Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya
320 E Pine St.
Seattle, WA

Hours: Mon to Sun 11 am to 9:30 pm
Phone: (425) 553-0867

I rarely review franchise operations, but when I was exploring the various diners east of the Washington State Conference Center, the choices are not limited when I was there pre-pandemic! I’m hoping this place survived as ramen shops are the type of operations that would close down during these times. Most traditional shops tightly pack diners in tight and I imagine to keep operating, the space of a chair and half is mandated to keep everyone safe.

When people are allowed to freely travel again, I’ll be there for you, Kizuki! Yes, I’m thinking of a certain TV theme song here, because I recall the camaraderie between the regulars and chefs when I was there last.

I’d be sad if they’re gone, because it’s rare to find an operation I’m definitely in love with. I have yet to find a match with the ramen shops here in Victoria, BC. Kizuki’s food is still prepared the same way as it is in Japan–they have a unique method of roasting bones before boiling. Similar to the French style of making consomme, they were the first in the Japanese ramen industry to employ this method. The result is a rich, flavourful broth that is fragrant and full of depth. They are devoted to replicating the incredible flavour of traditional Japanese ramen. Every operation gets the bulk of their ingredients from this country.

I savoured every drop. It helped make the noodles stand out. I ordered the shoyu, and the bamboo shoots, a topping I rarely see, made all the difference. There was a sweetness to the dish which I adore. This flavour enhancement is created through speciality soy sauce from Yamaguchi, Japan. I was in love and tore into the ramen like a hungry whale to plankton. The greens were exceptionally crisp and I am making myself hungry all over again at the thought.

Visiting this “Eastern” side of downtown Seattle’s Pine Street is abuzz with lots of eateries and nerderies too. SUIKA Seattle offers frozen sake, which has my curiosity and not too far away as Molly Moon’s Ice Cream. I’ve been to this dessert shop and it’s a cousin to Cold Comfort back home. There’s even a doughnut shop which may rival Top Pot and to cap things off, the thought of 8oz Burger & Co and Katsu being a few blocks away from each other has my taste buds, salivating. I’ve been to another branch of the Japanese burger joint (review can be found here), and it didn’t fully impress. Hopefully this operation differs.

If travel restrictions lift for the summer, I’m definitely thinking of making visit back to this Emerald City just to sate my tastebuds and skip a year of the comic convention here. I get the feeling it won’t be up to speed with a certain percentage of the fandom (celebs included) hesitant to attend.

My hometown of Nerdtoria is not outdone for treats, but in Nerdvana (Seattle), the options are just a lot more tasty and widely varied.

5 Blokes out of 5