Kajiken

This place was absolutely delicious and tasted authentic and perfect. I will be very honest however, I wasn’t really “feeling” this type of food but a friend of mine misunderstood and there we went. However, the noodles tasted perfectly chewy and cooked, the chicken was interesting but delicious, the egg yolk was perfect and the bowl was just right. The outdoor seating was also nice because of the breeze and the staff were respectful, it isn’t super expensive and for the quality I’d say it’s worth it. Would come again, would recommend. Only good things to say (thus far 👀)

The food was really tasty! This restaurant has been on our list of places to try for awhile and I’m glad we did. We came around 8pm on a Friday and we were seated right away. The karaage portion was a little small but had great flavor. The chicken was juicy and slightly crispy on the outside. The noodles were bouncy and had a large portion and delicious flavor

While in Elk Grove, we looked for a lunch spot to hit. We stumbled upon Kajiken, sure glad we were able to eat here. My wife ordered the Roast Beef Arubasoba and i got the the Original. We also ordered the Pozu Karaage. Very unique way to have Ramen and i have to say it was so good. Next time we will definitely try the other options.

I went to Kajiken on a Sunday afternoon a little before their mid-day close at 1PM and it was a packed house. It was initially unclear whether you're supposed to go up and order first or if you're supposed to wait to be seated, but I walked up to the cashier to ask and she kindly placed us at a seat in front of the window. Once my boyfriend and I decided on our order, it was again unclear if she's going to come back or if we need to walk up and order considering we waited for some time to place our order. So I walk up to the register and ask if I should place my order with her up there which we end up doing. I order the Oroshi Ponzu Karaage & Nikumori Aburasoba (with a poached egg, which was recommended by the cashier). The Oroshi Ponzu Karaage was good, but not exciting. The chicken was good, but the dish definitely could have used more flavor or crunch (to be fair though, the menu does say this karaage is not crunchy so I was prepared at least). The Nikumori Aburasoba (aka Top 2) was good, but not super exciting either. The pork slices were tough, I probably would have enjoyed the dish if it was tender. By this point, I (respectfully) concluded that this is as a Japanese chow mein. I personally feel like the ingredients could have been fresher, it was as if the meal lacked texture. With all that said, the experience & ambiance felt like a fast food restaurant by the way it operates - to the point where it feels like a chain restaurant. I'd say it's a good place to go to if you're looking to fix that noodle craving. I acknowledge that I came here right after trying a couple pastries from the local Japanese bakery so maybe that may have impacted my appetite. I'm not sure I'd return to try more but if you're looking to try this place out, I would say these bowls can be split as I shared this meal with my boyfriend and we are still leaving with left overs. If I could give one feedback to the restaurant around operations, it would be to put a yelp waitlist tablet outside or a sign up sheet as it can get confusing - especially when people are waiting out front to be seated outside which can be perceived as a line.

I arrived right when it opened and tables filled up fast. The food is decent and came out quick after ordering. Price point feels like it’s on the higher side but maybe that is average price of ramen now. Service was good and the meal went by without any issues.

I had the Homura Aburasoba, which came with spicy minced pork, green onions, bamboo shoots, seaweed, fish powder, chives, and a raw egg yolk on top. Yummy, not too spicy, and surprisingly not oily. Also tried the Original Aburasoba. It has 2 chashu, bamboo shoots, green onions, and seaweed. It was milder in flavor. Initially, it felt a bit bland, but it tastes better after adding some of Kajiken’s house-made spicy sauce and garlic.

The noodles are delightfully chewy and have a great bite, and the flavor is wonderful. However, the beef rice bowl tastes very similar to a poke bowl, and the meat is cold 😓. The restaurant is clean, but the layout is a bit cramped, with only about 30 centimeters separating the adjacent tables.

Everything we've tried here has been so good and lots of flavor. I prefer my egg poached. The chicken karaage is also lightly crisped on the outside but very tender and juicy on inside. Sometimes the line/wait can be long so best to go before 6pm unless you don't mind waiting or eating at the outside tables.