Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

ALABASTER – Alabaster residents will soon be able to enjoy a variety of Asian dishes and drinks when Kiku Asian Express opens its doors on Monday, Dec. 18.

Kiku Asian Express is located in Alabaster at 390 S. Colonial Drive 35007 in the former Steak ‘n Shake building.

“We are so excited to finally open,” Store Manager Luvvy Cheng said. “We have milk teas, really, really good authentic milk teas (and) I think this is going to be the first ramen store around (the) Alabaster area.”

The Alabaster location of Kiku Asian Express marks the first to come to Shelby County as the company’s original business is located in Dothan.

According to the business’s website, Kiku Asian Express strives to provide its customers with authentic and delicious Asian cuisine in a fast and convenient way.

Kiku Asian Express features a self-service style ordering system where customers can access a kiosk to place an order.

The restaurant’s menu features a wide array of poke bowls, teriyaki bowls, appetizers and boba milk teas.

“Our milk (tea) is really good because it’s all imported from Taiwan,” Cheng said. “The food, especially with the tea and stuff, gives you more Asian vibes compared to other places.”

Kiku Asian Express will feature the following drinks on its menu:

• Brown Sugar Milk Tea
• Strawberry Milk Tea
• Taro Milk Tea
• Brown Sugar Matcha
• Mango Smoothie
• Passion Fruit Tea
• Classic Milk Tea
• Coffee Milk Tea

Cheng said that Kiku Asian Express prepares authentic ramen dishes.

“Our ramen is authentic,” she said. “We cook it like it actually is in Japan.”

The restaurant will feature a variety of ramen dishes, including:

• Sapporo MisoRamen
• Chicken Wonton Ramen
• Tokyo Ramen
• Shrimp Tempura Ramen
• Mizu Chicken Ramen
• Spicy Vegan Ramen
• Tonkotsu Black Ramen
• Kimchi Ramen

The business will give also give customers the ability to customize and create their own poke bowl.

“Poke bowls are basically like sushi in a bowl where basically you can just choose sushi rice, or the brown rice or some (vegetable) as the base and where you can basically build it with the salmon, chicken teriyaki, shrimp, tuna, spicy salmon, octopus salad or something like that,” Cheng said.

Kiku Asian Express will also feature the following signature poke bowls in addition to the ability you create your own:

• Eel Bowl
• Crispy Bowl
• Volcano Bowl
• Hawaii Bowl
• Salmon Lover Bowl
• Chicken Teriyaki Bowl
• Land and Sea Bowl
• Vegetarian Bowl