A popular abura soba restaurant from Japan just expanded to the South Bay’s most hyped food mall: Westfield Valley Fair.
Kajiken, which specializes in brothless ramen with springy house-made noodles and customizable toppings, already operates two Bay Area locations in San Mateo and Dublin, with more throughout California and the rest of the U.S. Timothy Lu opened the first California location in San Mateo in 2023 to massive lines, and still draws crowds outside on the weekends; it landed on the Chronicle’s 2025 Top 100 list and earned Michelin recognition.
Lu launched Kajiken’s newest location at 11 a.m. Friday, and its early diners claimed one of the restaurant’s 40-odd seats with only a short wait, sitting at tables under an array of white paper lanterns or at one-person booths to the side.
The Valley Fair restaurant serves the same menu as the one in San Mateo, where the noodles are made, Lu said. Abura soba bowls come in eight signature options, topped with chashu, spicy minced pork, ground chicken, Wagyu roast beef, fried tofu, plant-based pork or barbecue eel. They sell for between $16.50 and $26.95, though diners can add more mix-ins, too. Sauce pools on the bottom of each bowl, waiting to be mixed so that it coats each noodle in a thin, luscious layer.
Chashu, spicy fish roe and Wagyu roast beef all top rice bowls, too, for those branching out from Kajiken’s best-known offering. Pan-fried gyoza, karaage covered in a shower of citrusy grated daikon, octopus-studded balls known as takoyaki and sauteed vegetables sauced with yuzu kosho are available for appetizers.
The chain first launched in 2010 in Nagoya, Japan, started by Kaji Kenichi. It’s since grown to several other countries including Singapore and China, with more than 100 locations in total. Multiple people run the brand’s U.S. locations; Lu said he operates the San Mateo and Valley Fair ones but works with several others.
Lu first tried abura soba in 2011, he said, on a study abroad trip to Japan. That inspired him to reach out to Kajiken later on, so he could bring the dish to the Bay Area, where he grew up. Abura soba remains a relative rarity here.
After his first location exploded in popularity, Lu said he wanted to draw in a bigger South Bay audience, instead of staying on the Peninsula. And opening in Westfield Valley Fair, right by several other Japanese noodle specialists, appealed to him.
“There’s udon across from us, there’s Ramen Nagi right next door,” he said. “I think that’s pretty fun, to be representing Japanese noodles in that area.”
Kajiken. 2855 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara. kajikenusa.com
Dining and Cooking