimi togarashi that they had on the table. The tuna and tobiko nigiri, and Philly roll were fresh and flavorful. The curry chicken karaage was a nice mix of moist and crunchy fried karaage chicken and rice with a comforting mellow and rich S&B golden mild japanese flavored curry. The red bean taiyaki ice cream was a beautiful mix of a hot fresh red bean taiyaki with nice cold vanila and matcha infused ice cream. There’s so many great things that came together to make my visit to Kokuu a stand out experience, from the staff’s friendliness and commitment to providing a meaningful food experience, to the great quality and variety of flavors available on menu. If you’re looking for a great Japanese food experience come visit the fine folk at kokuu....

Wishing for a closer Ramen Bar and found an absolute gem!

Family wanted Ramen, so we tried out Kokuu for the first time. We got seated right away, then ordered our food after drinks were served. Between the four of us at the table, we all tried something different. Tonkatsu Ramen, Creamy Chicken Ramen, Red Ramen and finally Black Garlic Oil Ramen. Each had their own distinct flavorful broth. The Black Garlic Oil was not too overpowering and not as salty as some reviews had stated. I love garlic, so maybe that’s my taste buds. The Red Ramen had a spicy bite to it, but not too intense as to be overwhelmed with heat. I’ve had a lot of Tonkatsu Ramen from different restaurants and Kokuu’s broth is definitely better than most. The pork in the previous three ramen dishes was not dry or overcooked as to be chewy. The two slices per bowl was just enough to feel satisfied. No complaints at our table. Finally the Creamy Chicken Ramen definitely lived up to its namesake. The chicken even had a slight Teriyaki taste to it, but not so strong as to overtake the broth.

We will definitely come back to try some more dishes. The prices are comparable to some of the other Ramen shops in the area, but I feel like it’s a better product you’re getting here. Definitely give Kokuu a chance and I feel like you won’t be disappointed.

Oh yeah, the Pork Goyza...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review for KoKuu Ramen & Sushi Bar

This was our first visit to KoKuu Ramen & Sushi Bar, and it definitely won’t be our last. My daughter had never tried sushi before, so we wanted to start her off with something approachable. We ordered the Fried Philly Roll, which was excellent — perfectly cooked with just the right amount of tempura batter.

I had the Tricolor Roll, and it was outstanding. The spicy tuna was high quality — smooth and flavorful, not chunky like you sometimes get at other places. The fish was incredibly fresh, and you could tell the sushi chef took real pride in their work. Even the cucumbers were finely julienned and beautifully incorporated into each roll.

We also ordered the KoKuu Buns — one pork and one chicken — both delicious with spicy mayo and homemade BBQ sauce. The pork gyozas were another highlight; they came out in a unique presentation where the dumplings were lightly pan-fried together in a crisp lattice, which made for great flavor and texture (you can see this in the photo we took).

We noticed nearby tables enjoying the chicken katsu and some of the ramen bowls, which looked amazing — we’ll definitely try the ramen next time.

The service was great, the restaurant was busy but well-run, and everything was clean and comfortable. Overall, a fantastic experience and highly...