An aburasoba spot is coming to San Mateo! Look out for Kajiken at 112 B St. in downtown San Mateo later this year. This will be the Japanese chain’s first of what will hopefully be many more locations in the U.S.
Owner Tim Lu is excited for the Bay Area to try Kajiken’s own brand of aburasoba, a brothless ramen composed of a simple sauce topped with ramen noodles and a variety of toppings. He hasn’t stopped thinking about the dish since coming home from a study abroad trip over 10 years ago.
Earlier this year, Lu secured a lease on a 1,600 square-foot retail space that was formerly Towada Sushi. He settled on downtown San Mateo, given that it is one of the best places to bring a date and is a hot spot for up and coming Japanese cuisine. The restaurant is still due to undergo a full buildout, so Lu and his associates anticipate an opening in late fall of this year.
“I would not be able to bring Kajiken to the U.S. if not for the help of my close friends and business partners, Jack and James,” Lu tells What Now San Francisco. “While I bring restaurant experience to the table, they have the necessary business savvy that has helped build the restaurant itself, plus all our equipment and ingredients.”
More than 15 different toppings plus limited edition offerings on the menu will allow customers to build their own aburasoba bowls. A glass wall invites customers to peer into the kitchen to watch the noodles get prepared fresh on a machine imported straight from Japan.
When customers try abura soba for the first time, Lu recommends mixing the bare noodles with just the sauce for that first bite. Because toppings are served on the side, you can incorporate each one with every new bite to experience the true evolution of your own unique flavor combination.
For more information, visit www.kajikenusa.com.
