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Karai Ramen + Handroll

4.6 (390 reviews)
ModerateRamen, Sushi Bars
Open 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 10:00 PM

Karai Ramen + Handroll Photos

KARAI RAMEN + HANDROLL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Trendy
Classy
Moderate noise

Recommended Reviews - Karai Ramen + Handroll

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Reviews With Photos

This place is amazing, I got 3 rolls, the Jurassic Park, Oh My God and the rainbow. All were good, but my favorite was the JP wit the OMG coming in right behind it. Service was great as well and I liked that they had a nice variety of beer, not just oriental beers. Will be back for sure on my next visit to town.

Chashu Buns
Rae F.

I've been to Karai about 3 times and the food has always been delicious. I tried a tuna rice bowl this time around and the warm rice with nice cool tuna sashimi was perfect. The soft boiled egg that came with it was a bit too cold for my liking but was still very good. I got an old favorite the Jurassic Park roll and it did not disappoint. My partner has never been and he got Chashu Buns, and Koroke. He was very pleased with both. I tasted the Koroke and it was very crispy, and warm. The sauce with it seemed like a type of balsamic sauce, it had a very distinct taste but went great with the Koroke and lemon. The service was a little slower this time but they were busy-ish and still very polite.

Cheeky Ramen
Maryclare T.

Gyoza was great. Large ramen portion! Eel sauce was delicious, used it on the gyoza too.

Signature ramen
Andrew J.

Very impressive spot. Very good and quick service. This is a great spot to visit for lunch. Given how quick the service is.

Crispy shrimp pops
Perla E.

The vibes of the place are nice and cozy. Food is always delicious and just absolute comfort food. I especially love the chashu buns and bowl. The servers are always nice and friendly every time I go. I feel like I've gone here so often they probably recognize me when I walk through the doors but what can I say the food just absolutely hits the soul every time.

Takoyaki, lobster hand roll, toro, tuna  Nigiri

Wow. In Springfield, MO of all places. In town for a few weeks due to work and I 100% found my new spot to go to. Server was polite, helpful, and respective of your space as a solo diner. Lively yet calm ambience. Welcoming to all. Loved it.

Karai Ramen (Signature) - Very Good!
Shawn V.

Oh man, this place for the Ramen is REALLY good! However I would not recommend going here for the Sushi. The ramen was full of flavor and comes in huge bowls and is very filling. We also got a sushi roll that came out on fire that was very lackluster and tasted very bland! The inside is super cool and the service is great so be sure and check it out.

2023.09.11. Karai Ramen + Handroll, Springfield, Missouri
J Z.

Typical Japanese Ramen. A little more expensive (e.g. the appetizer), as usual, no surprise.

Chocolate Marshmallow Mousse Cake - $7 Not a must-have, but pretty good.
Violet S.

Overall, it was a nice, unassuming little place at the far right end of an outlet plaza. I started off by ordering the yuzu lemonade. This drink was kind of odd, with lots of ginger, and I probably won't get it again. But next was my favorite dish here, the chicken karaage. It was hot, flavorful, and had this excellent creamy garlic dipping sauce to go with it. I don't know how authentic it is, but it might be the best karaage I've ever had a Japanese restaurant. I was also pleasantly surprised by the ramen. I've had authentic Japanese ramen before, which I found too salty and kind of heavy. The Karai Ramen (their signature ramen) had the perfect balance, and even the noodles were tasty. I'm not even a noodle person, but I ate/drank/slurped through the entire bowl. For dessert, I tried the chocolate marshmallow mousse cake. The marshmallow was toasted and the presentation was good. It took a while for the dish to come out. It definitely was not as decadent as European/American cakes. I enjoyed it, but I wouldn't call it a must-have. On the disappointing side, there was a cute little seating area where a ton of seats were facing a window, looking out into the woods. I really wanted to eat there, but was told no one was allowed to be seated there (makes sense, it was right next to the door). I think it's a shame that little space is not being utilized. Otherwise, this is a great place for a date, and I saw a ton of young people out with partners.

katsu and ramen!
Kylie F.

One of the best Japanese restaurants I've ever been to. Not only was the atmosphere so beautifully done, the service incredible, but the menu had a wide variety of things that all sounded so good! I got the Tonkatsu and my boyfriend got the Karai Ramen. The tonkatsu was cooked so perfectly and the barbecue mustard sauce for it was easily one of the BEST condiments I've ever had. My boyfriend said the ramen was flavorful, the perfect level of spice (he got medium spicy), and tasted fresh. Not to mention, the portions (his and mine) were perfect. Will definitely be coming back!!

Karaage and California roll
Deb C.

It's clean here! Great service! Great food and great portions. Can't really say enough good things. Everything was too temperature and seasoned well. And again like I said it was clean. Nothing better than when your water cup just tastes like water lol

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4 months ago

The service is excellent, the food is amazing, atmosphere is fun and casual. You can't go wrong!

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The food here has been very good every time that we have gone. I would definitely recommend Karai and I will continue to frequent them.

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Karai Ramen + Handroll Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Karai Ramen + Handroll

Omo Japanese Soul Food - Ramen

Omo Japanese Soul Food

(178 reviews)

$

This was my first time visiting Springfield, and I didn't expect to find a place like this…read more The restaurant has a really fun Japanese anime vibe, with Totoro decor and even lucky cat (maneki-neko) touches throughout, which I absolutely loved. It honestly felt like the owner might be Japanese or Chinese, because the whole atmosphere was thoughtfully done and very authentic. The service staff were all friendly and welcoming, and overall the dining experience was great. We did have a delay with one of our dishes (waited over 30 minutes), but the manager noticed the issue right away, took responsibility, and handled it really well. They even offered us complimentary spring rolls, which I really appreciated. That kind of attentiveness and care makes a big difference. The food was solid and enjoyable--of course, you can't compare it to bigger cities, but for Springfield, this is definitely a great find. They also have a robot that helps deliver food, which was such a fun and unique touch. I'm here for work, traveling from out of state, and we actually ended up coming back four days in a row--which probably says everything. You can really tell the owner put a lot of heart into this place--from the decor to the overall experience. I appreciate being able to enjoy a different culture like this, especially in a smaller city. Springfield has given me a really great impression and some wonderful memories. Would definitely recommend

I was the only person in my party and since moving to the new building it takes them soooooo long…read moreto even take a drink order, this has happened repeatedly. I see staff talking and hardly any tables occupied. I've been going here for years and I used to love this place but now it's just not worth the wait and money. That's my only problem with this place 3 tables taken in the whole place and I get my water after waiting 30 minutes after being seated, and I'm the last to be helped after bigger parties who arrived after me. When I come with 2 other people the waiters are on top of it with service but if it's me alone I hardly even see a waiter. They're chasing tippssss imo. This is just a personal opinion that doesn't contribute to my stars because I know some people find it really cool but the robot is creepy and what if someone needs to ask something when the drinks come? Can't ask a robot and then they have to wait 20+ minutes for a waiter to come by.

Skully's - Pork on Pork Ramen

Skully's

(50 reviews)

$

This one surprised me. Although expectations were high based on the reviews. I am not a huge…read moreRamen guy. The space is cramped if the patio isn't open, so we decided to get our dinner to go. The counter was very helpful with suggestions for our son too. But WOW!! The seasoning, the quality of the meat, and the ingredients were top-notch. My chicken Ramen bowl was amazing, the quality of the seasoning and cook on the chicken was perfect. Delicious and fall-apart tender. My son had some of the fried chicken and it was just as good!!!!! I find it hard to believe they have any duds on the menu after this first experience.

Want some Killer Ramen? This is the place…read more Yes the price is high for ramen but the quality is well worth it. The ingredients and quality of service are incredible. We were blown away by our meal. We ordered ramen (beef and Pork Belly), an order of spring rolls split between us and we also split the shrimp Katsu sliders. You get 2 in each order. The spring rolls were incredibly favorable and flagrant. The dipping sauce was unique. Don't sleep on that sauce. And don't skip dipping your spring roll in your ramen sauce, it's good. The katsu slider was great, perfectly sauced and portioned. Great and krispy, really offsets the ramen. The ramen broth is rich and flavorful. The only note I could think of is that the jammy egg with the ramen would be better if you had the option for a soy egg but that is just a personal preference because I love them with my ramen. But the ramen was amazing. Wish I lived closer. Will be back for sure. Wish it was warmer so I could sit outside on the patio. The inside was cozy and great,

Koriya - Kimbap

Koriya

(178 reviews)

$

Not bad but $16.73 (including 18% tip) is a bit much. The main gripe I have is the Teri chicken,…read more1st chicken breast is too dry, gotta cook it perfect or use thighs. 2 either marinate it overnight or cook it in heavily condensed sauce, feels like you're throwing on watery sauce on dried unseasoned chicken. 3 your sauce is too liquidy , you need to make it thicker, corn starch or potato starch should do the trick you can even use flower. The bulgogi was decent tho, and salad was cool, best of luck!

Visiting Springfield and stopped in to this little spot for some Korean eats. There is a parking…read morelot with plenty of slots right in front. The inside was dimly lit with tables as you walk in and to the back. There is also an outside seating area. We ordered at the register and our food was brought out to us. The menu is easy to understand, but the staff was able to answer all of our questions and explain different menu items in detail. Everyone was nice and welcoming. I got the Hotstone Bibimbap (suggested by the lady who took my order because it continues to cook when served, making the rice crispy and vegetables hot. I chose white rice topped with bulgogi and spicy shrimp. For sauce, I chose Sesame and Kochi to a little add extra kick. I had the kimchi put to the side. It also came with a miso soup . This whole combination was so delicious. Stayed hot the entire time and was plenty enough to share. The Yaki Soba, which is a noodle dish, was also very flavorful, came out fresh and hot. The Japchae was equally delicious and full of flavor. The sweet potato noodle of this dish was different, but still pretty tastey. I recommend leaving this for the experienced eaters. Lastly, we tried the kimbap. It was a typical kimbap, nothing stood out. Everything came out fresh, cooked to order, and hot. The price for everything was very reasonable. I would dent come again.

Karai Ramen + Handroll - ramen - Updated May 2026

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