Kai Ramen

waitresses were very friendly & the ramen is delicious! ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would recommend, the soup is very rich & thick in flavor. I recommend the black dragon + fresh crushed garlic (upon request). kai ramen beats all the other places nearby. can’t wait to go back again and try their other options.
def drop by if you’re in the area! :-)

Kai Ramen! Finally tried this out seeing that New Noodle Guy was closed on the weekend. I came here with a few friends on Valentines Day and this is what we found.
Ramen: I tried the Tonkotsu ramen and it was decent. A bit on the salty MSG flavor though. It was a mix of reviews. Some of my friends thought it was pretty good however some thought the same as me. MSG and salty. Not our cup of tea. The pork itself was literally all fat for me. It could be a hit or miss but I can’t stand eating fat so I left it in the bowl. The ramen was soft and delicious.
Service: It was honestly just bad. Very average for an Alhambra ramen place and nothing special. They forgot my friends salad and at the point, he said it wasn’t even worth it. We still tipped however we will not return.
Overall: Not coming back.

Kai Ramen, really delayed review :(sorry! We have been here several times already and all we can say is we love it! I always order the original ramen and order extra toppings like corn, seaweed, sprouts, spinach and wow the broth is a bit thicker than other places but the taste is fantastic, noodles are cooked to perfection! What i love is that they offer you fresh garlic to add to your soup, crushed right infront of you and onto your soup, that fresh garlic elevates the taste to another level. all in all kai is a place to go for hot, tasty bowl of ramen.
Parking is in a crowded plaza, but there is plenty, service has been great everytime we have gone, quick to seat us and order taken. Only one time they ran out of pork based ramen so we had to leave before placing our orders, but this place never dissapoints us
My Rating 4.5

Good service, foods taste not bad, will come back again !

The Black Dragon ramen was very good. The broth was rich, creamy, and umami-​flavorful. The pork slices were substantial and very tender. The noodles were the perfect consistency. My only complaint is that the egg was overcooked — the yolk was cooked instead of soft/​runny. The delicious broth made up for it… I slurped most of it up.
Don’t forget to check-​in for a free veggie topping!

One of my fav Ramen resturant in 626 area. The consistency of the flavorful pork soup base is all I am looking for (: Mmm, so yummm. I always get Black Dragon with thick noodle, so creamy and smooth broth, never over salty, but with a deep taste.
Tips: ask for raw garlic and their special spicy pickle, will made your ramen ever more tastier. 旨い!!!

This is authentic no frills ramen and absolutely delicious. Loved this place, great price and the ladies working were very nice. When I went the power went out in the whole shopping center from a wind storm but they did a great job keeping everyone comfortable. I will be back.

I like this pace because it’s super close by and convenient.
Came here for dinner after feeling under the weather and ordered a Spicy Butter Ramen. (spicy costs .50 more). I thought it was really flavorful and delicious. I especially liked that the broth was thicker than most Ramen restaurants. (It might be more creamy also, because I had a big slice of butter in my ramen.) Yum!!! The noodles are slightly thinner than most places, but I didn’t really mind, because the broth was super tasty.
Price-​wise, it’s pretty reasonable. $ 9 seems pretty standard. However, I do not recommend paying extra .50 for the spicy option. The ramen may look red, but its not spicy at all. There’s chili oil and chili powder on the table next to you so you can add that for free.
Parking here is a hit or miss depending on what time you decide to come. Night time, you’ll have a better chance at parking.

GREAT ramen for a little shop in Alhambra. The Black Dragon ramen was really good and I liked it a lot. Their original ramen is good too but I liked the black dragon better. You can make a combo with any bowl of ramen (I added gyoza and salad for an additional $ 3.75!!).
Service was great! The waitress even gave us freshly pressed garlic that she pressed in front of us. She gave us such wonderful service. This place fills up around 7pm for dinner.
Parking sucked the most because the plaza is really packed with other things. I’m so happy I found this place and I definitely will come back!

One of the best ramen di LA. We had Black Dragon Ramen and it was a bowl of awesomeness. I saw the guy torching the chasu before putting it on top of the ramen. Little detail that matters instead of cold-​cut meat on the ramen.
The chasu bowl was a bit sweet and buttery for my taste, but it wasn’t bad.
Oh and the service was great too!

I had the Kai original Tonkotsu Ramen, it was really good, the broth was thick and full of flavor, the chashu pork was really juicy and fatty, it melted in my mouth.
good size portion that fills you up, great place to stop for lunch or dinner.
I want to go back with friends and try their takoyaki and curry rice next time.

Came here on a monday evening around 6pm and there was no wait. The server greeted us immediately with a smile and gave us our menus. Both me and my friend decided on the kai tonkatsu ramen with spice on the side so that we could add it ourselves. The food came out super fast & it was surprisingly super delicious! We also got a free extra topping of egg or vegetables if you check in, so I opted for the corn & my friend got the egg. The soup was super flavorful and yummy, and the noodles were perfectly cooked al dente. We also got about 2 – 3 pieces of chasu each, all of which were tender and flavorful, but unfortunately mine was super fatty and I could only eat about half. I also wish there were slightly more vegetables in the soup (i.e. seaweed or bamboo shoots), but for a price tag of only 8.50, I can’t complain! I definitely would come here for a quick bite of some solid ramen since it is literally 2 minutes from my work. I want to try the other ones they offer too w/​a salt base and chicken broth base.

Beyond expectations!
We went in tonight around 645pm, trying Kai for the first time. No one in the restaurant, not a good sign. We were cheerly greeted and we looked over the varied menu. By the time we ordered, and got our edamame, the place was packed. By the time we all got our ramen, it was completely full and the two waitresses were flying around.
The food was really good. Spicy Duck Ramen was rich and the smoked duck was super smoky and great. The chicken ramen and regular Kai ramen were also enjoyed. The last the table had was Red dragon — basically the black dragon with chili. Not overly spicy but a little bit of a kick. Be sure to ask for the fresh garlic that they’ll smoosh table side.
A very good option if you don’t want to drive into Little Tokyo. Having an option of not pork was nice to have and was enjoyed. We’ll be back. Looked like they have a great lunch special too!

Came here for dinner with friends tonight, wanted to try out the grand opening ramen in the SGV. I was pretty excited to try their ramen out because the menu make it look sooo delicious. I had the Original Kai ramen. I think it was pretty good but nothing really special about their ramen.
Their ramen bowl ranges from $ 8.50 to $ 10+. Since it comes with bunch of toppings, I think the price is fair. The food is not bad here, worth a try but I wouldn’t really go back again if I crave for ramen. My favorite is still shinsengumi :)
I give the 3 – 4 stars for the food, and 5 stars for their customer service.

What an amazing ramen restaurant! Kai ramen, do not change a thing.
The food, the service, the vibes, the décor, the variety of music played. Wow.
I ordered the #6 red dragon (spicy). There was so much flavor. The pork to noodle ratio was perfect. :)
Every single employee went out of their way to check on my table.
You almost want to stay and order another bowl: D
Thanks Kai ramen! I will be back VERY soon

Nothing beats hot ramen on a cold winter evening. The wait is quite long, ~40 minutes. Obviously, this place is new and hot. The service is great, definitely 5 stars. Appetizer is well seasoned and tasty. Ramen bowls are correctly portioned, not too overwhelming, but not too small. With Unilocal check in, you will receive one extra topping comes in a side dish. Two thumbs up for Unilocal!Chasu was buttery, tender and fatty, just the way a good chasu is meant to be. Noodle is cooked el dente. Soup is white and creamy, probably been simmered on low heat for at least 12 hours.
Amongst all the great ramen selections in SGV, this place should be getting a 4 star rating. The reason one star was lost, was because they were out of Kai soup base, and chicken chasu, on a busy night before 7 o’clock. Two big things, ill-​stocked, disappointing especially after waiting in the cold night chill for more than half an hour.
Kai ramen, I hope you do better with that next time!

It’s about time I do an update review of this place since so much has changed since I originally wrote my review.
Ever since this place added tonkotsu ramen to its menu, it has become my favorite ramen spot in the area. I still like the chicken broth ramen but it’s nice to have the added option of tonkotsu broth ramen. The Red Dragon (spicy tonkotsu) Ramen is one of my favorites. The broth has a nice, spicy bite, and the thickness of broth is perfect for my preference. It’s surprising that my favorite is a chicken broth ramen — Buttercorn Ramen. There’s no loss in flavor as a result of it being made with chicken broth. It’s rich and soothing, thanks to the combination of corn and butter. What a comfort food.
The menu is quite diverse and there’s also a daily special menu, which has stayed fairly consistent for a while now. I tried the Spicy Duck Ramen which was quite good. It’s a bit pricey at around $ 11-​$ 12 but I guess that’s because of the duck. The duck meat isn’t the super fatty kind you get at Chinese restaurants. It’s more like smoked ham and not too heavy. The broth is light and spicy.
What I really like about this place that I don’t get at other ramen places is the excellent service. All the servers are so attentive and helpful, and it’s been consistent with each of my visit. Last two times they even pressed the garlic for me.
The only change I don’t like is chicken skewers on original chicken ramen and spicy chicken ramen. They used to come with chicken chashu and I liked the texture on it much better. The skewers just taste kind of add in a ramen. Not a big deal though since there are so many other good options here.

We ordered: Kai Tonkotsu, Chicken Ramen, Red Dragon, Black Dragon, Fried Rice, Takoyaki, Gyoza and Roasted Duck.
Takoyaki and Gyoza was fine. Nothing special.
Fried rice was outstanding and would get this every time I eat at this restaurant.
The broth for each Ramen was quite delicious. Each had their own unique flavor and our group enjoyed it very much. We each redeemed a Unilocal Check in offer which allowed to add a veggie topping. (Thank you) When I eat ramen, I prefer to eat the very thin noodles and this place met my expectations.
The chicken ramen did have a different type of noodle but this was good as well. (Curly Noodles)
If you ask for fresh garlic, they will bring some to your table.
Majority of us have already finished the Ramen and we realized that our duck appetizer was still missing.
The roasted duck order was most likely overlooked to be entered into their system, because we received it at the very last. I asked the waitress to check up on the duck and the kitchen seemed to have started cooking it as quickly as possible.
Several minutes later, the duck has appeared!
I don’t like duck nor do I eat them, but my friends did mention that it tasted like a «hot dog/​ham»
When we arrived, this place was busy and I had to write my name on the list. When we were sat down, the service wasn’t as fast as we hoped, but we weren’t in a hurry so that was fine with us.
Overall, I would come back to this place for their Ramen and Fried Rice when I’m craving good Ramen.
Thank you for providing great food in Alhambra!

Never realized that there was a ramen shop in the midst of all the chinese restaurants in this small strip mall in Alhambra until my dad took me here. The place has a variety of ramen and small dishes. They have the popular tonkatsu ramen broth btu they also have varities of the shoyu broth as well.
I went with Black Dragon, which was the tonkatsu ramen with black garlic oil. The noodles they use here are the thin white noodles. The broth was creamy and flavorful, and the chashu and egg were perfectly done. My only complaint was that the noodles could have been cooked a few minutes longer for a softer consistency.
You also have the option to make it a combo, which comes with a salad and your choice of add on item. I wanted the takoyaki but they were out. I ended up getting the gyoza, which were ok. My dad got the chicken fried rice, and that was mediocre.
Overall, the ramen is decent for those who don’t want to drive all the way to little tokyo or want to avoid the wait at the other popular places around town.
Parking: Free lot for the strip mall. There’s a market and lots of restaurants that share the lot, so it might get a bit hectic on weekends.

I ordered a bowl of ramen and appetizer. Finished it and went next door to eat. The portions were very small. The ramen included half an egg and a slice of pork fat. The fried chicken didn’t seem to be seasoned. It’s not good eat. Especially for the San Gabriel area. There’s just too many restaurants to pick from. Just in the same plaza, there are three very good restaurants.

My cousin and I came here for dinner on Christmas Eve, mostly from lack of more choices, but we weren’t disappointed at all! We got here a little early, like 545, so it was pretty dead, and it did make me think that perhaps it’s just another mediocre place. Well the restaurant filled up before I knew it and our waitress disappeared more often.
We both ordered the black dragon ramen ($ 9.5) which had black garlic oil. Extra yum! With the Unilocal check in offer, we could choose an extra topping so I opted for corn and my cousin, an extra egg (it was a whole egg!). So good. I enjoyed everything about my ramen. It came with 3 surprisingly large pieces of fatty pork. The broth was a shoyu or salt (don’t remember) but the consistency was more like a tonkotsu. I was blown away by how much I liked this ramen, and I’m a hard critic sometimes! I also got to try the almond pudding, which I loved as well. Very prominent almond flavored dessert that wasn’t too sweet. Kind of a small portion for $ 3 but maybe it’s worth it.

Came here for lunch. It’s hard to find a ramen place that’s open until 3 in the afternoon, and if they are, it’s usually packed.
I ordered the Red Dragon Ramen here and it exceeded my expectation. The broth was spicy like the way I wanted. First time Unilocalers can check in and get a free vegetable topping. Apparently, the egg was considered a vegetable topping so I got that on the side.
Service was quick, and it wasn’t packed when I went at 2pm. The parking lot is kind of small though since it is shared with other businesses and a supermarket. But I was still able to park.
$ 15 min required on credit card.

Okay fine. This is one of the places to rave about! We even went twice in a week. Whoa!
Been here a few times with bf, we loved the service and ramen. I was hooked on Black dragon till I tried the white dragon. Yummy! The broth was savory and memorable even till the end. The noodles were firm and chewy. The ingredients balanced the broth dared you to take only one bite and stopped. Check in for one free topping! Bf loves the spicy sauce, watch out! It gets very intense.
Happy hour, you can get goyza or fried rice for $ 1. The fried rice is flavorful with big pieces of chasu. They gave us sample of almond pudding when we first went here.
.good! The simplicity of the dish makes you wish you had more. There were times I told my BF to get his own, I’m not sharing. =x that’s how we like to end a meal.

I thought this ramen place was decent, but nothing special. I had the Tonkatsu ramen with fried rice and my wife had the red dragon, extra spicy. I thought that the Tonkatsu ramen and fried rice needed more seasoning (salt) while the red dragon was just decent. The extra spicy red dragon was just the right spiciness for my wife, but if I ate it, it would mean diarrhea city. Make sure you ask for the ramen to be cooked al dente if that’s your thing because they were pretty soggy. I did get a chance to try the gyoza and that was pretty good.
Maybe we came on an off-​night.
3 stars.

The pork ramen here is their most popular and they have three version of it: red (spicy), black (garlic), and white (salt). Of course I went for the Red Dragon pork soup ramen ($ 9.50) as I am naturally drawn to spicy flavors. It’s a solid bowl of ramen with your typical pork belly, flavored egg, cabbage, seaweed, beansprout and string mushrooms. I added in some extra chili flakes and chili oil as well. The best part is their free, fresh garlic. Make sure to ask for it, as they bring it out separately for you to crush your own garlic. The garlic is very fresh and strong in flavor, which I liked.
As for my other guests, my brother got the Tonkotsu ramen ($ 9.50) which was a typical bowl of ramen while my mom got the Yakisoba ($ 9.50). When we got our yakisoba, my mom realized that there was no beef in it at all. When the waiter came to check up on us, I questioned the lack of meat but she said it was very micro. Between the lack of English and confusion, I just shrugged it off. In a few minutes later, she came back to apologize and retrieved our dish of yakisoba for a new one. Apparently, the chef actually forgot the beef. Despite their mistake, they were incredibly apologetic and even treated an almond pudding dessert for each of us. Even though I wouldn’t normally order dessert, the almond pudding was very delicious and refreshing to end the meal.
Overally, the place is good for ramen and take away all the wait from the other ramen places around. When they made an error, I liked that they corrected it and even made up for it.

Tucked away in a really busy shopping center between Noodle Guy and Noodle King you’ll find some really good ramen here. In addition to their regular menu they offer some daily specials like smoked duck chasu that was a really tasty appetizer.
Like all good ramen the broth is perfectly balanced and savory, not too salty. I ordered the Black Dragon and added fresh garlic at no charge. The husband got the spicier Red Dragon which had a subtle spicy heat that doesn’t hit you right away. They were both wonderful. Service is very friendly and I know I’ll be back.