In Mountain View there is Maru Ichi and Ryowa, in SF there is Genki (and a sheistload others), and in Cupertino there is Kahoo Ramen - props to Rar for finding this one on Yelp! A definite hole-in-wall, this little ramen house is nestled in an inconspicuous corner of a square strip mall located on the corner of Moorpark and Saratoga (near the entrance to I-280). (It's not really Cupertino, but close enough to Cupertino that we don't wanna call it San Jose.) The "Kahoo" part of the store name isn't even that visible from afar; it just looks like a sign with "Ramen" all big.
Coming in for dinner at 9-ish, this place still had a small line. Inside, the kitchen is open to view, and the smell of ramen permeates the air. The noodle bar seats just about 10 people, and there were just 5 or 6 tables. This is definitely ideal for a meal for two.
The ramen here is different from the ones served at Maru Ichi since they originate from different places in Japan. For appetizer, we ordered a Kimchi Salad with Boiled Chicken - cabbage, scallions, yellow/diced onions, chicken slices, bean sprouts, mayo (we didn't really mess with that). It was a nice but very spicy start. It was one of those appetizers that got you semi-sweatin - you know, when you feel like your pores are opening, but they teasin' you? Yeah that feeling. Anyway, pretty damn spicy, but so good that you forget how hard you will be hit when the hot, hot ramen comes and amplifies that explosive spicy feeling in your palate, accentuated on the lips. Like, oh maaaaaaaaaaan.
By the way, the menma, though not the main attraction, is very cool and crisp. It actually served as an alternate to the edamame (which this joint apparently did not offer) to cool us both from the crazy spiciness.
Our main orders came fast. We both got the spicy ramen with minced pork, menma (bamboo) strips, scallions, and half a boiled egg, and bean sprouts in a SPICY base. Yes, we had spicy appetizer, and then SPICY and HOT ramen. We felt courageous. The noodle was thin but kinda chewy - it felt substantial, and the portion was huge (there are no size distinctions for ramen here). Usually I don't completely empty the ramen bowl, just because there's really not that much happenin' after the meat and noodles are eaten. BUT, this one had minced pork and it was ALL OVER THE PLACE - so you know I had to down that bowl of pizzazz. Spicy, but definitely worthy. This was the kind of spicy that wasn't too overwhelming because you can still taste the distinct flavors of the pork and menma, and the spiciness was just challenging enough so that you find yourself drinking it again and again. I gotta say, pork (soft), menma (crisp), and bean sprouts (juicy) makes for a fun and fruitful mouthful.
ANYWAY - if you like ramen, you're gonna like Kahoo. Not all of their noodles are spicy, but we just chose to be soldiers. Also, they don't just serve ramen - they also have a small assortment of rice dishes. You can see their entire menu on Yelp - link below.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/kahoo-ramen-san-jose
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