Kizuna - Japanese (with Ramen) in the Former Konami Space on Route 7 in Tysons Corner

[lonewolfcub]

Curious if anyone here has tried this restaurant in Tysons? It is in the same space where Konami used to be, right on Rt. 7 very close to a BP gas station, down a block from the Olive Garden.

You don't see too many Ramen places in Northern VA. Feedback from some other sites is generally mixed and wondering if anyone here has thoughts.

Thanks!

[Katya4me]

Some friends and I went about 2 months ago and enjoyed it.  Based on recommendations, we had the smothered tater tots for an appetizer and loved them.  The tiger vine sushi was on the happy hour specials menu, so we tried that and really enjoyed it and the mango sauce that was served with it.  For the ramen, we pretty much sampled them all.  I had the Tonkatsu and my husband had the Kizuna.   His looked good, but the servings were so generous that I was glad I did not have the additional toppings. Others at the table tried these as well as the Miso and Shio ramen.  I think my friend may not try the Miso ramen next time, but everyone seemed to be very happy with their choices.

I recommended it to a friend who works in Tysons and he has since been at least twice and enjoyed it.  I think it goes without saying, but if you have issues with high blood pressure, you probably should not be visiting a ramen restaurant.

[DonRocks]

You don't see too many Ramen places in Northern VA. Feedback from some other sites is generally mixed and wondering if anyone here has thoughts.

It has one of the most curious websites I've come across lately. Searching for it on the web returns this:

Clicking on that top entry took so long to load that I thought I was downloading a virus, but once it loads, it's a robust, albeit odd, website.

[RWBooneJr]

It has one of the most curious websites I've come across lately.

In case you care, they're using this html theme.  And there is or was a Kizuna in Buenos Aires.

[PollyG]

We visted for lunch today and were favorably impressed.  We never made it to Konami, so I'm not sure how much they revamped the interior.  My 15 year-old liked the vibe. (So did we, but really, she's the style maven of the three of us.)  There are two distinct areas, divided by a screen, one of which is more bar-style, albeit with some very big high tables.  We sat in one of the booths, with a surprisingly peaceful view of the bamboo that screens part of the restaurant from Route 7.  We had gyoza and the fried brussel sprouts as an appetizer.  The gyoza appear to be made in house and are larger than usual, but the filling was tasty and had a good texture.  The fried brussel sprouts were breaded but not seasoned much beyond that, served with a spicy mayo, and really too large a portion for 2 adults.

The spouse and teen each had the tonkatsu ramen, while I went with the shio.  The teen and I swapped bowls midway through as it turned out that we each preferred the other's broth.  Both broths have a depth of flavor that goes far beyond "bones and MSG" as ingredients and tasted nothing like pre-packaged ramen broths.  The spouse and I thought they are more complex than Tanpopo's. The bamboo shoots had been marinated and had no "canned" flavor; we have occasionally gotten sour bamboo shoots that taste like old cans elsewhere.  Both broths were liberally studded with black garlic oil.  The standout, though, was the chausu pork. It was either grilled lightly or touched with a blowtorch before it hit the soup, carmelizing some of the fat and pork.

We arrived right as they opened at noon and by the time we left, it was about 2/3 full, with lots of family groups.

We'll be back.