Kojin Noodle Bar
502 Southard St, Key West, FL, 33040
Kojin Noodle Bar Menu
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Starters
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Noodle Bowls
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Dessert
Healthy Meal suggestions for Kojin Noodle Bar
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Starters
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Noodle Bowls
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Dessert
Visit below restaurant in Key West for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Key West for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
502 Southard St
Key West, FL, 33040 - Phone (305) 296-2077
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 12
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Robert W.
2 bad reviews in one day.... I'm on a roll! Been all over the country and eaten Pho everywhere. this place has pho on the menu, but what I got was nothing resembling traditional pho. Noodles tasted like flour noodles, no bean sprouts or normal side veggies - only meat (beef) option I saw was "ribeye".... No flank, brisket, tripe, tendon, meatballs.... Nothing. The crab fried rice tasted ok, but was very oily..... And although I'm sure there WAS crab in the dish.... I'm equally sure there was a significant amount of spiny lobster in it as well (yuck). The steamed dumplings were decent. Won't be going back.
(2)Lisa M.
Enjoyed my dragon bowl very much. I appreciated being able to get take out at 11:45pm because I suddenly was so hungry. Great taste, quick preparation.
(5)A M.
I've been here a few times because the food is GOOD. This time however, I decided to sit at the bar for lunch. It is here where you have front row seating to what the chef does in front of you! Here are some observations (mostly bad) and I'm glad I finally sat here to see what they actually do behind the bar: DISGUSTING: Chef was handling food with his bare hands and then later seen texting and touching his phone. He did not wash his hands in between touching the phone and handling the food with his bare hands. The presentation was beautiful, however knowing that he has handled a most likely dirty object and your food is quite disturbing and frankly gross. RIDICULOUS: I always use my purse hook to hang my purse on the table. These things are designed with cushion on the bottom to prevent damage from occurring. That same health code violating chef pushed a folded napkin toward me and asked "put this underneath that!" They do not want their "banged up" furniture to get worse from a purse hook. OVERPRICED: I am from Los Angeles and have grown up eating at various ramen noodle restaurants... Cost of my food in particular: 16.9 fl oz Oi Ocha Green tea: $4.50 - in comparison to what you buy at a typical noodle house in LA it is $2.00 House Ramen $18 - in comparison to what you buy at a typical noodle house in LA with even greater portions $9 Basically this noodle house charges double the norm. Taken together despite food being good I personally will not come back.
(1)Jamie K.
I take my friends here every time we are in Key West and they love it. Small place, so call ahead if you have more than 3 in your party. Everything is awesome, I usually get the house ramen and BBQ pork steamed buns--amazing! Helpful waitress. They offer military discount!
(5)Danielle J.
If you looking for a place with "purse hooks" and cushiony seats, skip it. So ridiculous people mark a food establishment down for something so dumb. This noodle bar is amazing, very authentic, and very fresh. It's $8 for a small bowl, which is plenty! Keep in mind people, your in a vacation destination and it's run by amazing chefs. If you want affordable, go to Denny's or vacation in Orlando. I had the #4 with beef, was fantastic! I highly recommend!
(5)Barbara K.
Service is excellent but the food is way too salty for our taste. We order Saigon salad with beef (salty). Scallion noodle, not good at all. Ph is not the ph we were expecting. Bun with pork belly is really salty and lots of fat. Another disappointment.
(1)Isha S.
Fabulous find! Nothing is bad. Loved the pho--best I've had since Vietnam--and husband loved the curried lamb. Pho was perfect spice for me (mild but super flavorful) and the lamb was just spicy enough for my husband (not very , but again really flavorful). Ask the girl behind the counter for advice if you're not sure what you want. EAT HERE.
(5)Sarah W.
Ive read about their service but heard pretty good things about the food so I decided to give it a go regardless. Not happy I did. It is true that the service is rude. Like they are doing you a favor by taking your money!! I am a server in town and I make a living off of giving good service and am offended by non chant way that I was treated when I wanted to order to go food and being my first time in here I was asking some questions about the portions and so on...but I guess I was bothering her as she barely gave me more than a grunted half answer. Anyway, got the tofu buns, and a pho. Tofu buns were ok but the pho was not only really not authentic but the sides were not fresh to add to it and the broth tasted a little off, and super expensive!! They must think they are a michelin star asian joint. Really guys? You could do so much better if you cared a little more.
(2)Rev. Robert D.
OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!! I don't care what you do in Key West go to this noodle house! We, me and my wife, both got the Ramen bowl, I ordered jalapenos and chili garlic on the side spice it up a little. I've eaten noodle houses around the world, including Thailand, Vegas, Atlantic City, etc.... This is definitely in the top 10.
(4)Garza G.
Are you kidding me? A five-star certainly. We had the #1, #5, dumplings and pho. All were extraordinary. Oh! And the pork buns! Don't leave without them!
(5)Jocelyn K.
The Kimchi was amazing and the pork rolls were too. Such a happy surprise. Can't wait to have again!
(5)Tom D.
Loved it! After several days of eating heavy food in Key West, we were looking for something light and healthy for lunch. This is a smaller, casual place near Duval street and the food is very authentic, fresh and flavorful and beautifully presented. We had the pork dumplings as an appetizer, and for our main courses the Pho and a basil tofu rice-noodle salad. It was all delicious, The only reason for four stars instead of five is that the Pho wasn't very hot when served.
(4)Saleh M.
I had a very good dinner there. The menu are very small however the food was really good and filling. I have had much better noodles in other cities that's why I am giving it the 3 stars. If you are looking for good Asian food on KW this is the place to go.
(3)Rosamund P.
1.The miso hot pot is so so salty. When I sip the first spoon of the soup, I just want to pour my ice water into it. And it goes with raw vegetables such as cabbage, asparagus, lettuce... 2.the restaurant only has one female waitress , she is efficient, however, still can hardly take care of all the customer up and downstairs. Does it hurt much if the boss hires one more server? Anyway they charge $18 for one bowl of ramen Overall, I am not expecting a bowl of soup to NYC standard but I highly agree with one yelper indicating that when you claim that you make some type of food, make it with dignity! It's not that you are in key west a tourism city so you can make such Asian food far below standard.
(1)Rosanna L.
Next time I'm back in Key West I definitely want to try their ramen with the pork belly, I mean anything with pork belly has to be good right? Well, on a trip here with my family, my dad happens to come across Kojin and was very excited because they had pho, unfortunately we just ate right before, but either way we we decided to see what they have, esp. stating $16 for a bowl of pho, holy cow! Well, $16 is for the huge green bowl and $9 for the smaller white one, phew okay, not so bad. We ended up ordering a Vietnamese coffee and banh mi. The cashier was very friendly and prompt. However, I think the chef that made our "banh mi" was probably taken aback when my dad asked him, "who teach you how to cook Vietnamese food?" Which is a valid question seeing as most of the items are from Vietnam and we are Vietnamese, so we were curious. The chef answered something along the lines of, "I'm a chef." *silence* (We realize that's all he was going to say.) Alright, cool, I guess. Anyways, my mom said the coffee was pretty good and the banh mi? Well, it threw me off when it didn't come on a baguette, but instead a flat bread. The meat is well seasoned and there were good flavors, but it was too messy and I know for a fact it would taste a lot better on a baguette. I give the chef kudos for trying to be inventive and hey if you're the only restaurant around this area with this type of Asian flare than I'm sure you can get away from the norm.
(3)Susan G.
Delish! Fun, quirky, little spot right off the main strip. The food and service was excellent, small menu, but great place to eat whether you are vegan or not!
(5)Matthew M.
Delicious find on this tiny island. I had low expectations when I walked in, but had them delightfully smashed after trying the house ramen. Came back for round 2 and am having the curried lamb ramen. Maybe not a key west "must eat," but a place that will certainly do the job if you are craving some noodles.
(4)Emily J.
Great noodle bar. I can vouch for the miso soup, which had cabbage, asparagus (nice and fresh!), carrots, tofu, and soba noodles. I added the spicy sauce to give it even more heat. Good service, too. I sat at the bar alone and didn't feel rushed. I'll definitely go back!
(4)Sara H.
This place is SO good! Nice cozy little spot with great food! We ordered the traditional ramen, pho, and pork dumplings. Everyone that worked there was very attentive and welcoming. I only wish that we would have found this place sooner!! Great food for a great price!
(5)Ted L.
Kojin is an interesting one. It just really wants to be great, but frankly isn't. There are large photos of menu items on the wall that all look eloquently put together; unfortunately, what you get doesn't resemble what comes out of the kitchen. I had the soft shell tempura noodles. Two of my favorite things combined; unfortunately, the soft-shell crab was not tempura fried. It was more like the thick, cake-like breading that you get on sweet-n-sour ca(er, chicken). The noodles contained so much broth I almost needed spoon, straw and a bathing suit to get to the noodles. The upside? The voluminous amount of broth really had some complex flavors. This is the second time I've been to Kojin; it seems to be consistent. Which is a shame.
(1)Matthew T.
This was the real find of my latest trip to Key West. tucked just off of Duval on southard is a shrine to the pork gods. I have to admit that I'm no ramen expert and my childhood memories of ramen in LA are a bit muddled over the years but there is no denying that there is some really good food at Nojin. It is small, really small. 6 seats at the bar, two tables on the floor and a couple of bigger tables up in the loft. I've never been to a real izakaya but I can't help but wonder if this is what they are like. We lucked out and got one of the downstairs tables. The portions are large but they will do half size portions, so keep that in mind when you go $17 for the house ramen. Me and the DC decided to split a large bowl of the house ramen, some pork belly buns and a bottle of sake. Plenty of food for us decently priced and a bit of Heaven! The ramen had tons of amazing pork in it. The noodles were great. But the stock tasted like roast pork! It was amazingly good. You know that bit of roast pork with the caramelization on it the side? That piece of pork is what every drop of this broth tasted like. I have pictures of the empty bowl to post! It was like liquid roost pork flavor with great things to chew on. The people next to us swore by the lamb curry ramen but I'm sold on the house version. The pork buns were lovely little bits of pork belly with a great pickled cucumber and a bit of sauce. Very yummy as well. The bottle of Kasumi sake we had was perfect for this food as well. There was basically a waiter and the chef running the show. The waiter was great, friendly and knew what he was doing, even as the place started to fill up and he had to scramble up the stairs over and over again. The chef was quiet but every now and then you could see a little smirk on his face. I'm betting he knows he has some great food and loves watching our beaming faces and hearing the slurping sounds as we suck down his lovely broth and Ramen. I'm going to go cry now since this place is not down the street from my house and I could use some for lunch right about now.
(5)Anthony H.
The food is fresh and tasty!! Too bad we found this place on our last day in Key West.
(5)David M.
I agree with most of the reviews. Some stuff to add. -Great service. Especially at the bar. And good for atmosphere too! -The pork buns... There is too much sauce on them. Pork belly doesn't need help being awesome. -The beef pho was less than satisfactory. The broth is weak and watery. The beef isn't sliced super thin as it is generally served. This could be a pro or con. -The sides with the pho; typically sprouts, basil and lime. This place doesn't have sprouts... Sort of a staple of pho. Cabbage instead... Bad replacement. -The yakisoba was awesome... It is pretty heavy tho, but delicious. Overall, pretty good. The pho was just weak sauce. And can you guys just put bottles of sriacha (sp?) and chili paste out so customers can use at will? (You have to ask for sauce and then they just give you a spoon full.) I'll be back and recommend for sure.
(4)Marla S.
Overall, a definite yes. Rice ball appetizer, Yakisoba with tofu and (i think it's the) #3 with baby bok choy are pretty rockin'. There is definitely one server who is less than pleasant. I have seen this person make other staffers uncomfortable, which in turn made me want to hightail it outta there. All other servers are very welcoming. Despite my 4 star review, i'm disturbed by comments from reviewer AM about an unsanitary cook. I will be hyperaware on my next visit.
(4)Sam T.
Cheap and amazing, the broth in the house ramen was to die for. I went there with my family and we all loved it, we sat upstairs and the environment was pleasing. The service was great and they played great music, but the thing that really impressed me was the amazing food, this was the best ramen I have ever had in my life. I wish I could visit more often to key west, just to see and eat at this wonderful place
(5)Jeffrey F.
This place was an interesting little find just off Duval Street in Key West. Tired of the touristy bars an average seafood on Duval Street I stumbled upon this little gem while doing the Duval strut. Unfortunately this place really doesn't have a single personality as it has many Asian themes to it including Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean. They did have a nice selection of cold sake, and I selected an unfiltered can of fun as they called it. It was 19% and very smooth and good. I had the Ramen noodle soup which was good. Not great, but good. The broth was off from what I expect in a $17 bowl of soup. I also ordered a bánh mì sandwich and was disappointed. They served it as a wrap instead of on the traditional bun or roll. While it was fine as a basic Asian wrap I clearly would not call this a bánh mì. The service was good and the server was very attentive to my needs. I might be willing to come back here if I had nothing else to eat, but I have had much better for less price, however, I guess in Key West if this is all you got it ain't bad.
(3)David M.
Great hangover food and you will need it when you here in key west. Had beef, and wife had lamb both extremely good, hostess made us very comfortable as there was 8 of us and the place is super tiny but we fit.
(5)Jamie G.
Surprising little place in Key West with a great selection of noodles. Great quality and pretty true flavors. This place should not be as quiet as it is on a Friday night! Service was great as well. Go here---
(4)Duy N.
The food here is great. Nice to find a noodle place in Key West. We had the Saigon salad and the ramen. Both were delicious. I have to comment on the soft boiled egg that comes with the ramen. I have been searching on how to replicate it and I can't seem to do it. They said they used a special machine to slow cook it for 4 hours! Try it out yourself and let me know what you think!
(4)Stella W.
I did't expect very authentic Asian food on the island. My boyfriend and I were so desperate to have some noodles after a few days of American and European cuisine. So we walked in anyways. Nothing special about the noodle and soup broth if you have tasted better ramen from nyc or Japan.
(3)Justin S.
Awesome quick eats. Stopped here for a quick lunch on Sunday. We had pork dumplings, pork belly steamed buns, and crab fried rice. Everything was so fresh and delicious. The crab fried rice was really special. Took the rest home for a snack. Can't wait to stop on for late night food!
(5)Gigi V.
Reviewers who bash the cost of the food here are displaying their ignorance - this is not some little hole-in-the-wall shop in Chinatown and the prices, while not cheap, are on par with the rest of the island for a sit-down meal. I almost always sit at the bar, and I've never seen anything heebie-jeebie going on, sanitation-wisen in all my visits. As for flavor, they've got it in spades. The steamed buns are spectacular, and the mango pineapple salad super refreshing. I never add salt to anything but movie popcorn, and while the ramen *is* savory, it is totally delicious. All I can think is that those other reviewers might have been dehydrated (hey, it happens - it gets really hot down here and people aren't used to drinking enough water for this climate), and that that made everything taste saltier. I bring houseguests and visitors here all the time and we never had anything less than a great and tasty meal. Haters gonna hate, but this should be on your shortlist of places to try if you come to town.
(5)Candice V.
Way over priced for very uninspiring and bland food. The vegetable miso noodle bowl was so salty that it was nearly inedible and the only vegetable included was cabbage. Hardly a vegetable soup. The cold octopus soba noodle salad was fine, but only noodles and 6 tiny octopuses. Definitely not worth what we paid. On top of all this, the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired, and it took over 25min for us to get our food. Can't imagine why as there was very little to be done, and hardly anyone there getting food apart from us. We nearly walked out. Lots of other really fantastic places to eat in Key West, this place is definitely one to pass. One good thing, had a lovely waitress!
(1)Mark B.
Without a doubt, our best meal in KW this past visit. Who would have thought a Ramen house would produce such wonderful food. We started with an order of Pork buns that were unreal. The dough was perfect, the pork was unreal tasty and spices were perfect. I had the house ramen and it was awesome. My wife Leigh had the red curry coco shrimp and loved it. Our server was extremely helpful and nice. This place for sure gets all 5 stars and I'd fly back to KW right now just to eat here again!
(5)Buba G.
Wow, I should have eaten my cup noodle. Here is our experience. - Drove to Key West on our first day, after check into our hotel, I search and found this restaurant on Yelp with great reviews. - We came and order 2 different bowls of noodle - After my first bite, I thought to myself, I should have stay in my hotel and eaten my cup noodle - The broth is salty and doesn't has that restaurant quality flavor As an Asian person, I ate different kind of noodles almost everyday, and for almost $18 a bowl of noodle that doesn't exceed a cup noodle quality, it wasn't worth the money. Last time here for sure.
(1)Danielle N.
I love Kojin and so does my husband! We eat there frequently. It's tiny, so it's always a gamble if they will have room for us, but so far so good. As for people who complain that it's pricy: welcome to Key West! Everything is pricy here. But Kojin does half portions that are very reasonable and the specials are mostly reasonable as well. I love the steamed buns with tofu (may be vegan, not sure) and the miso hot pot is good (and vegan), but my favorite meal there is the Spicy Peanut Ramen Shrimp. The Yakisoba (vegan) and the Red Curry Coconut Shrimp are also delicious. And I love to end with the assortment of Mochi. Don't expect things to be authentic - they serve their Banh Mi on naan! - but give it a try. I have liked everything there. As for drinks, they make a great iimeade, served with fresh mint, and have a good amount of sake and beer. A very welcome addition in Key West. Sometimes you just need a bowl of noodles!
(5)Yao Y.
This resturant is so bad.The lady services us so dry and unfriendly.She ignores what I am saying.Even I say thanks to her.She looks at me angry.I felt like se were brothering her being there.And it was the first time that we were come here.She quickly went over the menu but any questions we want she to answer as if she was annoyed.Also the ramen noddle is so salty.I will never come here!Forever!
(1)Susan S.
OMG! I dropped in on the 2nd to the last day of my recent vacation to Key West. I wish I would have found it on my first day because I would have had every meal at this restaurant, it was that good. I ordered the steamed pork buns, to DIE for, the bun was beautiful and the pork was cooked perfectly. Because I couldn't stop there I ordered a half order of the ramen. I was VERY pleased and pleasantly surprised to find a poached egg on top of the ramen. I have to say it was probably the best ramen I've ever had; the broth was fantastic! I just had to go back on my last day before catching my flight back to Seattle. Of course I HAD to have the pork buns again but I switched it up and had the lamb curry ramen. Can I say "KILLER"! I'm still thinking about and drooling over my meals there, wish I had more.
(5)Amanda M.
I came to Florida with my parents for holiday break. So I used yelp to recommend Resturant for us. This one come up. Rating is good, food looks great, therefore we decided to try. However it turns to the worse experience EVER!!!!!! I wish I could give them negative stars!!!! It says open hours is 11am. We arrived there at about 10:45. There was an employee inside cleaning windows. Opening hours is confirmed after I talk to her. So my parents and me standing outside and wait, wait, wait. After 11, we were ready to go in, she said NO! I was confused, and when I ready to argue with her, other people came, and she let them in!!!!! My mom was so mad, thus she came to help me push the door, the employee pushed my mom so hard that she almost fall!!!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!! Then she started yelling, I wish I could understand what she said, but English is not my native language, I can't understand what she was screaming about. So disappointed!!!!!!!!
(1)Richard L.
found this place for the light food. turned out to be a over expected place. clean and good food.
(4)Nicole C.
Fabulous noodle house! Definitely start with the pork buns. Hands down best thing I've eaten on Key West so far. Doesn't feel very Floridian, but awesome food!! I got the yakisoba, which was fantastic, and my friend got the ramen. He said it was legit, having recently lived in Japan. A very small place, but a nice meal at the bar. They do have a cute upstairs too for a more intimate experience (not that kind of upstairs...) There's also a to-go window. Small place to eat, but fantastic food! They have 2 beers on tap, but yum - Sapporo and Magic Hat. They also have military discount!
(5)Patrick R.
I liked the Pork yakisoba (noodles stir fry), Good beef tenderloin pho. Excellent pork buns. Portions are very big. Get the half orders.
(4)Katie S.
All I can say is YUM!! My husband and I stopped in for lunch on our vacation and it was delicious! Unless you are mega hungry, get the half portion, because the full size is huge. We had the #1 and 5...Pork Shoulder in the first and Sift Shell crab in the second. Everything was fresh and fast service!
(4)J L.
What a great find just off Duval. Delicious Pork Ramen. Noodles cooked perfectly Pork Belly Steamed Buns are out of this world. And the chef (I think he is also the owner) is really handsome and friendly if you decide to eat at the bar. We will definitely be back! Thanks Kojin for an amazing dining experience.
(5)Ryan C.
One word: outstanding. There is no other place on the island like Kojin. If you are craving some ramen, udon, pho, or other asian noodle dishes, this is the place to go. It's a very limited menu, but that makes it even better and specialized. I had the House Ramen and the Steamed Pork Buns. They were both full of flavor and I just wanted more, more, more. A word of caution, the place is very, very small, not unlike the noodle bars in Japan. Do not roll in with 10 people and expect to get any kind of seating; small parties only! The owner is extremely friendly, gracious, and talented. One nice feature is it is a fairly open kitchen so you can watch them prepare the food. If you think ramen is the $0.99 crap you buy in the super market, come here and open your eyes.
(5)Simone C.
Nice, small place, but food was soooo overpriced. $9 for banh mi -- $17 for pho -- and $10 for 3 itsy bitsy steamed buns? I didn't want to seem rude, so I ordered an appetizer (steamed pork buns which were so-so) and made my way out of there quick.
(3)Jonathan M.
Definitely recommend this place if you're in The Keys and looking for a healthy and delicious dining option, craving some spice and a bowl of noodles. The menu is pan-Asian, with Vietnamese pho sitting alongside ramen and pork buns. We tried the tofu buns (think a vege approximation of Momofuku's pork belly buns) which were light and fluffy, and everyone in our party loved their generously sized mains. The large bowls on offer at Kojin are literally salad-bowl sized; stick to the small if you'd like a regular portion. All dishes came with jalapeños, so a warning to those who don't like their noodles fiery. The service was efficient and friendly too.
(4)Catherine O.
We found this place by chance while biking around town. Living in a rural northern location severely limits what we have available locally and this was my first noodle house experience. Love love the flavors. Had the mango pineapple salad and the beef pho. We will be back before we leave.
(5)Brian B.
Amazeballs. The pork belly ramen was the tits for lack of a better description. The place is tiny, but the food is definitely top notch. Some of the better asian noodles I've had in a while, and not limited to Key West. I am surprised there is this level of food on this block, with The Cafe and Sarabeth's just a few feet away. Definitely recommend it. If you're just 2 grab a seat at the bar, otherwise seating is hard to find.
(5)Moira B.
Totemo Oishi! We enjoyed a delightful dinner on the second floor dining area, after trying two nights to sit at the bar. It's an intimate locale, but worth trying to get a seat. We enjoyed: Cold draft Sapporo Chilled Sauvignon - House Ramen: delicious broth, perfect pork and noodles - Saigon Salad with tofu: crisp veggies - Shrimp in coconut sauce (1/2 order of this was plenty for one, with room to share some) - Octopus with soba noodles: excellent in every way The ambiance was relaxed, the lighting good, the food excellent. A couple of Japanese were sitting next to us, enjoying their meal as well! Give this place a try!
(5)Joe H.
I am a fan of Ramen and Udon noodles no matter where I go. This place isn't top rate but isn't bad either. I ate here twice on my two day visit to KW if that tells you something. First time (late night) had the house special noodles at the counter - nice but nothing to write home about. Definitely didn't seem to match the size and complexity of others reviews or pictures. Second day tried the Curry flavor and I am pretty sure I got the same dish as the first day. Friendly server but rather odd acting chef. Anyway, either they mixed up my order on day two, or they don't have more than one broth. I would go back but clearly they have some inconsistency in service and food quality and could improve the seasoning.
(2)Tori L.
Really really great. The noodle bowls here are so good we came back a second time during our short visit to Key West. Neither my husband nor myself was disappointed. I had the pho one day and the chicken bowl the next and both were exactly what I wanted. The portions are large and the noodles are plentiful. My husband tried one of their special rice dishes and the pork dumplings and was really happy with both (he just said it was some of the best food he's ever had). It is on a side street and so worth hunting up if you like noodle soup. Arrive early - it gets full! No worry though because they also have a take out window.
(5)Paul M.
Great meal. Small bar with a few tables. Fresh ingredients made with care. Will always go back when in key west. Don't expect a fancy restraunt. It's a casual eat and go.
(4)Christie C.
Coming from CA where there are lots of authentic Japanese ramen joints, the ramen here is just ok. The soup is good, but the noodle is kind of saggy. Like everything else on Key West, the price is steep, I paid $17 for house ramen. I would give this place two stars for the food and price. But because of their wonder staff, I added one more stars.
(3)Jeff Z.
Wow awesome little place with tasty Asian food. We ate there 3 times during a weeks stay and loved everything we had.
(5)Stephanie V.
Delicious steamed pork buns!!! My friend got the noodle bowl with the pork and said it was really good as well... If it was just walking on the sidewalk I probably would have walk right pass this little gem!
(4)Lowie T.
Ramen in Key West u say?? I went in with a skeptical yet curious appetite. The place is VERY small. a few bar stools and maybe 2 tables for two downstairs and i spied an upstairs which looks equally small. we came in on a saturday night around 11:45pm (they close at midnight) and they staff was super friendly! not in a rush to hurry us out for closing, they took our orders, & even had small talk with us- but not in a hovering kind of way. the service is top notch here. Only open a little more than 3 months, if there were any taste issues that needed ironing out, i believe they have perfected it all. the menu is a hodgepodge of asian variety, varying from ramen, to thai, from pork buns to bahn mi! I got the house ramen , and my friend got the udon. First of all, i'd like to preface that this is not your traditional ramen, but some hybrid/cousin/modern floridian take on it. whatever they did, i don't care- the flavor is big! the broth is so full of porky goodness i wanted to devour and savor it all at the same time. the noodles were not bad, slightly more cooked than al dente, and there was a TON of shredded pork in addition to a couple of pork belly slices, and also sprigs of cilantro which gave it a nice freshness in the midst of the pork party. i tried some of my friend's udon noodle soup, and the flavor, although quite different, was also out of this world! i'm telling you, kojin has some of the best broth i've ever had. the only drawback i had was the steep pricing. a whopping $17 for a full bowl! coming from nyc, i had been in shock at how inexpensive food & drinks in key west were until i came to kojin. luckily they now offer "half bowl" options. i would advise to get this instead. the full bowl was waay too big since they give you about the same amount of pork as noodles almost. my guy friend got the half and he was satisfied. add some apps, and you're good to go.
(5)Gablesgirl M.
Everything we have ordered has been delicious. The Ramen, Pho, bahn mi and the yakisoba noodles are all authentic and amazing flavor.
(5)Mike S.
Great Curried Lamb and Yakisoba Noodles. A cool and quaint place to catch a break from the Key West crowd.
(5)alejandra p.
We stumbled across this place on the way back to our hotel on the last night of our vacation. We stepped in to see if we could get a table and were standing in the restaurant for a whole 5 minutes and nobody bothered to greet us. Mind you, the restaurant is pretty small and only seats about 15 people so its not like they didn't see us standing there. I finally asked the waitress if they had an available tables and she promptly said "no." She didn't give us a wait time or anything. So we left and debated as to whether we should come back after such a bad first impression. 30 minutes later, our noodle craving was still raging so we decided to make a brisk walk back to this place keeping in mind Mr. Z's across the street if things went south. This time the restaurant was completely empty. The waitress told us we could sit anywhere so we sat down and she came and asked us for our drinks. We both said water so she left again. It wasn't until she came back to ask for our order did we realize that we weren't going to get menus. She just expected us to know we had to order off the wall. Anyways, we ordered and this is what we have to say: She said: I really like my ramen. I'm always on the hunt for a good Japanese noodle soup and the broth for this one was really flavorful. It was, however, a little salty. The pork was delicious and tender and I really like that they put fresh herbs and a soft egg in it. The noodles themselves were unremarkable. The limeade was a little sweet for my taste but it was very refreshing. The mochi was awesome! Overall, I give the food a 4/5 but the service was really a turn off for me. He said: For the record, I didn't think the waitress was as rude as portrayed but it was an initial bad first impression. I ordered Lamb Curry ramen (never heard of that before) and it was delicious. I did notice that when they brought out both soups, they were essentially the same and added a yellow sauce to mine and a brown sauce to hers then put the vegetables and herbs. Either way, I don't think that detracts from how good the food was. I really enjoyed the flavor of the broth and the lamb itself was tasty and soft. Food was definitely good. And the mochi was good as well.
(3)Oksana R.
I do not like to write bad reviews for I think that all tastes differ, but I could not help myself in this instance. I was craving noodles and was so excited to find a high reviewed place here, in Key West..... What a disappointment... The place looks good and has amazing pictures of food but that's all that it has. We ordered pork buns, house ramen, and Vietnamese iced coffee. Pork buns - nice presentation but the slice of pork belly had such an overpowering odor of non-fresh meat that even the sauce and the pickle couldn't mask. House ramen was a poorly executed, murky, fatty broth that was full of shredded pork meat. I believe that they make their broth by simmering canned russian meat (), which is a shame and should not even be considered to be called ramen. The noodles were soggy and tasteless. When we asked for some Sriracha sauce to try to flavor the soup, it was given to us in a small noodle spoon - ummm, at those prices you can not give us a bottle??? Needless, to say I did not finish my bowl. I am beyond disappointed. My husband was a lot nicer about the place, in his opinion it was better than what he expected. However, I think that if one decides to serve a certain cuisine, then do so with dignity. I don't think the owners are Asian and while I commend people who try things out of their comfort zone, I do not believe in shortcuts and poor imitations.
(1)Sam H.
What made my Kojin experience pretty awesome was the staff. I convinced my friend to come here to have some good ramen b/c... it helps me ... replenish my electrolytes. Well... it's basically a Noodle bar that makes pho, noddle salad, ramen, and some other soups! If you know your ramen or pho and expect the west coast styel awesome ness... it would be dissapointing b/c ... well... b/c they are one of it's only kind here in Key West. What you WON"T be dissapointed is by the portion size!!! If you are not full after eating any order of this... then... check yourself for parasites.
(4)Laurie G.
This was easily our best meal in three days on Key West. Pho was delicious and authentic. They also had a great pineapple mango salad that night. Kojin is a must-do on the island.
(4)The C.
The menu is a postcard (as seen in the picture). Simple! The noodles are good. Eat here. There are six main noodle bowls from which to choose. You can also get a few sides or a soft egg added to your noodle dish if you like. For dessert, you can try a flight of moshi balls: three flavors, you're bound to like something! The A/C is currently (Jan 2012) not very effective upstairs, so go up to the eight-seater table in the loft if you are chilly -- it gets toasty warm being right under the roof. There are a few very small tables and a bar with seating so you can watch your food cooking while you wait, which is about the same as any small noodle place in Japan (of course). They're going to upgrade their A/C very soon, well before spring. Their servers are friendly and helpful, they have beer (I had Magic Hat #9, my husband had Sapporo), I ordered the Pho and found the beef slices tender but authentically very rare (hence, for me, a little hard to chew into as small mouthfuls as I'd like to), also there was nowhere near as much fresh basil as I have come to expect from pho -- delivery problem or stylistic? I think next time I will have what my husband enjoyed: House Ramen with pork shoulder. Note: ASK for no sesame seeds if you are allergic, they use at least a few toasted ones on pretty much every dish as a garnish unless stopped. The Menu: House Ramen (pork shoulder, pork belly, soft egg, nori pieces, scallion) Dragon bowl (rice noodles with a roasted chicken leg, chili ginger, lime, cabbage, cilantro) Miso Hot Pot (spring vegetables, tofu, soba noodles -- miso hungry!) Pho (beef tenderloin or tofu, basil, chilies, sprouts, cilantro, rice noodle) Soft Shell Crab Tempura (on udon noodles, with shitake, garlic, yuzu, cilantro, sesame) Curried Lamb (on ramen with scallions and mint) Bao (they list as "steamed buns") with hoisin integral cold soba salad with baby tako, bacon, chili, lime, mint, peanut and a few more things... go check out the postcard!
(4)Diana R.
My boyfriend and I were in Key West and looking for something to eat. We came across this this restaurant and it was one of best things we have ever eaten. We loved it. The staff is very attentive and helpful. The food taste good and comes out in a timely manner.
(4)Miles V.
PHO was on point! SO good. Service was good. Big points for also allowing us to eat 30 minutes before they open. Not 5 star because not the most hygienic restaurant. You can see into the kitchen which they cant really help, but they can help what they touch with their hands before they touch the food and the cleanliness of the kitchen needs a lot of work along with their steamer. Will definitely go back next time in the keys hopefully it will be more clean!
(4)Nancy H.
No matter how many times we come to Key West, we always find something new to try. Kojin was recommended by local friends so we went. Udon with deep fried soft shell crab for me and pho for my man. I don't have a sweet tooth, so the broth was a bit sweet for me, but it was delicious. The crab was a bit over-battered (a tempura batter would have been a better idea) but it was juicy and tender. The lime-mayo dip with the crab was really nice. The pho was delish. Not quite what we're used to, but really tasty. There was plenty of beef, but no basil. Lots of greens on the side, but missed the bean sprouts. The Sapporo draught was cold and refreshing--which was good because there's no AC! There' a nice selection of sake. We'll be back!
(4)Jordan V.
As good as a noodle bar in Asia! The owner is the same owner of The Cafe vegetarian restaurant across the street that has great reviews! The steamed buns, and House Ramen are my favorite. Craft beer selection is good and the decor is fantastic! It is all fresh, so I understand, but I think that they should have a lunch menu because the House Ramen is $17...Not bad for dinner, but lunch can be expensive!
(4)Nikki D.
I'm a huge fan of noodles and after eating seafood for 3 days straight it was nice for the change. It was one of the best meals I had in Key West! Everything was cooked perfectly, I ordered the Pho which was absolutely delicious! The chef takes his time to prepare everything. You can tell he had a sense of pride in his dishes. The pork buns were amazing as well, the pork belly melted in your mouth! I will definitely go back there when I return!! IGNORE the negative reviews, it much more worth it for you to be the judge!
(5)Crystal F.
Surprise to find Japanese noodle soup in Key West! That's exactly what we need in such a chilly day after sailing for two hours!!! This place is really great. I tried ramen noodles in LA and NYC in several different places before. This place is definitely great. The taste is a little different from other traditional Ramen noodle soup but its so good!!! Love it!!!
(5)Karl W.
Tucked into a Suite on the corner of Duval and Southard, thisis unique for Key West. Limited menu, but good food. The prices on the main menu board are for large size bowls. There is a a half size I recommend for one. Lemonade was fresh and delicious. When the Bowl arrives, give it a chance to sit a few minutes and let the flavors meld. DAMN GOOD.
(4)John G.
We were in Key West for New Year's and ate at this place one night, and it was one of the best restaurants we ate at while we were down there. Unfortunately they don't have a website and no one has posted a picture of their current menu, but they let you swap any noodle with any broth. I had a red curry type broth with ramen noodles and shrimp, and the shrimp might be the best shrimp I've ever had. They were perfectly cooked and almost melted in your mouth.
(5)Anthony Y.
I agree with the other Asian reviews. It's a likable small place. The house ramen is a bit pork heavy. The broth is good, but the added pork belly and pork shoulder could use a balancing out of other ingredients. Instead, this felt like pork soup with some ramen thrown in. Service was nice, but the air conditioning is pretty poor.
(3)Louanne M.
Wow. Just go. And don't be put off by the small space, the lack of individual attention, the lack of menu... Get over it. Just go. You will be so happy. Dragon Bowl for spicy lovers, Pho or Curried Lamb for the rest of you. I'm not a sake drinker so can't comment on that. Great place.
(5)Joy M.
Who would've thought we d come all the way to key west and have our best meal at a noodle joint!. We could've eaten 20 of the steamed buns delicious. Noodles were amazingly full of flavor. Will be back!
(5)Brian R.
The food is really quite good, although I wish they'd dump the pork belly trend that seems to be sweeping Asian cusine and stick to something less fatty for their roasted pork dishes. I hate picking out fat. The other reason I'm peeling off another star is that the loft area could be used to interrogate prisoners of war. The heat is bad up there on a June afternoon, and the A/C does not work so well. The menu is a bit limited and could use a few more basic, less spicy items like a nice SOBA to balance out the menu which has a lot of zip. I like it, but others aren't so big on the burn. Seating is limited. Service was okay, not killer. Prices were very reasonable.
(3)Eric T.
I went with my wife and my parents for dinner. So we're Asian, and we love Asian food, and we were craving Asian at the time. For the price, it's not bad Ramen, and they really do a decent job at making it as "Japanese" as possible. We all ordered the House ramen, and we all agreed that while the ingredients were good, what made it not so good was the fact that the broth was too salty. I know I shouldn't be comparing Ramen in NYC to Ramen in Key West, but when you do, this place feels like a "good attempt" at doing Ramen. I give 2 stars because they did a good job with the poached egg, and the quantity and quality of the pork belly was good. The ambience was pretty nice, too, and we were able to get the upstairs table of six all to ourselves.
(2)Paul C.
Wonderful and creative menu executed to perfection and served with big smiles. The food was fast and phenomenal. Intriguing beer and sake selections to boot. A MUST when trying to rid the hangover demons from your body....
(5)Jennifer M.
This is my favorite restaurant in Key West. I have to go there every time I'm in town. The ramen is my favorite, and I love it so much that it's hard to try anything else.
(5)Nathan B.
It's true that the pho is non-traditional, but it was also delicious. The house ramen is also very satisfying, and as other reviewers have noted the half portion is plenty of food. The pork belly steamed buns were also truly delicious - go ahead and get the extra if sharing between two people, you will not regret it!
(5)M S.
I'm in love w this spot!!! Real Pho in KW?!!! Yes!!! this place always seems to have more locals than tourists in it, but I think that must be a sign that the food is great that locals are always in there. Their house ramen is a must try! and hopefully you'll be lucky enough to catch them on a day when the coconut curry shrimp is on special :) Last must try: Can of Fun!!!
(5)Noe N.
I love Kojin!. Everything I've had here is so good. Ramen noodle bowls, crab fried rice, Saigon Salad. When I used to eat meat I had their pork belly dumplings and lamb ramen and it was delish! The service is friendly too. You can do a half order on their noodle bowls, which is nice, because I think for ramen, it's a tad overpriced, which is why only 4 stars. Sometimes I question the person at the front who touches all the food with his bare hands, but even in upscale restaurants, cooks and chefs use their bare hands so I try not to think about it. It's hard though, but try I will in order to continue eating here. Just please make me feel better, Kojin, and tell me he washes his hands after using the restroom.
(4)Francoise M.
Outstanding food! These people really know about Asian food; how to cook it, how to serve it in the proper utensils. The sake selection is great. Everything freshly prepared, and beautifully seasoned. Prices are good.
(5)Adam D.
Unlike anything I have tasted before. A very interesting blend of flavors. I tried the large dragon bowl (huge amount of food, enough for two people). Very hip fun place. With for sure eat there again and for sure will try other items from the menu.
(4)Crystal D.
Food was excellent! Some of the best ramen my husband and I have had. Beer selection was great too!
(5)Diva J.
This was probably one of the best meals we had on Key West. I got the dragon bowl, and it was sort of like the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had. It was spicy and the chicken was so tender and tasty. The portions are huge, and really enough to feed two people. It is kind of a small place, but they are pretty quick. You walk in, order at the counter, and sit down wherever you want. They will bring the food out to you. If you want to try something different than the usual touristy fare, then this is a place you should hit up.
(5)Judith S.
First time having ramen! Although I love Asian food ( Korean, Chinese, Japanese. Vietnamese. & Thai). I had never had authentic ramen. Boy! Was it delicious! I had the pork belly ramen. It was succulent & comforting! The staff was pleasant & very informative. The place is a little hole in the wall with a bar & maybe one or two tables. But it was very clean!
(4)Michelle M.
Perhaps the best noodle bar not only in Key West and Florida but overall my experience anywhere. This is saying a lot as based in NY and I travel all over, all the time, not only in the US but globally. Some dishes maybe are a bit on the fatty side sometimes but not over the top as some reviewers claimed, flavor is delicious!! Then why 4 star you might ask..well, of course you guessed it: the service..They have one new female server who is absolutely delightful but the rest of the staff is impossibly rude and overwhelmingly arrogant. So, you need to ignore that if you can. I love a good bowl of soup no matter what the season. My favorite there is dragon bowl. Comes with rice noodles, perfect for gluten free eaters like myself -although lately I have been cheating left and right..oops!!- The ramen soup with curry lamb (which they substituted ramen noodles with rice noodles for me) was heavy but that comes with the choice of lamb which I picked just to try something new. I don't remember the name of the dish but noodles with shrimp that they serve warmish with peanut crumbs also was very good although a bit too much fat. Absolutely delicious flavor, though. Best food so far in Key West :)
(4)Winter E.
Excellent food, however do not come here expecting traditional noodle house style food. It's definitely got a twist to it, but it's still great.
(5)Yago M.
There is additional seating upstairs, cozy and quiet. In case you don't notice from outside and think the place is full
(4)Darlene D.
Type: Fast food Dining This intimate spot off the beaten path of Duval St has great expectations from a first glance of the menu as well as local word of mouth. Service is quick and the menu equally as abrupt with quick and easy offerings made from simple refined recipes for takeout or eat-in. SOME LIKE IT HOT! The yellow curry noodles were over the top spicy. If heat is your preference, then you are all in. On the flip side, the pork wrap was very bland and lacked any type of memorable flavor. Overall - this dining experience was mediocre at best. On the veto list. #KOJIN #Kojinnoodlebar #keywest #keywestrestaurants #KeyWestlocals #reviews
(2)Chloe G.
Great! The ramen was unconventional but fantastic, we went back for the house ramen. Tried lamb ramen and pho as well, but not as good as the house ramen!
(5)Marta V.
Very cool atmosphere like a chill, hip lounge in New York City. The food was very fresh and tasty with prices to be expected for key west. $15-18 plates and appetizers less than $11. Friendly service too. Definitely recommend for the Asian infused palette.
(4)Team BK B.
We got our dinner from Kojin to-go. I'll start by saying that it is the first time in as long as I can remember that we couldn't even finish our meal it was so bad. In fact, we wound up opting for bowls of cereal for dinner instead of suffering through eating this food. We started with the pork steamed buns, because everyone raved about them...they were so undercooked that they tasted like raw dough. He got the #1--house ramen. He said he has had better from a dried pack of ramen, and that is sad. It was so bland that he had to douse it in sriracha just to make it palatable. The "ramen" wasn't ramen...it was as thick as spaghetti. This coming from a man who lived in Japan for years. This isn't even to mention the huge pieces (2 inch x 4 inch) of fat that were supposed to be the pork (see photo.) After taking, maybe, 10 bites he went for the cereal. I got the banh mi special. I know what you're thinking--you ordered Vietnamese in a Japanese restaurant. Well, considering none of the cooks (or the chef, I presume, as he was wearing a chef's coat...) were Japanese, I mistakenly thought, "hey, it's a special...it must be good." I feel as though they disrespected the banh mi sandwich so terribly that it is an insult to the entire nation of Vietnam. To start, it was on some type of pita. I never even in my wildest nightmares thought that an Asian restaurant would serve a banh mi on anything but a baguette. There was some type of brown spread that was so fishy tasting, I am pretty sure it was past and should be 86ed. There were also gigantic pieces of cabbage on the sandwich (wrap?) that don't have any place on a banh mi. Basically, what I'm getting at is it wasn't a banh mi and shouldn't be called a banh mi at all...it was an unpalatable wrap drenched in a heinous sauce. I should never have opted for the $2 miso soup...as it was also FULL of cabbage and tasted only of dried mushrooms. I couldn't take more than two bites. In the end, the total bill was $50. I would've been less upset had I flushed a $50 bill down the commode than wasted my money on this food. We aren't even fast food people--we are good food people all the way--and a Big Mac would've been more satisfying than this atrocity. DO NOT SACRIFICE YOUR MONEY OR YOUR TASTE BUDS TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT.
(1)Jim H.
First dinner at the Keys with the family and we were excited to try some ramen. Walked over with kids only to find it closed. Should post if it's closed on Mondays.
(1)Brandi H.
We tried the pork belly buns, yellow curry w/chicken, and lamb ramen. Everything was delicious! A bit pricey but the service was great.
(4)Michael A.
Incredible ramen. I got the house ramen and a bottle of the snow shadow. Great pair! The closest to Japan you'll ever taste! Go and enjoy! Outstanding food
(5)Kim P.
By far the best noodle house in the keys! -if you are down here... you must stop in and give this little jem a try! Good Portions, Great service and yummi-licious food!
(5)Kc D.
The ramen was really good but oh my god those steamed pork belly buns are amazaballs! Ide go there everyday just for the steamed buns. I highly recommend this if you love noodle soups and something different. Its like delicious flavors are dancing on my taste buds.
(5)Jack B.
After a morning of Butterflies and books (Hemingway House. It was time for lunch. Other Yelpers had been enthusiastic and we agree. A simple menu 5 items with a like number of appetizers and multiple daily specials. Great pork belly buns, light and tasty. A house ramen and a Saigon salad. All well done, full of taste 30 feet off Duval. Best food and meal so far in Key West.
(5)Joyce N.
Best noodle in keywest. Baby octupus is our favorite, we can't even stop eating it. House ramen is so good.
(5)Sean J.
When in Key West, worth a stop....... The food was very, very good and worth the price. This place is small and the ambience is not so good, but besides that, all else is good. The service was fast and the waiter was very attentive to our needs. The ramen noodle and yakisoba dishes were excellent!!
(4)Tink T.
An authentic noodle bar in Key West?! That's amazing on its own, but everything was delicious. From the pork belly buns to the soft shell crab noodles.
(5)Greshka P.
We stopped here for a late dinner. It's a small place... Downstairs has about two tables for two each, and bar seating, then upstairs seats about 8 more people. We were a party of 4 and were immediately asked to go upstairs. The lady serving us was really dry and not friendly at all at the beginning. I felt like we were bothering her being there but we were there to try the food so just decided to look pass that, although it still bothered me a little. As it was our first time there, she went (quickly) over the menu but any question we had she would answer as if she was annoyed. After her explanation we got that most of their noodle plates come in regular and half portion. Since it was late we all went with the half portion and so glad we did. This portion is quite generous. I was not able to finish it all. I had the Soft Shell Crab Tempura which comes with udon noodles. The noodles and broth were excellent, very flavorful, but the soft shell crab tempura was so greasy I could not take another bite after the first. The table next to us had the "Chicken Dumplings" and when we saw them we all started craving them so, I went downstairs to look for our server. Since I already knew she was apparently not having a good day, I turned on my "extra nice" ordered the dumplings, and talked a bit with her about the food. This seemed to work, the rest of the time she was very pleasant and refilling our glasses, and making sure we liked the food. The dumplings were great, and come 5 per order. I like tat they have a pickup window right outside, from where our server wished us a good night while we walked to our car. This was a perfect example of the saying "you can catch more flies with honey...", and how service affects the overall experience as much as the food served.
(3)Jay T.
Located just off the strip but very easy to find. Ordered the House Ramen (w/ pork shoulder), pho (both half orders, cost half the listed price, plus $1, and was still a decent size bowl). Also had the pork buns. Pros: ramen had a par boiled egg with it that was delicious, noodles were nice and not too hard, pork was decent, beef tenderloin in pho was very tender with good flavor. Cons: broth for both ramen and pho were too salty, very flavorful, but just too salty (and I generally like my food salty), sauce on the pork buns were also salty. Overall: don't expect anything traditional, especially the pho...different flavor, not in a ultra bad way, just different. Also, service was below average. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to get your check when there's only one other table occupied at the time.
(2)Imanuel M.
Worst service ever!!! I usually don't take the time to write a review but this place is just horrible ! Let me just mention that I'm local from key west so I eat at this place more then once. Always mistakes with my order, I'm allergic to scallions and they always put that no matter how many times I ask not to! Never get my order right, one time I ordered hot pot miso soup witch is apparently different from a regular miso soup, asked to exchange and got reprimanded that I should know the difference between the two ! Last time I ordered beef pho witch I never get, I usually always get the tofu pho witch is very good but I decided to try something new, apparently the broth between the two is also different witch is off course does not say on the menu, and I kindly asked the same rude lady exchange and to show me where exactly is says that there's a difference, so she could prove my mistake. When she could not she started to yell at me and said that there's always problems with me and this is the last time that they served me! As if I would ever come back! Never in my life was I treated like this! I urge everyone to stay away from this place!!!
(1)Jane S.
What a find! We will go again. We had the beef pho and curried lamb. Both were amazing! Curried lamb was spicy so beware. We enjoyed the ambiance - it is a really neat little place. We had great service. The lady behind the bar was very friendly, always had a smile and checked on us often. Rare in the keys, so that was a bonus we didn't expect. There were lots of great looking things on the menu. We can't wait to go again and try a few more things!
(5)Mark B.
while searching for another restaurant that was closed, we happened across Kojin. What a great find. We each order a different dish including Ramen and curry dishes as well as dumpling apps. The meal was excellent.
(4)Khloe K.
Food here is so delicious! Servings are great! There is only 1 server who I have a problem with. Every time I've gone & he's working, he is rude. We sit upstairs bc we have a kid so we need a lower table then the ones downstairs, he never comes up to check on us (I've had to call down to him before to ask him for something) and we always end up just walking down to pay bc we'll be waiting forever for the check. Most of the servers give us a military discount (except him), which is really nice of them. The food & most of the workers are great. I've never had anything there that I didn't like. Maybe the bearded server can learn that being polite will get him a better tip.
(5)Lavel ..
This has to be ONE of the best places I have been to for Ramen! I have been to Misawa Japan to give an idea of places I have ate Ramen at. The ambience very nice! We enjoyed the chill feel with nice jazz music playing, with dimly lights and the location was just off Duval Street with nice scenery.. The food was amazing, nice portions and very tasty! If you are in Key West or planning a trip, this is a must visit!
(4)Diva J.
This was probably one of the best meals we had on Key West. I got the dragon bowl, and it was sort of like the best chicken noodle soup I've ever had. It was spicy and the chicken was so tender and tasty. The portions are huge, and really enough to feed two people. It is kind of a small place, but they are pretty quick. You walk in, order at the counter, and sit down wherever you want. They will bring the food out to you. If you want to try something different than the usual touristy fare, then this is a place you should hit up.
(5)Judith S.
First time having ramen! Although I love Asian food ( Korean, Chinese, Japanese. Vietnamese. & Thai). I had never had authentic ramen. Boy! Was it delicious! I had the pork belly ramen. It was succulent & comforting! The staff was pleasant & very informative. The place is a little hole in the wall with a bar & maybe one or two tables. But it was very clean!
(4)Winter E.
Excellent food, however do not come here expecting traditional noodle house style food. It's definitely got a twist to it, but it's still great.
(5)Darlene D.
Type: Fast food Dining This intimate spot off the beaten path of Duval St has great expectations from a first glance of the menu as well as local word of mouth. Service is quick and the menu equally as abrupt with quick and easy offerings made from simple refined recipes for takeout or eat-in. SOME LIKE IT HOT! The yellow curry noodles were over the top spicy. If heat is your preference, then you are all in. On the flip side, the pork wrap was very bland and lacked any type of memorable flavor. Overall - this dining experience was mediocre at best. On the veto list. #KOJIN #Kojinnoodlebar #keywest #keywestrestaurants #KeyWestlocals #reviews
(2)Yago M.
There is additional seating upstairs, cozy and quiet. In case you don't notice from outside and think the place is full
(4)Michelle M.
Perhaps the best noodle bar not only in Key West and Florida but overall my experience anywhere. This is saying a lot as based in NY and I travel all over, all the time, not only in the US but globally. Some dishes maybe are a bit on the fatty side sometimes but not over the top as some reviewers claimed, flavor is delicious!! Then why 4 star you might ask..well, of course you guessed it: the service..They have one new female server who is absolutely delightful but the rest of the staff is impossibly rude and overwhelmingly arrogant. So, you need to ignore that if you can. I love a good bowl of soup no matter what the season. My favorite there is dragon bowl. Comes with rice noodles, perfect for gluten free eaters like myself -although lately I have been cheating left and right..oops!!- The ramen soup with curry lamb (which they substituted ramen noodles with rice noodles for me) was heavy but that comes with the choice of lamb which I picked just to try something new. I don't remember the name of the dish but noodles with shrimp that they serve warmish with peanut crumbs also was very good although a bit too much fat. Absolutely delicious flavor, though. Best food so far in Key West :)
(4)Marta V.
Very cool atmosphere like a chill, hip lounge in New York City. The food was very fresh and tasty with prices to be expected for key west. $15-18 plates and appetizers less than $11. Friendly service too. Definitely recommend for the Asian infused palette.
(4)Chloe G.
Great! The ramen was unconventional but fantastic, we went back for the house ramen. Tried lamb ramen and pho as well, but not as good as the house ramen!
(5)Team BK B.
We got our dinner from Kojin to-go. I'll start by saying that it is the first time in as long as I can remember that we couldn't even finish our meal it was so bad. In fact, we wound up opting for bowls of cereal for dinner instead of suffering through eating this food. We started with the pork steamed buns, because everyone raved about them...they were so undercooked that they tasted like raw dough. He got the #1--house ramen. He said he has had better from a dried pack of ramen, and that is sad. It was so bland that he had to douse it in sriracha just to make it palatable. The "ramen" wasn't ramen...it was as thick as spaghetti. This coming from a man who lived in Japan for years. This isn't even to mention the huge pieces (2 inch x 4 inch) of fat that were supposed to be the pork (see photo.) After taking, maybe, 10 bites he went for the cereal. I got the banh mi special. I know what you're thinking--you ordered Vietnamese in a Japanese restaurant. Well, considering none of the cooks (or the chef, I presume, as he was wearing a chef's coat...) were Japanese, I mistakenly thought, "hey, it's a special...it must be good." I feel as though they disrespected the banh mi sandwich so terribly that it is an insult to the entire nation of Vietnam. To start, it was on some type of pita. I never even in my wildest nightmares thought that an Asian restaurant would serve a banh mi on anything but a baguette. There was some type of brown spread that was so fishy tasting, I am pretty sure it was past and should be 86ed. There were also gigantic pieces of cabbage on the sandwich (wrap?) that don't have any place on a banh mi. Basically, what I'm getting at is it wasn't a banh mi and shouldn't be called a banh mi at all...it was an unpalatable wrap drenched in a heinous sauce. I should never have opted for the $2 miso soup...as it was also FULL of cabbage and tasted only of dried mushrooms. I couldn't take more than two bites. In the end, the total bill was $50. I would've been less upset had I flushed a $50 bill down the commode than wasted my money on this food. We aren't even fast food people--we are good food people all the way--and a Big Mac would've been more satisfying than this atrocity. DO NOT SACRIFICE YOUR MONEY OR YOUR TASTE BUDS TO THIS ESTABLISHMENT.
(1)Brandi H.
We tried the pork belly buns, yellow curry w/chicken, and lamb ramen. Everything was delicious! A bit pricey but the service was great.
(4)Jim H.
First dinner at the Keys with the family and we were excited to try some ramen. Walked over with kids only to find it closed. Should post if it's closed on Mondays.
(1)Michael A.
Incredible ramen. I got the house ramen and a bottle of the snow shadow. Great pair! The closest to Japan you'll ever taste! Go and enjoy! Outstanding food
(5)Kim P.
By far the best noodle house in the keys! -if you are down here... you must stop in and give this little jem a try! Good Portions, Great service and yummi-licious food!
(5)Kc D.
The ramen was really good but oh my god those steamed pork belly buns are amazaballs! Ide go there everyday just for the steamed buns. I highly recommend this if you love noodle soups and something different. Its like delicious flavors are dancing on my taste buds.
(5)Jack B.
After a morning of Butterflies and books (Hemingway House. It was time for lunch. Other Yelpers had been enthusiastic and we agree. A simple menu 5 items with a like number of appetizers and multiple daily specials. Great pork belly buns, light and tasty. A house ramen and a Saigon salad. All well done, full of taste 30 feet off Duval. Best food and meal so far in Key West.
(5)Joyce N.
Best noodle in keywest. Baby octupus is our favorite, we can't even stop eating it. House ramen is so good.
(5)Sean J.
When in Key West, worth a stop....... The food was very, very good and worth the price. This place is small and the ambience is not so good, but besides that, all else is good. The service was fast and the waiter was very attentive to our needs. The ramen noodle and yakisoba dishes were excellent!!
(4)Greshka P.
We stopped here for a late dinner. It's a small place... Downstairs has about two tables for two each, and bar seating, then upstairs seats about 8 more people. We were a party of 4 and were immediately asked to go upstairs. The lady serving us was really dry and not friendly at all at the beginning. I felt like we were bothering her being there but we were there to try the food so just decided to look pass that, although it still bothered me a little. As it was our first time there, she went (quickly) over the menu but any question we had she would answer as if she was annoyed. After her explanation we got that most of their noodle plates come in regular and half portion. Since it was late we all went with the half portion and so glad we did. This portion is quite generous. I was not able to finish it all. I had the Soft Shell Crab Tempura which comes with udon noodles. The noodles and broth were excellent, very flavorful, but the soft shell crab tempura was so greasy I could not take another bite after the first. The table next to us had the "Chicken Dumplings" and when we saw them we all started craving them so, I went downstairs to look for our server. Since I already knew she was apparently not having a good day, I turned on my "extra nice" ordered the dumplings, and talked a bit with her about the food. This seemed to work, the rest of the time she was very pleasant and refilling our glasses, and making sure we liked the food. The dumplings were great, and come 5 per order. I like tat they have a pickup window right outside, from where our server wished us a good night while we walked to our car. This was a perfect example of the saying "you can catch more flies with honey...", and how service affects the overall experience as much as the food served.
(3)Tink T.
An authentic noodle bar in Key West?! That's amazing on its own, but everything was delicious. From the pork belly buns to the soft shell crab noodles.
(5)Jay T.
Located just off the strip but very easy to find. Ordered the House Ramen (w/ pork shoulder), pho (both half orders, cost half the listed price, plus $1, and was still a decent size bowl). Also had the pork buns. Pros: ramen had a par boiled egg with it that was delicious, noodles were nice and not too hard, pork was decent, beef tenderloin in pho was very tender with good flavor. Cons: broth for both ramen and pho were too salty, very flavorful, but just too salty (and I generally like my food salty), sauce on the pork buns were also salty. Overall: don't expect anything traditional, especially the pho...different flavor, not in a ultra bad way, just different. Also, service was below average. Shouldn't take more than 5 minutes to get your check when there's only one other table occupied at the time.
(2)Imanuel M.
Worst service ever!!! I usually don't take the time to write a review but this place is just horrible ! Let me just mention that I'm local from key west so I eat at this place more then once. Always mistakes with my order, I'm allergic to scallions and they always put that no matter how many times I ask not to! Never get my order right, one time I ordered hot pot miso soup witch is apparently different from a regular miso soup, asked to exchange and got reprimanded that I should know the difference between the two ! Last time I ordered beef pho witch I never get, I usually always get the tofu pho witch is very good but I decided to try something new, apparently the broth between the two is also different witch is off course does not say on the menu, and I kindly asked the same rude lady exchange and to show me where exactly is says that there's a difference, so she could prove my mistake. When she could not she started to yell at me and said that there's always problems with me and this is the last time that they served me! As if I would ever come back! Never in my life was I treated like this! I urge everyone to stay away from this place!!!
(1)Jane S.
What a find! We will go again. We had the beef pho and curried lamb. Both were amazing! Curried lamb was spicy so beware. We enjoyed the ambiance - it is a really neat little place. We had great service. The lady behind the bar was very friendly, always had a smile and checked on us often. Rare in the keys, so that was a bonus we didn't expect. There were lots of great looking things on the menu. We can't wait to go again and try a few more things!
(5)Mark B.
while searching for another restaurant that was closed, we happened across Kojin. What a great find. We each order a different dish including Ramen and curry dishes as well as dumpling apps. The meal was excellent.
(4)Sara H.
This place is SO good! Nice cozy little spot with great food! We ordered the traditional ramen, pho, and pork dumplings. Everyone that worked there was very attentive and welcoming. I only wish that we would have found this place sooner!! Great food for a great price!
(5)Khloe K.
Food here is so delicious! Servings are great! There is only 1 server who I have a problem with. Every time I've gone & he's working, he is rude. We sit upstairs bc we have a kid so we need a lower table then the ones downstairs, he never comes up to check on us (I've had to call down to him before to ask him for something) and we always end up just walking down to pay bc we'll be waiting forever for the check. Most of the servers give us a military discount (except him), which is really nice of them. The food & most of the workers are great. I've never had anything there that I didn't like. Maybe the bearded server can learn that being polite will get him a better tip.
(5)Ted L.
Kojin is an interesting one. It just really wants to be great, but frankly isn't. There are large photos of menu items on the wall that all look eloquently put together; unfortunately, what you get doesn't resemble what comes out of the kitchen. I had the soft shell tempura noodles. Two of my favorite things combined; unfortunately, the soft-shell crab was not tempura fried. It was more like the thick, cake-like breading that you get on sweet-n-sour ca(er, chicken). The noodles contained so much broth I almost needed spoon, straw and a bathing suit to get to the noodles. The upside? The voluminous amount of broth really had some complex flavors. This is the second time I've been to Kojin; it seems to be consistent. Which is a shame.
(1)Matthew T.
This was the real find of my latest trip to Key West. tucked just off of Duval on southard is a shrine to the pork gods. I have to admit that I'm no ramen expert and my childhood memories of ramen in LA are a bit muddled over the years but there is no denying that there is some really good food at Nojin. It is small, really small. 6 seats at the bar, two tables on the floor and a couple of bigger tables up in the loft. I've never been to a real izakaya but I can't help but wonder if this is what they are like. We lucked out and got one of the downstairs tables. The portions are large but they will do half size portions, so keep that in mind when you go $17 for the house ramen. Me and the DC decided to split a large bowl of the house ramen, some pork belly buns and a bottle of sake. Plenty of food for us decently priced and a bit of Heaven! The ramen had tons of amazing pork in it. The noodles were great. But the stock tasted like roast pork! It was amazingly good. You know that bit of roast pork with the caramelization on it the side? That piece of pork is what every drop of this broth tasted like. I have pictures of the empty bowl to post! It was like liquid roost pork flavor with great things to chew on. The people next to us swore by the lamb curry ramen but I'm sold on the house version. The pork buns were lovely little bits of pork belly with a great pickled cucumber and a bit of sauce. Very yummy as well. The bottle of Kasumi sake we had was perfect for this food as well. There was basically a waiter and the chef running the show. The waiter was great, friendly and knew what he was doing, even as the place started to fill up and he had to scramble up the stairs over and over again. The chef was quiet but every now and then you could see a little smirk on his face. I'm betting he knows he has some great food and loves watching our beaming faces and hearing the slurping sounds as we suck down his lovely broth and Ramen. I'm going to go cry now since this place is not down the street from my house and I could use some for lunch right about now.
(5)Anthony H.
The food is fresh and tasty!! Too bad we found this place on our last day in Key West.
(5)David M.
I agree with most of the reviews. Some stuff to add. -Great service. Especially at the bar. And good for atmosphere too! -The pork buns... There is too much sauce on them. Pork belly doesn't need help being awesome. -The beef pho was less than satisfactory. The broth is weak and watery. The beef isn't sliced super thin as it is generally served. This could be a pro or con. -The sides with the pho; typically sprouts, basil and lime. This place doesn't have sprouts... Sort of a staple of pho. Cabbage instead... Bad replacement. -The yakisoba was awesome... It is pretty heavy tho, but delicious. Overall, pretty good. The pho was just weak sauce. And can you guys just put bottles of sriacha (sp?) and chili paste out so customers can use at will? (You have to ask for sauce and then they just give you a spoon full.) I'll be back and recommend for sure.
(4)Marla S.
Overall, a definite yes. Rice ball appetizer, Yakisoba with tofu and (i think it's the) #3 with baby bok choy are pretty rockin'. There is definitely one server who is less than pleasant. I have seen this person make other staffers uncomfortable, which in turn made me want to hightail it outta there. All other servers are very welcoming. Despite my 4 star review, i'm disturbed by comments from reviewer AM about an unsanitary cook. I will be hyperaware on my next visit.
(4)Jeffrey F.
This place was an interesting little find just off Duval Street in Key West. Tired of the touristy bars an average seafood on Duval Street I stumbled upon this little gem while doing the Duval strut. Unfortunately this place really doesn't have a single personality as it has many Asian themes to it including Chinese, Vietnamese, Japanese and Korean. They did have a nice selection of cold sake, and I selected an unfiltered can of fun as they called it. It was 19% and very smooth and good. I had the Ramen noodle soup which was good. Not great, but good. The broth was off from what I expect in a $17 bowl of soup. I also ordered a bánh mì sandwich and was disappointed. They served it as a wrap instead of on the traditional bun or roll. While it was fine as a basic Asian wrap I clearly would not call this a bánh mì. The service was good and the server was very attentive to my needs. I might be willing to come back here if I had nothing else to eat, but I have had much better for less price, however, I guess in Key West if this is all you got it ain't bad.
(3)Sam T.
Cheap and amazing, the broth in the house ramen was to die for. I went there with my family and we all loved it, we sat upstairs and the environment was pleasing. The service was great and they played great music, but the thing that really impressed me was the amazing food, this was the best ramen I have ever had in my life. I wish I could visit more often to key west, just to see and eat at this wonderful place
(5)David M.
Great hangover food and you will need it when you here in key west. Had beef, and wife had lamb both extremely good, hostess made us very comfortable as there was 8 of us and the place is super tiny but we fit.
(5)Jamie G.
Surprising little place in Key West with a great selection of noodles. Great quality and pretty true flavors. This place should not be as quiet as it is on a Friday night! Service was great as well. Go here---
(4)Duy N.
The food here is great. Nice to find a noodle place in Key West. We had the Saigon salad and the ramen. Both were delicious. I have to comment on the soft boiled egg that comes with the ramen. I have been searching on how to replicate it and I can't seem to do it. They said they used a special machine to slow cook it for 4 hours! Try it out yourself and let me know what you think!
(4)Stella W.
I did't expect very authentic Asian food on the island. My boyfriend and I were so desperate to have some noodles after a few days of American and European cuisine. So we walked in anyways. Nothing special about the noodle and soup broth if you have tasted better ramen from nyc or Japan.
(3)Justin S.
Awesome quick eats. Stopped here for a quick lunch on Sunday. We had pork dumplings, pork belly steamed buns, and crab fried rice. Everything was so fresh and delicious. The crab fried rice was really special. Took the rest home for a snack. Can't wait to stop on for late night food!
(5)Gigi V.
Reviewers who bash the cost of the food here are displaying their ignorance - this is not some little hole-in-the-wall shop in Chinatown and the prices, while not cheap, are on par with the rest of the island for a sit-down meal. I almost always sit at the bar, and I've never seen anything heebie-jeebie going on, sanitation-wisen in all my visits. As for flavor, they've got it in spades. The steamed buns are spectacular, and the mango pineapple salad super refreshing. I never add salt to anything but movie popcorn, and while the ramen *is* savory, it is totally delicious. All I can think is that those other reviewers might have been dehydrated (hey, it happens - it gets really hot down here and people aren't used to drinking enough water for this climate), and that that made everything taste saltier. I bring houseguests and visitors here all the time and we never had anything less than a great and tasty meal. Haters gonna hate, but this should be on your shortlist of places to try if you come to town.
(5)Candice V.
Way over priced for very uninspiring and bland food. The vegetable miso noodle bowl was so salty that it was nearly inedible and the only vegetable included was cabbage. Hardly a vegetable soup. The cold octopus soba noodle salad was fine, but only noodles and 6 tiny octopuses. Definitely not worth what we paid. On top of all this, the atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired, and it took over 25min for us to get our food. Can't imagine why as there was very little to be done, and hardly anyone there getting food apart from us. We nearly walked out. Lots of other really fantastic places to eat in Key West, this place is definitely one to pass. One good thing, had a lovely waitress!
(1)A M.
I've been here a few times because the food is GOOD. This time however, I decided to sit at the bar for lunch. It is here where you have front row seating to what the chef does in front of you! Here are some observations (mostly bad) and I'm glad I finally sat here to see what they actually do behind the bar: DISGUSTING: Chef was handling food with his bare hands and then later seen texting and touching his phone. He did not wash his hands in between touching the phone and handling the food with his bare hands. The presentation was beautiful, however knowing that he has handled a most likely dirty object and your food is quite disturbing and frankly gross. RIDICULOUS: I always use my purse hook to hang my purse on the table. These things are designed with cushion on the bottom to prevent damage from occurring. That same health code violating chef pushed a folded napkin toward me and asked "put this underneath that!" They do not want their "banged up" furniture to get worse from a purse hook. OVERPRICED: I am from Los Angeles and have grown up eating at various ramen noodle restaurants... Cost of my food in particular: 16.9 fl oz Oi Ocha Green tea: $4.50 - in comparison to what you buy at a typical noodle house in LA it is $2.00 House Ramen $18 - in comparison to what you buy at a typical noodle house in LA with even greater portions $9 Basically this noodle house charges double the norm. Taken together despite food being good I personally will not come back.
(1)Jamie K.
I take my friends here every time we are in Key West and they love it. Small place, so call ahead if you have more than 3 in your party. Everything is awesome, I usually get the house ramen and BBQ pork steamed buns--amazing! Helpful waitress. They offer military discount!
(5)Danielle J.
If you looking for a place with "purse hooks" and cushiony seats, skip it. So ridiculous people mark a food establishment down for something so dumb. This noodle bar is amazing, very authentic, and very fresh. It's $8 for a small bowl, which is plenty! Keep in mind people, your in a vacation destination and it's run by amazing chefs. If you want affordable, go to Denny's or vacation in Orlando. I had the #4 with beef, was fantastic! I highly recommend!
(5)Barbara K.
Service is excellent but the food is way too salty for our taste. We order Saigon salad with beef (salty). Scallion noodle, not good at all. Ph is not the ph we were expecting. Bun with pork belly is really salty and lots of fat. Another disappointment.
(1)Isha S.
Fabulous find! Nothing is bad. Loved the pho--best I've had since Vietnam--and husband loved the curried lamb. Pho was perfect spice for me (mild but super flavorful) and the lamb was just spicy enough for my husband (not very , but again really flavorful). Ask the girl behind the counter for advice if you're not sure what you want. EAT HERE.
(5)Robert W.
2 bad reviews in one day.... I'm on a roll! Been all over the country and eaten Pho everywhere. this place has pho on the menu, but what I got was nothing resembling traditional pho. Noodles tasted like flour noodles, no bean sprouts or normal side veggies - only meat (beef) option I saw was "ribeye".... No flank, brisket, tripe, tendon, meatballs.... Nothing. The crab fried rice tasted ok, but was very oily..... And although I'm sure there WAS crab in the dish.... I'm equally sure there was a significant amount of spiny lobster in it as well (yuck). The steamed dumplings were decent. Won't be going back.
(2)Lisa M.
Enjoyed my dragon bowl very much. I appreciated being able to get take out at 11:45pm because I suddenly was so hungry. Great taste, quick preparation.
(5)Rev. Robert D.
OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!! I don't care what you do in Key West go to this noodle house! We, me and my wife, both got the Ramen bowl, I ordered jalapenos and chili garlic on the side spice it up a little. I've eaten noodle houses around the world, including Thailand, Vegas, Atlantic City, etc.... This is definitely in the top 10.
(4)Garza G.
Are you kidding me? A five-star certainly. We had the #1, #5, dumplings and pho. All were extraordinary. Oh! And the pork buns! Don't leave without them!
(5)Sarah W.
Ive read about their service but heard pretty good things about the food so I decided to give it a go regardless. Not happy I did. It is true that the service is rude. Like they are doing you a favor by taking your money!! I am a server in town and I make a living off of giving good service and am offended by non chant way that I was treated when I wanted to order to go food and being my first time in here I was asking some questions about the portions and so on...but I guess I was bothering her as she barely gave me more than a grunted half answer. Anyway, got the tofu buns, and a pho. Tofu buns were ok but the pho was not only really not authentic but the sides were not fresh to add to it and the broth tasted a little off, and super expensive!! They must think they are a michelin star asian joint. Really guys? You could do so much better if you cared a little more.
(2)Jocelyn K.
The Kimchi was amazing and the pork rolls were too. Such a happy surprise. Can't wait to have again!
(5)Tom D.
Loved it! After several days of eating heavy food in Key West, we were looking for something light and healthy for lunch. This is a smaller, casual place near Duval street and the food is very authentic, fresh and flavorful and beautifully presented. We had the pork dumplings as an appetizer, and for our main courses the Pho and a basil tofu rice-noodle salad. It was all delicious, The only reason for four stars instead of five is that the Pho wasn't very hot when served.
(4)Rosanna L.
Next time I'm back in Key West I definitely want to try their ramen with the pork belly, I mean anything with pork belly has to be good right? Well, on a trip here with my family, my dad happens to come across Kojin and was very excited because they had pho, unfortunately we just ate right before, but either way we we decided to see what they have, esp. stating $16 for a bowl of pho, holy cow! Well, $16 is for the huge green bowl and $9 for the smaller white one, phew okay, not so bad. We ended up ordering a Vietnamese coffee and banh mi. The cashier was very friendly and prompt. However, I think the chef that made our "banh mi" was probably taken aback when my dad asked him, "who teach you how to cook Vietnamese food?" Which is a valid question seeing as most of the items are from Vietnam and we are Vietnamese, so we were curious. The chef answered something along the lines of, "I'm a chef." *silence* (We realize that's all he was going to say.) Alright, cool, I guess. Anyways, my mom said the coffee was pretty good and the banh mi? Well, it threw me off when it didn't come on a baguette, but instead a flat bread. The meat is well seasoned and there were good flavors, but it was too messy and I know for a fact it would taste a lot better on a baguette. I give the chef kudos for trying to be inventive and hey if you're the only restaurant around this area with this type of Asian flare than I'm sure you can get away from the norm.
(3)Susan G.
Delish! Fun, quirky, little spot right off the main strip. The food and service was excellent, small menu, but great place to eat whether you are vegan or not!
(5)Matthew M.
Delicious find on this tiny island. I had low expectations when I walked in, but had them delightfully smashed after trying the house ramen. Came back for round 2 and am having the curried lamb ramen. Maybe not a key west "must eat," but a place that will certainly do the job if you are craving some noodles.
(4)Emily J.
Great noodle bar. I can vouch for the miso soup, which had cabbage, asparagus (nice and fresh!), carrots, tofu, and soba noodles. I added the spicy sauce to give it even more heat. Good service, too. I sat at the bar alone and didn't feel rushed. I'll definitely go back!
(4)Buba G.
Wow, I should have eaten my cup noodle. Here is our experience. - Drove to Key West on our first day, after check into our hotel, I search and found this restaurant on Yelp with great reviews. - We came and order 2 different bowls of noodle - After my first bite, I thought to myself, I should have stay in my hotel and eaten my cup noodle - The broth is salty and doesn't has that restaurant quality flavor As an Asian person, I ate different kind of noodles almost everyday, and for almost $18 a bowl of noodle that doesn't exceed a cup noodle quality, it wasn't worth the money. Last time here for sure.
(1)Mark B.
Without a doubt, our best meal in KW this past visit. Who would have thought a Ramen house would produce such wonderful food. We started with an order of Pork buns that were unreal. The dough was perfect, the pork was unreal tasty and spices were perfect. I had the house ramen and it was awesome. My wife Leigh had the red curry coco shrimp and loved it. Our server was extremely helpful and nice. This place for sure gets all 5 stars and I'd fly back to KW right now just to eat here again!
(5)Saleh M.
I had a very good dinner there. The menu are very small however the food was really good and filling. I have had much better noodles in other cities that's why I am giving it the 3 stars. If you are looking for good Asian food on KW this is the place to go.
(3)Danielle N.
I love Kojin and so does my husband! We eat there frequently. It's tiny, so it's always a gamble if they will have room for us, but so far so good. As for people who complain that it's pricy: welcome to Key West! Everything is pricy here. But Kojin does half portions that are very reasonable and the specials are mostly reasonable as well. I love the steamed buns with tofu (may be vegan, not sure) and the miso hot pot is good (and vegan), but my favorite meal there is the Spicy Peanut Ramen Shrimp. The Yakisoba (vegan) and the Red Curry Coconut Shrimp are also delicious. And I love to end with the assortment of Mochi. Don't expect things to be authentic - they serve their Banh Mi on naan! - but give it a try. I have liked everything there. As for drinks, they make a great iimeade, served with fresh mint, and have a good amount of sake and beer. A very welcome addition in Key West. Sometimes you just need a bowl of noodles!
(5)Rosamund P.
1.The miso hot pot is so so salty. When I sip the first spoon of the soup, I just want to pour my ice water into it. And it goes with raw vegetables such as cabbage, asparagus, lettuce... 2.the restaurant only has one female waitress , she is efficient, however, still can hardly take care of all the customer up and downstairs. Does it hurt much if the boss hires one more server? Anyway they charge $18 for one bowl of ramen Overall, I am not expecting a bowl of soup to NYC standard but I highly agree with one yelper indicating that when you claim that you make some type of food, make it with dignity! It's not that you are in key west a tourism city so you can make such Asian food far below standard.
(1)Susan S.
OMG! I dropped in on the 2nd to the last day of my recent vacation to Key West. I wish I would have found it on my first day because I would have had every meal at this restaurant, it was that good. I ordered the steamed pork buns, to DIE for, the bun was beautiful and the pork was cooked perfectly. Because I couldn't stop there I ordered a half order of the ramen. I was VERY pleased and pleasantly surprised to find a poached egg on top of the ramen. I have to say it was probably the best ramen I've ever had; the broth was fantastic! I just had to go back on my last day before catching my flight back to Seattle. Of course I HAD to have the pork buns again but I switched it up and had the lamb curry ramen. Can I say "KILLER"! I'm still thinking about and drooling over my meals there, wish I had more.
(5)Yao Y.
This resturant is so bad.The lady services us so dry and unfriendly.She ignores what I am saying.Even I say thanks to her.She looks at me angry.I felt like se were brothering her being there.And it was the first time that we were come here.She quickly went over the menu but any questions we want she to answer as if she was annoyed.Also the ramen noddle is so salty.I will never come here!Forever!
(1)Amanda M.
I came to Florida with my parents for holiday break. So I used yelp to recommend Resturant for us. This one come up. Rating is good, food looks great, therefore we decided to try. However it turns to the worse experience EVER!!!!!! I wish I could give them negative stars!!!! It says open hours is 11am. We arrived there at about 10:45. There was an employee inside cleaning windows. Opening hours is confirmed after I talk to her. So my parents and me standing outside and wait, wait, wait. After 11, we were ready to go in, she said NO! I was confused, and when I ready to argue with her, other people came, and she let them in!!!!! My mom was so mad, thus she came to help me push the door, the employee pushed my mom so hard that she almost fall!!!!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!! Then she started yelling, I wish I could understand what she said, but English is not my native language, I can't understand what she was screaming about. So disappointed!!!!!!!!
(1)Nicole C.
Fabulous noodle house! Definitely start with the pork buns. Hands down best thing I've eaten on Key West so far. Doesn't feel very Floridian, but awesome food!! I got the yakisoba, which was fantastic, and my friend got the ramen. He said it was legit, having recently lived in Japan. A very small place, but a nice meal at the bar. They do have a cute upstairs too for a more intimate experience (not that kind of upstairs...) There's also a to-go window. Small place to eat, but fantastic food! They have 2 beers on tap, but yum - Sapporo and Magic Hat. They also have military discount!
(5)Richard L.
found this place for the light food. turned out to be a over expected place. clean and good food.
(4)Patrick R.
I liked the Pork yakisoba (noodles stir fry), Good beef tenderloin pho. Excellent pork buns. Portions are very big. Get the half orders.
(4)Katie S.
All I can say is YUM!! My husband and I stopped in for lunch on our vacation and it was delicious! Unless you are mega hungry, get the half portion, because the full size is huge. We had the #1 and 5...Pork Shoulder in the first and Sift Shell crab in the second. Everything was fresh and fast service!
(4)Ryan C.
One word: outstanding. There is no other place on the island like Kojin. If you are craving some ramen, udon, pho, or other asian noodle dishes, this is the place to go. It's a very limited menu, but that makes it even better and specialized. I had the House Ramen and the Steamed Pork Buns. They were both full of flavor and I just wanted more, more, more. A word of caution, the place is very, very small, not unlike the noodle bars in Japan. Do not roll in with 10 people and expect to get any kind of seating; small parties only! The owner is extremely friendly, gracious, and talented. One nice feature is it is a fairly open kitchen so you can watch them prepare the food. If you think ramen is the $0.99 crap you buy in the super market, come here and open your eyes.
(5)J L.
What a great find just off Duval. Delicious Pork Ramen. Noodles cooked perfectly Pork Belly Steamed Buns are out of this world. And the chef (I think he is also the owner) is really handsome and friendly if you decide to eat at the bar. We will definitely be back! Thanks Kojin for an amazing dining experience.
(5)Jonathan M.
Definitely recommend this place if you're in The Keys and looking for a healthy and delicious dining option, craving some spice and a bowl of noodles. The menu is pan-Asian, with Vietnamese pho sitting alongside ramen and pork buns. We tried the tofu buns (think a vege approximation of Momofuku's pork belly buns) which were light and fluffy, and everyone in our party loved their generously sized mains. The large bowls on offer at Kojin are literally salad-bowl sized; stick to the small if you'd like a regular portion. All dishes came with jalapeños, so a warning to those who don't like their noodles fiery. The service was efficient and friendly too.
(4)Simone C.
Nice, small place, but food was soooo overpriced. $9 for banh mi -- $17 for pho -- and $10 for 3 itsy bitsy steamed buns? I didn't want to seem rude, so I ordered an appetizer (steamed pork buns which were so-so) and made my way out of there quick.
(3)Catherine O.
We found this place by chance while biking around town. Living in a rural northern location severely limits what we have available locally and this was my first noodle house experience. Love love the flavors. Had the mango pineapple salad and the beef pho. We will be back before we leave.
(5)Brian B.
Amazeballs. The pork belly ramen was the tits for lack of a better description. The place is tiny, but the food is definitely top notch. Some of the better asian noodles I've had in a while, and not limited to Key West. I am surprised there is this level of food on this block, with The Cafe and Sarabeth's just a few feet away. Definitely recommend it. If you're just 2 grab a seat at the bar, otherwise seating is hard to find.
(5)Moira B.
Totemo Oishi! We enjoyed a delightful dinner on the second floor dining area, after trying two nights to sit at the bar. It's an intimate locale, but worth trying to get a seat. We enjoyed: Cold draft Sapporo Chilled Sauvignon - House Ramen: delicious broth, perfect pork and noodles - Saigon Salad with tofu: crisp veggies - Shrimp in coconut sauce (1/2 order of this was plenty for one, with room to share some) - Octopus with soba noodles: excellent in every way The ambiance was relaxed, the lighting good, the food excellent. A couple of Japanese were sitting next to us, enjoying their meal as well! Give this place a try!
(5)Joe H.
I am a fan of Ramen and Udon noodles no matter where I go. This place isn't top rate but isn't bad either. I ate here twice on my two day visit to KW if that tells you something. First time (late night) had the house special noodles at the counter - nice but nothing to write home about. Definitely didn't seem to match the size and complexity of others reviews or pictures. Second day tried the Curry flavor and I am pretty sure I got the same dish as the first day. Friendly server but rather odd acting chef. Anyway, either they mixed up my order on day two, or they don't have more than one broth. I would go back but clearly they have some inconsistency in service and food quality and could improve the seasoning.
(2)Tori L.
Really really great. The noodle bowls here are so good we came back a second time during our short visit to Key West. Neither my husband nor myself was disappointed. I had the pho one day and the chicken bowl the next and both were exactly what I wanted. The portions are large and the noodles are plentiful. My husband tried one of their special rice dishes and the pork dumplings and was really happy with both (he just said it was some of the best food he's ever had). It is on a side street and so worth hunting up if you like noodle soup. Arrive early - it gets full! No worry though because they also have a take out window.
(5)Paul M.
Great meal. Small bar with a few tables. Fresh ingredients made with care. Will always go back when in key west. Don't expect a fancy restraunt. It's a casual eat and go.
(4)Christie C.
Coming from CA where there are lots of authentic Japanese ramen joints, the ramen here is just ok. The soup is good, but the noodle is kind of saggy. Like everything else on Key West, the price is steep, I paid $17 for house ramen. I would give this place two stars for the food and price. But because of their wonder staff, I added one more stars.
(3)Jeff Z.
Wow awesome little place with tasty Asian food. We ate there 3 times during a weeks stay and loved everything we had.
(5)Stephanie V.
Delicious steamed pork buns!!! My friend got the noodle bowl with the pork and said it was really good as well... If it was just walking on the sidewalk I probably would have walk right pass this little gem!
(4)Sam H.
What made my Kojin experience pretty awesome was the staff. I convinced my friend to come here to have some good ramen b/c... it helps me ... replenish my electrolytes. Well... it's basically a Noodle bar that makes pho, noddle salad, ramen, and some other soups! If you know your ramen or pho and expect the west coast styel awesome ness... it would be dissapointing b/c ... well... b/c they are one of it's only kind here in Key West. What you WON"T be dissapointed is by the portion size!!! If you are not full after eating any order of this... then... check yourself for parasites.
(4)Laurie G.
This was easily our best meal in three days on Key West. Pho was delicious and authentic. They also had a great pineapple mango salad that night. Kojin is a must-do on the island.
(4)Jordan V.
As good as a noodle bar in Asia! The owner is the same owner of The Cafe vegetarian restaurant across the street that has great reviews! The steamed buns, and House Ramen are my favorite. Craft beer selection is good and the decor is fantastic! It is all fresh, so I understand, but I think that they should have a lunch menu because the House Ramen is $17...Not bad for dinner, but lunch can be expensive!
(4)Lowie T.
Ramen in Key West u say?? I went in with a skeptical yet curious appetite. The place is VERY small. a few bar stools and maybe 2 tables for two downstairs and i spied an upstairs which looks equally small. we came in on a saturday night around 11:45pm (they close at midnight) and they staff was super friendly! not in a rush to hurry us out for closing, they took our orders, & even had small talk with us- but not in a hovering kind of way. the service is top notch here. Only open a little more than 3 months, if there were any taste issues that needed ironing out, i believe they have perfected it all. the menu is a hodgepodge of asian variety, varying from ramen, to thai, from pork buns to bahn mi! I got the house ramen , and my friend got the udon. First of all, i'd like to preface that this is not your traditional ramen, but some hybrid/cousin/modern floridian take on it. whatever they did, i don't care- the flavor is big! the broth is so full of porky goodness i wanted to devour and savor it all at the same time. the noodles were not bad, slightly more cooked than al dente, and there was a TON of shredded pork in addition to a couple of pork belly slices, and also sprigs of cilantro which gave it a nice freshness in the midst of the pork party. i tried some of my friend's udon noodle soup, and the flavor, although quite different, was also out of this world! i'm telling you, kojin has some of the best broth i've ever had. the only drawback i had was the steep pricing. a whopping $17 for a full bowl! coming from nyc, i had been in shock at how inexpensive food & drinks in key west were until i came to kojin. luckily they now offer "half bowl" options. i would advise to get this instead. the full bowl was waay too big since they give you about the same amount of pork as noodles almost. my guy friend got the half and he was satisfied. add some apps, and you're good to go.
(5)Gablesgirl M.
Everything we have ordered has been delicious. The Ramen, Pho, bahn mi and the yakisoba noodles are all authentic and amazing flavor.
(5)Mike S.
Great Curried Lamb and Yakisoba Noodles. A cool and quaint place to catch a break from the Key West crowd.
(5)Nikki D.
I'm a huge fan of noodles and after eating seafood for 3 days straight it was nice for the change. It was one of the best meals I had in Key West! Everything was cooked perfectly, I ordered the Pho which was absolutely delicious! The chef takes his time to prepare everything. You can tell he had a sense of pride in his dishes. The pork buns were amazing as well, the pork belly melted in your mouth! I will definitely go back there when I return!! IGNORE the negative reviews, it much more worth it for you to be the judge!
(5)Crystal F.
Surprise to find Japanese noodle soup in Key West! That's exactly what we need in such a chilly day after sailing for two hours!!! This place is really great. I tried ramen noodles in LA and NYC in several different places before. This place is definitely great. The taste is a little different from other traditional Ramen noodle soup but its so good!!! Love it!!!
(5)alejandra p.
We stumbled across this place on the way back to our hotel on the last night of our vacation. We stepped in to see if we could get a table and were standing in the restaurant for a whole 5 minutes and nobody bothered to greet us. Mind you, the restaurant is pretty small and only seats about 15 people so its not like they didn't see us standing there. I finally asked the waitress if they had an available tables and she promptly said "no." She didn't give us a wait time or anything. So we left and debated as to whether we should come back after such a bad first impression. 30 minutes later, our noodle craving was still raging so we decided to make a brisk walk back to this place keeping in mind Mr. Z's across the street if things went south. This time the restaurant was completely empty. The waitress told us we could sit anywhere so we sat down and she came and asked us for our drinks. We both said water so she left again. It wasn't until she came back to ask for our order did we realize that we weren't going to get menus. She just expected us to know we had to order off the wall. Anyways, we ordered and this is what we have to say: She said: I really like my ramen. I'm always on the hunt for a good Japanese noodle soup and the broth for this one was really flavorful. It was, however, a little salty. The pork was delicious and tender and I really like that they put fresh herbs and a soft egg in it. The noodles themselves were unremarkable. The limeade was a little sweet for my taste but it was very refreshing. The mochi was awesome! Overall, I give the food a 4/5 but the service was really a turn off for me. He said: For the record, I didn't think the waitress was as rude as portrayed but it was an initial bad first impression. I ordered Lamb Curry ramen (never heard of that before) and it was delicious. I did notice that when they brought out both soups, they were essentially the same and added a yellow sauce to mine and a brown sauce to hers then put the vegetables and herbs. Either way, I don't think that detracts from how good the food was. I really enjoyed the flavor of the broth and the lamb itself was tasty and soft. Food was definitely good. And the mochi was good as well.
(3)Oksana R.
I do not like to write bad reviews for I think that all tastes differ, but I could not help myself in this instance. I was craving noodles and was so excited to find a high reviewed place here, in Key West..... What a disappointment... The place looks good and has amazing pictures of food but that's all that it has. We ordered pork buns, house ramen, and Vietnamese iced coffee. Pork buns - nice presentation but the slice of pork belly had such an overpowering odor of non-fresh meat that even the sauce and the pickle couldn't mask. House ramen was a poorly executed, murky, fatty broth that was full of shredded pork meat. I believe that they make their broth by simmering canned russian meat (), which is a shame and should not even be considered to be called ramen. The noodles were soggy and tasteless. When we asked for some Sriracha sauce to try to flavor the soup, it was given to us in a small noodle spoon - ummm, at those prices you can not give us a bottle??? Needless, to say I did not finish my bowl. I am beyond disappointed. My husband was a lot nicer about the place, in his opinion it was better than what he expected. However, I think that if one decides to serve a certain cuisine, then do so with dignity. I don't think the owners are Asian and while I commend people who try things out of their comfort zone, I do not believe in shortcuts and poor imitations.
(1)The C.
The menu is a postcard (as seen in the picture). Simple! The noodles are good. Eat here. There are six main noodle bowls from which to choose. You can also get a few sides or a soft egg added to your noodle dish if you like. For dessert, you can try a flight of moshi balls: three flavors, you're bound to like something! The A/C is currently (Jan 2012) not very effective upstairs, so go up to the eight-seater table in the loft if you are chilly -- it gets toasty warm being right under the roof. There are a few very small tables and a bar with seating so you can watch your food cooking while you wait, which is about the same as any small noodle place in Japan (of course). They're going to upgrade their A/C very soon, well before spring. Their servers are friendly and helpful, they have beer (I had Magic Hat #9, my husband had Sapporo), I ordered the Pho and found the beef slices tender but authentically very rare (hence, for me, a little hard to chew into as small mouthfuls as I'd like to), also there was nowhere near as much fresh basil as I have come to expect from pho -- delivery problem or stylistic? I think next time I will have what my husband enjoyed: House Ramen with pork shoulder. Note: ASK for no sesame seeds if you are allergic, they use at least a few toasted ones on pretty much every dish as a garnish unless stopped. The Menu: House Ramen (pork shoulder, pork belly, soft egg, nori pieces, scallion) Dragon bowl (rice noodles with a roasted chicken leg, chili ginger, lime, cabbage, cilantro) Miso Hot Pot (spring vegetables, tofu, soba noodles -- miso hungry!) Pho (beef tenderloin or tofu, basil, chilies, sprouts, cilantro, rice noodle) Soft Shell Crab Tempura (on udon noodles, with shitake, garlic, yuzu, cilantro, sesame) Curried Lamb (on ramen with scallions and mint) Bao (they list as "steamed buns") with hoisin integral cold soba salad with baby tako, bacon, chili, lime, mint, peanut and a few more things... go check out the postcard!
(4)Diana R.
My boyfriend and I were in Key West and looking for something to eat. We came across this this restaurant and it was one of best things we have ever eaten. We loved it. The staff is very attentive and helpful. The food taste good and comes out in a timely manner.
(4)Miles V.
PHO was on point! SO good. Service was good. Big points for also allowing us to eat 30 minutes before they open. Not 5 star because not the most hygienic restaurant. You can see into the kitchen which they cant really help, but they can help what they touch with their hands before they touch the food and the cleanliness of the kitchen needs a lot of work along with their steamer. Will definitely go back next time in the keys hopefully it will be more clean!
(4)Nancy H.
No matter how many times we come to Key West, we always find something new to try. Kojin was recommended by local friends so we went. Udon with deep fried soft shell crab for me and pho for my man. I don't have a sweet tooth, so the broth was a bit sweet for me, but it was delicious. The crab was a bit over-battered (a tempura batter would have been a better idea) but it was juicy and tender. The lime-mayo dip with the crab was really nice. The pho was delish. Not quite what we're used to, but really tasty. There was plenty of beef, but no basil. Lots of greens on the side, but missed the bean sprouts. The Sapporo draught was cold and refreshing--which was good because there's no AC! There' a nice selection of sake. We'll be back!
(4)Karl W.
Tucked into a Suite on the corner of Duval and Southard, thisis unique for Key West. Limited menu, but good food. The prices on the main menu board are for large size bowls. There is a a half size I recommend for one. Lemonade was fresh and delicious. When the Bowl arrives, give it a chance to sit a few minutes and let the flavors meld. DAMN GOOD.
(4)John G.
We were in Key West for New Year's and ate at this place one night, and it was one of the best restaurants we ate at while we were down there. Unfortunately they don't have a website and no one has posted a picture of their current menu, but they let you swap any noodle with any broth. I had a red curry type broth with ramen noodles and shrimp, and the shrimp might be the best shrimp I've ever had. They were perfectly cooked and almost melted in your mouth.
(5)Anthony Y.
I agree with the other Asian reviews. It's a likable small place. The house ramen is a bit pork heavy. The broth is good, but the added pork belly and pork shoulder could use a balancing out of other ingredients. Instead, this felt like pork soup with some ramen thrown in. Service was nice, but the air conditioning is pretty poor.
(3)Louanne M.
Wow. Just go. And don't be put off by the small space, the lack of individual attention, the lack of menu... Get over it. Just go. You will be so happy. Dragon Bowl for spicy lovers, Pho or Curried Lamb for the rest of you. I'm not a sake drinker so can't comment on that. Great place.
(5)Joy M.
Who would've thought we d come all the way to key west and have our best meal at a noodle joint!. We could've eaten 20 of the steamed buns delicious. Noodles were amazingly full of flavor. Will be back!
(5)Brian R.
The food is really quite good, although I wish they'd dump the pork belly trend that seems to be sweeping Asian cusine and stick to something less fatty for their roasted pork dishes. I hate picking out fat. The other reason I'm peeling off another star is that the loft area could be used to interrogate prisoners of war. The heat is bad up there on a June afternoon, and the A/C does not work so well. The menu is a bit limited and could use a few more basic, less spicy items like a nice SOBA to balance out the menu which has a lot of zip. I like it, but others aren't so big on the burn. Seating is limited. Service was okay, not killer. Prices were very reasonable.
(3)Eric T.
I went with my wife and my parents for dinner. So we're Asian, and we love Asian food, and we were craving Asian at the time. For the price, it's not bad Ramen, and they really do a decent job at making it as "Japanese" as possible. We all ordered the House ramen, and we all agreed that while the ingredients were good, what made it not so good was the fact that the broth was too salty. I know I shouldn't be comparing Ramen in NYC to Ramen in Key West, but when you do, this place feels like a "good attempt" at doing Ramen. I give 2 stars because they did a good job with the poached egg, and the quantity and quality of the pork belly was good. The ambience was pretty nice, too, and we were able to get the upstairs table of six all to ourselves.
(2)Paul C.
Wonderful and creative menu executed to perfection and served with big smiles. The food was fast and phenomenal. Intriguing beer and sake selections to boot. A MUST when trying to rid the hangover demons from your body....
(5)Jennifer M.
This is my favorite restaurant in Key West. I have to go there every time I'm in town. The ramen is my favorite, and I love it so much that it's hard to try anything else.
(5)Nathan B.
It's true that the pho is non-traditional, but it was also delicious. The house ramen is also very satisfying, and as other reviewers have noted the half portion is plenty of food. The pork belly steamed buns were also truly delicious - go ahead and get the extra if sharing between two people, you will not regret it!
(5)M S.
I'm in love w this spot!!! Real Pho in KW?!!! Yes!!! this place always seems to have more locals than tourists in it, but I think that must be a sign that the food is great that locals are always in there. Their house ramen is a must try! and hopefully you'll be lucky enough to catch them on a day when the coconut curry shrimp is on special :) Last must try: Can of Fun!!!
(5)Noe N.
I love Kojin!. Everything I've had here is so good. Ramen noodle bowls, crab fried rice, Saigon Salad. When I used to eat meat I had their pork belly dumplings and lamb ramen and it was delish! The service is friendly too. You can do a half order on their noodle bowls, which is nice, because I think for ramen, it's a tad overpriced, which is why only 4 stars. Sometimes I question the person at the front who touches all the food with his bare hands, but even in upscale restaurants, cooks and chefs use their bare hands so I try not to think about it. It's hard though, but try I will in order to continue eating here. Just please make me feel better, Kojin, and tell me he washes his hands after using the restroom.
(4)Francoise M.
Outstanding food! These people really know about Asian food; how to cook it, how to serve it in the proper utensils. The sake selection is great. Everything freshly prepared, and beautifully seasoned. Prices are good.
(5)Adam D.
Unlike anything I have tasted before. A very interesting blend of flavors. I tried the large dragon bowl (huge amount of food, enough for two people). Very hip fun place. With for sure eat there again and for sure will try other items from the menu.
(4)Crystal D.
Food was excellent! Some of the best ramen my husband and I have had. Beer selection was great too!
(5)