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This place was SOO good. It was very interesting because it's a combination of Asian and Italian food. I only got the ramen and the fried dumplings, but I absolutely loved it. Had the pleasure of having the owner as one of the waiters and he was so sweet and passionate about his store. I would absolutely love to come back here and eat here again.
This is a unique establishment in Salem, as it is two restaurants in one: Bambolina for pizzas, pastas, and Italian fare, and Kokeshi for ramen and more Asian options. After seeing the price of the wood-fired pizzas and their actual size as they came out of the oven and were delivered to tables around us, my friend and I decided to stick with the Kokeshi side of things. We ordered an appetizer of Shishito peppers, which were outstanding: I did not know what to expect and whether they would be spicy or not, but these were perfectly roasted with soy, ginger, and scallions. I would 10 out of 10 order these again. For my main dish I ordered the spicy white kimchi ramen, which had Tokyo wavy noodles, roasted pork belly, cilantro, corn, spicy marinated mushrooms, scallions, fried garlic, and cilantro oil. Wow! What a flavor combination! From savory to spicy to sweet to smooth to crunchy and crispy. Overall it was a pretty perfect meal. In terms of the atmosphere, we sat at a high table in the middle of the restaurant, which gave it a more family atmosphere vibe, sitting right next to others. What I particularly loved was the 90s hip-hop soundtrack playing in the background. Notably, it was not blaring loud so that you had to yell to hear the person across from you (always a pet peeve of mine at restaurants). Our server was friendly and checked on us often to make sure we had everything we needed. This was my first trip to Kokeshi but it will not be my last, as it has become my new favorite restaurant in Salem.
Good food and ambiance. Service is a bit slow during peak hours, will come again when it's less busy.
I ask you... what's even better than Hot Ramen on a cold rainy day? I answer... nothing!! Gotta love Salem & not just for October or Halloween. Salem definitely never falls short for a good time with lots of great local eats. Very intriguingly setup casual eatery offering a menu of wood-fired pizza, ramen noodles and small plates in comfy digs. Certainly did not disappoint & we left feeling very warm & comfortable.
John was our server and service was amazing! This restaurant was def made for my partner and I because we get the best of both worlds. Ramen & pizza! I can't have a say with pizzas bc pizza is my least favorite food. I did wish there was more meat on it. The back alley bacon ramen was soooo delicious! I love my ramen salty and that was just what it was! I'm from Orange County, CA, so I've had some bomb ramen in my lifetime. I love how chewy and soft the ramen noodles were. The pork belly was crispy, fatty, and salty, just how I like it. We asked for extra broth and John was able to accommodate that! The egg was medium cooked and I was pretty surprised that a restaurant in Salem was able to season and cook it to perfection!
I personally have never gone to Kokeshi but my friend was craving ramen (and I was excited to look at both menus)and it's always a hotspot that's recommended by family and friends. Service was great DJ was super friendly. I still don't take flash pics cos I'm so nervous but I took some of my poke bowl which I liked more than I thought I would! Loved the cucumber and edamame starters. My lychee/sake based sangria was delicious I would go back for a pitcher with friends!
Since I haven't hung out with my cousin in a long time, I let him choose where to eat. Kokeshi shares the space with Bambolina's, which is pizza. Then menu for either restaurant is on a double-sided sheet, so you can order from either one. I went with the Colonel Sanders ramen. Took me awhile to realize that after adding more chili to the broth, (it was spicier than my cousin's dishes (different type of ramen)), my broth was already spicy by default. The 3 pieces of chicken in the ramen was nice and crispy. Wished it came with an egg. Tried a spurma for the first time, was expecting the chocolate to be softer, so it took me awhile to finish.
WARNING: they share a space with Bambolina! Save yourself the hassle of looking for their name from the street. After finally finding them, we got seated at the bar and handed the split menu. My sister and I ordered the Colonel sanders and back alley bacon ramen. I found the ramen to be undercooked and salty which seems to be the case with many ramen shops. Besides that, the pork belly was delicious but the bacon pieces seemed very Americanized. Soft boiled egg had the jelly-like center and was lightly marinated in soy sauce. I added a whole glass of water to off set the saltiness. It did still have well developed flavors which is why I was also able to add so much water. Fried chicken in the colonel sanders was crispy and moist. Overall, I had a moderate experience. Our waiter was friendly but did not come to check on us very often. I would prefer to check out other ramen spots by Malden before coming back here personally.
Tried this place for lunch takeout last week for an office. It is priced kind of high for lunch so I had higher expectations given the price. The wings had very little meat and were hard to bite off the bone and the flavor wasn't great. The pizza looked tasty and well cooked but I didn't get a chance to try it. I also tried the chicken lettuce wraps and they were really salty and a strange texture on the chicken. Overall maybe I just had two of the wrong items on the menu but thought the wings and lettuce wraps left a lot to be desired.
*Heads Up* due to the pandemic, Kokeshi has relocated & has set up shop in their sister pizza restaurant Bamboljna (just around the corner). At Bambolina you can order from either pizza or Asian menu. Rated Kokeshi 2 stars because it was a poor American take on Asian food. From Best to Least Best: * White Kimchi Ramen - had a very American flavor to it with an overwhelming Togarashi spice profile as little to none kimchi flavors. The 3 slices of pork was over cooked and had huge fatty and meat separation. The noodles were thin egg noodles - decent. * Chicken Lemongrass Dumplings (appetizer) - the MaePloy (sweet chili sauce) overpowered the lemongrass flavor (if there were any at all). The fry on the dumpling itself was decent but the filling was a very plain chicken filling and for some reason was speckled with very out of place corn kernels. More of a filler food than a tasty treat * Farmer's Harvest Soup (Vegetatian) - pretty atrocious. The soup was a jarring miso plus heavy sour lime concoction. The noodles were vermicelli, not ramen. Quite hard to eat with such a sour finish. * Poke - The fish was not fresh as you could tell from it's cloudy non tender depiction. The plate looked big at first until you realize it's majorly rice. Description mentioned sticky rice but it was just cold long grain rice. Service was extremely kind but the Western attempt at executing Asian food was quite tragic. Loved the pizza Bambolina restaurant though.
We were there yesterday. Food (ramen) was lacking in depth and flavor but full of oil. Currently one of our party is throwing up. Never again. Ruined a trip and a night.
The hubby and I were craving a delicious meal after driving from Central CT to Salem, MA to move our daughter into her new apartment. After a very long day, we decided to stop into Bambolina for Italian, but quickly realized Kokeshi was another restaurant that occupied the same space. We were in luck, because we were starving and were able to partake in two cuisines we love, Italian and Asian! The restaurant has an industrial yet cozy vibe and felt very welcoming. We were seated immediately, despite the place being busy and bustling. Water and drinks were offered when we sat down, which was especially welcomed by the famished duo. We ordered a little bit of everything off of the menu and every last bite was simply delicious: Chicken and Lemongrass Dumplings (tasty, sweet and savory) Caprese Salad (simply divine heirloom tomatoes, the freshest ricotta and mozzarella cheeses and I loved the addition of the crispy garlic!) Sausage Pizza (perfectly wood fired, thin crust pizza with delicious dough and toppings) Back Alley Ramen (as a ramen snob, the noodles were the perfect texture with just right chewiness, all of the meat was so tasty and the broth was full of depth and flavor) Mushroom Fettucine with Chicken (the flavor profile was simply amazing!) Tiramisu (just order it!) We had excellent service from Barbara W. from start to finish and we left with nice full bellies for our two plus hour ride back to CT. Thank you for a delicious and delightful experience! We will definitely be back again!
This review is for the Kokeshi part of the new Bambolina/Kokeshi combination restaurant. First of all, not easy to find Kokeshi since directions take you to the old location and that is closed up. We happened to walk down the street and decided to eat at Bambolina, only to find out that Kokeshi was inside as well. Besides a pizza, we ordered the potstickers and ramen from Kokeshi. The potstickers were pretty good, just a little on the sweet side. The Back Alley Bacon Ramen was not really very good and we didn't end up eating much of it. I think it might have been the bacon itself, but the broth was strange tasting.
Stopped in on Sunday afternoon to find a minimal crowd. We really liked the urban-warehouse feel that was unexpected in the spooky small town. We started with the pork buns. They were truly fantastic. The cilantro and matchstick carrots perfectly offset the warm, tender pork. I ordered the Land of Smiles and was extremely pleased with my selection. The broth was lighter than I had expected and had the slightest amount of kick. My spouse ordered the Vietnamese Noodles and they were the best part if our meal. They offered a bit more heat than Land of Smiles and had just the right amount of rice noodles. Our daughter ordered Colonel Sanders after the waiter said it was the most popular item in the menu. This dish was a complete disappointment. The ramen noodles seemed to soak up the broth at an alarming rate. The sea weed and kernels of corn provided little variety to what seemed like Cup-O-Noodles with a chopped, breaded, fried chicken tender tossed on top. read more
This restaurant just might be too hip for Salem. The funky atmosphere with gorgeous murals, great beats, and a creative menu would be at home in any major city, and it rivals my favorite D.C. ramen shop. That said, I think it is a great addition to Salem. I liked Kokeshi so much that I went for lunch two days in a row. The first day, I had the slow roasted pork belly ramen and my sister had the Kokeshi fresh-y salad. We shared the steam-fried bok choy, and I also had the Midnight Starlet (Privateer Amber, Fernet, Thai basil agave, lime) to drink. The Midnight Starlet was tasty, and I'd order it again. The bok choy was OK, but nothing special. We really just wanted more vegetables. The salad was fantastic, and huge. Super fresh, but an option for protein addition would be nice. I loved my ramen. It is Hakata style and the broth was rich, but not overly so. The pork was tender and delicious, and the bowl was huge. Noodles were perfectly cooked. I couldn't finish it, but I did not see a kaedama option (I didn't ask though either), so I left it (mostly broth anyway). The next day, I ordered the soy-marinated cucumber, steamed pork buns, udon-don noodles, and my favorite local cider (Patch, the strawberry basil one by Far From the Tree). Cucumber was good, and I highly recommend the tasty pork buns. I liked my noodles, as they were fresh, but the broth was a bit bland. I probably should have added some chili oil. The noodles were outstanding though. I sat at the bar both times and had fantastic service. I appreciate the showcasing of local brews and spirits. Whenever I'm home, this will definitely be one my stops. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Visited in thanksgiving weekend. Took a while to find it cause didn't know they combined two restaurants together (pizza and ramen) what a fun combination. My friend ordered pizza while I ordered Ramen. The waiter was nice brought water right away and took our order but my ramen took 20 minutes to be served after I asked. Apparently my ramen had been ready but no one brought it. The wait wasn't fun but the ramen was reallllyyyyyy delicious! I will visit again! read more
Very cute restaurant in Salem, I love the artwork on the inside and even outside. The server was very polite, she was very helpful when she got to our table. They have 4 bathrooms, 2 for girls and 2 for boys. We ordered 2 appetizers, and 4 noodles dishes. The appetizers came out at a decent time, we finished the tuna tartare, and then the chicken wings. The chicken wings were so plump and JUICY! But nothing spectacular, its flavorless without the fish sauce it comes with and the tuna tartare came with fried wonton chips you can dip the tuna tartare pieces in, it was very light and tasty. The noodle dishes, however, took forever it seemed like. We finished our appetizers, talked for awhile, drank our beers, and still were looking around to see where the noodles were. It wasn't like we were starving and waiting for it, but we all noticed it took so long. I ordered the salmon udon, the udon absorbed all the liquid, the salmon was a bit too salty but it was a nice slice of salmon, pretty big. The rest ordered ramen, and I didn't try theirs so I can't speak for theirs. But the presentation was nice! Oh, try their local beers, they have a decent selection. Enjoy! read more
3 years ago
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Stopped by here around 4pm on a Sunday after walking around Salem and the food was so tasty! You should try the Korean style donburri off of the specials menu if you get the chance- that salmon is insanely good. read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
Ordered ramen takeout and was quoted 25mins. IMO that is a really long time to cook some noodles and put broth in a container. Thank god it was really only about 10mins for the food to be ready. Was really disappointed when I opened the bag at home to find the noodle in the container with the broth. The noodle soaked up the broth and expanded, having the consistency of cheap instant ramen. . They should pack like takeout pho places, packing the noodles and broth in separate containers. Broth was decent. What saved this dish was the pork pieces, which were tender and flavorful. I'll give this place another shot with a dine experience as there aren't many ramen options in the north shore. read more
5 years ago
The service was so kind and professional. The Ramen was Great! A nice twist on Ramen types. I was apprehensive till I tried the Ramen. I hope to come back soon with some good friends! read more
7 years ago
We landed here on the weekend before Halloween for a quick brunch as we headed out to explore the Essex street and its spooky sights. Right away, we knew we wanted to have the Steamed Pork Buns as they are always the safest *and the coolest* way to start off a pan-Asian meal. The buns had nicely steamed, slightly crunchy Pork laid in with Carrot, Cilantro, Pickled Cucumber, Chili Mayo and Radish. In all, they felt like mighty flavorful shots packed in small delicious buns! I wanted to have something super-filling as the day ahead was filled with long walks around Salem. So, I went for the Colonel Sanders noodle + soup bowl mostly because of its fancy name. Beyond that, I loved the combination of having crispy fried chicken with smooth silky noodles. The bowl had Fried Chicken with Tokyo Wavy Noodle, Spicy Pork Broth, Wakame, Thai Basil and Vermont Butter. In fact, I loved their entire menu. Hats off to Kokeshi for trying out and perfecting such awesome twists to Japanese street food. read more
3 years ago
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I'm going to throw this out there. Yes this is an Americanized noodle place. Just because you don't have Japanese chefs in the back doesn't mean you can't make good Japanese-style food. That's my response to one of the Yelpers. I was out for a walk and had heard of Kokeshi, and wanted to check it out. Arriving in the early afternoon, staff were mainly doing prep and cleaning. The atmosphere has a modern feel to it, with some interesting fung shui in place. I liked it. I opted for the Farmer's Harvest soup. A light and savory noodle soup, very filling! Vegetarian option that added a little pep to the step. With a beer, it was a very filling meal. My server was very sweet and attentive, service was very quick. A definite stop while in Salem. read more
6 years ago
4 years ago
6 years ago
Kokeshi is a Asian fusion restaurant with an extensive food + drink menu and a sprawling, spunky interior with lots of natural sunlight. They offer a range of appetizers, noodle soups, rice bowls, cocktails, and beers. We came here for brunch around 12:45 PM on a Saturday and it was pretty bustling! I ordered the Farmer's Harvest Noodle Soup ($13) and a Lychee Sangria ($10). The Farmer's Harvest consisted of a vegetable miso broth base with chewy udon noodles, corn, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, daikon (which I requested to leave off), scallions, and a lime wedge. They give you a cool wooden ladle to slurp the broth up too. The abundant udon noodles had a perfect texture! I loved the fresh and crunchy vegetables- especially the sweet corn!!! The broth was nice and warm but definitely lacked flavor. I had to add in a bunch of chili powder and Sriracha to spice things up. It just wasn't very memorable at all. The highlight of the meal was definitely the Lychee Sangria!!! The presentation of the drink was adorable- a lil' yellow umbrella and a fun twirly straw- what more could you want?! The cocktail wasn't very strong but totally a-ok with me since we were going to explore Salem all day anyway. It definitely had stronger floral notes but enough juicy + fruity notes to balance everything out amazingly. The service was quite attentive and prompt. Our server checked in when necessary but didn't hover. If I'm ever in the area again, I'd definitely come back for their yummy cocktails (plus extensive drink menu) but maybe not the food! read more
3 years ago
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Back open and sooooo delicious ! Cocktail is Crown of thorns , Apps are dumplings and edamame, and ramen is Colonel Sanders. So, so good !! read more
4 years ago
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9 years ago
Excellent place to get Asian street food and ramen bowls. Pork buns were outstanding and we could have eaten a few more rounds of those easily. Spicy Pole beans were very tasty and also went fast. Then came the ramen! All had outstanding broths with great depth of flavor. From crispy pork belly to flavorful chicken and veggies, they were all winners. Their cocktail menu is creative and the sake selections are interesting as well. I had a sparkling peach sake that had a gel like consistency. Weird, but very good. We will definitely be back. read more
9 years ago
Really solid ramen spot in Salem. The vibe is very hip, with some cool art and unique layout featuring shipping containers. We ordered the Tuna Tartare to share and I had the bacon and eggs ramen. We also had two cocktails but I can't remember the names :( Tuna tartare was delish, perfectly seasoned. Did have a lot of cilantro as a garnish but it was easy to pick out if you're a cilantro hater like me. Both cocktails were also very tasty. The kokeshi broth was delicious and flavorful, and I appreciated the spicy oil on the table so I could add my own kick - a lot of places charge to make the ramen spicy. Bacon was also really good, perfect level of crispy, and the pork was melt-in-your-mouth. I could have done with my soft egg a little softer and I wish it was seasoned but overall pretty tasty toppings. But... and this is where they lose a star... my noodles were pretty overcooked. I asked, they use Sun Noodles. I make them all the time in my house and they have that awesome springy texture. These were pretty mushy. If you've had the sun noodles at Pikaichi in Boston I think they do an awesome job - this just wasn't up to that standard. So overall very solid. Fix the noodle sitch and you'd have 5 stars easily. read more
I've been very excited about Kokeshi ever since I found out the Bambolina owners were also heading up this venture. I finally made it over a couple weeks after opening, and there were a few hiccups, but overall it was a good experience! A group of 4 of us were quoted a wait time of 30 minutes at 5:35pm, and got some drinks at the bar while we waited. The bartender happily made us cocktails by request and let us know they were working on finalizing their cocktail menu. She definitely knew how to mix a drink, and I'm excited to see what ends up on the cocktail list!! We FINALLY got seated around 7, so almost an hour longer than the estimated wait time. We had to ask a couple times about the table and it seems there was a miscommunication somehow. Luckily we were enjoying time with our friends, so we were still in good spirits when seated. We ordered the octopus hot dog, wings, tuna tartare, pork belly ramen, colonel sanders ramen, and bacon and eggs ramen. Overall the food was good. The octopus hot dog was tasty and I love the bun and accoutrements. The tuna tartare was on par with what you'd find in Boston, though we could've used 1-2 more wontons if I'm going to nitpick. The wings were "okay" (according to our dinner mates, I didn't have any). The namesake of the restaurant is ramen and it was definitely tasty, though not quite as developed in flavor as ramen I've had elsewhere (specifically in CA and NYC). The bacon in the bacon and egg ramen was a very strange texture, I'm not sure it works here. The fried chicken in broth worked surprisingly well, somehow! Compared to other ramen spots in the Boston area though it was definitely just as good, if not better. For all the negative reviewers saying "the positive reviewers have probably never had real ramen"...first, let me roll my eyes. Second, Kokeshi is not trying to be the most authentic ramen / Asian experience. The owners are simply trying to bring new flavors to Salem and have fun doing it... and for that, I will definitely be back to try some of the other inspired dishes! read more
3 years ago
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7 years ago
Best ramen I have ever had. I got the swine line and it was delicious. Very rich flavor. Although the portions are large I alwaysssss eat everything! read more
5 years ago
Tried this place last night. SO good. The spicy beans were crisp and tasty. The meat of the chicken wings fell of the bone. I got the pork belly ramen and the soft boiled egg was perfect!! Would love to come back here to try the rest of the food! Everyone I was with enjoyed all their food as well. Definitely recommend!! read more
3 years ago
More info about Kokeshi
Ask the Community - Kokeshi
Does this restaurant cook with peanut oil or use peanuts in anything?
Are they currently open? I drove there and it was randomly closed last week !
Yes, they are open for takeout and dining.
Is the faux pho vegan/ there isn't any mention of what the broth consists of?
No there was nothing I saw that said vegan and I believe the broth is pork based
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