Kajiken, a well-known international Japanese restaurant franchise, has recently opened a location in Wellington. To be honest, I was surprised to see it arrive here — Wellington is a relatively small city. That said, the ramen scene is pretty limited, so Kajiken could definitely find a solid market. The franchise already has two outlets in Auckland: one in the CBD and another in Newmarket, so it’s interesting to see them expanding further south.

What sets Kajiken apart is its specialty: Abura Soba — a type of ramen served without soup. Instead, the noodles come with a flavorful sauce at the bottom of the bowl, which you mix together with your choice of condiments like chilli oil, vinegar, chilli powder, and grated sesame seeds. This makes the dish highly customizable to suit your taste.

On my first visit, I ordered The Original Ramen Bowl, which featured their signature Abura soba noodles, chashu (braised pork), bamboo shoots, seaweed, and spring onions. I also got a side of their karaage (Japanese fried chicken). The karaage was particularly impressive — crispy, well-seasoned, and served with a wedge of lemon. The lemon juice added a nice brightness and also helped lift the chilli powder seasoning stick to the karaage chicken. Overall, it had a light, crunchy batter and was very enjoyable.

The Original Ramen Bowl was solid. I first tried it without any of the condiments provided on the table, then added a few to see how it changed the flavour. I found it was definitely better with a splash of vinegar and a generous amount of freshly grated sesame seeds. Those additions really brought everything together — the flavours balanced nicely, and it added more depth to the dish.

On another visit, I ordered the Meat Lovers BOGO — a more loaded version of Abura Soba that came with chashu (braised pork), bamboo shoots, seaweed, spring onions, a soft-boiled egg (Ajitsuke Tamago), and thinly sliced beef. Best part? It was a two-for-one deal, so I ended up with two bowls of ramen in front of me.

The bonus of having two bowls was being able to experiment with different combinations of condiments. I found that using all the options — chilli oil, vinegar, chilli powder, and sesame seeds — really enhanced the overall flavour. The Ajitsuke Tamago added a creamy, rich element that complemented the other ingredients well. That said, two bowls were a bit ambitious — I didn’t quite make it through both, but I thoroughly enjoyed trying.

Overall, the food at Kajiken is pretty solid, and the service is excellent. Surprisingly, it manages to draw a crowd on Saturdays, despite its location near Upper Lambton Quay — an area that can be a bit quiet on weekends. That said, I still find myself wishing Wellington had a great soup-based ramen spot. Kajiken doesn’t quite fill that gap, especially if you’re after something warm and comforting on a typical windy Wellington day. Still, if you haven’t tried Kajiken yet, it’s definitely worth a visit. It offers something different, and I wouldn’t be surprised if its success becomes a test case for other businesses considering opening a franchise or outlet in Wellington.

Website: Kajiken Wellington

Address: Woodward Street, Wellington Central, Wellington,