Great place for saucy soup-less ramen noodles!! The noodles are chewy with great texture, and the sauces are very flavorful and savory. My favorite is the homura! It is mildly spicy and has minced pork that reminds me of mapo tofu. read more

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this is one of the most underrated spots not only in Chinatown but maybe in the whole city?? the sukiyaki bowl is literally probably my perfect bowl of noodles-- chewy and perfectly cooked, unctuous meat+acidity from the vinegar. every time I walk in here there's like no people which is a shame but also makes it a great last minute dinner spot cause you'll never need a reservation. every person I've brought here has really liked it, and it's a cute clean space! read more

Kajiken - sukiyaki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came into this and it was like walking into a Japan noodle house. I was honestly not wanting any food but my girlfriend insisted thankfully. Had the kalbi beef one and it was indescribably delicious. The handmade soba was soft and delicate. Garlic flavor....not overly soy sauce...delicious ichimi paste oil on the side. I could down 5 bowls of this easily. I seriously loved it. Service was nice also and the ambiance was excellent. No complaints at all if you're looking for excellent noodles that are not all ramen broth based. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Noodle is chewy and food is good, yet portion is slightly small, need improvement on this read more

Kajiken - The original - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

So I am on the fence because flavors, pork belly and noodle texture were fine, but it felt like something was missing. And I don't just mean broth. While tasty, the soupless ramen seemed to be lacking dimension and complexity. I mostly tasted salt; I would have loved a little sweet, spicy or sour notes to balance it out. Kiddo inhaled it so I am glad we came to try. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I had low expectations for soup-less ramen but I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything was! SUNOMONO - cucumber salad w seaweed and octopus. Loved this! In general it was a refreshing appetizer as the seasoning was vinegar based. There were plenty of octopus and they were pretty large chunks. Only thing is that the seaweed is a little bit fishy, so if you're not a fan of that maybe ask for this without the seaweed. TAKOYAKI - big fried batter balls with a little bit of octopus inside. Topped with a creamy sauce and Bonita flakes. It's a mix of sweet from the sauce and savory from everything else. These are always good and a great appetizer for the table! HOMURA - noodles with spicy minced pork. This came out looking like just dry noodles with toppings, but once you mix everything, there's actually some sauce at the bottom and it gets a bit creamy from the egg yolk. Noodles were perfectly cooked and chewy. It's sooo good and actually quite spicy. I'm still thinking about these noodles LYCHEE OOLONG TEA - this is actually bottled tea but it was delicious. Quite sweet and tasted just like lychee jelly read more

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I loved this place. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was amazing. The whole set up is really open and looks like something you'd see in Japan. Service was fast and they had several people helping out at all times. They made sure to keep our water filled, which was nice. Takoyaki was good - I prefer the firmer takoyaki and these held their shape and filling after taking a bite. This was not too saucy and wasn't drowning in mayo for those who get deterred by that component. I got the soupless ramen - Homura with tofu! It was excellent. There is a little puddle of sauce on the bottom and you're supposed to mix everything up and enjoy while it is still warm (which is why I forgot to take a photo). The portion was just right, and because there wasn't as much broth like traditional ramen I didn't feel like I ate too much. I added chili oil to mine - surprisingly the chili oil was not that spicy in my opinion. Overall I loved this place! I would definitely go back. read more

Kajiken - Takoyaki - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Kajiken recently opened and they are 100% worth trying, make sure you find your way here before tiktok finds its way because I guarantee you people will swarm here once it goes viral. This place serves Abura Soba--a soupless ramen, which I have not heard of anywhere else in Chicago. The service is super nice and helpful, and you'll get the gist of how amazing the ambiance is here when you dine in. The food is 10/10 and is super flavorful. I highly recommend the Homura if you like spice, the blend of the minced pork and the bamboo shoots with poached egg makes for super creamy noodles with a mix of great textures. The Tori was also pretty good but did not have as much flavor as the Homura. read more

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Very authentic Japanese dry noodle, definitely was as salty as some of the Japanese food can be. The ingredient was fresh and the food was served quickly. The place is medium size and has that ramen alleyway vibe. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Best dry ramen in town! Service is fast and good. The restaurant is always clean. Highly recommended! read more

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Let me just say this place was hands down amazing! I loved the ramen I had and honestly I wished I could have it every day! read more

I'm so surprised this place only has four stars!!!! It deserves much more. We had the age tofu, the karatage, the original and sukiyaki noodles. Everything was delicious and beyond our expectations. The chashu was seared to perfection and the tofu was very crunchy and soft at the same time. The service was very quick, but we did go during a slow time. And we really liked the decor!! It definitely added to the whole experience. I would highly recommend checking this place out since it is still pretty new. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Karage was really solid, chicken was super juicy and meat was tender to the bite. The breading could use a little more work though, it was not quite crispy enough but still does the job Takoyaki was good, sauce really enhanced the flavor profile adding a soy taste to the dough. The interlaced squid added a lot of texture to the mushy dough Noodle overall has two ratings, one with condiments provided at restaurant and one without. I added a combination of garlic, white pepper and vinegar to mine which made it really solid 4/5. Base noodles was a 3/5 though, on the blander side. Roasted beef was a little salty and not soft enough read more

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If you're looking for hangover food that will wake you up, Kajiken is the place to be. With generous portions and affordable prices, it definitely hits the spot. This was my first time trying soba, and based on a friend's recommendation, I wasn't disappointed. The only reason I'm not giving it five stars is that I had to add some condiments and spices to my bowl. Personally, I believe that a truly great dish shouldn't need anything extra to enhance its flavor. That said, I can see myself coming back soon. I highly recommend Kajiken to anyone looking for a good meal in Chinatown Square! read more

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Located in Chinatown Square, Kajiken is part of a international chain that caught my eye for its interesting twist to ramen that I'm most familiar with. Their menu offers broth less ramen! I've never had broth less Ramen before so I didn't know what to expect. The restaurant is beautifully lit and has an open ramen bar concept that I really enjoyed. For apps, a friend and I enjoyed some classics - karaage and seaweed salad. The karaage was super crispy and was served alongside some spicy Mayo. The seaweed salad tasted great, however I wish there was more seaweed instead of spring mix at the base. As for the star of the show, we had the Original and the Tori. I had the Original and loved the tender chashu and the sweet and savory sauce that coated the stringy ramen noodles. The meal was simple, but each aspect was made so well that it made for a memorable meal! read more

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solid ramen/japanese food spot. nothing crazy good but the ambience and staff were very nice and clean. we came by for a quick bite to eat. my gf and i got the takoyaki and the curry ramen. both were delicious but wasn't crazy good will come back again read more

Kajiken - Curry Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I discovered a piece of steel wool string in my food. It shows a serious lack of quality control in the kitchen. The sauce was not flavorful enough and too salty. One star for its poor quality control and disregarding for customer safety. It makes me wonder what other kinds of health hazards might be lurking in the kitchen. I strongly recommend that anyone considering eating here think twice before doing so. read more

Kajiken - steel string - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I got the Sukiyaki as takeout and it was absolutely delicious. I love how chewy the noodles are and the sauce is perfect -- not too salty.

One of the best places to eat in Chinatown, can't go wrong with anything on the menu. So much potential in my mind in terms of atmosphere. I wish they would dim the lights in the evening. The dining room is too bright. Let those beautiful lanterns shine! Update: we returned and the dining room was dimmed! If you want an amazing bowl of ramen, go to Kajken! read more

The food was really good and came out super fast. Amazing service and the place has really nice scenery. read more

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This had been on my list of places to go for awhile, but sadly, it's not going on my list of places to go back to. The aesthetics of Kajiken are awesome, from the pergolas and wood paneling to the hanging lanterns, I loved everything about the vibe. The servers were also great, being friendly and attentive. No matter how great everything else was though, it couldn't distract me from how mid the food was. I would never say it was bad, but when competing with dozens of other restaurants in Chinatown, there's no reason to for me to ever come back. We got the tonkotsu ramen and the karaage, which if that's what you're looking for, literally go next door to DaiFuku and your mind might actually be blown at how good it is read more

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Never had a brothless Ramen before but it was a great experience. I took it to go and the packaging was perfect it keep the toppings hot and preserved the integrity of the noodles. Great flavors and textures. Just the right amount of heat. Service was quick and friendly. read more

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Very inviting atmosphere inside with very tasty ramen. Waiters are always there to assist you. Service and quick - did not take long to get the food and it was not too busy when I went. Would recommend and would come back read more

Kajiken - Homura - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is a solid 3.5 for me. A cute little place in Chinatown. It was my first time trying Mazesoba. We heard great things about this place, so my friends and I checked it out. Service was decent. We did have to grab the server's attention. You can make your bowl with various toppings or pick from pre-set noodle bowls. From their appetizers, we tried their gyoza, karaage, deep-fried squid tentacles, and age tofu. All delicious! The texture and flavor were great. I got The Original bowl with poached egg and sweet corn. The appetizers were tasty, but noodles? Honestly, not my style. The noodle texture was good, but my friends and I thought the flavor wasn't there. I poured chili oil into my bowl and poured more chili oil and white vinegar with sesame seeds on every bite which made it better. I love my noodles, but it tastes like something I can make at home. Nothing that stood out. It does get cold fast and it's dry. It just made me appreciate and crave a hot bowl of ramen. I guess I'm more of a brothy gal. I prefer a bowl of ramen over a dry noodle. After this meal, I had more appreciation of the rich and deep flavor of the ramen broth. I wouldn't go back, but who knows, you might like it. Always worth trying it out once. read more

very nice service, Food was great. Not a big fan of the prices for canned beverages with no glass but's that just a me thing nothing deal breaking. The aesthetic of the place is very cozy feng shui. read more

Kajiken - Hamura and Karaage - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was all pretty good, I liked the sauce in the noodles and it was interesting being ramen without soup. The environment was clean and nice, waiters were fine but never refilled our water so we had to ask for more water. read more

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Soupless ramen place that recently opened up in Chinatown square. Not packed at all for a Friday afternoon lunch, which is surprising given the nice weather and school out. Service was fast so great for us. We ordered the original ramen and 2 rice don. The ramen wasn't too bad, I do prefer my ramen with less/minimal/to none soup . The ramen was on the salty side though and on the soft side. I have to say my favorite was the sukiyaki don (beef). The don is really small though, kid portion size. Given a new restaurant the place is new/clean. There's 2 gender neutral bathrooms. The inside gives you a Japanese feel with lantern decoration throughout the ceiling. read more

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I'm a regular; I absolutely love coming here. The place so cute on the side; I love the vibes in there. Your food comes out rather quickly. The Tori ramen bowl is delicious. I will say the chicken itself isn't great but I just eat around it. As for portion size, it's alright but I wish it was a bit bigger. Prices are fair; this place is nothing fancy but definitely delicious. read more

Kajiken - Tori ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I learned of this place a few months back and had really been looking forward to visiting. They specialize in mazesoba, or a brothless ramen. If you've never had this, it's delicious. Here the noodles are buttery and indeed delicious. Two things I wish were different though: First, though the noodles are meant to be soulless, ours came sitting in a puddle of what looked to be oil (sesame?) It seemed like a lot of oil, some people might like it, I did not. Second, the dish was at a room temperature, not hot but not cold either. I think what happened is that some of the toppings were hot and some were cold and when you mix everything together you get a luke warm dish. It was fine but didn't leave me wanting more. Priced were reasonable, though I thought the plain noodles were a bit too pricy at $9.50. The place was buzzing, lots of people. Service was fast and attentive. Music was a bit too loud. Overall good experience. Not sure Ill return anytime soon, but next time I get a craving for brothless ramen, this is the place Ill go. read more

Excellent noodles! Our party of 5 tried different dishes, and they were all fantastic! Quick service and clean restaurant.

Ok it's advertised as soba but it's just soupless ramen. STILL GOOD THOUGH. So I got the Sukiyaki and it was really good! Little on the sweet side if you like that. I also got the takoyaki which was just ok. Wouldn't get it again. I would 100% go again read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very authentic and inviting Ramen restaurant that feels like you stepped into Japan. The food was amazing. And the service was very attentive. Definitely coming back to try all the other options on the menu. read more

Kajiken - Sukiyaki Ramen - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I really enjoyed this place! The staff was really friendly and the food was delicious. It wasn't very busy on a Saturday evening, but the interior was really nice. I got the Tori and it was delicious, especially with additional chili oil/vinegar and spices that they provide at the table. It was very hearty and the portions were a good size. read more

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For some context, at the time this review is being written, this ramen shop has been open for only one month. I also learned that this a ramen shop is from Japan where they have 70 locations, and that this location is the third in the US. First, I loved the atmosphere. It was well lit, and had some cool decor. As you walk into the restaurant there is a huge Japanese style mural. The restaurant has a lot of paper lateens and cool wooden structures over many of the tables. Second, I loved the food. I ordered the tori ramen, the curry ramen, karaage, deep fried squid tentacles and the mango crepe cake for dessert. This is some of the best ramen I've had in a while. It's simple, but absolutely delicious. I liked both, but my favorite was the curry ramen. It's hard to find Japanese curry, at least in Chicgao, but this curry was amazing. It was on par with what I've had during my trips to Japan. It also clung to the noodles very well and the egg in to was a great addition. Also, ordered their karaage was hot, tender, juicy and the batter was crispy. This is a must order. I also tried the deep fried squid tentacles. I've never had this before and wanted to give it a shot. I liked it, it reminded me of calamari. The crepe cake for dessert was amazing. It was soft and had a great mango taste. Third, the service was great. My server was very nice, and food came out hot and fast. I felt they really had their act together even after only one month of being open. Fourth, the the value was good too. Everything I got was under $60 before tip. In sum, this is a ramen shop that is a must visit, it's worth traveling to Chinatown to from wherever you live. read more

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I ordered take out with a homura noodle, homura don, and fried oysters. Fried oysters were good and the homura noodles were fine. The noodles were normal and the pork wasn't impressive. The poor review is for the comically small portion they gave us with the homura don. I think four normal bites and it was gone. I don't expect huge portions by any means, but this was pretty sad. read more

The noodle is good, taste is good, not too salty. The fried squid tentacle is good, service is good. Price is reasonable. The environment is clean, nice and peaceful. Will come back and try the don and fried oyster next time. read more

Kajiken - Original - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Really solid ramen spot in China town I'm on the bigger side so it took two bowls to get me full and satisfied. read more

Got the Tori Abura Soba. The oil sauce is at the bottom unseen, but you mix it all up before eating. Well seasoned with nice at table enhancements. priced well but the portions are not huge. Room for appetizers and/or dessert. The salt plum sprite was fun to try but wasn't my cup of tea. Edamame was seasoned lovely. My companion loved the dumplings but wasn't impressed with the homura don. The restaurant was adorable and Picture worthy. Attentive servers. Although it's not at the top of my list for returning, mainly because it's not many chicken options, I still would recommend. China town is obviously fantastic. read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was bussin enjoyed my first experience eating here and will be coming soon. Even the workers were filertious toward me, which made me chuckle . ETA on food was okay fast read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Noodles were excellent and rare to see a soba shop! No ramen at all. Also tried the takoyaki which was one of the better ones I've had! Lantern lit interior that transports you to Japan read more

Kajiken - Japanese Near Me - Chicago, Illinois