Food Porn: Kukai Ramen and 4649 Yoroshiku Japanese Restaurant

Thu., Mar 7 2013 at 12:00AM

Ramen noodles are the Japanese equivalent of burgers in the U.S.: cheap, comforting, and all over the quality map. Seattle diners can catch a glimpse of ramen diversity at a pair of restaurants that opened late last year: Kukai Ramen and 4649 Yoroshiku.

When Keisuke Kobayashi in 2007 spent a year studying at North Seattle Community College, he could only find three kinds of Japanese restaurants: Teriyaki joints, sushi bars and restaurants â€œowned by another person who is not Japanese.â€ Determined to show the city that Japanese food isn't merely grilled chicken and raw fish, he started working in commercial kitchens after returning to Sapporo to take care of his mother.

Since opening 4649 in the former Joule location last November, Kobayashi has had to repeatedly explain his vision to befuddled patrons who've wander into his unadorned dining room. â€œSometimes they ask for (sushi),â€ Kobayashi says. â€œAnd sometimes they leave.â€