I had been craving a bowl of good ramen. I mean not the instant kind you get at the store. I mean, the hearty, homemade noodles with a ramen egg and everything! Coming from the Phoenix area, I had so many to choose from up there. When I moved here to Tucson, I found there are few and far between when it comes to GOOD, real ramen places.
The first place I intended on going to closed earlier than the others. Thankfully, I saw that Kiwami had good ratings and it says they closed at 9:30. They weren't far from where my daughter and I were shopping that night, so we thought we'd give Kiwami a whirl.
We were not disappointed!
Immediately upon entering, we were greeted and swiftly sat. We were given a choice where we'd like to sit. Unfortunately, when we got there, we had about ten minutes to order hot food before they were going to close up.
Having to make our choices quickly, I chose the black garlic ramen with no scallions and a Coke. My daughter ordered a canned strawberry milk and a side of rice with soy sauce.
It was surprising to me that I got my ramen first before my daughter received a side of rice. I wanted my daughter to dig in first before I did. So, I felt guilty that I had food and that my daughter's scoop of rice was taking a strangely long time. The fried calamari came out as well before my daughter's rice did. I waited for her to get her rice before digging in. She's five, so I didn't want her to get upset that I'd be eating without her. My food smelled great and looked good while we both waited.
Once everything was out, we were so happy with the flavor of everything. It was my daughter's first ever strawberry milk and she loved it! She ate all of her rice and I ate all of my ramen. The ramen egg was so flavorful!
The staff was very attentive. Even some of the guys behind the counter kept an eye on my daughter and I and were quick to help when I asked if it would be okay to order another bowl of the same ramen for my mom working at the hospital nearby. Even though they had begun to close, the friendly staff at the ramen bar said they could get me a bowl to-go, no problem! I was able to save a few pieces of calamari for my mom as well.
The staff was very friendly, attentive, and accommodating. I kept thinking of things to add to my mom's meal like extra calamari sauce, lime or lemon, and a box for the calamari. Even though I kept asking for one thing after another, they didn't seem upset or annoyed.
The restaurant was very clean, organized, and modern. It has a smaller dining area with a few booths and a large table for big groups. Lots of seating is available on their patio as well. The music wasn't too loud and they were playing some 90's music, of which I enjoyed while I ate.
Very happy with our experience, I thanked all of the staff as they were closing up. I believe they really close at 9 PM and not 9:30 like the site I saw said because they began cleaning and closing up shop at 9.
My only issue was the wait time on my little kid's side of rice. Besides that, it would've been a perfect review!
I highly recommend this place for your next ramen craving. read more