Ramen Kotori

Cafe Dolce, Belgian Café, Big Bopper Drive-In, Birkholm’s Bakery & Cafe, Bit O’ Denmark Restaurant, Brekkies, Cailloux, the Solvang Cheese Shop, Cecco Ristorante, Chomp Burgers, Fries and Shakes, Copenhagen Sausage Garden, Danish Mill Bakery, Domino’s Pizza, First & Oak Restaurant at the Mirabelle Inn, Fitzpatrick’s Tavern, Good Seed Coffee Boutique, Mad and Vin at the Landsby, Mortensen’s Bakery, Old Danish Food Farm/Fudge Kitchen, Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery, Osteria Grappolo, Panino for sandwiches, Paula’s Pancake House, peasants FEAST, Pho 805, Ramen Kotori, Red Viking Restaurant, Silk Roads Kitchen - Mediterranean Flavors, The Solvang Bakery, Solvang Brewing Company, Solvang Restaurant, Subway, Succulent Cafe, The Coffee House by Chomp, Toscana Pizzeria, Tower Pizza, Viking Garden Restaurant, California Tacos, Leonardo’s Ristorante & Pizzeria, New Frontier’s Natural Foods & Deli, River Grill Restaurant & Bar, Taco Roco, A J Spurs, Ballard Inn Restaurant, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Hitching Post II, Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe.

In a year of eating too much around the hemisphere, from opulent $500 dinners in Montecito to wood-fired tlayudas in Oaxaca, I found lunch at Ramen Kotori to be my most simultaneously delicious and educational meal of 2019. (Okay, well, n/naka might have the slight edge, but for almost 10 times the price.) I’m not even talking about the ramen — which was satisfyingly rich and appealingly exotic yet familiar — but the first round of dishes that I shared with hospitality legend Budi Kazali, who co-owns this small shop with his former employee Francisco Velazquez and his Kyoto-raised wife, Ikuko “Erica” Velazquez. There were pickled vegetables, fascinating for both the pickling style and the farm-fresh veggies selected; hand-rolled, scallion-topped pork and cabbage gyoza, like fluffy meat pillows of joy; fried chicken karaage with spicy mayo (might as well call it “ karaage all-day”); and light-as-air vegetable tempura, crisply coated yet still snappy inside.

CHOMP | Burgers, Fries, Shakes and brekkies by CHOMP, Paula’s Pancake House, Craft House At Corque, and peasants FEAST feature kid-pleasing grub and/or dedicated kids’ menus, while those in noodle phases, and pizza-eaters, head for Ramen Kotori, Toscana Italian Restaurant, Cecco Ristorante, or Tower Pizza. Find “hot dogs” for the kids, beer for the ‘rents, at Copenhagen Sausage Garden, and locally-loved pretzels at Old Danish Food Farm / Fudge Kitchen.

Santa Ynez Valley local Francisco Velasquez fell in love with cooking during high school while working under chef-owner Budi Kazali at the Ballard Inn and Restaurant. Velasquez’s culinary journey then took him to Napa, where he moved up the ladder at the Michelin-starred La Toque restaurant along with his Kyoto-born partner, Erica, a chef who is now his wife. In 2019, with the backing of now-retired chef Kazali, they opened Ramen Kotori in Solvang.

**Find some of the best ramen in California right here in Solvang at Ramen Kotori. Opened five years ago, the kitchen operates inside a charming Danish building with outdoor seating, perfect to slurp a large bowl of noods drowning in chicken and pork broth. The owners (a Japanese woman and a local guy) worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Napa and a Michelin Bib Gourmand ramen shop before opening this noodle gem.

Seasonal, fresh, crazy delicious, Ramen Kotori is a joint venture of Budi Kazali of The Ballard Inn and Gathering Table and Chef Francisco Velazquez with his wife Ikuko “Erica” Velazquez. It’s casual (right now you can order to-go or seat yourself in their courtyard) and it’s another one of the only solid restaurants in town that is actually open for lunch (open Weds – Sunday 12 – 6 pm as of right now).

If you find yourself yearning for a departure from Danish cuisine, satisfy your cravings at Ramen Kotori. This inviting eatery specializes in Japanese-inspired ramen bowls and delectable small plates. Experience the comforting flavors and aromas of their expertly crafted dishes, as Ramen Kotori offers a cozy setting where you can indulge in a delightful and authentic taste of Japan.

While I don’t think it’s as exceptional as some other ramens I’ve had in my life (I feel like it was missing some depth to the broth, and the soy egg could’ve been even more infused), it really did hit the spot on a cold evening. The other great positive about this place is their ability to do gluten free noodles for one of the ramen dishes!

La Tequila Mexican Restaurant, Buellton (NOTE: They don’t actually serve tequila but the food is GREAT!) 4. Ginos Pizza, Buellton (they will deliver to our gate) 6. Hitching Post, Buellton 7.

I highly recommend the shawarma at Santa Ynez Billiards, the cold dipping noodles at Ramen Kotori and grilled Texas quail at The Hitching Post II.