MaLa ramen, with a Sichuan hot pot-inspired base, at Kayo's Ramen Bar on North Williams. Photo: Meira Gebel/Axios
👋 Meira here. Rose City is not short on ramen shops — and we all have our favorites.
We've got upscale spots like Afuri (where you'll wait up to 90 minutes on a Friday night for a bowl of tsukemen), and slide-up-to-the-counter shops like Kinboshi.
Those are my go-to's, but last week I made it a point to try something new and checked out Kayo's Ramen Baron North Williams.
The menu: The choices here are endless. There are five ramen-style soups — featuring classics like shoyu and miso — where you can pick your broth (bone or vegan), protein (pork or tofu) and spice level (mild to extra hot).
I ordered the MaLa, a Sichuan hot pot-inspired base with all the fixings: jammy egg, corn, spinach, charred green onions and chashu pork (braised pork belly) with mild spice.
The bite: As someone who prefers tantanmen (creamy broth and ground meat), I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. It truly tasted like hot pot!
Notes of simmering peppercorns, chili and miso underscored tender chashu and a series of tasty toppings. It almost felt healthy, but I know it's not.
The bottom line: There's plenty of seating at Kayo's — both in and outside of the heated patio. So if there's too long of a wait at Eem, just venture down the block and you won't be disappointed.
