Highly recommend!! Staff were super friendly. Ambiance was nice. Ramen broth was super flavorful. Pork was not too fatty and had good texture. Egg was perfectly cooked. Noodles were nice and chewy. Will be dreaming of this dish! Can’t wait to go back.

The fried chicken karaage and the takoyaki are really great here! The curry is noticeably forward on the Indian curry spices so if you like Indian curry you'll love the curry here. This place is definitely popular and has odd hours. If you don't want to wait long come at opening times. The location is great too with lots of outdoor seating and the outdoor bar right next door.

We ordered Hakakai soup, Mentai soup and spicy crunch roll. Everything was good. I like the broth very much because it wasn't too salty like other places, it was just right. The price was a bit high though.

Wonderful food! Recommend considering take out unless the weather is perfect because all the seating is outside. Nice area, plenty of parking. Highly recommend any of the onigiri.

My family and I throughly enjoyed our Ramen and treats from here this week. It was our first time and we enjoyed the location as well. High quality food in a laid back atmosphere.

I got the Vegan Miso Spicy Ramen ($16). The fried shitake was delicious. The broth was pretty spicy. I wish it came with more things. It was pretty much just the fried shitake and noodles. My husband and friend both got the Black Garlic Ramen and said the broth didn’t have much taste. They wished it was spicy to give it some kick and flavor. My other friend got the Gyu Don Rice Bowl ($12.50) and Spicy Tuna Hand Roll ($6.50) and said they were both good! We got the Edamame ($4), which came with a generous portion. Overall, not the best ramen we’ve had, but decent option for food in the MSA Annex.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Kukai Ramen, and it was an absolute treat for a ramen enthusiast like myself. The standout for me was their Black Garlic Ramen – a dish that masterfully balanced rich, savory flavors. Every bite was a testament to the quality and effort put into their food. The location of Kukai adds to its charm. Set in a hip, container-like setting, it provides a unique and inviting atmosphere. This, combined with the super friendly staff, made my dining experience exceptionally pleasant. They were attentive, efficient, and contributed greatly to the overall positive vibe of the place. In terms of value, Kukai Ramen scores high. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food served. It's a great spot for anyone looking to enjoy a delicious bowl of ramen without breaking the bank. For those who like to pair their meal with a drink, there’s an added bonus. The bar across the way offers an excellent selection of draft beers, which complement the ramen perfectly. It's a great way to round off a satisfying meal. If you're in the area and have a craving for some top-notch ramen in a cool, laid-back setting, Kukai Ramen is definitely the place to go. Highly recommended for a casual, yet memorable dining experience!

Discovered this awesome Japanese place when we had coffee at the nearby Decibel coffee shop the previous day. Decided to come back next day for dinner and we ordered Hakata Ramen with pork which was delicious. Then we had California rolls, Onigiri with grilled salmon and Takoyaki, which are deep fried pancake balls with octopus and they were great. I would skip Onigiri next time as it was lacking the flavor.

always love coming to kukai especially on a chilly night! vegan miso ramen is amazing & the owner is so nice :)

Not being from AZ, I've never seen the shipping container layout before. It's pretty cool. I had the spicy miso with extra spice. I barely could feel the heat. I am a heat person though. Other than that, the soup was excellent.

Their spicy vegetarian ramen was absolutely fantastic! The level of spiciness was just right, and it's easily one of the best ramen I've ever tasted. The only downside is their limited hours, as they close at 2:30 pm and then reopen for dinner. It isn’t ideal visiting this restaurant during the heat of the summer hence the abnormal hours. But if you're a ramen fan, this place in the west side is hands down the best!

Delicious food! On the pricier end but the quality is great and the flavor is amazing! The ramen was good but my favorite is the spicy salmon bowl! All the flavors and textures mix for perfectly! Highly recommend.

This place has the best tasting food. Everything we had was so delicious. We had the Mt Fuji Don bowl, Grilled Salmon Onigiri, Pork Belly Onigiri, and the Spicy Crunch Roll. I will definitely be coming back here.

We ordered the fried squid and gyu don. Both were scrumptious, fresh, seemingly high quality, and flavorful. This place is always busy and that’s for a good reason. I’d be confident to try most of the other menu items and would expect the same consistency.

I love the complex, with cute boutiques, fire pits and a beer bar. Got karage and meitaigo ramen from Kukai, the fried chicken are a bit too small for me. The ramen is great tho :) Its also amazing that you can eat the ramen at the beer bar near the fireplace !

The ambiance is super cool. We ate the following at the Kukai Japanese Kitchen stall: 1. Salmon & Unagi Onigiri- wanted to try something different but would pass on these. It's primarily all rice with a little stuffing inside, wrapped with seaweed. 2. Spicy crunch and Shrimp tempura roll- These were tasty, but they put too much of the sweet brown sauce that it overwhelms the rolls. I would order without sauce next time. Next time I would order the rolls without sauce and try the ramen which a lot of people seemed to order.

Everything is fresh. This place is amazing, i would eat here weekly if it was closer.

Enjoy some delicious Japanese food in the wonderful ambiance of the new Mercado San Augustine (MSA) Annex!! The food was very good! (We enjoyed the Ramen, Tuna Mayo/Pork Belly Rice Balls, and Seaweed Salad) And again, you can't beat the ambiance here! The restaurant serves food outside to the beautiful/new outdoor MSA Annex, and it's also a great place to bring the kids vs. a traditional restaurant. You can even order wine and beer from Westbound (they have quite the selection on tap right next door to Kuka) and enjoy some alcohol with your food at your table if you feel inclined. We will definitely be regulars here!

Fast service, warm fast-food, and super chill location. I have to say, it was tricky to find if you've never been in the plaza before. But once you're in, it's hard to leave!

Pretty interesting area they are in and the food doesn't disappoint. Got some of there spicy tuna rolls it was definitely filling. Tried some of their rice triangles (can't remember the name of them atm) and they make for an amazing lunch/snack.

Holy F_ _ k....the Mt Fuji Don was so fantastic, as was the pork belly rice ball... we will be back

First time here, The food is AMAZING!

If you are looking for authentic ramen or Onigiri this is the place!! I lived in Southeast Asia for 2 and a half years and I have been craving a delicious bowl of noodles with that spot on broth and tea egg. I not only found that but also some very amazing people behind the food. Michael and the staff at Kukai are knowledgeable, friendly, and energetic. A plus...if you are vegetarian I highly recommend their vegetarian ramen. The tempura mushrooms alone make this dish superb. I will be a regular at this spot!

Fascinating concept, a whole area of converted shipping containers with various restaurants and stores. This is take out only, with outdoor seating galore. The wait was fairly long even getting there right before they opened. The food was worth the wait. They have wide variety of new age Japanese fare. I tried a few fried items and others got ramen-all was great!

Walk up window with a neighboring bar creates a really nice space to have a good casual meal. I come here regularly because it's fresh and rich in flavors and in a good location. It's a really tasty food that (both unintentionally and intentionally) happens to have a lot of menu items that are really friendly to most peoples diets: vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, etc. Also, one thing I read in a lot of reviews is complaints about the price. I think that is not entirely true because you can get a more expensive ramen (still a reasonable cost), or you can get a couple of onigiri for around $6. There are price options that make it accessible that are still tasty.

I've been trying to go to kukai all year & I finally made it there this week! If you love Japanese classics, then this is the place for you! Located in the cutest location, it is located near the back in one of the stalls. The ramen was some of the best I've had in a while and the shrimp tempura sushi roll was to die for! I will definitely be coming back to try some other items on the menu!

Very yummy bowls and onigiris. Went here for lunch during a Tucson trip. It was so good that we stopped by for dinner again that day! Highly recommend. Will definitely visit again whenever I go to Tucson!

Went here for the first time yesterday with friends, all agreed what we saw looked great, we ordered a sushi roll, a hand roll, a ramen bowl & rice bowl so we could taste it all, we were all blown away by the AMAZING flavor!! Will come back when they open again on Tuesday!! Lol!!

Took 45mins to get ramen and a rice ball order. Crowded environment, 7/10 for food. Overall, not worth the wait when better ramen options are available in a sit-down restaurant. A lot of Liberal yuppie patrons made it less appealing

I had a lot of trouble eating soup out of a clamshell to-go box, the flavor was not good either. I would like a refund, as 18$ is a lot (miso + tip) for this kind of meal.

Happy 5th Birthday to MSA Annex! I came to KUKAI to celebrate by bringing a local Tucsonan friend who loves Japanese food. She had 3 kinds of onigiri and I had the vegan miso spicy w/a side of vegetable egg rolls. I think they were the tastiest egg rolls I’ve ever had. My miso was SOOO delicious! It was such a large bowl, I barely finished it. All the ingredients looked super fresh, scratch made and tasted amazing!! Especially the mushrooms! We can’t wait to eat here again when we come back to the Annex for more shows and shopping. We also appreciated the wide aisles making this an accessible place for mobility aides.

Amazing! I am vegan and have tried the donburi and the ramen. Both were very good. The wait can get long when the line is long, but it's always worth it. Always as good as I remember. The pictures I included have donburi and a non vegan option my partner got.

Kukai was the best meal we had while in Tucson - everything from the taste and quality of the food to the service and ambiance was top notch. We had the tuna and mayo and plum onigiri, the Mt Fuji donburi, chicken karaage, and some edamame/ rolls for the kids. It was all consumed with great gusto. The MSA annex is also a great spot to walk around after your meal.

Always greeted by spirited employees here. The several interactions i’ve had with the staff have all been delightful :) The beef onigiri was fresh with crispy seaweed, perfect $5 snack to hold me over before dinner. The miso soup and cali roll which were great as well. The shaded patio has misters & is the perfect spot to lounge late in the evening to beat the heat.

Incredibly authentic Japanese food for what you can get in the American Southwest. Brilliant little shop that I will keep going back to. I think the cooks are able to churn out plates faster than the Front of house can keep up during the rush hours - it would be nice if ordering could be done without standing around trying to figure out how long the line is.

Excellent customer service, great fresh food! Outside atmosphere excellent for a quick bite

Probably the smoothest broth I've ever had. And the meat in the hakata ramen was really tender. Plus, the ginger gives it a really nice kick that isn't overwhelming. Definitely a great pick on a cooler day. Just make sure to call ahead if you're looking for ramen to make sure they have it. It goes fast. But they do have a good selection of other menu items. The gyudon donburi is next on my list of things to try.

Tried the octopus balls, they were crispy on the outside and moist on the inside! They also had the largest pieces of meat of any octopus balls I have ever eaten! Also tried the squid legs which were crunchy and chewy and with the spicy mustard... heavenly! You can check out my full experience on my YouTube channel: Joe Columbus ?

Friendly staff, delicious Kukai don, amazing onigiri. I'll be going back for sure!

Best ramen ever?

Tried this place for the first time today and it's amazing!! Had an order of their Ikageso, pork belly onigiri and, Mt. Fuji don and was not disappointed. I found the food very reasonably priced for the portion size and the staff was incredibly friendly, can't wait to go back!!!

The food was wonderful. Tasty and beautifully made. This is probably the only place that sells onigiri and at a reasonable price. The ramen had a very rich flavor and the Croquettes (kani cream) was so delicious. Highly recommend. Really kind staff as well

We wanted to come here for a long time and today we finally got a chance to visit the place. Customer service, location, and food are marvelous!! We will for sure come here more often.

The Mt Fuji don is so good. So so good

Possibly the best Japanese street food option in town. Friendly staff, modern open outdoor seating with shade, and GREAT food!

Great little Japanese spot. Love the takoyaki, and quick service!

Very good. Closed 230pm until 5 though

The spicy miso is perfection, exactly what you would expect if you were wondering the streets of Tokyo looking for a bowl of ramen. Perfect balance of flavor and spice. Get the shrimp tempura if you like shrimp. It will be worth it.

Kukai rocks! The service is amazing but the food is even Better! We are here just about every weekend and the team at Kukai make us feel like we are family! Cant wait to try the Ramen this week! Keep it up Team!!

Really great spicy ramen, I was also very Impressed with the vegan ramen broth, it was rich and flavorful. The prices were a little steep but the quality of ingredients and local flavor were worth the price.

Takoyaki are to die for, buttery mouthfuls of heaven. Ramen broth fantastic, just the right amount of spicy. Onigiri pretty good, pork belly one slightly dry but still tasty. Overall a solid 5 star, will be back

This place is amazing. Everything on the menu is fantastic. I recommend the ramen for sure. Rice bowls are great as well. Just overall great food. Good atmosphere out there as well. Worth going for sure

Delicious little place, love the salmon onigiri(sp?) Fresh and healthy.

Excellent ramen. One of the better bowls in Tucson. Great staff and a very friendly owner!

We waited till 12:10 and though there were workers inside they still hadn't opened or said why they were running behind. Bummed we didn't get to try the food.

Went to Tokyo in February and fell in love with onigiri but never thought I'd see them again unless I made them. So glad I found Kukai, their onigiri is 2-3x the size of traditional onigiri, which to me is a good thing, and everything is fresh and tastes great. Spicy tuna hand roll is a go to every time.

Fresh. Always delicious.

Grab a nice fresh bowl of their soup, a hand roll or two and a beer next door and sit back and enjoy. Great food and environment.

Great food

SO GOOD! Wonderful service and the food was phenomenal!

Clean and fresh! So very yummy!

The onigiri are a must. Vegan ramen is really good too (with a kick)!

My favorite new Tucson restaurant! I grew up going to Samurai so when I heard the owners were opening this spot, I got super excited. My only first world problem is that I live less than a mile away so I have to practice self control and not eat there every day.

Delicious food prepared with care and visual appeal in a relaxed modern atmosphere. I looove the stuffed rice ball ?

Great outdoor space and vibe! Delicious gyu don and squid legs. Pork belly onigiri was a bit lacking on the pork belly, but rice and seaweed were perfect!

Very good, original and not expensive

Phenomenal food oh my

Overpriced and smallish portions but yummy nevertheless. Service little slow. Beer next door a winner!

Great ramen & hand roll is amazing 2x??