So Kajiken is a popular Japanese ramen chain and I am just SO EXCITED they opened their first US location right here in Baltimore. I love this city and it's great to see restaurateurs recognizing that we are indeed a food city. All of that would be a moot point if Kajiken wasn't delicious, but thankfully it is! Kajiken specializes in brothless ramen which I had never experienced and was honestly skeptical of coming in. However, after trying it I am a true convert and am excited for my next round. With brothless ramen you have vinegar and chili oil at the table that you can add to taste along with any additional toppings you got. The overall experience is both unique and tasty. For those wanting classic ramen, they have that too. My wife ordered the classic broth ramen and it was just as good as my brothless. Greatly enjoyed every bite - make sure you get a poached egg on the side and don't miss out on the Karaage (fried chicken appetizer). On top of the excellent food the space, service, and price point will not disappoint you. Can't wait for my next meal! read more

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I was hesitant to order the soupless ramen but glad I gave it a shot! Ordered the original and added a poached egg, roe, fried onions, and the chili oil. It was pretty damn good. Only one thing I'll have to get used to is how the hostess yells everytime a new guest gets seated. I get it.. but it does get annoying since they have a pretty high turnover rate. But try it out! read more

Kajiken - Original soupless ramen - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

My friends and I arrived during the dinner rush on a Friday night, so we waited about 15-20 minutes. We were able to score outdoor seating. I'm a big ramen person and recently moved to the area, so have been trying to find a decent spot. Kajiken has ramen and mazesoba (mixed noodle soupless ramen. I ordered the Tonkontsu and Karagge chicken. There was nothing super special about the broth or ramen. My friend doesn't eat pork or pork-based products, so it disappointing the restaurant didn't have a chicken or miso broth alternative. He had to choose the vegan noodle dish. I'll also add we waited the standard 20 minutes for our food to find out that our order was accidentally "discarded", so we ultimately had to wait another 15-20 minutes. They gave us free drinks (Salted Plum Sprite) which was okay-- though we had asked for a discount on our food for waiting longer and that option wasn't available. From experience, I've had dishes slightly discounted or received an extra dish for most inconveniences. Overall, it was a subpar experience and not a place I'd recommend for people looking to satisfy a ramen craving. Pro: Aesthetic Ambiance Con: Ramen Food service read more

Kajiken - chicken karage - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Came here to get a quick meal with my sister who attends Hopkins and was very surprised at how good the food is. We ordered a bunch of small appetizers like the tofu and karage, though it's a bit disappointing they don't serve beer since these are literally drinking foods. I ordered the original mixed noodles and it was very delicious. The noodles were thick and chewy, with the sauce being a perfect balance between savory and a little spicy. Prices are actually solid, so I can see students coming here on their lunch break grabbing a quick meal at the counter. read more

Love the food. Its a perfect place to people who wants ramen broth or no broth. You pick sides and they put it on the side so its perfect for you. read more

Kajiken - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Great location close to JHU. Waiter is very friendly and gave good food recommendations. It was be VERY crowded but thankfully we came right after the place open. Yummy ramen, perhaps I was expecting a bit more flavor read more

Kajiken - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

this place is so good. my friends and i come here all time and every time we're in town. parking in charles village can be annoying but you can park in the garage right above. around lunch time there is usually a wait because the place isn't huge. they also don't serve alcohol. and the food is so amazing!! i love to get the teriyaki toki, the flavor of the sauce in the bottom of the soba has amazing flavor, the chicken is always cooked and seasoned very well, and i love the toppings they have on the table. my friends also like the pork abura soba and we all like to get the chicken karaage. dessert is also great. i was shocked to find out this place is a chain, the food tastes of such great quality read more

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Ate here when it was the previous ramen place. Thought we tried it out given the broth less ramen. Started with gyoza. It was good portion and typical gyoza. Nothing too fancy. Had the spicy tonkotsu with added egg, kimchi and bamboo. The soup was spicy and flavorful but not too strong. The noodles were thin and for ramen it was comforting. Also had to try the original and glad I did. It was very flavorful, just simple with nothing else added. There was vinegar and chili oil on the table so I sprinkled some of that on as well white black pepper and garlic. Love the chewiness of the noodles and the pork belly was very flavorful. If you don't like pork or bacon, steer clear. read more

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This place is sooooo delicious! The noodles are perfectly thick and chewy and you can add any toppings you want. The service was so fast too! We were in n out in 30 minutes. Definitely need to try this place if you like ramen! read more

Kajiken - Create your own! - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Best ramen in Baltimore! The aburasoba is consistently delicious and don't skip the green tea with toasted rice. One of my favorite spots. read more

Kajiken - Aburasoba, ramen, and karaage - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Absolutely delicious, I saw this place on Instagram. Prices were affordable, we got a noddle bowl and desert with matcha ice cream. The service was great. There is a garage right next door if you want to pay for parking. I can't wait to return! read more

Kajiken - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Rude manager. Cannot make any modifications to the entree, i.e. could not pay extra to add broth to a noodle bowl. Could not opt for chicken dish not be fried even though the chicken is baked first. Manager explained the chicken is baked and then fried. It was unclear why the chicken had to be fried. Does not make accommodations for dietary restrictions. Ordered seaweed salad but spinach was added to bowl. Did not get full serving of the seaweed salad and was charged $7-$8 for it. Go to Akira Ramen. Better service. Food modifications are allowed. Just wanted to try something new. This place fell short of my expectations. The space is tight. It looks bigger from the outside. Parking is limited. read more

Kajiken is my new go-to ramen spot! I was a bit skeptical of brothless ramen at first but it is incredibly flavorful. We have enjoyed every appetizer we have tried thus far (fried squid, gyoza, salad, seaweed salad, fried oysters). Prices are very affordable as well. My only complaint is that servers seem very busy and it can take a while to get their attention, but it is a busy restaurant. It's well worth it - just have to be patient with them! read more

Kajiken - Gyoza - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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I actually tried this place twice while visiting a college with my daughter. The original aburasoba is a hit! I am biased towards ramen soup so I hadn't tried a dry ramen until now. The noodles are the star of the bowl: perfectly chewy and thick. The torched pork slices are juicy and not overly salty or fatty. I cleaned my bowl. Then I went back for the tonkotsu shoyu. Sadly they didn't allow substituting the thin noodles for the thick chewy noodles. They weren't nearly as good as the chewy noodles. They don't offer Shichimi togarashi so I paid for the chili sauce. It gave a decent amount of heat and didn't give the soup an oil slick, which is why I usually don't prefer a spicy tonkotsu and chili oil that they do offer on the table. Service was good, staff checked in on me regularly. This place will satisfy your ramen cravings. I saw a ton of takeout orders but I recommend eating the aburasoba asap or the tasty sauce will congeal. Love that they keep the bowls above the boiling water to steam the bowls! Food temperature is important to me. read more

After my two experiences here, I would not recommend this location to anyone. The first time I dined in and we sat at the bar area right where they prepared the food. The ambiance of this place was horrible... the kitchen staff was a bunch of "bro dudes" who talked about inappropriate things and made like "jack off" hand gestures right in front of customers!! There was also a lot of animosity and bullying between the kitchen guys and wait staff and make it very awkward to eat. Also when asking questions about the menu, our waitress gave us nasty attitude out of nowhere. total lack of customer service here for sure! Second was a takeout. I ordered in the afternoon and they haven't even been opened for an hour yet. Order prompted that it was ready at 12:18pm. Stood there until 12:48pm when my order was actually ready... they apparently didn't prep noodles prior and that's where the delay was. Also for such a big delay during lunchtime, you'd think they'd get your order correct. Welp, they forgot my egg for my abura soba which is super crucial to the dish. Called back and the staff accommodated for the mistake (which was nice of them) but such a hassle still and disappointing. Granted the abura soba is really good. The quality of the noodles made in house is very good but not worth the interactions to be had here... Also parking is SOOO BAD in this area. It's super crowded from the John Hopkins students walking around everywhere, construction also narrows down the already busy roads. Not worth the hassle to come here for sure. read more

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Taste so good but unfortunately not for someone who needs protein. For mainly eating carbohydrate with that price I'd rather go to a different places read more

Not going to lie, I'm already dreaming about going back!! Kajiken is an incredible addition to the bmore food scene, as it introduces abura soba to our city! I personally have never tried this variation of brothless ramen, and it hit the spot. I tried the keema curry, which was so so delicious. It almost had an Indian touch to it spice wise, and I ate the entire serving in one sitting. All of the ramen options have add ones that are fun to try, and the servers are incredibly helpful with recommending the best adds for each item. read more

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Definitely one of the best meals I have had in Baltimore! Favorite Ramen place in the city. You must try the dry ramens. The sukiyaki is my favorite, which are thin slices of fatty beef over a bed of perfectly cooked ramen noodles. I ordered it with a side of bamboo and an egg since it doesn't come with too many toppings. If you like it spicy, make sure to also order a side of chili oil and mix it in. The service was fast and lovely. read more

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The worst part was finding the restaurant. Everything was wonderful. The food and the service were amazing. The space is trendy and visually pleasing. Hopefully I will be returning soon. read more

Went to Kajiken for their soft opening! We had the chicken kara-age, takoyaki, Honmura Aburasoba (a brothless ramen, which is what they specialize in), Hiyashi Aburasoba (a cold noodle), Apple Iced Tea (which was in a can), and Salted Plum Sprite (which was such a cool flavor! A super unique combination of sweetness and saltiness, would recommend to anyone looking for a unique beverage option)! I thought the wide variety and creativity of the menu options were very interesting but was not sure what to expect with the brothless ramen. Overall, I found the takoyaki to be really delicious and would definitely come back to just have that again, whereas the chicken kara-age was still good, but nothing special. I substituted egg for the chashu in the brothless ramen since I don't eat pork/beef, and thought the poached egg was a nice touch since you could mix the yolk in with the noodles before eating to give them a creamier/richer texture. There were tons of add-ins you could put into your Aburasoba for pretty cheap charges that could further customize your meal, and additional sesame seeds, fresh onions, chili oil, and vinegar on the table you could use too. Overall I didn't have a ton of options for the main dish because of dietary restrictions, but I was pleasantly surprised with the taste of brothless ramen (though I still would prefer regular ramen over it). For dessert, we got the matcha crepe cake, which was AMAZING. We went back a second time just to get that crepe cake again--highly, highly recommend it to anyone visiting the restaurant! read more

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Kajiken is an abura soba (soupless ramen/oil soba noodles) restaurant chain from Japan. They have locations in other countries, but this location in Charles Village (at the corner of E33rd and St. Paul between Busboys and Poets and Bird in Hand) is their first US location! I stopped by just as they opened a few weeks ago on a weekend day for lunch with my husband. Lots of people showed up just at noon or after, so it was full by 12:15-ish! Lots of JH students grabbing lunch! The menu includes appetizers, 3 ramen options, 3 donburi (rice bowl) options), seven abura soba options (including a vegan option), and desserts. The menu also includes about 20 topping options you can add to your abura soba to customize it. Since it was our first visit, we didn't customize, just ordered right off the menu. My husband ordered "The Original" (noodles with chashu/pork belly, menma/fermented bamboo shoots, nori, and scallion), and I got the Keema Curry (noodles with Keema curry minced pork, poached egg, and scallion). Both were great, but I really loved the Keema Curry! The service is good, the place is cool/understated/casual, and the food was great. We'll definitely be back! read more

Kajiken - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Had a great meal at Kajiken. It was a busy lunch rush because of university starting back up but we were able to walk around and got a text within 10 minutes. We got the lychee oolong tea which was very refreshing. Takoyaki as the appetizer was good; it was nothing special. My girlfriend got the original abura soba and I got the homura. The spicy minced pork was excellent and just the right amount of spicy for me. It was very flavorful and the refreshing lychee oolong tea paired great with it. I got an extra Chashu with my order and my gf got an extra egg. Recommend the homura if you like a little spice! Ambience was cool, service was great and we had a great experience! read more

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After attending a concert at the Baltimore Museum of Art, we were looking for a local spot in walking distance. We love ramen, so we decided to give Kajiken a shot. We were not disappointed. We started with gyoza and had the pork curry and beef ramen dishes and all were excellent, at a great price. To top it off, our server, a sweet young woman, was attentive and friendly. Would highly recommend. read more

Really glad I found this place. Great food, friendly servers, quick service, and convenient location.

I saw a video of this place on Instagram and new I had to stop by and it was definitely worth it! The inside is cute and welcoming. Our waitress was attentive and sweet. The food was amazing and I had no complaints! I got the brothless pork noodles with curry and spicy paste on the side and it was amazinggggg!!! When I mixed everything up with the yolky egg, it blended perfectly. I will definitely be going back here! read more

Kajiken - First Brothless option with a side of curry and spicy paste - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I checked out Kajiken after seeing it pop up on Yelp and I was not disappointed! I ordered the Original (pork) and the fried squid appetizer. I've never had no broth ramen, but I absolutely loved the flavors. I ended up adding a soft boiled egg ($1.25 for the add on is a bit much). I'm a huge fan of chili oil, which is part of the base you mix in. I probably wouldn't order the squid again, it was a bit too fried if that's a thing. But I'll definitely be back for the ramen. read more

Kajiken - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This place is awesome! The food is so good, tried it last week and have already been back twice. Just got my spouse hooked on it.

Easily accessible ramen place near the JHU campus! I had the Shoyou Tonkatsu Ramen for myself and my friends and I shared the Gyoza and Takoyaki. The takoyaki was super good! Very flavorful and octopus was very tender! My ramen noodles were cook to perfection and the soft boiled egg was heavenly. However, I thought the broth was a little bit too salty for my liking. I drank about 3-4 cups because of the saltiness. Both my friends enjoyed their ramens and said they'd come again. Service was excellent and overall mood of the restaurant was casual and friendly. Will come again to try their brothless ramen! read more

We were super excited for kajiken since we had a great experience last summer; however, it was sad to see that the quality went down significantly. The dumplings were cold and sunomono lacked flavor, but fried tofu was ok. Abura soba was not bad--the level of spiciness for homura was just right. The worst part was when we were asked to be quick about leaving literally 5 minutes after we paid because people were waiting. This was shocking to me because I have never seen a restaurant treating customers this way, not even in restaurants with 2+ hour wait time. I will not return and cannot recommend an establishment operating in this manner--very disappointing. read more

Delicious ramen! We ordered 2 of The Original, one added a soft boiled egg and another added a pouched egg, 1 Sukiyaki and 1 Tonkotsu Shoyu. Everything from the noodle texture, sauce, ingredients, and customer service were on point. I highly suggest adding a pouched egg to the soup-less bowl to create a creamy sauce, that coats the noodles really well. There are condiments such as chili oil, vinegar and sesame on each table to enhance the flavor. Everything was so good and I can't wait to go back again to try the rest of their menu. read more

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Welcoming atmosphere and delicious broth ramen! highly recommend, and will definitely frequent here often! read more

Kajiken - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

This little restaurant gets a lot of business, and it is well deserved! The restaurant is modern but in a welcoming manner. They have a bar area as well as tables, and we sat at the bar. Our server was very kind, as she asked if we needed anything and if everything was good. We ordered gyoza as our appetizer and they were good, and they along with the rest of our food came out very quickly. I got the tonkatsu ramen and it was delicious! The broth was delicious, the noodles were cooked to perfection, and the chatsu tender. Both my sister and dad said that their dishes were very good. Overall an amazing restaurant that I would definitely recommend! read more

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Had a taste for ramen and decided to try somewhere new and ended up at Kajiken. The hostess was not very pleasurable upon arrival but she seated us right away. Luckily, our server was so nice and accommodating even though they were nearing their closing time. The restaurant is very cute inside and nicely decorated. It's fairly small so if they were ever busy there would likely be a wait! We tried the takoyaki and karaage for starters. Usually, I am not a fan of takoyaki but I actually enjoyed it here. The karaage was extremely juicy and tasty. I liked the sauces that they served with it. Also, we tried the tonkotsu ramen Tori Abura soba. If you're looking for a ramen with broth, this may not be the best option as there are only 3 ramen options all with pork broth. My boyfriend wanted ramen but does not eat pork so he tried the soba instead. He enjoyed it! I found it to be tasty as well. If you like more variety, you can build your own soba bowl. They offer a few sides to add to the ramen bowl as well. I added sweet corn and ichimi which was so good! The pricing is very fair and you'll be full leaving this restaurant. read more

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super good sukiyaki right by campus !! there might be some wait time around lunch/dinner times sukiyaki noodles 9/10 takoyaki 9/10 dream of sakura 7/10 read more

Kajiken - sukiyaki - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Tried the original and karage fried chicken during their soft opening. Very friendly staff and nice ramen bar ambiance. While I liked the taste and texture of the noodles the absence of broth made the dish overly oily which was off-putting. The karage was freshly made but lacked the enjoyable crunch that is available at more traditional ramen stores, such as Akira Ramen. I will return once they get their rhythm down. read more

Kajiken - The original - Ramen Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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The food was delicious and everything we ate was good. I wanted the peach cheesecake, which they ran out of, but I ate everything I ordered. Would definitely go again, probably next time I'm in the area read more

It's so exciting that kajiken chose Baltimore to be their first US location! We went on a Friday night around 7pm and we got seated right away. The staff was very friendly and efficient considering we were in and out in under 45 minutes. The atmosphere is pretty casual, it is basically on the Hopkins campus after all so it's mostly college students in there. For food, we got the chashu doniburi as an appetizer. It would have been too small of a portion to be a full meal, but was the perfect size as an appetizer for two. Unfortunately it was not super flavorful. I got the tori mazesoba with kimchee and a tamago egg. The flavor was excellent, especially with a little chili oil! The noodles were good, a little bit thick, which I don't mind. My husband had the spicy tonkatsu ramen, which at first tasted kind of funny, but when mixed it was pretty good. For a drink, I got the salted plum sprite, which I loved! Imagine mixing Gatorade and a sprite, which I know sounds gross, but it's actually so refreshing, especially when it's hot out! I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more dishes! read more

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Very small, but very good food. It's all about Ramen here and the other food is good as well. But since it's small, the spaces are very tight and there could be a wait. read more

I was super skeptical of the one vegan option. It looked like salad on top of hot noodles. But wow am I glad I tried it. It was amazing. I don't even k ow how they made it so delicious. I can't wait to return. read more

Such a good unexpected spot! I recommend the ramen and takoyaki :) but the extensive menu gives you lots to pick from!