Mostly Japanese, with a little Korean, Chinese, and Thai cuisine in the mix... your typical…read morepan-Asian restaurant in this corner of the world.
I arrived for a late lunch (according to American standards, of course, as it was probably perfect timing for the rest of the Spaniards in the restaurant) and was quickly seated. I had gotten my filling of tapas during my stay in Barcelona and needed a bit of palate cleanser with a hearty, flavorful bao filled with meat -- a bit like an Asian taco, if you will. I stood firm in my order despite it feeling like heresy as "ramen" is in the name of the restaurant and a quick look around me revealed that most of the tables were definitely enjoying their ramen. Still, with things like pad thai and kimchi on the menu, I felt like I had permission to indulge in my cravings.
I dug into a starter of some chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken) that came with some homemade teriyaki sauce on the side. The chicken was perfectly crispy and the teriyaki sauce complemented its flavor instead of being too overwhelming. But the order did seem a bit on the pricier side at €7.50, which is basically the same price as one of the baos, so I think I would've ordered an extra one instead.
As for the baos, I got three: the pork, the chicken, and the shrimp. They all tasted very similar to each other -- the pickled cucumber and carrot on the pork and the sauces on the shrimp did most of the heavy lifting, so I barely tasted the difference in meat. There are other places that ofter this bao delicacy in Barcelona (my reco would be Boa Bao) so come to Koku Kitchen for the ramen and gyoza instead.
I did appreciate the decor of the place, especially the flower placed in a brown apothecary-esque bottle and the dim, hip vibes of the bathroom.
