Dining review: Noodles and more at Osaka Ramen in Denver

Dining review: Noodles and more at Osaka Ramen in Denver

DENVER, CO - JUNE 18: The beef bento box with Korean beef, steamed rice, housemade pickles,and Osaka Ramen salad at Osaka Ramen in Denver's RiNo neighborhood on Thursday June 18, 2015.

(Cyrus McCrimmon, The Denver Post)

When chef-restaurateur Jeff Osaka closed Twelve, his much-admired restaurant in LoDo, Denverdining fans wondered what his next move would be.

That was in August, and it wasn't long before Osaka announced plans to open a Japanese-stylenoodle shop, getting down to basics and channeling his Southern California roots.

And after a few delays, his new restaurant, Osaka Ramen, is up and running not far from CoorsField. Housed in a subterranean space that once belonged to a carpet store, his place is alreadyenjoying brisk business at lunch and dinner.

The shop sits at the intersection of Walnut and 26th streets, near a bustling hospitality district thatincludes Biju's Little Curry Shop and Zephyr Brewing Co. The sleek room boasts a contemporaryvibe, and it's not just because of the hip customers.

Diners at Osaka Ramen come for a tightly-edited menu that includes a variety of noodle dishes andbento boxes, plus some thoughtfully selected small plates that include chilled green beans withsesame seeds and blistered shishito peppers in ponzu sauce.

While this is a casual place with counter service, Osaka has not forsaken his fine-dining background.One bento box features shoyu and sake-steamed Colorado striped bass, and the noodle stocksobviously have spent time simmering and deepening their flavors.

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Service is fast, but nothing feels thrown together.

DENVER, CO - JUNE 18: The chilled green beans with fresh ground sesame seeds and shoyu-sesamedressing at Osaka Ramen in Denver's RiNo neighborhood on Thursday June 18, 2015. (CyrusMcCrimmon, The Denver Post)

Among the ramen dishes, one standout is the vegetable version with Thai green-coconut curry.There are a lot of flavors going on in the dish -- sweet and spicy among them -- plus a blast of umamibliss from the Hon Shimeji mushrooms that mingle with the tofu, pickled veggies and a soft egg.

I also quite liked the Tonkotsu, which worships at the altar of the pig. The dish is anchored by asteaming pork broth, but the star attraction is the strip of pork belly. Bamboo shoots and pickledginger round things out, along with an intense dollop of black garlic oil.

Bento boxes also shine, and I applaud Osaka for using thighs in his chicken bento box. This rich,meaty cut doesn't get nearly enough love in many restaurants, and I'll take a bone-in thigh over oneof those insipid boneless chicken breasts any day.

The bento boxes come with steamed rice, puckery pickles and a house salad that mixes green andred cabbage and baby mustard greens with sesame dressing.

Small plates aren't afterthoughts. The blistered shishitos are nicely charred, and it's always fun tosee who is going to get the hot one. Shishitos are interesting peppers: they are quite mellow, butvirtually every tenth one packs some real heat. It's kind of like playing pepper roulette.

Chilled tofu is also refreshing. It's a soft version mixed with ginger, daikon, scallions and dashi, atype of fish stock made with kombu, or kelp. And the fried, panko-dusted oysters, served in lettucecups with a yuzu tartar sauce, are not to be missed.

The beverage program is designed to complement the dishes, with sakes and Riesling wines, whichOsaka touts as a perfect accompaniment to the food he's serving.

A word about the pricing: For those who grew up on ramen as a cheap way to fill a belly duringyoung adulthood, the $14 noodle bowls might spur a raised eyebrow. But Osaka puts a ton of loveinto this food, and it shows with the quality of the ingredients and the care with which they areassembled.

His ramen shop is a welcome addition to the RiNo neighborhood, and diners are already lapping itup, one spoonful at a time.

William Porter: 303-954-1877, [email protected] or twitter.com/williamporterdp

OSAKA RAMEN

Japanese noodle shop

2611 Walnut St., 303-955-7938, osakaramendenver.com

** Very Good

Atmosphere: Sleek, hip vibe in a repurposed vintage building

Service: Fast, friendly

Beverages: Full bar

Plates: Small plates, $3-$7; ramen and bento boxes, $14

Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.

Details: Street parking

Two visits

Our star system:

****: Exceptional

***: Great

**: Very Good

*: Good

Stars reflect the dining reviewer's overall reaction to the restaurant's food, service and atmosphere.

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