Kokoro Ramen & Roll

Reasonable, affordable, quick and easy. The food wasn’t bad, but definitely could improve. I tried ramen and sushi. The ramen regular noodles were pretty good but the thin noodles tasted and had the texture of spaghetti noodles. The broth was enjoyable, as was the meat and soy egg! The sushi was pretty in presentation but left some things to be desired. The flavor and texture profiles seemed sort of basic, like grocery store sushi but slightly elevated. The service was great and the atmosphere was cool!

I was visiting the area and a store owner recommended this restaurant as it was brand new to the area. It's tucked in between Buffalo wild wings and Mountainside Pizza. When I walked into the restaurant, it had an odd layout. You are immediately faced with what seemed to be a kitchen takeout counter which had full access/view to the kitchen area. I stood there looking lost and confused for about 3 min before I was greeted and advised to sit anywhere. I had a choice of 3 high top tables in an alcove to the right or a few oddly spaced standard tables to the left. After I seated myself I was not attended to for around 10 min, until what seemed to be a manager noticing me with no menu, water or utensils. She apologized then called over my waitress with my menus. I was unfamiliar with the menu so just went with my go-to choices when visiting a ramen spot.

Shoyu Ramen ⭐⭐⭐ It was hearty creamy full of ingredients. Chewy noodles with plenty of woodear mushrooms but the broth lacked flavor and they used what seemed to be grilled Canadian bacon not Charsu as is traditional. Be warned if you don't like spice their regular spicy was pretty spicy but was perfect for me.

Chicken Karage ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ large perfectly breaded pieces of chicken thighs with what seemed to be a tarter sauce dip. My only feedback is the pieces were too big but still tasty

Seaweed salad ⭐⭐⭐⭐ sweet salty a little slimy and crunchy...classic seaweed salad

Vibe ⭐⭐⭐

Stopped by here on a random day for a late lunch.... Had the black garlic but with the spicy mix on the side and it was absolutely delicious. Only been here once and it was delicious, will have to try the sushi and other items in the future and will update this review later, but for now it's good, worth a try!

We were excited to try out this new ramen and sushi spot where Crab Bucket used to be (same owner). The ramen was the star, we got the black garlic ramen and the miso ramen and both were delicious. The broth was rich and flavorful, and there was no skimping on the toppings.

As for the sushi and the appetizers, there were some creative liberties taken and honestly, I'm not sure what I think about them, but diners should be given a heads up on the menu.

Chicken Karaage and shrimp tempura were done with a fish fry batter. So they were puffier and more doughy than normal. Red bean rice was used for the rolls which gave them a denser, slightly sweeter taste. The quality of the unagi and fish slices seemed okay, but hard to tell since they were smothered with unagi sauce and spicy mayo.

I hope drink choices also expand with time. No hot tea for a ramen/sushi place is unusual at best and sorely lacking. $3 for canned soda with no refills or ice or cups was also jarring.

Service at lunch was attentative and the waitress did her best with the limited menu.

Will definitely be back to have more ramen and try more items. Maybe add more combos to the menu.