Lunch at Southcenter's new Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya

If you have a hankering for Japanese food, then head over to the new Kizuki Ramen & Izakaya inside Southcenter Mall. When most people in the states think of Japanese cuisine, they usually think of sushi. But Ramen is another popular dish to try and you will find many places that serve it here now. Besides Ramen on the menu, there is also Izakaya, which means small plates served alongside cocktails. Some of the selections to go alongside your Ramen are choices like Gyozas, Potato Croquettes, Chicken Wings, Vegetable Tempura, and more. 

Since they have a full bar with many choices, and I think that's a wonderful thing to have in the middle of the mall, the world felt like our oyster. So when I saw a drink called a Hello Kitty on the menu, I ordered it right away. It had a Japanese Vodka and cranberry juice, and then the colorful cocktail was topped with whipped cream and two red gummy candies. First I thought it was juice because I couldn't taste the Vodka. It was a very fruity and tasty drink and I could see someone drinking too many and stumbling all over Nordstrom. Ha ha!

My husband wanted to try the Ramen, so he ordered the Chicken Rich Ramen. It came with nice pieces of white chicken, lettuce, and an egg, along with the broth and noodles. I wanted to try the Izakaya dishes, so I ordered the Chicken Wings, the Potato Croquettes, and the Veggie Gyozas.  I was excited to try their wings because lately I've been trying a lot of different versions. I never knew how many different ways there are to do wings and their version hit the spot and had me going back for more. They were house made crispy marinated chicken wings topped with a citrusy garlic glaze. They were da' bomb and I want some more. The Gyozas were pretty standard, nothing I've never had before. I always enjoy the soy vinegar dipping sauce which is usually served alongside the Gyozas. I found the Potato Croquettes to taste good but they were a little soft and mushy for me. I did like the drizzled tonkotsu sauce on top though. I was impressed by the quality of food, service, and ambiance in the middle of the mall. I didn't expect to find quality like this right next to a Sears store in Tukwila, WA, but I'll take it!