Kai Ramen - Santa Monica

I'm so glad I checked out Kai Ramen in Santa Monica! We are here to visit family and I just found my new favorite spot to eat at while visiting. We ordered the takoyaki and it was delicious! The pickled ginger was the perfect compliment to the takoyaki. I ordered the miso tonkotsu ramen and it was incredible; the soft boiled egg was spot on and the pork was cooked to perfection! Our table also ordered the cucumber salad which had a delicious dressing, a chicken teriyaki bowl and a beef ramen that was equally as delicious! Service was amazing, our server was kind and attentive. The atmosphere was comfortable and fun, music was great but not overwhelming.

It pains me to write this review. This used to be a frequent spot for dinners on Sundays after my friends and I play volleyball. I can confidently say the taste has changed and the service is one I will never forget. I believe there is new management and it is evident that they seem to easily be overwhelmed. The bathrooms needed toilet paper and soap, my friend politely asked for some and was aggressively told to sit down. While back at our table we were having conversation trying to make light of the situation and the waitress then rushed over to tell me that my laughing was unacceptable. With the location being very small it was obvious to other tables what had just happened and the entire mood of every table soured.I don't ever wish anyone to lose businesses and I am writing this in hopes there will be a reflection and change. It's hard for me to say if I will ever go back.

Tried my neighborhood ramen spot for the first time - Absolutely loved the food here! We ordered Kai's buns and bomb ramen, and both were really good.Kai's buns - the chicken was crunchy and well cooked, I liked the cabbage slaw on top Bomb ramen - that was my favorite. We ordered mild spice, and it was perfect. The vegetables and toppings were delicious and I would highly recommend getting this anytime you come here.The service was really good and I felt welcomed by the host. I will definitely come back!

Ramen spot with vegetarian friendly options. There are non-ramen options as well including rolls and rice. Came here for dinner on a weeknight and we had a quick meal. We got the Tokyo Bomb and the Classic Tonkatsu. The food came out fairly quickly and it's a fair portion. Prices are a bit higher but it makes sense since it's in the Westside. Service was quick and credit cards accepted. Indoor dining available.

Kai Ramen has been the go to spot since my bf and I relocated to Santa Monica. Sometimes we eat there, but usually we order out. We have found that we get the best results when we go to the place to order for take out and just wait for the food to be ready (rather than order online in advance). The food comes out hot and we're a short drive away so our food is never sitting out waiting for us to pick up. Another benefit from ordering at the place is when we would order for pick-up, if the food is sitting for some time, the meat and egg can continue to cook while inside the container and the meat would be more cooked than we liked. We've not had that issue since we changed our method. It could be a coincidence, but that hasn't been proven yet. We've tried various ramens on the menu, but my preference is the Classic while my bf tends to like the White Ramen with some spice. You get an egg with each one, but my bf doesn't eat them so I always get 2. The owners are always very nice and polite and the food usually doesn't take long to come out. We will definitely be back for more in the future I'm sure lol

Food tastes great and fresh! The staff is super sweet and friendly. Great Ramen in Santa Monica.

WOW! 10 out of 10! BEST VEGAN RAMEN IN LA!!! We had no idea how incredible this place was until we googled ramen spots in Santa Monica. Some nation wide chains came up and so we decided to go with Kai Ramen because it was a local place and because of their vegan options. We had never been here before but it exceeded our expectations. The staff was so attentive and sweet! Greeted us immediately! We ordered the Garlic Potato Fries(MY FAVORITE)- the garlic taste was unreal! YOU MUST TRY IT! The vegan bao buns were INCREDIBLE TOO! And the Ramen was DELICIOUS! THIS IS OUR NEW FAVORITE SPOT!

WARNING! I looked at the menu and saw they offered gluten free noodles. My wife is allergic to wheat. Out of caution, I called to check how they cook their gluten free noodles. As it turns out, they cook their gluten free noodles in the same water as the other noodles. We've encountered this before (Rakken Ramen - all of them). I'm not sure why restaurants offer gluten free noodles if they are just going to turn them into gluten noodles. I'm sure the food here is good, based on other reviews, but I'm really disappointed to find any restaurant proporting to cater to an allergy when in reality it could hurt someone with an allergy. I am well aware of the possibility of cross contamination in any restaurant that use wheat along side gluten free options, but in this case, it's really not cross contamination, it's direct contamination and conscious contamination. Very disappointing!

Such an amazing time, the soup is made in house and is yuuuummy! The server was so nice and prompt. The ambiance was magnificent. Will be coming back. Kai Ramen to the moon!

Two of us had the bomb ramen with ground pork for lunch. Dish was spicy and delicious. Convenient right on Montana. Space is open and airy and the server very attentive.