Kansui Ramen

I was craving some legit, authentic ramen whilst in San Jose over the weekend, and wasn’t willing to drive to Cupertino/​Saratoga at the time for my fix. I used the wonderful world of Unilocal to assist me in finding the closest ramen joint — which lead me to 56+ vietnamese places, 10 sushi restaurants… and one and a half ramen joints. WHATS WRONG WITH YOU SAN JOSE?!
I digress. Kansui came up on my feed and we decided to give it a try.
Location: Minus a star for being ridiculously misleading, and the fact that i *literally* walked past the door 5 times. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. Until I read a review that finally declares that Kansui isn’t actually a restaurant, so much as it is a pop-​up within a place called HayMarket. (Thank you Unilocaler, because I probably would have died of starvation searching for this place!).
PS: The whole HayMarket concept is confusing as well… very country-​chic décor and a dishoveled white guy that checks you in, then hands you a japanese menu… uhm…what…
Anyhow, the food:. There really weren’t many choices… nor a ‘build your own’ type option. There were four general broths, two of which were just 2 broths combined. The ingredients for the most part are pre-​selected to include egg, noodles, pork, seaweed, and some chute. You can add bacon to your ramen if you wish (again…what…).
I ordered a house special broth and asked them to make it spicy. The host/​waiter comes by our table and says «yours is coming late. They screwed up your order.» and walks away. i felt that was unnecessarily unprofessional to say it like that, as it wasn’t in an apologetic way rather a slight at the chefs. No worries though. I’m still craving.
Get the ramen, and it’s…interesting… The noodles are nothing like I expected, made of wheat (wtf) and extremely al dente. The broth wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t hot anymore; the preselected ingredients included one piece each of said seaweed, chute, and pork. The egg was also brown, and overpoached, so I didn’t get anything out of it when it cracked. :(
The service was extremely offputting for such an empty place and I would definitely not order ramen here. I’m not even sure what else they offer, but whatever it is, get that. Oh so sad I didn’t use my time driving to the next town instead of walking around looking for this place. :(

3.5 stars.
Back a second time, this time with my boyfriend because we finally found a Saturday when we’re free. For a couple of reasons, it didn’t have the wow factor this time.
Highlights:
–egg was undercooked even though we continued leaving it in the broth til almost the end
–broth was more fatty than last time, leaving a film in the top layer
–broth lacked richness this time, but it still did well in not being very salty.
–noodle consistency was still good
Tip: if you add bacon in your ramen, your broth will be overcome by the bacon flavor.

This is a little hidden gem in San Jose if you are in the mood for Ramen or their dinner (different style, not Japanese!). It’s a cool idea and the owner rocks. Every time I come here he makes sure I’m well taken care of.
Aside from the Ramen you should definitely come here for dinner, it issuper delicious!

We have been wanting to try this place for a while ever since we found out it was also a ramen spot.
— No wait. It was pretty slow for a Saturday brunch. Only a few other parties.
— We had the okonomiyaki with bacon for starters. It was good… different but good. Although I didn’t really like the bacon. It was too smokey and charred for my taste.
— I had the tonkotsu ramen. It was flavorful. Very fatty… if you wait a minute, you can literally move the fat around with your chopsticks. A little gross after the fact, but I guess it’s better than bland broth?
— Soft boiled egg was the highlight.
— Service was nice, no complaints.
You can find similar and cheaper ramen elsewhere. One appetizer, three ramen bowls, and a beer came out to be $ 50+. Pretty pricey for a ramen meal. We most likely won’t be back unless it’s for the actual Hay Market bar.

It’s bizarre that a ramen pop up is here during the day and it transforms back to Hay Market at night.
Okonomiyaki has great flavor, but missing some veggies. Bacon was barely noticeable.
Kansui Ramen broth was nice, thick, and fatty as a Tonkotsu should be, but missing just a tiny bit that keeps it from reaching that ultimate level of umami. Way better than most places.
Soft boiled egg could marinate in soy sauce for another hour or two. The consistency was there but lacking a little salt and flavor.
Chashu was just a bit over done and just a bit flavorless, but definitely great quality meat. Just needs a little marinade (I’m spoiled by Misoya’s crazy good cha shu).
I was pleasantly surprised by the Korean nori which has much more flavor than Japanese nori, all other toppings were on point.
The Dry Creek Bacon was amazing, but I’m not sure it works with Ramen. I don’t regret adding it, but I may have it on something else next time instead of in the ramen.
The house made noodles had a nice firm texture and I could tell it was super fresh. The broth only semi stuck to them though, it was almost there. I also prefer chewier noodles, these were a bit firm, it was just al dente and I prefer mine a little over done to soak up a bit more broth.
Given the other reviews saying that they have been too salty, I think they may have dialed things back just a tad much. I say add a bit of salt back in.
Overall really well done.

Totally missed the spot.
Unremarkable ramen overall — tonkotsu broth was just okay, toppings were completely flavorless, and thin noodles could have been chewier. Ambiance left much to be desired — I was left to climb a very high bar height seat at a communal table. I was also asked if I wanted any tea, and I said sure. Then the bill came and it was $ 2 for a pot. Kind of wished I had been forewarned.
Kansui is in the Hay Market location and the ramen is a pop-​up if you will, only during lunch from Tuesday through Saturday. I was left feeling gypped as my ramen craving was definitely not satiated.

Dear Chef Kha,
I apologize for not saying «hello» today.
We used to be friends, but I’ve lost touch with almost everyone from high school. It seems astonishing that over a decade has elapsed! (If you’re curious, the ten-​year reunion was very poorly attended if it even took place.)
I knew that you had embarked on a culinary career, but I quite was surprised to learn last year that you had started making ramen in San Jose. Early reviews were mixed, as all of the reviews since have been.
As a Unilocaler, and as a fan of ramen (this is my 14^th unique review), I wanted to judge the quality of Kansui Ramen on its own merits. It isn’t against anyone’s standards to review businesses run by people who are (unfortunately) no longer friends, but if you’d seen a familiar face, maybe you would have put in a different amount of effort into the food.
It just so happened that I didn’t see you when I first walked in. I sat with my back to the kitchen the whole time, and the server was the only one who interacted with us, so any possible bias became a non-​issue. However, I did see you walk outside after we had eaten to speak to the man who I assume is the proprietor of Haymarket. I probably should have called you over to our table at that point, but I decided to let the experience stand on its own for now.
You are no doubt curious by now to learn what I thought. Suffice to say, it was a good meal.
My friend and I were the only customers for a while, having arrived before any sort of lunch rush. We both ordered the eponymous Kansui Ramen (tonkotsu-​shoyu broth with roasted garlic). I was a little concerned about some reports of long wait times, but it seemed like the same wait as anywhere else, if not a little shorter.
I found the broth to be less assertive than my favorites, but it was still markedly savory while not being overly salty. It definitely carried the bowl. Meanwhile, the noodles were firm but seemed a little «underseasoned» on their own
Unlike most places, the egg yolk was a little runny, but because the egg wasn’t seasoned/​marinated, there was still a bit of an unexpected eggy taste. I didn’t mind it, but I don’t think it meets the standard. I enjoyed the pickled shiitake (a bit of a surprise to the taste buds), the relatively unchewy bamboo, the scallions, and the two seaweeds.
In the end, it was the generous amount of braised chashu that convinced me that the $ 10.75 price isn’t a stretch. I did find some of the pork to be harder to chew, and tenderness is the key to meaty pork belly portions, so perhaps it’s something that you can look at for the future. Overall, this was not a topflight ramen bowl, even when just considering the San Jose area, but it was still satisfying.
Limited hours and difficult parking situation aside (thank goodness BofA offers free public parking), I will be back sooner than later. Not only do I want to try the spicy red miso (or perhaps a specialty ramen that I didn’t see listed on today’s menu), but I think it would be nice to catch up, especially if lunch service next time is also not too busy. In the mean time, I wish you continued success and equivalent or superior quality ramen.
Your old friend,
Chris

I really wanted to love this place because I am always enjoying myself in Willow Glen, however Kansui did not hit the spot. Dragged my best friend while on our lunch break and it was definitely hard to find due to the lack of a sign, but thanks to reading Unilocal reviews I knew to look for the Hay Market sign.
We were seated promptly considering it was pretty empty for lunch hour. Very large seating area with communal tables. The food took a bit long to come out but I love that it comes out piping hot! I ordered the spicy miso and was a bit disappointed. Like many have stated, their broth is definitely more on the saltier side. Also, the pork is pretty flavorless. I’m a big soup person so I was pretty sad to not finish my meal. Overall this meal was not memorable and probably won’t get another visit. I was really looking forward to this place because their menu boasts of specialty ramen, but upon arrival, there was nothing special about their menu, nor their food.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for such a long time! Only served during lunch so it’s kind of hard to find time to come out here for me. I was tempted to try the Tsukemen Ramen, but I was feeling lazy today, so I ordered the Tonkotsu with pork belly added to it. It was pretty empty when I first got here around 11:45, but I saw it kind of pick up a bit once I left around 12:30.
My ramen came with chashu, shiitake, nori, wakame, menma, scallions, and a soft-​boiled egg. The shiitake mushrooms tasted really weird in ramen, and left a weird taste in my mouth that I couldn’t get rid of. The tonkotsu broth wasn’t as fatty or thick as I expected it to be. Egg was unseasoned, and not completely soft boiled. My favorite part was the pork belly I had added to it, and the cha shu was alright as well. If it wasn’t for the pork belly, I probably wouldn’t have liked this ramen at all. A plus is they give you a lot of noodles, I ate a little more than half and I was completely stuffed.
Service was fast, so we got in and out pretty quick. They were pretty attentive, but nothing extraordinary. Parking is a bit hard to come by in this neighborhood. Overall, my experience here was just okay, I don’t think I’ll be coming back. I do think it was worth a try though. $ 14 for a bowl of just okay ramen was pretty pricey though.

Location was hard to find because there is not a good visible sign out front. The ramen was really salty unfortunately. I was looking forward to really having some tasty ramen too.
Service was good but it was empty so maybe that’s why. The guy was really polite though. Sorry but I will not be returning here and will probably take a longer drive for something better.

I’m not entirely sure how this place got 3 stars. Oh wait, maybe 3 stars are for being located in a great neighborhood and for its cozy ambiance and/​or people in Willow Glenn are not used to how a decent ramen should taste like…
I came here to try Okonomiyaki Burger for lunch on a weekday. I was told that the restaurant didn’t have the ingredients on that day, therefore I had to order somethign else. I ended up ordering 72 hour broth Tonkotsu Ramen — a huge mistake!
I regretted coming here altogether after about 30 minutes of waiting for my ramen. For those of you who are not familiar with ramen, waiting 30 minutes is a huge No-​No. If any venue takes more than 30 minutes to serve you a bowl of ramen, they should not be serving you ramen in the first place. Anyway, I’m patiently waiting to get my ramen because you know what, it’s going to be DE-​licious!
When my ramen arrived, I had to double look at it because the noodles looked just like spaghetti that were soaked in hot water for a very long time (and we’ve all seen how THAT looks like). Broth was not delicious but tasted very salty than usual, and pork shachu was just mediocre.
I’m a firm believer that noodles either make or break the quality of ramen. In my opinion, this restaurant is definitely NOT worth the drive since South Bay has SO many outstanding ramen restaurants.
My co-​worker (Japanese national) echoed my disappointment and said he was utterly disappointed at his spicy ramen. Said the noodle looked like spaghetti (no kiddin), and the broth was just salty and spicy.
After the meal, I ordered a okonomiyaki to go. It looked pretty pathetic (super thin foundation with scattered toppings). Then I realized that maybe I would have been disappointed even if the restaurant had ingredients to cook Okonomiyaki Burger…
Great neighborhood, nice service, and cozy ambiance. But don’t waste your time/​money to order any kind of ramen and/​or okonomiyaki here. I know I am never ever coming back for their ramen.

I walked in just before closing on a Saturday. There were just a couple people eating so, I was seated promptly. I ordered ramen. My order was taken immediately but, I had to wait about 18 minutes for my food to come out. The ramen noodles were very chewy, the broth was too fatty, there was not very much pork meat, but way too much pork fat. All in all it was not good. The owner was there and I couldn’t believe how he presented himself. He was unshowered, unshaved, dirty, holey jeans with a big rip in the crotch area. When I asked my waitress who that was, I said, what !!! and she laughed. I probably won’t ever go back.

Let me start by saying, I love tsukemen. Love.
I was really excited to hear that there’s a new ramen place serving tsukemen in the South Bay. Nothing compares to Tsujita Annex in LA for me. But Ramen Yamadaya’s in Japantown (SF) will suffice in Norcal. Either way, I was ecstatic to try a new one in the Bay.
The presentation was lovely. Let me just say that. But looks are deceiving as I soon learned. The dipping broth was lukewarm. It was greasy — I understand it’s suppose to be fattier to stick on the noodles, but this was just greasy. Slick greasy oil. The flavors were one dimensional; it lacked the complexity of Tsujita’s.
The wheat noodles were interesting. I do have to commend their pork belly and egg.
Anyway, would I come again? Probably not.

Been here twice now and I love it! I’ve had the tonkotsu ramen bowl and the meatball ramen bowl. Both were delicious, but I think I liked the broth on the meatball bowl best. They even have rice noodles for the gluten free!
The customer service is friendly and maybe a little too shy, but overall good.
The only complaint I have is with the edamame. We ordered a side to nibble on while waiting for our ramen and it was just waaaaaay too salted. After a few it felt a lot like my tongue was burned. Everything else was great though. About 10 – 12 $ for a delicious lunch, I’m on board!

I live in south San Jose and the one thing we don’t have is ramen soup restaurants. Home sick I wanted soup so my son and I found this on Unilocal.We gave it a try and I’d say its OK. Not the best. Noodles didn’t seem cooked, kinda raw but figured it was the mushrooms they put in the soup. I got the spicy ramen. Not sure if I’d go back? The place was nice, workers nice, and price wasnt bad. Didn’t care for them swiping my card in the square swipe thing.
Didn’t get why the sign outside didn’t match thethe restaurant name? Throw’s u off.

I realize as I type this review I just had ramen for lunch. Not from here though as I dined a month or so ago. A few friends and I met up to try as many things as we could. So we ended up splitting:
Okonomiyaki
Seared Cake with Cabbage, House Made Sauces
Tonkotsu
72 hour pork broth
Shio
Katsuobushi okaka fleur de sel
Kimchi Ramen
Decent flavors but Im not sure I was wowed. The big problem I saw was all the broths were lukewarm. All the noodles were hot. When pulling the noodles out and eating there was tons of steam then getting the broth it was lukewarm. this was consistent across all the bowls. It made for a weird temperature flux and definitely less enjoyment. The okonomiyaki came in an iron skillet which kept it warm and tasty. I think conceptually they’re on the right track but it needs refinement and execution. A plus for Willow Glenn however. 3.5 stars

TL;DR? Love love downtown Willow Glen and the interior of Haymarket/​Kansui! So trendy, chic, abstract. Has 3 HD TV screens next to each other lol Food quality — tastes healthier than other ramen but the offside is that it’s moreso bland. Dislikeee the parking situation ugh
Ambiance/​Interior =) A
Ramen Quality, Service =| B
Location, Prices =(C+
— — -
Decided to go to a local ramen joint. I did not realize it was in the middle of downtown Willow Glen aka swanky, affluent neighborhood. You could really miss the spot! I passed by it twice until I realized it was Haymarket as everyone has mentioned. Parking is terrifying on the streets.
From the Downtown Willow Glen website, Closest Public Parking Lot: «Parking lot behind the Garden Theater (1165 Lincoln, enter from Lincoln or from Willow, across from Bill’s Café)»
Here is the LINK to the FULL MAP of Downtown WG and PARKING:
All in all, service was fast and decent. Hostess/​server was attentive and left me alone to enjoy my ramen haha. The bowl and portions itself is small to me for $ 10…that’s more expensive than Orenchi! Either decrease your prices by $ 1-​$ 2 or increase the portions. Ordered the TONKOTSU Ramen– Broth was not fatty and somewhat bland; Noodles springy but felt soggy due to its composition perhaps?; Meat came in 2 pieces but consistency was lacking; Enjoyed the accessories of a WHOLE perfect soft-​boiled egg *drools*, shiitake mushrooms and bamboo slices :) FYI, they only had red pepper flakes… Ramen joints need some hot chili oil, salt/​pepper shakers, and fried garlic chips!

I’ve had Kansui Ramen on my bookmarks for a while and swung by here on a Saturday afternoon for lunch.
For someone who isn’t to familiar with the Willow Glen area, it was hard to find and a place you can easily miss. Its located inside the Haymarket which doesnt have a huge sign but its the one with the brightly colored turquoise door.
It was not crowded at all when I got there but a good amount of people dining inside. We were promptly seated and our orders were taken in a reasonable amount of time. Very friendly and attentive staff that came back around to check on us, fill our waters and get our check.
FOOD. I ordered the Tonkatsu Ramen which was not bad but not OMG i have to eat this everyday kind of good. They use thick noodles and broth was thick but not as flavorful as i anticipated. Portions weren’t ‘HUGE’ like what a lot of other reviewers mentioned but enough for a little girl like me. Pork was good but not the most tender.
We also had the Spicy Miso Ramen but it wasn’t spicy at all. They had extra powdered spice that we could add to it but it didn’t do too much for spiciness flavoring. The spicy miso broth was a little bit on the sour side as well.
Overall the ramen here was just okay. I wouldn’t drive out of my way again and its not something i’d go crazy over or wait in long lines to eat. Lucky for us, we have a lot of ramen options in the area, unfortunately Kansui doesn’t top my list for ramen joints. It’s really not that bad but it’s not that GREAT. Prices are a little on the steep side as well; in comparison to the more popular ramen joints in the south bay.

A «pop-​up» ramen joint in Willow Glen?
Yes, indeed. Kansui Ramen is the daytime occupant of the Haymarket in Willow Glen. With only a small Japanese red flag in the store window, it’s easy to miss Kansui, but step into the modern, open-​air wine bar atmosphere of Haymarket and the servers will reassure you that you are indeed in the right place.
At night, Haymarket looks like a hip, friendly place to get a glass of wine and enjoy a diverse menu, so kudos to them for offering as specialized a cuisine as ramen during the day.
Kansui Ramen has been operating since only January 2014, but service was smooth and efficient with a rotating menu that I’ve seen other new ramen players not even offer.
In reality, while Japanese ramen is the focus, it’s clear that the menu is more a fusion concept of the ramen idea. There are Thai/​Malay, Korean, and Chinese influences in many of the Japanese dishes. Appetizers include okonomiyaki, hot wings, and edamame as well as a few side salads.
While ramen choices are the traditional shio, shoyu, and tonkotsu (with house-​made noodles and even gluten free noodles), the toppings bely the fusion concept. Our order:
Edamame — $ 4. Served with Sakura ebi or dried shrimp, this warm appetizer was a treat. Nicely salted but with a hint of chili oil, it reminded me of Malaysian sambal dishes with the slightly numbing heat.
Tonkotsu — $ 10. A 72 hour pork broth served with house made noodles, a whole soft boiled egg, two chashu slices, and a nice assortment of sprouts, mushrooms and bamboo shoots. I didn’t have this but my lunch buddy said the broth was a touch salty.
Spicy Red Miso — $ 10. A savory and spicy broth that I chose to add the recommended beef mandu. Mandu, for those unfamiliar, is a Korean dumpling and here they’re made with short ribs. Presentation was good but the short rib filling was largely disappointing.
I had seen a prior reviewer try bacon but the menu looks like it changes frequently and mandu has replaced bacon for now.
The noodles were actually pretty good and I also enjoyed the piping hot broth. The soft boiled egg was a bit overcooked (visible in picture) so Orenchi doesn’t have to worry about their perfect soft boiled eggs being challenged anytime soon. The two slices of thin chashu were decent, but altogether similar to many ramen shops in the Bay Area.
Overall, I loved the idea and ambiance of Kansui Ramen. If they’re testing the market for a ramen spot, it’s clear that the Willow Glen area better known for great pizza and several donut chains could use the diversity. As for the food, the fusion nature of many of the items can be hit or miss. It works great for the edamame but missed for me on the mandu. Either way, I applaud the owners for making this place a reality and hope more patrons will stop by so they can perfect their formula and the potential they have.
As a nice extra bonus, super-​duper Unilocal CM Abby S. happened to be dining at a table next door and stopped by to say hi. That’s worth a thumbs up by itself!
Kansui Ramen, in the Haymarket, accepts credit cards, including American Express.
My Ramen Rankings:
1) Orenchi — Tonkotsu Ramen with soft boiled egg
2) Santouka — Shio/​Miso Ramen with toriniku pork
—–
3) Ramen Seas — Asari Ramen
4) Kotetsu Ramen — Kotetsu Ramen
5) Shalala — Shio Ramen
6) Misoya — Kome-​miso Ramen with Cha-​su
7) Ramen Taka — Chashu Hakata Ramen
8) Dohatsuten — Shio Ramen (mild and less salty)
9) Ramen Dojo — Spicy Pork Ramen
10) Ramen Tenma — Okinawan Soba
11) Santa — Tonkotsu Ramen with stewed pork (decadent pork)
12) Ramen Halu — Halu Ramen
13) Kahoo — Kotteri Ramen (spicy)
14) Shin Shin Men Men — Tonkotsu Ramen
15) Ryowa — Butter Corn Ramen
16) Katana Ya — Butter Corn Ramen
17) Maru Ichi — Kuro Ramen
18) Kansui Ramen — Spicy Miso Ramen with Mandu
18) Nijiya — Chashu Ramen

Oh, HECKYA! Ramen shop by day, Hay Market by night.
Some highlights:
1. Food is great. We’ve had the red miso (spicy and full of flavor), the Vegetarian with rice noodles (salty, oniony perfection), the pork (high class version of the classic).
2. Food comes out super fast, so perfect for stopping in at lunch for a quick bite.
3. Prices are around $ 12 for a filling big bowl of ramen, tons of broth and veggies. Not bad at all for what you get.
It was so good, I came back two days in a row.