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Broth is usually a key consideration when it comes to eating ramen: connoisseurs know there are different varieties, ranging from clear, light broths to creamier, opaque options.

Not so with abura soba, or "soupless ramen," the specialty at Kajiken, a newly opened Charles Village restaurant. Here, cooked noodles and toppings like kimchi, fried onions and tender sliced pork called chashu take center stage, with diners encouraged to experiment with flavor pairings by mixing and matching ingredients.

The restaurant, which takes over a spot once occupied by PekoPeko Ramen at 7 E. 33rd St. near Johns Hopkins University, is the first U.S. location for Kajiken, a Japanese chain with more than 40 locations worldwide, per the company's social media. Another Kajiken outpost planned in San Mateo, California, had also been billed as the chain's first in the U.S. but does not appear to have opened yet.

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