RAMEN

Kukai, a beloved ramen shop, serves some of the best Japanese cuisine you can find in TUCSON, Ariz. - Kukai, is the name of a Japanese Buddist monk who lived in the Nara period of ancient Japan, but also shares the name of a quaint ramen spot in central Tucson. Traditional Japanese cuisine has never really been something that is in the talks throughout the Tucson community. That is not to say that there is an initiative by certain people to represent the culture with respect and authenticity. Welcome to Kukai, a humble spot located at the MSA Annex on South Avenida del Convento. Serving classic dishes from ramen, curry and sushi, but also offering unique items that can be more difficult to find throughout Tucson and the United States in general. One of these dishes includes Onigiri, which Kukai began their business with as their main focus in 2019 when they first opened. These delectable nori wrapped rice balls can have a number of different savory or sweet fillings and can commonly be found in convenient stores across Japan. “In Japan, they’re everywhere, in every little market, and they’re phenomenal,” said the owner and head chef of Kukai, Michael McCormick. Michael, originally from Los Angeles, California, always had a love for Japanese food and aspired to open his own restaurant one day. His girlfriend at the time, now his wife, convinced him to move with her to Tucson to learn how to master Japanese style cooking under her dad’s wing. In his early 20’s, he took the chance, starting his work at Samurai on Oracle and Rogers where he worked for about 11 years. “He taught me everything he knows and finally said, hey, it's your turn to start,” McCormick said. After that, he found a location he liked and opened Kukai serving his onigiri, which quickly became a local favorite. Kukai became open to the public in early 2019, right before the COVID19 pandemic. “It was during hot times like this, so it started slowing down but people kept coming,” McCormick said. “During COVID, everyone dipped, but since we’re outdoors, we were one of the few people that could open shortly thereafter which really helped push us forward.” Surviving this obstacle, Kukai has remained successful these past years, improving their craft and adding more to their menu. One aspect of the menu that needs to be discussed is their carefully picked ramen selection. It can be anxiety-inducing for people deciding to order because they are all equally fantastic and many different locals have their own personal favorite. The mentai, one of the first ramens to be added to the menu by Chef McCormick is a great place to start for newcomers. A simple dish but with complex flavors consisting of a classic Hakata creamy rich pork broth with added spicy cod roe that gives it that extra kick. “I’m a believer in very simple things,” said customer Chris Thai. “That's how you know a place is good, if they can nail the simple things.” Thai, who only occasionally goes out for ramen as a treat, orders this classic specifically at Kukai. “It's one of the better ramens in town. For ramen, this is my go-to for sure,” Thai said. The shoyu ramen which is McCormick and his team's favorite. A Soy based broth with traditional additions like chashu pork, menma, bamboo shoots and seaweed. All providing a textural pleasing experience and you can also opt to get it spicy for some extra flavor. Another option worth mentioning is the highly praised vegan spicy miso ramen. Ami Hutchinson, another regular at Kukai, commonly comes here with her friend who always orders this shitake mushroom based ramen and it never misses. At Kukai, quality and consistency is their top priority, and that is no exception when it comes to their sushi. McCormick has Japanese suppliers from across the country and sometimes shipments come straight from Japan depending on the fish. He carefully sorts through each shipment making sure he's getting the top products. “We make sure the fish comes in nice,” McCormick said. “Sometimes I’ll do a toro from a bluefin, and if the bluefin doesn’t hit where I want it, I’ll use it for myself and only use the good parts.” “I love the people that we work with and the quality of our food. We never keep fish that's low quality," said Chef Rayray Romero. “I don’t eat sashimi anywhere else besides here.” Romero has been working under McCormick’s wing for almost 5 years and has been with the restaurant since a few months after its opening. He had no experience making Japanese food before joining the team. “Michael is a great mentor, he taught me all the stuff that I know about sushi,” Ramero said. Born in Tucson, Romero had no idea as to what Japanese food was until he moved to the bay area in California at the age of 10 and discovered this type of cuisine along with other Asian cooking. Ever since then, he is well aware of what the standards are for good sushi. “As far as sushi goes, our most popular item is the Mt Fuji Don, the volcano looking one,” Ramero said. This beautiful creation is essentially a rice bowl topped with spicy tuna, an assortment of vegetables, masago, all drizzled with an eel sauce. Again, it's the simplicity of the dish that makes it, where the fresh fish really shines and the accompanying ingredients complement it without being overpowering. “We’ve been here for like 15 times and we always get the Mt. Fuji Don,” said Hutchinson with her partner David Cestelli. “When we find something that we love, we don’t really stray from that too much,” Cestelli said. The dish is an absolute must try at Kukai alongside the many other traditional favorites.