Shoryuken Ramen can breathe a sigh of relief — if that’s something a restaurant can do. More likely, chef and co-owner Will Richardson (along with partners Josh and Jessica Bufford) is both breathing a sigh of relief that he finally found a spot for his ramen concept to land and also experiencing a few expected jitters about opening in the old Dash Kitchen + Carry spot.
Richardson has been selling his ramen since last winter on Monday and Tuesday nights at a pop-up inside Lunch, located next to Supper on Summit Avenue. Lines formed outside, the ramen bowls sold out regularly and a brick-and-mortar location seemed inevitable. A Kickstarter campaign was begun to help with start-up costs and is still rolling along.
Now that Shoryuken has found a permanent home, Richardson is able to expand his menu. Expect to find soy-seasoned ajitama deviled eggs ($5), tater tots lavished with chashu, scallions and spicy Kewpie mayonnaise ($7), rice bowls ($10) that can be topped with tofu or pork ($10) and of course, ramen — from the classic variety ($10) to one made with a milky pork-bone broth ($10). A plethora of toppings and accompaniments from pickled mushrooms to a togarashi butter can make your dinner specific to your taste — or entice you to do a little experimenting.
The ABC license is in effect, so fancy cocktails — Sheng Long’s Defeat ($8) made of gin, house-made matcha cordial, sake and coconut cream or the Flash Kick ($8) made of vodka, ginger beer, lime and chili are a few choices — will be offered, along with usual local beer suspects and three wines by the glass.
From tonight on, the more-than-ramen spot will be open Mondays-Thursdays from 5 to 11 p.m., and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to midnight.