If your only experience with ramen consists of dry noodles wrapped in plastic, you owe yourself an authentic Japanese ramen meal. In Japan, ramen is considered a healthy comfort food that some eat every day. It consists of firm and chewy noodles swimming in a fish-based broth, topped with meat and veggies and flavored with soy or miso.

You can indulge in traditional ramen at a newly opened spot that's right down the street from Fountain Park, Kenji Ramen. It's been earning positive reviews for the quality of its ramen, described as flavorful and fresh. The chefs at Kenji Ramen start every day the same way — making all of their cuisine from scratch. That attention to detail comes through in the taste, and the pride that the staff feels in the food Kenji offers comes through in the service, which is said to be outstanding. Because the chefs make a limited quantity of food per day, the restaurant sometimes runs out and closes early. You can avoid that by coming for lunch; it can get more crowded then, but once you taste the food you're likely to realize it was worth the wait!

Kenji Ramen
1000 S. De Anza Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95129
(408) 343-1148
kenjilounge.com
www.yelp.com/biz/kenji-ramen-san-jose-3

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr leighklotz