Kajiken — Restaurant in Seattle

In all my years of living, this has probably been the worst restaurant service I have ever received, without a doubt. Food was good though.

Note: In every sentence that our server has spoken, it was all in a condescending tone.

Situation 1:

My friends and I walk in and request for a table of 5. We get seated to a table of four. Naturally, we look around and grabbed a chair and put it on our table.

The server asks us, "You guys asked for a table of four right?" We say "Oh no, it was for a table of five." He then proceeds to get frustrated and tells us to put the chair back. We then put the chair back and when he walks past us, in a rude manner, says "You don't take chairs from where they belong to. I move them not you."

Alright bro we get it. Relax. That was our fault for not asking beforehand but its not that serious to get frustrated over.

Situation 2:

Our table runs out of water. One of us raises our hand as to request for more water. Waiter doesn't respond so we put our hand down. No biggie.

He walks by us and my friend sees it as another opportunity to request for water, so he raises his hand. The waiter walks by us, and says "I see you, jesus christ" in the most rude way you could possibly think of in your head.

He grabs another water, snatches the empty water bottle from my friends hand and I mean SNATCH, then SLAMS the new water onto the table.

I mean come on bruh.

Even after all of this trash service, my friends and I still had the heart to tip this dude. We all thought in a way, even though this guy was rude, we would hope even though he knows how he treated us, our tip would give him some sort of life epiphany to change his act.

If the server is reading this, and you know who you are, I hope you know you really made me sad. In some alternate universe we could've been homies if we got to know each other but for some reason you were just so mean to us man.

I saw how you would talk to other tables and you were smiling, but when it got to us you just became so cold. :(

I saw another one star review and he stated that you were racist against Asians. I don't want to believe that but lowkey might be true.

If this is how you are going to act in a customer service job, you need to quit man. I'm half your age and have a better mindset then...

It was quite a satisfying aburasoba experience at Kajiken. We ordered two noodles and some side dishes, the noodles were quite impressive yet sadly the side dishes did not deliver as expected.

Aburasoba (4.5/5) The Homura aburasoba is definitely the standout for me. The noodles are chewy and coated in a rich, pork-fat-based sauce that’s deeply satisfying. The toppings also add nice layers of flavor. That said, the dish is on the heavier side, and about halfway through, the oiliness started to feel a bit much. I enjoyed the pork fat's flavor but wished it were a little lighter and more refined. Still, it’s the kind of bowl I’d crave on a chilly day or when I want something hearty and comforting.

I also tried the roast beef version, but it didn’t quite hit the same notes as the Homura. The beef was tender, but the flavors felt less balanced, and it lacked the complexity of the original. It was good, but not something I’d order again over the Homura.

Gyoza (3.5/5) The gyoza were decent but not particularly memorable. The wrapper had a nice softness but wasn’t crispy enough, and the filling felt a little off, the vegetables were chopped too large, and the meat didn’t have that juicy, satisfying texture I look for. They weren’t bad, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for them.

Karaage (2.5/5) The karaage was the most disappointing. While the coating had the right thickness, it wasn’t crispy enough, and the chicken itself was just average. It lacked the flavor and juiciness that good karaage should have, and I’d skip it next time.

Kajiken is all about the noodles, and the Homura really delivers. It’s rich, flavorful, and satisfying, even if it gets a bit heavy. The sides didn’t impress me much, but they don’t overshadow the main dish. The wait can be long—close to an hour during my visit—but the service is quick once you’re seated. I’ll definitely be back when I’m craving a hearty bowl...

(Disclaimer, I’m reviewing the veggie option with mushrooms and tofu)

I am so excited to have a great abura soba (I’ve also seen it be called mazemen) place in Seattle. It’s one of my favorite dishes that I always have to get when I’m back in LA. The noodles at Kajiken had the perfect chew, the flavor of the oil sauce was deep and rich, and the add-ins made it easy to craft your desired overall flavor. My partner got the original and had no complaints — immediate new favorite.

My only hold-up was that the protein used for the veggie option is unseasoned soft tofu, making the bites that included it watery and almost anti-flavorful. I’m not at all a tofu hater, but for me unmarinated, unpressed tofu really has a way of washing out other flavors (which I do enjoy in something like agedashi tofu!). My feeling is that mazemen is at its best when the protein is adding some salty umami and rounding out the flavor profile. I realize this might not be everyone’s preference, but for myself I can say that if they added a more flavorful veggie protein option to the menu this would probably be my favorite restaurant on the hill (and an easy 5-star). That being said, I definitely still recommend eating here to vegetarians, especially if you’ve not yet been able to try abura soba! There is something about these tangy, oily noodles that has rearranged my brain chemistry.

(As a recommendation on protein options, I’ve seen beyond meat grounds or crumbled extra firm tofu in something like a soy garlic marinade...