Tantan-Men from Kotteri Ramen Bar

Soft Opening of Kotteri Ramen Bar

Kotteri Ramen Bar is having their soft opening right now. I tried it out and was not disappointed. I have been very excited ever since I saw signs go up a few months ago. Located at the previous Make Fish location, Kotteri Ramen Bar is tucked away in a little shopping center off of Bruceville and Big Horn.

Elk Grove locals seem to like the idea of having actual ramen joint in Elk Grove. After all, it’s a farther trek to Ryujin or Shoki in Midtown. Kotteri is right next to Ginelle’s Bakery.

Kotteri Ramen Bar is owned by Paul Van. His sister Nancy Van is the General Manager.

The Atmosphere

The place is small but tasty fully decorated. Since it just opened, there are often lines at lunch and dinner time. Be prepared to wait for your table. Take note, this place is not meant to hold parties of larger than 6.

It has a trendy and modern feel. Since you can see right into the kitchen, Kotteri Ramen Bar seems to be a busy restaurant. Nothing seems out of a place for a ramen joint. It’s a solid ramen place and you can tell they put a lot of thought and care into it.

Tonkatsu – Black Ramen from Kotteri Ramen Bar

The Food

I had the chance to try three of the ramens at Kotteri Ramen Bar. First of all, my favorite by far was the Tantan-Men Ramen. Their Tantan-Men is made with dan dan noodles, pork broth, heavily spiced ground pork, bean sprouts, shredded chili pepper, and green onion. I got mine with extra green onion and double noodles and extra soup. As a result, I had leftovers, which I thoroughly enjoyed the next day. The Tantan-Men is flavorful and spicy. You can choose to get it mild spicy or medium or very spicy. I got it mild spicy this time and I think I will go for the medium spicy next time.

The Tonkatsu – Black Ramen is also pretty good. It comes with creamy pork broth, chashu, seasoned boiled egg, bamboo shoot, wood ear mushroom, and black garlic oil. Also, you can get it with Pork Katsu. They didn’t have this available when I was there so I would like to go back and make sure I get a Pork Katsu with my next bowl of ramen from Kotteri Ramen Bar. Important to note, I tend to prefer spicier ramens, so that’s why I gravitated to the Tantan-Men Ramen. However, I think the Tonkatsu – Black Ramen is very good for someone who doesn’t like or feel like a lot of spiciness in their noodle soup.

Finally, My daughter had a Kids Ramen with clear chicken broth, chashu, a half egg, and one fish cake. The flavors were decidedly milder in this ramen. My daughter Roxy really liked it. The Kids Ramen was definitely created with kids in mind.

Squid Legs & Karaage from Kotteri Ramen Bar

In addition, we also ordered the Squid Leg and the Karaage. The Squid Leg was deep fried and served with a tangy sauce. It was quite delicious with the tangy sauce and a drizzle of lemon. The Karaage was about what you’d expect. I wished there was more of it in terms of portion.

While everything wasn’t perfect, I definitely enjoyed the food and my experience at Kotteri Ramen Bar. Considering it was a soft opening, I think that that everything was well executed and came out in a timely fashion. Most noteworthy were the Tantan-Men and the Squid Legs. I was so happy to eat my leftover Tantan-Men for lunch the next day.

Check Out Kotteri Ramen Bar

In conclusion, I enjoyed the food at Kotteri Ramen Bar and I thought they did very well considering it was a soft opening. The customer service was attentive and friendly. Plus, the atmosphere was trendy and inviting. I will definitely be back for the Tantan-Men, some Squid Legs, and to try the Pork Katsu. I encourage you all to give Kotteri Ramen Bar a try. The Tantan-Men and Squid Legs are a “must try.” Don’t forget to get double noodles and extra soup.