After much anticipation, Katsu Ramen opened for business on January 26 in the Birchtree Shopping Center at 1930 S Havana. This is the second Havana District Restaurant owned and operated by Chang Lee and Yumi Ogai, who also own the very popular Sushi Katsu at 2222 S Havana.
Traditional Japanese ramen noodles are prepared from scratch daily by Katsu Ramen’s chef, who recently arrived in Aurora from Osaka, Japan. The chef is a family friend of Chang and Yumi and has over 17 years’ experience. The ramen noodle bowls are big and hearty. The noodles are thick, slightly chewy and delicious. Katsu Ramen has already earned 4 & 5 star ratings on Yelp, with the primary drawback being the fact that after only a week they have become extremely popular and the wait is long. The lines have been out the door at lunch and dinner, wrapping around the building at times, with a reported 30-minute wait to be seated. Their hours are listed as 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, but every day since opening the crowds have been so large that they have sold out of ramen early.
As with any new business, getting up and going is challenging. Opening an incredible mom & pop Japanese noodle house like Katsu Ramen in an area like the Havana District, where area residents crave delicious ethnic food, increases this challenge exponentially! Knowing Chang and Yumi, they will rise to the challenge and work out the opening kinks. You can view their menu at www.ramendenver.com.
Ramen noodle bowls are priced from $9.25 to $9.85; rice bowls with miso soup priced from $8.25 to $9.50.
Katsu Ramen is located on the SE corner of Jewell & Havana at 1930 S Havana, #5, Aurora CO 80014, right next door to The English Teacup. They close for their own lunch break between 3 and 4:30 p.m. If you go, we encourage you to get there right before they open at 11 a.m. or at 4:30 p.m. when they reopen for dinner. The line may be long, but the food is well worth the wait! We hear that you can give them your name when you arrive and then can go explore and shop at The English Teacup or go have a beer at Whispers in the same shopping center to pass the time while you wait.