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It's been almost a year since Eater last wrote about Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya's forthcoming West Seattle shop. As of today, the wait for the fourth Seattle-area outpost is over; the restaurant opened softly over the weekend and will mark its first official day in business today.
Originally named Kukai, the Japan-born company changed its name in January after it discovered that "kukai" means "poop" in Hawaiian, which didn't bode well for a company apparently wanting to leave open the possibility of opening in the islands.
The company's first restaurant opened in 2002 in Tokyo, and the first U.S. branch opened in 2012 in Bellevue. The Northgate shop followed in August 2014, and the Capitol Hill Kizuki debuted last April. There is also a location in Portland and one in Olympia.
Moving on: The West Seattle restaurant will feel familiar to anyone who's eaten at any of the other locations. The menu offers several different types of ramen, including shio and shoyu ramen and the popular garlic tonkotsu shoyu ramen. There is a menu of toppings like bamboo shoots, corn, fish cakes, and more, plus a selection of izakaya, or small plates, including chicken wings, gyoza, and edamame. Should ramen not be your thing, there are four rice bowls as well. On the drinks side, there's a selection of beer, wine, and cocktails, plus shochu, a Japanese distilled beverage made, in this case, from barley.
4203 SW. Alaska Street, (206) 420-3831, website. Open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
