A feathery betta fish painted by muralist Kyle Sanders drifts above the red door to Kokoro Ramen in Eureka’s Old Town (409 Opera Alley). Owner Joe Tan, who can look down at it from nearby Rooftop, where he’s behind the sushi counter most days, has been looking for a place to open a traditional Japanese ramen shop for the better part of a decade. Traditional, in this case, meaning focused on one specialty, rather than the array of Japanese offerings from ramen to sushi that has become standard in the U.S.
The Malaysian-born Tan fell in love with ramen in Japan, where he worked making sushi and met his wife, Nami. “We love ramen, my kids love ramen. We love noodles, so it’s kind of my dream,” says Tan. Kokoro translates literally as “heart” in Japanese, but touches on connection to body and mind, perhaps closer to soul — fitting for a casual spot for warm bowls of comfort food.
The Opera Alley spot, formerly home to Opera Alley Bistro and Café Nooner before that, was always cozy, bordering on cramped. But a brief, specialized menu suits a smaller kitchen, and widening the pass-through windows onto the space has opened it up. The room now seats 30 without bumping bowls. It’s a bit late in the season, but Tan says he’s received clearance for patio dining from the city, so look for outdoor tables next summer.
“In town, I don’t see … any tonkotsu, so I wanted to have something different,” says Tan, who adds he likes the other types of ramen he’s sampled around the county. Kokoro’s tonkotsu is a paler, milkier broth made from boiling pork and chicken bones, as well as vegetables and aromatics, for six to eight hours until the liquid becomes opaque. The result is a silky, rich and satisfying soup, though not particularly fatty, paired with straight, thin egg noodles that Kokoro tops with bamboo, seasoned soft-boiled egg, spirals of grilled chashu pork belly, slivered green onion, wood ear mushroom, nori and tart pickled ginger ($18).
Paitan broth, made with chicken bones, ginger, vegetables and a whole young chicken, takes a shorter four hours but has almost as much body as tonkotsu with a lighter flavor. It’s a good fit with the tan tan ramen, spiked to orange with red chile and topped with spicy ground beef, wilted bok choy, fresh mung bean sprouts and green onion ($18). It’s more salty and warming than truly hot or sesame-heavy like versions that hew closer to the dish’s Szechuan roots. (The bold can toss out an extra dollar for more fire.)
Fans of simpler soy sauce base and miso broth — the former made with chicken, the latter with chicken and pork — will find them on the menu, too. Vegetarian ramen gets its due with a broth enriched with cashew butter and soy milk, served with spinach noodles and grilled tofu, cherry tomatoes, peppers, sprouts and corn ($18).
There are familiar, homey appetizers like Spam musubi, a pair of rice balls topped with grilled, salty slices in classic Hawaiian style and an additional hit of Kewpie brand mayonnaise ($6). Those compelled to snack on the crunchy bits in the package when making instant ramen will find themselves at home with the cheeky social snack Hot Noods, fried seasoned ramen noodles with furikake seasoning, avocado and aioli to dip into for ($10).
But the karaage is not to be missed ($12). Hunks of chicken thigh marinated overnight with soy sauce are tossed in potato starch and fried, yielding a thinly pebbled, crunchy surface and flavorful, marvelously juicy meat within. The citrussy yuzu Kewpie mayo dotted with pickle both adds and balances the fat. One might be tempted to order a bowl of rice and call it a meal, if the contented slurping and sighs from other tables didn’t hint at other soul-warming things to come.
Jennifer Fumiko Cahill (she/her) is the managing editor at the Journal. Reach her at (707) 442-1400, or jennifer@northcoastjournal.com. Follow her on Bluesky @jfumikocahill.bsky.social.
This article appears in A Place to Stop and Rest.