16185 Brookhurst St.

Fountain Valley, CA

92708

If I walk into a restaurant an hour after it opens on a Saturday afternoon and there’s a wait for lunch, chances are it’s going to be a good spot. Kin Izakaya was one of those places. I gave my friend four or five restaurant options. He’d already been to all of them. He said Kin Izakaya was great, so that settled it. It sits in a large strip mall, along with several other Kei Concepts restaurants. With many of these restaurants rooted in Asian cuisine, Kin Izakaya is Kei’s take on ramen and Japanese bar food.

As we walked in, I notice the brightly lit interior and open floor plan. It’s lively, modern, and bustling, but not chaotic. Wooden tables, track lighting, and an open kitchen give you a nice view of what’s to come. The wait wasn’t long, maybe five minutes. Their cocktail list was unique, with drinks ranging from an Ube Colada with rum-infused sake to a Sakura Sour, with cherry blossom tequila-infused sake. Cocktails are generally my go-to, but I opted for a beer. We both ordered the Japanese Lager by Harland Brewing in San Diego. Similar to a Sapporo or Asahi, but not as dry and mildly sweeter. Perfect on a hot day like this one. It was refreshing.

For our appetizers, we sprang for edamame and the chicken karaage. The edamame was nothing to write home about. Steamed, but with no flavoring, not even salt. I didn’t expect any soy garlic sauce or something since the menu didn’t mention it, but you gotta salt your edamame. They were also dry. After a few, I was done. Don’t get these. The chicken karaage made up for them, though. This was some of the best I’ve ever had. The batter was reminiscent of Korean fried chicken. It had a great crunch. The pieces were noticeably larger than what I generally see when I order chicken karaage. I bit one of them in half and looked inside. There was no excess fat, gristle, or cartilage. It was all tasty chicken thigh. It came with a side of Dijon mayo. Slightly tangy and slightly sweet, it made for a great pairing.

Subscribe now

Soon after our appetizers came, our ramen arrived. Way too soon. I appreciate quick service, but I also like pacing myself and not feeling like a cog in a machine, being rushed through my meal. Given how busy they were, this must be how they go through so many customers in a day. I wasn’t ready for it, but the ramen was sitting in front of me so I dug in. I love spice, so I opted for the spicy miso ramen with chashu pork belly. It came with standard ramen toppings: bean sprouts, menma, green onions, and cabbage. And a shoryu egg, of course. Mildly sweet with a gel-like center. The perfect soft-boiled egg.

The first sip of ramen was super meaty. This was the most pork-forward ramen I’ve ever had. And that’s not a bad thing. It made for a unique flavor. This was less miso and more pork, but not overwhelmingly so. And for the spiciest ramen on the menu, I’d say the spice level was just right. Enough to enjoy, but you don’t feel like you’re eating it for sport. The pork was juicy, tender, and flavorful. The fat which circled its way through the meat enhanced the flavor but wasn’t overpowering. It came with three pieces, which was enough, considering I just ate a bowl of chicken karaage.

If you’re looking for a new ramen spot, Kin is worth trying. They’re not reinventing the wheel. Just offering quality ramen. Order one of those drinks from the cocktail menu and let me know how they are. If I go back, I’ll have to try one… or five. Kin Izakaya was a fantastic first impression of Kei Concepts restaurant group and I’m already looking forward to my next meal with them.

Subscribe now

Leave a comment

Sometime in 2022 or 2023.

There are about a dozen coffee shops within a three mile radius from where I live. A few are big chains, but most are independent operations that create drinks with a level of quality you won’t find at your big corporate store. Very close to downtown Fullerton, 525 Coffee Co. sits in a purple building that looks like it was originally a house. I parked in the neighborhood behind the building and strolled in.

As you walk in, you’ll instantly notice the open floor plan. It has a modern look with wooden flooring, track lighting, large wooden tables designed for engaged study groups, big chairs that envelop you as you lay back, and barstools against the walls. Pop music lightly played over the stereo. The majority of the crowd was on the younger side, with several of them studying alone, laptops and notebooks sprawled out over the tables.

The menu consists of standard coffee, espresso, and tea drinks. We ordered a latte and a lavender latte, but I can’t stop at drinks when I’m trying out a coffee house for the first time. Peering into the pastry display, I saw small round cakes, wrapped up in foil, like a Ding Dong. These cakes, or “cakewiches”, as described, are made by Cake Monkey in Beverly Hills. They come in a wide variety of flavors from confetti cake, chocolate, pumpkin, to strawberry passionfruit, which was the flavor of the month. We opted for the chocolate cake with buttercream. The cakes are covered in a thin, hard shell of frosting, which makes them even more reminiscent of a Ding Dong.

We then sat down to enjoy our drinks. The latte was well balanced. I’ve had many in which the espresso gets overpowered by the milk, but this wasn’t the case, here. It was hot and creamy, with the right amount of foam. The lavender latte had that distinctive lavender flavor, but not too sweet. I was still able to recognize that I was drinking a latte, instead of a bunch of sugar. As far as the cakewich, it was much better than a Ding Dong. Though, that’s a low bar. The moist cake had a rich chocolatey flavor that paired well with the buttercream.

525 Coffee Co. had a relaxing atmosphere. There wasn’t a large group of teens yelling nor 20 blenders going into overdrive every two minutes. It’s a great place to grab a coffee and chat with a friend. Just be prepared to spend. The two lattes and cake totaled to about $17.