Karai Hand Roll Bar X Ramen

My brother and I wanted to try a new ramen place and ended up here. The food itself was great as I got the bulduk ramen and tempura shrimp and my brother got the tonkatsu. It was all good until I wanted the check. We sat for 30 minutes waiting for a check. The front of staff was more concerned with the group next to us or being idle. I have pressed to call for a server multiple times and hearing the ping letting them know a table needed help but I could not get their attention. I only got my check after the table next to us asked for a check when I told them I wanted a check. I partly blame the system for not properly letting the staff know since the ping only went off for a server request but also for how unattentive the staff is to some other guests. We were at the corner of the bar.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 2

Recommended dishes: Shrimp Tempura 4

Food is amazing!!
Starting with garlic edamame and gyoja.
Salmon hand roll > yellowtail hand roll > scallop hand roll > blue crab hand roll > tonkotsu ramen.
Felt like I was in Japan.
Making me happy :)
The chef is very friendly and nice.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sushi

Hidden Gem for Handrolls & Ramen Lovers!

Karai Handroll in Stanton is a must-visit for anyone who loves fresh handrolls and flavorful ramen. The salmon and bulgogi Inari Sushi were incredibly delicious—so fresh and packed with flavor! The tonkatsu ramen was also a standout, with rich broth and perfectly cooked pork.

The atmosphere around the area is great for exploring before or after your meal, and the staff, including the owner, were exceptionally friendly and welcoming. It’s a place I’ll definitely be visiting again, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a top-notch Japanese dining experience in California!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Scallop, Sushi, Bulgogi Crab Hand Rolls, Albacore Carpaccio with Crispy Onion

Very basic ramen. The spicy tonkatsu broth was proper spicy which was nice. Noodles very meh.

But this was the single worst piece of chashu pork I've ever had, bar none. Stiff as a board. So dry I'm surprised it wasn't powder inside.

I need a toothpick. Don't get ramen here.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 5

Arguably the worst ramen I’ve had my whole life. My girlfriend and I both decided to get the spicy tonkotsu, and wow. The chicken was dry and would genuinely take 45 seconds to chew each bite of the overcooked chicken. On top of that, the broth tasted like boiled water with a sprinkle of cayenne, and I’m not exaggerating one bit. Then the noodles tasted the exact same as the broth, god awful. Eggs tasted rubbery and rotten, I wish that we could have gotten a refund because $48 for that meal was completely unjustifiable. My girlfriend and I left right away after that travesty that my taste buds experienced. Good bulgogi though?‍♂️

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 2

One of our favorite places!! The service is great and the hand rolls are so delicious

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Sushi

Food was delicious and service was amazing!! Definitely recommend this place and would come again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

One of the best chashu ramen’s I’ve had. The 3 king yubu (essentially a sampler) was absolutely delicious. My order consisted of bulgogi, spicy pork, and guacamole

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Service was great. The staff was so friendly. We ordered the albacore cappacio and we loved the crispy things they put on top. Our favorites were the crispy tuna rice, crab hand roll, and scallop hand roll.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Karai is located inside Rodeo 39. We came for hand rolls. Usually when it’s a new place, we always share a set. But at Karai, we decided to each have our own set at $5 a roll.

Now I know why. You get what you pay for. We started off with the
Yellowtail carpaccio ($13) and 5 set hand roll called Cinco ($25).

The carpaccio was the decent meal out of all. The onions and jalapeños added an extra oomph to it.

However, the hand rolls were a big disappointment. The set included Salmon, Scallops, Yellowtail, Crab and Toro.

It was too much rice, the nori quality was poor, it wasn’t crispy for easy breakage. I had hard time separating with every bite and felt like I had to pull at it which caused the filling to spill out.

The fish fillings were mushy. Crab tasted like it came out of a can. They all lacked flavor. They don’t offer Yozu koshu which would have made it 10x better. So we had to drench it in soy sauce to get some flavor.

Looking at photos on Yelp, every handroll looked different. Some had green onions, some had crispies and other toppings. We only had unflavored sushi rice and bland mushy fish.

Prior to ordering, the server pulled out a plate of ginger and wasabi from the fridge that was prepared who knows when. The ginger was dried out. Also, the plastic water cups were stacked faced down in front of you touching the dirty table. It just didn’t feel clean. Should have walked out at this time.

We sat at the bar and saw others come in eating a bowl of ramen. So maybe the ramen is what they are best at? Should have gone for a set of Yubu instead. Afterwards, my stomach did not sit well.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 3

The hand rolls here were delicious! I got to go and they individually wrap the seaweed so it doesn't get soggy. It is easy to remove bc you just pull on each side and it comes right off without messing up the roll. I got the 5 pc hand roll. The scallop hand roll was my favorite.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Good ramen, and I dont like habd roll bar, but maybe you like..let's try it

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

AMAZING FOOD & Service!!! Sitting at their cozy sushi bar, you meet the nicest people too! Their Lunch special is a real bargain, IF you can’t eat there, definitely get it to go! WORTH every penny! Lobster roll, Yubu Bulgogi were so good, we had to order more. IF you’re in the mood for sashimi, try the Carpaccio, our new friends raved about that one! And the “Volcano” ramen, we always take home for later, is the best. Karai offers something for whatever your mood & tastebuds are craving! And Rodeo 39 has such a cool vibe, even has an Arcade with pinball for 2 quarters! Make this your “Date night” place — but start at 3, so you can get the lunch special ?

Vegetarian options: They offer a Vegetarian Ramen

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Real Crab Hand Roll, Albacore Carpaccio with Cripsy Onion, Tuna, Tuna Carpaccio with Garlic Chip and Ponzu, Jessica Albacore, Yellowtail Carpaccio with Fresh Jalapeno, Cucumber Salad, Sushi

The handroll is amazing! The fillings are so flavorful. Really good rice to filling ratio! Going back to try the ramen as everyone in the restaurant said it was amazing

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Real Crab Hand Roll, Sushi

It’s not Japanese ramen at all…..

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1