KAZOKU RAMEN16518 100th Avenue | kazokuramen.caInstagram: @kazoku_yegCo-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
It is no secret that ramen has exploded in Edmonton and what was once an elusive cuisine is now entirely common. It's wonderful to have so many options available and one of those is Kazoku Ramen in the west end area of Glenwood. The Edmonton Food Faves We Crave 2022 list named this restaurant as one of their Favourite Date Night spots and I was very excited to find out how they compare to the other big ramen shops in town.Visiting on a Monday evening, the restaurant was busy and bustling, indicative of it's popularity. Almost every table remained occupied for the duration of my visit. The location isn't exactly the greatest part of the city, however you'll find them in a strip mall directly next door to perennial favourite Bucas & Pastas (have you had the pasticcio??). Kazoku is immediately recognizable by their red awning and this theming remained excellent on the inside. Stepping through the door the aroma of broth tantalized my senses and I couldn't wait to taste the food. My eye was drawn to the incredible mural on the wall, which I absolutely loved!! It's of a city skyline with an adorable cartoonish Godzilla eating a naruto (a type of fish cake). The artwork is striking and looks amazing with the red lanterns hanging throughout the restaurant and dark wooden beams. They've done a wonderful job of creating an amazing atmosphere that you wouldn't necessarily expect from a strip mall!Kazoku means family in Japanese and this family business strives to only serve food that they would serve to their own family. The focus is on authentic ramen made with the freshest ingredients, creating delicious melodies of tastes and colours. Our server was prompt and efficient but I did find her to be quite curt and uninterested in answering many questions or offering recommendations.I was happy to order a Japanese Cream Soda ($6.50) to drink, a beverage that I've seen on Japanese menus before and was happy to find here.
The colour alone is a lot of fun and we enjoyed slurping on the deep green liquid. The soda tasted sort of citrusy to me and not as much like melon. But when you get the ice cream in the mix it's all very sweet and joyful. (An ideal treat for kids.)Next, we grabbed an order of Edamame ($4.50) because you can't go wrong with some tasty beans.
Bright green, well-cooked, and nicely salted. We happily popped these into our mouths and enjoyed the tender beans within. Edamame always feels like snacking, except in a healthy way.The menu features several types of appetizers and tempura but I zeroed in on the Takoyaki ($13.00), a favourite of mine.
Complete with dancing bonito on top, these takoyaki balls appeared to be entirely legit. I am certain that the restaurant is using a specialized takoyaki pan, which is what creates their perfectly spherical shape. Biting into the golden-crispy balls, these were almost identical to what I'd experienced on the streets of Osaka. Crisp on the outside but very soft on the inside with a piece of tender octopus hidden within. The sauces on top added a lot of flavour as did the shaved bonito. These were really good and one of the highlights of the meal for me.
Ramen, of course, is Kazoku's specialty and with twelve types on the menu they've got a ramen for everyone. Heavy to lighter broths are offered and the menu does a good job of describing the type of broth to expect in each. I couldn't help but notice some stark similarities between the ramen at Kazoku and the ramen offered at Japanese ramen chain Santouka (my favourite ramen of all-time), including the appearance of shio ramen (my favourite!). They also have a chili goma which I usually love, full of spicy chili oil. However, for my first visit I felt that I should experience the Kazoku ($18.50), the restaurant's namesake bowl.
Unexpectedly, the server asked if we wanted pork belly or shoulder for our char siu and I have never encountered this option before. Looking for some guidance on which to choose, the server offered little (none) information on the difference between the two. We chose pork belly as that seemed to be the cut of char siu that we were more familiar with. Made with a lighter pork broth, the depth of flavour was alright but I did find myself longing for something a bit more robust. I wasn't all that impressed with the char siu overall. As a BBQ pork, I found the slices incredibly thin (they should be quite thick!) and completely lacking in caramelized BBQ char. The meat was underdone and full of wet, uncooked fat. The noodles were great; nice and loose and tender. The ajitama (egg) was nicely prepared with an ideal jammy yolk, although a bit more marinaded seasoning would have been nice. The rest of the accompaniments were great, including the bamboo shoots, corn, fungus, bean sprouts, nori, and naruto. This was an esthetically colourful and beautiful bowl of ramen but I've had better and I don't think that this particular option was the one for me. I would like to return to try some of the others that would have been my natural first choices.More than just ramen, Kazoku also serves rice bowls and curry rice. I was very excited about the curry rice because you don't often find Japanese curry on menus in Edmonton and I am a big fan of it! Out of the four choices I selected the Tonkatsu Curry ($16.50) because it sort of felt like the "main one."
I really loved the crunchy fried pork cutlet! The breading was very uniform and it was fried to a crispy and golden perfection! I enjoyed covering each bite in ample amounts of curry for a full flavour experience. The curry itself was alright but it would have been nice if it had been a little bit thicker with a more rich and developed flavour. The so-called "side salad" was hardly a salad at all and seemed more like an afterthought of garnishes thrown into a pile. All in all, I'm happy to see Japanese curry on a menu (any menu!) but this wasn't the most incredible version. (Don't form an opinion on Japanese curry based on this dish.)Lastly, I loved finding Taiyaki ($7.00) on the menu for dessert, a playful and whimsical fish-shaped pastry.
These things are always fun to eat and I enjoyed Kazoku's take on it. The intensely fried fish-shaped pastry is similar to a donut and the red bean paste on the inside was lightly sweet. The hot pastry was a nice match for the cold ice cream, creating a pleasant mix of temperatures.Kazoku has a lot of good things going for it but I wonder if they've let a few aspects slide over the years. They've certainly got some notoriety on their side and no shortage of customers. It should also be noted that the restaurant only accepts cash or debit as payment. I would like to return so that I can focus more on their bowl of shio ramen and draw my true opinions once I've tried it. The fact that we have so many ramen options available in Edmonton is a great problem to have!
