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Judging simply by the wishing tree that looms over the main dining room, Kyuramen has welcomed literally thousands of guests since opening in early June. The wooden structure is in full bloom, dripping with hand-written notes bearing the hopes, dreams and prayers of previous diners.
But attention soon shifts to the left side of the restaurant, where booths are stacked in a striking honeycomb pattern, each glowing like the sunlit cells of a bee frame. Straight ahead, an open kitchen is a beehive of activity, where chefs drop noodles into boiling water, ladle hot broth from bubbling cauldrons, and cap bowls with various toppings. Moving deeper into the restaurant, one finds a stretch of cozy nooks concealed by curtains that mimics the lantern-lit alleyways of old Tokyo.
Belying its suburban shopping mall address, Kyuramen is a compelling dining destination that marries form with function and flair. Located at SouthPark Mall in Strongsville, the restaurant is the first of its kind in Ohio, brought here by Cleveland-based entrepreneur Sheng Long Yu. Yu is behind a bevy of local eateries, both first-to-market concepts such as Lao Sze Chuan and Dagu Rice Noodle and original creations like Shinto, YYTime and Build the Pho.
Founded in New York City a decade ago, Kyuramen is expanding quickly around the country. The draw, naturally, is the ramen, a mix of regional styles plucked from around the island nation. Those bowls are complemented by a wide variety of tantalizing appetizers, which add depth and complexity to meals. Glossy pictorial menus help diners navigate items that might be unfamiliar.
The most popular starter on the menu is the honeycomb platter ($14.99), a combination of snacks presented in hexagonal dishes that mirror the stacked-booth arrangement. Edamame pods are tossed in chili oil and sprinkled with togarashi; Taiwanese-style popcorn chicken is crispy, juicy and well-seasoned; tempura-fried shrimp is light, crisp and grease-free; soft tofu is flash-fried, doused in umami-rich sauce and capped with bonito shavings; molten-hot and custardy takoyaki are studded with firm bits of octopus.
Yakitori skewers arrive hot from the grill, lightly charred and pleasantly seasoned. They can be ordered a la carte or as a platter ($16.99) that mixes skirt steak, chicken thigh, pork belly, fried tofu and zucchini. While the skirt was on the chewy side, the pork belly and dark meat chicken were both succulent and perfectly cooked.
Order the gyoza ($8.99) pan-fried (as opposed to deep-fried) and the dumplings arrive shatteringly crisp on the bottom but delicate and tender above. The thin wrappers are filled with an airy ground chicken mixture.
Many customers visit Kyuramen just to try the omurice ($20.99), an eggy phenom made famous on social media. This hearty, comforting dish features a deftly prepared omelet that is balanced atop a mound of fried rice. At the table – once cameras are aimed and focused – the server glides a blade across the surface, unleashing a custardy interior that oozes over the rice. Sauce, either a tangy curry or savory demi-glace, is poured over top.
Ramen – wide, deep bowls of savory broth, bouncy egg noodles and sundry toppings – is the main draw. Pork bones simmer for five days to make the base broth for most bowls. The #1 is the classic deeply flavored, collagen-rich tonkotsu shoyu, flavored either with white garlic or black garlic ($17.99). In addition to the noodles, there is well-marbled chashu pork, marinated soft-cooked egg, bamboo shoot, nori, corn and scallion. There are also spicy versions, curry flavored brews, Korean kimchi ramen, and broths made from chicken or vegetables. The Yinyang bowl lets diners enjoy two styles side by side.
Diners can tweak their bowls with tabletop spices like citrusy togarashi, fiery cayenne, and a Chinese-style pickled vegetable relish that adds texture, heat and flavor.
For dessert, there’s matcha pudding, cherry blossom jelly, and matcha tiramisu ($7.99). The latter, served in a wooden sake box, features layers of light cream and ladyfingers beneath a vibrant green dusting of matcha powder.
TBaar, a standalone bubble tea counter in a front corner of the restaurant, services both sit-down and carry-out customers. The well-known brand offers milk teas, fruit teas, fruit smoothies and refreshing lemonades. My personal favorite is the brown sugar bubble milk tea ($5.95). Ice and sugar levels are customizable.
When it comes to restaurants, Yu is an unstoppable force. In addition to the above-mentioned spots, he also operates Kenko Sushi and Hell’s Fried Chicken. On deck is a third Shinto Japanese Steakhouse at Legacy and a second Lau Sze Chuan in Strongsville. Yu stated that he’s also in talks to bring a Kyuramen to the east side of Cleveland. For purely selfish reasons, I hope he does.
Kyuramen
500 Southpark Ctr., Strongsville
440-638-4271
kyuramen.com
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Douglas Trattner
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