September 5: Kigo Kitchen

I'd spotted the "coming soon" signs of Kigo Kitchen back in June, but forgot about it until our building security guru, who has his finger on the pulse of local openings, handed me a copy of their menu. I'd just returned from a long vacation, and, swamped by work, put off my visit a few more days.

Located next door to Delicatus, Kigo specializes in wok-fired stir fry bowls. All I know about stir fry is that I always eat too much when I visit Chang's Mongolian Grill, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

At first, Kigo's menu appears fairly limited, but the customizations make it extensive. I opted for the Golden Rice Bowl, uncustomized, which includes peanut hoisin sauce, chicken, carrot, spinach, and brown rice, and a fountain drink from Seattle Soda.

Ordering is much like Subway or Taco Del Mar: order at one end of the counter, pay at the other. By the time I'd filled my drink, my name was being called to get my bowl. My first impression: disappointment. There's not a lot of food here. Presentation is "here's a small glop of food in a paper cup."

First impressions can be wrong.

I tucked in at the table overlooking a very smokey, ashy First Avenue, and poked at my bowl. Half rice, half stir fry, it had cooled just enough to eat. The flavor was mild, not overwhelmingly salty or spicy like Chang sometimes shovels my way. The shredded carrots were a little bit crunchy -- or was that the rice? It's hard to tell with it all mixed together.  I ate it quickly, but it was nearly more than I could consume. There's a lot of food in that little space.

Looking for a quick lunch? Kigo isn't a bad choice.

Kigo Kitchen
Golden rice bowl, diet cola, $12.99
105 1st Ave. S.