As we move into fall with fewer sunny days and drizzly weather in the forecast, outdoor gatherings that sustained friendships all summer long shift indoors. Instead of scanning maps for new river spots and community calendars for festivals, you search for indoor fixes for food and drink to quell hunger and accompany conversation. Kokoro Ramen (409 Opera Alley, Eureka), the newest culinary project from local restaurateur Joe Tan, is exactly the right place to cozy up with friends to indulge in shareables and ramen to warm your soul.
This is the kind of restaurant I’ve been dreaming of for decades. My earliest introduction to the way the greater world eats came from years of watching Andrew Zimmern and Anthony Bourdain travel to far off places where they do things differently than we do here at home. While many of us were raised on plates consisting of the holy American trinity of a protein with a starch and a veggie side, some cultures evolved to eat an array of dishes at once. Whether the tradition of eating tapas in Spain, izakaya-style in Japan, or the banchan that accompanies dishes in Korea, I’ve always been drawn to this variety-is-the-spice-of-life approach to food.
Kokoro Ramen scratched an itch I’ve been chasing since childhood. I remember watching Food Network, practically drooling over the street food culture in Asian countries, when a street vendor making takoyaki came on the screen. After he poured a savory batter into his smoking griddle with rows of hemispherical molds, he dropped in shredded veggies, shrimp and small, whole octopuses, their tentacles peeking out of the batter as the takoyakis were turned, puffing up while they cooked. (If you’re unfamiliar, picture a savory Japanese cousin to an abelskiver.) Decades later, my first trip to Kokoro was the first time I got to try them. An order consists of five takoyaki, each filled with minced octopus, green onion and pickled ginger, drizzled with Kewpie mayo, takoyaki sauce and bonito flakes. When you take a bite, there’s a textural explosion from the creamy, hot center bursting from the crisp exterior, replete with ocean-y goodness and a smoky backdrop from the bonito. The chase was definitely worth the acquisition.
Now that your interest in takoyaki is piqued, let’s talk about the main event: the ramen. Tan’s menu offers ramen in seven ways, each with a different broth base, proteins, toppings and flavor profiles. From a creamy broth base for the paitan-style, to the tonkatsu pork bone-broth base, and the shoyu (soy sauce) style, with veggie broth options or spicy components, there’s a style suited to every palate. If you’re a fan of spice, the tan tan ramen with ground chili pork is something you won’t want to miss. Make sure you add a jammy egg on top to complete the experience.
Kokoro also features a handful of appetizers, best ordered a few at a time. In addition to crispy spring rolls, unctuous gyoza, fresh sunomono cucumber salad and Spam musubi, is the chicken karaage. If you’re a fried chicken fan, the soy-marinated, crunchy bites dipped in Kewpie seasoned with citrusy and briny bits will totally hit the spot. If you have a little extra room, snag an order of fried rice and add chashu pork or chicken katsu. To accompany the food is a pared-down drink menu, offering bottles of Asahi beer, wine and sake, with tea and soda for the zero-proofers. If you’re lucky and the owner is around, they might be able to accommodate a Tomodachi, an off-menu mix of hot sake and plum wine made famous in Humboldt (as tomodachi translates to “friends,” it’s a perfect shareable for the table).
Bring friends — the ramen is hot, the drinks are cold, and takoyaki is waiting in the wings to make you a believer.
Kokoro Ramen
409 Opera Alley, Eureka
(707) 798-1032
kokoroeureka.com
@kokoroeureka
This article appears in My Humboldt Life October 2025.