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"At 3378 18th Street the new ramen restaurant from chef/owner Harold Jurado is a work in progress but already focused on refined flavors and a cleaner design that highlights the food and beverages, with a dark ebonized oak bar and tables. The menu centers on three ramen broths—vegetarian (a mushroom-based broth and a spicier vegetarian tantanmen), poultry-based (chicken tantanmen: a spicy broth with ground chicken and ground turkey; and tori paitan featuring a turkey chashu as a pork-free take on braised pork belly), and pork (a 20-hour tonkotsu served with Kurobuta pork belly chashu that Ramenwell cures and marinates before sending to 4505 Burgers & BBQ to be smoked). Bowls are $14 for veggie or chicken and $15 for pork and come with a side of pickles to cut through the broth’s richness. Small plates and sides ($5–$17) include daikon and little gem salads as well as composed dishes such as wagyu tataki carpaccio and hamachi sashimi with umeboshi and bone marrow, and for dessert there’s a soft-serve machine offering matcha and taro—a nod to Jurado’s Chicago spots. Jurado says the menu and design will continue to evolve and he’s inviting customer feedback; hours are Monday–Thursday 5 p.m.–10 p.m., Friday–Saturday 5 p.m.–11 p.m. (closed Sundays)." - Caleb Pershan