Kimura

Reviews

• ★★★★½ Tonkatsu Ramen Gyoza (Yaki Mandu) Shoyu Ramen Edemame Visited Feb 28, 2018

  Have Eaten At Kimura Five Times Now

  I've eaten at Kimura a few times now, and my experiences have varied from visit to visit. Kimura was one of the first ramen restaurants in San Antonio and was a big hit when it opened.
  
  On my veery first visit I noticed the pitcher of water came with a charcoal stick in it, which was something I hadn't seen before. I believe this was also the first place where I ever tried edamame.
  
  The edamame here is pretty good, although it isn't extremely flavorful. It's more of something to snack on while waiting for the rest of the food. Its a salty and savory snack.
  
  I've had the gyoza on three of my visits, and they've been consistently good each time. I've tried the tonkotsu ramen, which is my favorite here. The broth has a lot of flavor and is especially good when it's cold outside. I also tried the shoyu ramen, which was nearly as good. It's more of a traditional chicken-style ramen broth and is closer to what most people think of when they think about instant ramen. I regularly add extra noodles here to make the meal more filling, since the regular portion falls a little short of filling me up, especially if I don't order any appetizers.
  
  The ramen itself is good, although I think it falls a little short compared with some of the other places I've tried locally and out of town. Prices are slightly higher than other places, especially compared with ramen restaurants in the Chinatowns of larger cities, although that's somewhat understandable given that this is downtown San Antonio.
  
  The small dining area is frequently full, so getting a table can sometimes take a while. On one visit, my ramen came out somewhat cold, and on another, I waited so long that I eventually wandered around the neighborhood until they called me. Those experiences have contributed to my overall impression being a little mixed.
  
  Kimura was an important early addition to San Antonio's ramen scene, but with the number of newer ramen restaurants that have opened in recent years, I feel like some of those places have surpassed it. If you like ramen and haven't tried Kimura, I'd still recommend giving it a try, but I think there are now other places in San Antonio offering better ramen.
  
  **Update: This review was from the original location on Pecan Street.**

  — Paul