Kayo's Ramen Bar Reviews

I did not eat the ramen here so my review is for the garlic fried rice and pot stickers. They were both excellent, they also had squirt in the bottle which is my favorite, so that was a definite plus. The service was ok, but I felt a little like since I was solo and not ordering much the waitress wasn't very attentive. the food was really good and the service wasn't bad, it just wasn't great.

Happened to be staying at an Air BnB in the neighborhood and just came upon this place. Came by for a late lunch and thought it was wonderful. Amongst the six of us we had four different dishes, my son and I had a szechuan noodle bowl (spiced as "medium") which had great flavor. Two others had one of their standard noodle dishes which was savory and tasty. My son's fiancé had a bowl with peanut flavoring and my daughter had a wonderful ginger-pineapple bowl that was great - good pineapple flavor without the cloying sweetness of so many dishes based on that fruit. An excellent server who was attentive and knowledgeable without being the slightest bit obsequious. Highly recommended

We met up with friends for dinner here on a chilly evening and because there were 8 of us, we had to sit outside. It's a good thing they have heaters so we weren't too cold! We chose this restaurant because we wanted ramen and Kayo's offers a lot of vegan options. We ordered Zhajiang Mian which was their fall special, a garlic fried rice, a shoyu ramen and a curry ramen, all with tofu. We also tried their vegan taco. Everyone was very happy with their choices. A stand out was the curry ramen which was extremely flavorful. The Zhajiang Mian was different from the Korean version that we are used to but still good. I especially love the way they make their tofu. The taco was the only disappointment; my kids thought it was just okay. I wish there was a branch of this restaurant near us. We would go often!

We stopped in after 9pm for some grub after a day in the hop farms and drink beers across the city. Spicy ramen was solid and the fried chicken was very good. Staff was quick and attentive

This used to be one of our favorite lunch places. The new owners have made some changes which we do not like: no more cocktails; no more bar seating; no more beer choices, only 1, a Japanese lager; water in plastic glasses; smaller bowls (i.e. smaller servings); no table service, order at the counter; smaller menu. We decided not to return due to these changes.

Had soy sauce based ramen, it was very good. Didn't see a tonkatsu based ramen (the creamier version). Either ways, their ramen tasted fresh and came out hot just the way I like it.

We popped in for a late Friday dinner. I ordered Kayo’s Total Eclipse special – why not? Basically, it was a gimmick: Kayo’s tsukemen TanTan made with black sesame, topped with ground pork. I chose the “medium” spice level, which was on the lighter medium level in my opinion; still it was good. I enjoyed the toothsome noodles and flavorful dipping sauce – I thoroughly enjoyed my dish. Also on order was a small plate of pork gyoza (nicely pan-fried to a blackened crisp on one side) and miso ramen. The latter had overcooked noodles but the broth was light and still had depth, which is not always successfully achieved - at Kayo's, it succeeded. Service was very good: The hostess had us seated quickly, our server was attentive and very friendly, and the chef/owner even checked in on us (and took away empty plates). Enjoyed our entire experience. Definitely recommend!

This place does excellent Ramen serving some traditional Shoyu, Shio and Miso Bowls, all serves really fresh and steaming. Good value for money, which has had me coming back a few times now.

Garlic rice, delish, ramen very good, cucumber salad ok, Donburi extra good. Crowded on a Thursday eve. Super efficient and friendly wait staff. Could drink the hot broth with a straw.

This place was really good. There was a line going out the door so it took a while to be served. It was well worth the wait. The ramen was delicious! My favorite part is always the eggs. They even let me get double. They were so good. My son got the curry ramen and he loved it. It was really good. I am more of a ramen purist so I got the original ordinary ramen. It was awesome. Also the portions were huge. It was really chilly on the day we went and their ramen really hit the spot. I would eat here again.

I had lunch at Kayo with my daughter today. She visited last week and talked me into driving into NE Portland to give it a try. It was a good decision. I found the menu to be a little more authentic than the other Ramen houses I've been to in Portland where the Ramen scene is just starting to blossom. Good broth choices and many options for all different diners, vegan included. I had the Tan Tan Ramen, very similar to Dan Dan Noodles (Cantonese). It was very good on a cold, clear winter day. My daughter had the vegetable based broth with shiyo. Both very good.

The ramen were excellent. I lived in Japan 30 years ago and haven’t had a great bowl since going vegan. These guys make excellent noodles for omnivores and vegans, but the vegan broth and contents are not afterthoughts here. I will definitely be back.

Kayo's is located in the hip and bustling N. Mississippi and N. Williams area. While checking the area out don't miss the best ramen place in town - Kayo's. Great service, authentic ramen and hip atmosphere are all in place. But the bottom line is the wonderful broth and noodles.

Ramen was tasty. Tried both the Tan Tan and Mala. Loved the noodles, perfectly made. The broths were good, on the better side for our personal taste, but nothing special. Have a nice outside area with heatlamps above. Service was okay, couldn't really understand our waiter with strong Mexican accent, but was friendly.

Ramen is a pretty standard item in Portland. Practically a ramen place on every corner. This one really stood out! Loved the Miso Ramen and the Pot Stickers. Thank you.

A big bowl of nicely done noodles in a very flavorful broth. Pleasant decor. And a high-functioning, well-trained staff. What more could you want? It's not cheap, however. Go to a Vietnamese Pho joint for cheaper fare.

Forget the rest - I've trued them all and Kayo's wins every time. The Tan Tan ramen is the best Iv'e had outside of Gomaichi Ramen in Honolulu. Tan Tan is the spicy, kinda sesame based broth and is sure to cut through almost any gray January day.

broth flavorful but light, noodles were perfect, char siu pork was tough and flavorless, egg was overcooked. Airy ambiance and nice selection of booze.

Not a big fan of ramen but this place seems to be always busy so we have it a shot. I had the wonton soup. Very tasty but a small bowl. The ramen bowls were much larger and came with many choices. You serve your own water and it’s very casual. We will be back for more.

Heavy but delicious chicken and pork broth. Great happy hour prices that begin at 1130am. Cucumber salad is refreshing with the ramen. Friendly staff, quick service. A great price, friendly casual lunch/dinner option. Would return if I lived in Portland. Gluten free and vegan options available.

I've never had such great noodles outside of Japan. Kayoko is a true Japanese chef (so many local Japanese restaurants are not authentic). And the atmosphere is fun.

That kind of says it all. Ramen are everywhere in Portland and they range from the excellent (Yama) to the rapidly declining (Marukin) to the downright industrial (I won't embarrass them). Kayo's has selected a few things and chosen to do them very well. The broths are delicate, even the Miso that can sometimes be too cloying in other places. Tan Tan ramen are a speciality. And a nice selection of other dishes, potstickers, garlic fried rice etc round out the menu. The sake selection is better than most places of comparable size also, with some excellent higher end choices at more than reasonable prices.

Nothing personal, but I have had real ramen while I was growing up. So I was little disappointed. No menma? Really? Raw spinach? What's up with hot chili oil sprinkle over Miso ramen? Really puzzles me what was interpreted here.

Went here on a rainy day. The ramen i rly good and well spiced. The dumpling were a little watery inside but the cucumber salad was refreshing and delicious.