'Good as gold': Japanese restaurant offering gold flake-topped ramen debuts in Durbin Park

Promising to be the gold standard in ramen and yakitori as symbolized by the 24-karat edible gold flakes topping its signature dish — a new Japanese restaurant is now open in Durbin Park.

Located next to its soon-to-open Mochinut doughnut shop, Kinya Ramen-Yakitori debuted Monday at 415 Durbin Pavilion Drive, No. 103, at The Pavilion at Durbin Park shopping center in Saint Johns.

Durbin Park is the first Kinya Ramen location in the Jacksonville area although a Kinya Ramen Sushi Bar opened last August in Gainesville.

Both the Kinya Ramen and Mochinut in Durbin Park are owned by Jax Mochinut Corp. of Saint Johns, state licensing and corporation records show.

The Mochinut opening date hasn't been finalized, Nicholas Chong, one of the Kinya owners, told the Times-Union.

It will be the second Jacksonville-area location of the Los Angeles-based cafe offering Hawaiian-style doughnuts, Korean corn dogs, Boba teas and more.

The area's first Mochinut — which state records list as owned by Sunshine Boba LLC — opened March 2 at 11757 Beach Blvd., Unit 9, in Jacksonville's Beachwood Plaza shopping center.

The two new Durbin Park restaurants neighbor Chicken Salad Chick and are across the shopping center parking lot from Cinemark Durbin Park and XD and Trattoria di Bernardone.

Kinya means "gold." The restaurant bills itself as the "home of the Golden Ramen." It focuses on making the guest experience as well as the food "as good as gold," according to its website.

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On the menu at Kinya Ramen

The restaurant aims to provide an "authentic experience" as if guests were dining in Japan.

"From our Golden Kinya Ramen topped with real gold flakes to our specialty cocktails with gold flakes mixed in, our ramen bar offers a touch of elegance make your evening special," the website states.

Chong noted menu offerings might vary by restaurant location. He recently posted the Durbin Park menu on social media showing these ramen mainstays:

• Kinya Ramen ($19): Pork broth with black garlic oil flavor, topped with narutomaki fish cake, chopped scallions, ginger, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, a seasoned boiled egg and 24k edible gold. Served with golden noodles. Chicken or Pork chashu

• Tonkotsu Ramen ($17): The original “Tonkotsu”(pork) broth topped with narutomaki fish cake, black mushrooms, bamboo shoots, red pickled ginger and a seasoned boiled egg. Served with straight noodles. Chicken or pork chashu

• Beef Ramen ($18): Chicken broth topped with bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, seasoned soft-boiled egg, scallions, narutomaki fish cake, and beef slices. Served with golden noodles

• Chintan Ramen ($17): Clear chicken and fish broth with light soy sauce flavor, topped with narutomaki fish cake, chopped scallions, nori seaweed, bean sprouts, black mushrooms, and a seasoned boiled egg. Served with golden noodles. Chicken or pork chashu

The Durbin Park menu also shows yakitori — two skewers — ranging from $8 for steak or lamb to $7 for Tebasaki (chicken wing) and $6 each for shrimp, pork belly, Sasami (chicken tender) or asparagus bacon. Vegetable yakitori ranges from $6 for Shishito Peppers or Mushrooms, to $4 for zucchini.

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Kinya Ramen footprint

Durbin Park and Gainesville are the only Florida locations so far for Kinya Ramen, which lists on its website a total of 14 locations — either open or coming soon — in eight states including Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

The Mochinut in Durbin Park will be among at least 173 locations either open or coming soon nationwide as well as in South Korea and Thailand. In Florida, it will be one of 18, according to the company's website and social media posts.

Kinya Ramen-Yakitori in Durbin Park is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Kinya Ramen-Yakitori brings 24-karat gold-flaked ramen to St. Johns