February 21, 2023 – Freshly reborn KoKoRo Ramen & Roll throws a lot at an eater.
The ramen options are a lot. The maki sushi rolls are a lot. The explanation how it was—and in some ways still is—The Crab Bucket, also a lot.
Fortunately KoKoRo also allows eaters to ration the inflow of stuff with an uncommon option: a lunch special with a half bowl of ramen and a half specialty roll.
Orders can happen at the counter or tableside. The half-and-half idea is simple, smart and much appreciated: just enough—well, more than enough—of the two headlining items for $23.95. (Swap in a half classic roll like a Philly or a California roll and it’s $16.95; do a combo of rolls and it’s $14.95-$23.95.)
I tried the tonkotsu ramen (medium spicy), a rich and dynamic indulgence with fresh chives, bean sprouts, hard-boiled egg, black sesame seeds, kikurage mushrooms, whole-fried garlic cloves and a pork-bone-and-chicken broth that simmers 20 hours, minimum.
The other ramens on the ready with the similarly long-boiled broth: black garlic pork ramen, shoyu ramen, miso ramen, veggie shoyu ramen, curry ramen and (nice touch) kids ramen. (The veggie ramen wasn’t ready on our visit, which was a bummer for my pork-free companion.)
For my specialty maki roll, the “Seaside” felt appropriate. That comes with shrimp tempura and spicy tuna at its heart and fresh salmon on top, layered with tobiko, parsley and spicy mayo. Excellent in quality and composition.
I also tried my companion’s KoKoRo roll with spicy tuna and avocado inside and melty tuna and tempura crunches outside. Along with my order, it served as a reminder this group knows its raw fish: KoKoRo Sushi has been an Oldtown Salinas standby for around 15 years, thanks in large part to creative rolls executed cleanly.
The wallpaper on the staff’s point-of-service tablet, meanwhile, still says Crab Bucket, and the decor has some Ocean’s Grill relics.
That had me thinking what a weird sequence it’s been for this City Center space next to Buffalo Wild Wings: Carmel Valley Roasting Company, then Starbucks, then Ocean Grill, which changed suddenly to The Crab Bucket, and now this.
Co-owner Sean Kim reports the switch was partly inspired by customers impatient with Crab Bucket’s use of plastic bags, but mostly a return to core competencies. Like KoKoRo Sushi in Salinas, KoKoRo Ramen is an established and popular spot in San Jose, with a half dozen years under its belt.
Kim says he basically stalked the best ramen chef he could find in San Jose, begging him to teach him ramen. After six months, the ramen master—who hails from Tokyo, Japan—relented.
The recipe keys off simmering bones for the broth for a loooong time.
“Usually 24 hours—all night, you know?” Kim says.
Kim brought in KoKoRo Sushi’s Max Hong—a longtime colleague and his former manager—to help launch Seaside. Former Crab Bucket partner Luna Kim, meanwhile, has shifted her focus back to Rumble Fish in Scotts Valley.
Early indications—KoKoRo opened Feb. 12—suggest people are feeling the ramen-roll two-step.
Late lunch on a Thursday had a good crop of locals slurping and chomping and talking hopefully about finding a restaurant that might stick, myself included.
The level of ramen and sushi make me optimistic it will.
KoKoRo Ramen & Roll is open 11:30am-2:30pm and 5-8:30pm daily. 880 Broadway Ave C-5, Seaside, 831.920.1040.
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, Edible Monterey Bay's managing editor, appears on "Friday Found Treasures" via KRML 94.7 every week, a little after 12pm noon. Reach him via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
