whale isometric

A friend and I ventured up to Ft. Collins to have a fun day together. Since he knows I'm a ramen fiend, he suggested Kujira. After checking out the reviews and photos on my favorite review site (yep, you guessed it. Yelp!) I was down to give it a try. I'm so glad we did! On our way to the restaurant, we called to make reservations, but they don't take reservations. We were expecting kind of a wait but ended up walking right in and grabbing a table. This was on a Sunday at 1:30pm. We both ordered hot tea, and they brought out a really fancy glass pitcher of hot water, some honey, and a little box with all sorts of Yamamotoyama teas. I love this brand of tea! I had the Genmatcha Green Tea, and my friend chose the Genmai-Cha Green Tea. For appetizers, we ordered the Shishito Peppers and the Takoyaki. Both were great. The Shishito Peppers were a bit crunchy for my liking, I like mine a little more blistered and cooked through. The Takoyaki was delicious. I ordered the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen and added bamboo shoots. I selected mild spice (because I read in reviews that the bowl was too-hot-to-handle for some), and it was not spicy at all. Total mistake on my part because I usually order medium spice. Next time (because there will be a next time), I will totally get medium spice. The broth tasted authentic, rich, and dreamy. The noodles had a pleasant texture and consistency. The egg was super soft, it seemed lightly poached. I prefer mine ramen-egg style where it's medium boiled in the shell and peeled. The food was filling and delicious. The restaurant was cute and felt authentic. The service was a bit lacking, as stated in other reviews. The plastic dishes were well-used and chipped. They could use an upgrade. I will definitely be back for another bowl of tonkotsu ramen, some more takoyaki, and to try a few of their other offerings.

Arrived at 6pm with a busy restaurant, but only had to wait a few minutes to be seated. The servers were very friendly and did a great job. Had caterpillar rolls. Chicken Fried Rice, Veggie Ramen, Spicy Chicken Ramen, and Seafood Ramen. Excellent variety of seafood in the ramen. Also enjoyed a strawberry Japanese soda. Great flavors. Wonderful experience!

Update on my review- While I liked your place from my previous review, I would say I didn’t like our last experience as I noticed that YOU CHARGED MY CARD MORE THAN I ALLOWED YOU TO! It was a treat after a long but fun day. We made a stop before going home as suggested by our friend. I am happy for this discovery as this will be one of my go-to restaurants in FoCo. We had to wait but it was worth it. Understood why the place was busy as the food was great. I am not into spicy food but will definitely try something spicy next time. Had a little taste of the spicy ramen but I already had my order. I will try other varieties the next time we visit.

The food was great; I get food mild as the medium or hot or too spicy for me, especially in summer. Others in the party got medium and were happy with their choice. The service, while friendly, was lacking. Appetizer plates were never cleared, we had to flag someone down to get water refills, and they brought us the check out of the blue and walked away without checking if we wanted dessert, to go boxes, or anything else. We had to flag someone else down to get boxes and to add a dessert to the bill that we just took to go.

The ramen definitely hits the spot if you're in need of a nice, warm meal. The portion sizes are more than enough. Even if you're with a big party, they serve your food quite quickly! This place gets busy and full fast, especially on weekends -- something to keep in mind. The prices are fair. Solid choice to go with friends and come back again and again!