Kimura

Reviews 4

JE

Jeff Turpin

I went to Kimura with two others one night recently. When I arrived, they were quite busy (albeit its a small places that seats maybe 20-30 people). We waited 30 or so minutes (we didnt mind) before taking our seats. One of my dining companions just arrived from Tokyo after a 2 year stay, so I was relying on him for judging the authenticity aspect of the food. We started with the gyoza, which my friend from Tokyo thought was good, but commented that they should have been bigger, lacked ginger, and cooked separately. He enjoyed his wheat tea (which he was accustomed to drinking hot not chilled). The table ordered both the shoyu and the miso ramen while I order the gyu don. I thought the gyu don itself was delicious. Its a small portion, but the the beef was flavorful and tasty and the gohan (rice) was delicious with the drippings of the sauce and green onions. My friend from Japan though the rice was not sticky enough to be Japanese rice but was tasty nonetheless. As far as the ramen goes, my friend could not finish his. Not because it was too much (in fact, he ordered extra broth and extra noodles as the bowls here only come about half-filled), but because it did not resemble the excellent ramen he got from Japan. He commented that in Japan the noodles are hand-made fresh at the time of order and that the noodles at Kimura were not up to that level (Kimura once made them by hand but I imagine that the demand and stress of doing so in the small space was too difficult for the long-term). The miso broth was only marginally better. His main complaint was that the broth needed a LOT more miso flavor as it was not nearly as strong as Japanese miso. Perhaps these things (strength of broth and flavor/texture of the noodles) will improve as the restaurant matures (its not even 1 year old) and customer feedback continues. I still found it better than other ramen in town In short, Kimura is doing something no one else is doing in San Antonio - trying to bring ramen and other traditional Japanese fair into the mainstays of the city. I have to give it to them for the effort, and perhaps overtime, it will become more authentic and more bold in taste. Or maybe it was just a bit of an off night. Its got a nice atmosphere, and if you like ramen, it will likely be a place you frequent. Id go back for sure. I cant really recommend any other places for ramen as really dont exist (the "ramen" or soup at other Japanese places is worse, and the brisket ramen at the Grainery is not acceptable either - brisket is vastly overpowering).

PA

Paloma Metal

i see a couple of people in these reviews are mad because theyre illiterate and had to have someone type the review for them... extras cost MONEY, this is how it is at ALL ramen shops in town. LEARN to READ a MENU thank you! on the actual review: wow, what a wonderful little dig. theres a bill millers across the street but it doesnt hold anything to kimura. the moment you walk in, youre welcomed by the coolest bunch of folks in a boisterous manner; its very down home and fun. i will be honest: i was confused about the setup at first and it would do them MAJOR justice to have a wall menu of some kind put in. if youre looking lost a waiter will help you out. the food itself is decently priced and the drinks arent too pricey either (15 dollar ramen bowls are ok on my end). its definitely something you want to do on a big night out if youre budgeting, or if you eat out regardless and just want to change the pace. i specifically enjoy that this place attempts to be authentic: their shiro miso soup is the truth: no wheat thickener, no nothing like that, and the flavor will knock you out. for someone like me, who is very allergic to all wheat products, this is something id like to eat in heaven when i die. i even got to meet the bar manager on my way out, very business minded fellow, good personality. if youre looking for an alternative hangout spot where everyone is super friendly, are looking to switch up your eating out, or a great place to take the fam, id suggest kimura. there arent many other experiences like it in san antonio. great service, good food, and ill be back again cause i forgot to tip the waiter yeah i see you!!! ill get you back! i will leave a nice tip JUST for you and if one of your coworkers steals it i will raise hell next time i come back around (p.s. PLEASE get the cucumber soda its good)

GR

GRACE GAVIN

This is my very first negative restaurant review. I am always hesitant to do this because I like to support local businesses, and dont like to persuade others away. But, today I will make an exception for this place. This was a horrible experience. Where do I start? As soon as I walked in, it looked like there were a lot of people inside, but then I realized that they were all employees (8+) standing around and loudly talking together, on their phones, and goofing around. The only person who helped me was the bartender. Seeing employees goofing off arent that big a deal to me if the food is good. However, the food was terrible. I got the Ramen noodles with beef, and when I got back to my work to eat, I wished I had never went. The noodles were overcooked, and the beef... The beef! All of it looked like the pieces you cut off and throw in the trash or give to your dog to eat. It was all overcooked, hard-chewy gristle without a single piece looking edible. I dont know how any person in the food industry would be okay with giving a customer that to eat... My dog would probably spit it out and look at me like I was crazy. I couldnt even stomach to eat the meat. The noodles tasted worse than those cheap microwavable Ramen Noodle meals. Also, the website menu advertised that my meal would be $8. When I received my check, it said $15. I dont know what they charged me for, because I ordered like the cheapest thing on the menu. Maybe it was the water the bartender handed me? I will never go back again.

DA

David Velez

Im not the biggest fan of any kind of asian food, there are a couple of restaurants in the city I typically go to, so Im a picky critic when it comes to any kind. I was impressed, I started with Gyoza (dumplings), which is filled with pork. It was a very good start and choice, the sauce it comes with is pretty divine. I strongly recommending getting some if you go to check out the place. I followed with the Tonkotsu Ramen Soup with Pork Belly, which was one of the best ramen soups Ive ever had. It had a lot of flavor it was hard and Im sure I made a mess of myself. My only drawback was when adding the pork belly to the ramen soup, I felt like there was only like 2 very small pieces of it, and seriously, for the price, thats a generous description. For the price, I would have thought they would do a better job of that. The mushrooms were a slight disappointment, as Im actually a fan of them, so I thought they could have balanced the soup a little better. So, not to detract anything, the soup overall was extremely impressive. The orange soda they make in house might surprise you as well, give it a shot.