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WESLEY MOOTS
CONTRIBUTOR
Kahoo Ramen is a small restaurant by California standards, hidden in the same complex with Mitsuwa Asian Marketplace just off Highway 280 on Saratoga Ave, but it holds within a delicious take on japanese food in a iconic atmosphere. We arrived at the ramen house shortly before they opened at 11:15 a.m., and by the time we left at 11:50 a.m. all the seats were filled with the first, if not second, customers of the day and a short line was waiting to be seated at the door.
Kahoo’s ambience sets itself apart as classic Japanese decorations are met by classic and alternative rock music from speakers on the ceiling. If you sit facing the kitchen you can see the chefs working as they prepare each order and the smell the fresh food which permeates the air.
We started with the Kara-age, a Japanese version of fried-chicken, with an order of spicy sauce on the side ($5 plus $1 for the side of spicy sauce).
The chicken’s fl avor was as unique as the atmosphere, and their use of juicy thigh meat and spices in the breading blended beautifully with the mayonnaise and spicy sauce which came on the side. The heat of the spicy sauce is mostly found in the mouth and sinuses but differs from the burn commonly found in jalepeños.
To drink we each enjoyed a can of iced oolong tea ($1.50 each).
From there we ordered our entrees. Jonathan ordered the classic Shoyu Ramen ($7.95) with extra cha-shu pork ($1.50), and Wesley ordered the Kotteri Miso Ramen ($8.95) with extra egg ($1.00) and cha-shu pork ($1.50).
The Shoyu offers a smoother, more blended flaver with each ingredient keeping its own flavor yet also carrying to flaver of the pork. The Kotteri Miso is a very garlic-infused broth which compliments the vegetables, egg, and pork found in most of Kahoo’s ramen dishes. For the garlic fan this is a must-try, though it may not be for the faint-of-heart.
We also decided to give their snack-option a try and ordered two of the mini rice bowls which are offered at a great price ($3 each). The fi rst was the Curry Pork Rice Bowl which had exceptional fl aver, and as a Japanese curry it had very little spiciness in the taste. Secondly came the Spicy Boiled Chicken Rice Bowl. The chicken had been pre-boiled and was served cold with a sauce which was more sweet than spicy.
Neither of us were very impressed with the spicy boiled chicken, though we agreed that the curry pork was amazing.
In total our meal cost $38.52 plus tip and was far more food than either of us would normally order. Expect to spend closer to $10 to $15 per person when visiting this fantastic ramen house.
