ELMHURST – Kan Ya joined the city of Elmhurst's restaurant scene about four months ago to fill a niche for ramen.
The restaurant, 108 E. Schiller St., serves 13 ramen dishes, which can be customized with the addition of about two dozen toppings, such as bamboo shoots, bok choy, corn and seasoned egg.
Sally Chen, one of three owners of the restaurant, said bestsellers among the ramen dishes include the tonkotsu black rich ramen, which is a medley of pork broth, pork chashu, kikurage, green onion, dried seaweed, seasoned egg, garlic chips, black garlic oil and fried onion. Another popular dish is the spicy chicken ramen, which features a rich chicken broth, chicken chashu, spinach, spicy bean sprout, green onion and chili oil.
Chen said that since there are few ramen restaurants in the Chicago suburbs, they wanted to fill that niche.
"Ramen is a street food, but we made it a homemade soup," she added.
Other items on the menu include fried rice dishes, mochi ice cream and appetizers such as a Kan Ya bun, which is a fluffy white bun with thick braised pork and vegetables. Chen noted the menu also includes french fries "for kids."
At Kan Ya, customers can watch as chefs prepare meals in an open kitchen in the restaurant, which seats diners in an attractive, clean-cut atmosphere with wooden tables and chairs.
Chen has found customers come "again and again," with some coming twice a week.
"Customers are really friendly here," said Chen, who likes speaking with the diners.
She added the restaurant has thrived with customers spreading the word to others in the community, and staff has learned through customers what they enjoy most and what may need improvements.
Eddie Cen, another owner of the restaurant, previously worked at Benihana in Oak Brook and Chicago. He immigrated to the United States from China in the 1990s.
Cen said he wants to ensure Kan Ya provides the "best quality, best service, best price."
Saito Li is another owner of the restaurant, Chen said. About 10 people make up the staff for the restaurant, which offers dine-in, carryout and delivery options.
Chen added she would like to add smoothies or a bubble drink to the menu, maybe sometime this summer.
If you go
WHAT: Kan Ya
WHERE: 108 E. Schiller St., Elmhurst
HOURS: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
INFO: 630-359-3463