13 JANUARY 29-FEBRUARY 4, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | regulars hungry for his tonkotsu ramen, which is only available on Sunday in shio (salt), shoyu (soy sauce) and spicy miso variations. Sushi Kazu 12201 East Arapahoe Road, Centennial This restaurant opened in 2002 and quietly built a loyal following. When its owner retired in 2024, Miho Yamaguchi, who’d been a server for years, and her husband, Katsuhisa, took over the business, adding his knowledge of tonkotsu ramen from Fukuoka Prefecture in his native Japan. The tonkotsu ramen is excellent, with a perfect balance of fl avor, creaminess and umami-packed broth, as well as visible col- lagen from the pork bone in the base. The dish is basic — simple, even — though the tastes are complex and supremely satisfying. The couple only serves two fl avors, the tonkotsu and a miso variant, along with spicy versions. (Note: every shop on this list offers a spicy version of its ra- men, but Japanese diners typically don’t order spicy foods, with a couple of touristy exceptions in Tokyo. Instead, Japanese generally prefer to add their own heat with La-Yu chili oil or Sichimi seven pepper mix .) Tokio 2907 Huron Street Miki Hashimoto is a veteran of the sushi scene, having worked at Sushi Den (as have many of the best local sushi chefs) and then running his own restaurant, Japon, in Washington Park. After closing that restaurant in 2013, he went to Japan for a couple of years to learn how to make ramen, and he learned well, returning to open Tokio in 2014. He’s a perfectionist and has tweaked his ramen offerings to an all-star lineup. His tonkotsu is excellent, and the eatery also serves typical bowls including miso, shoyu (soy sauce) and shio (salt, made with chicken broth), along with some nontraditional varia- tions such as lemon ramen, curry, the popular Cremoso Diablo (topped with cheese, believe it or not, and it works!), and the vegan Ramen Air made with soy milk broth. While you’re at Tokio, always order the wonderful gyoza dumplings — Hashimoto makes them by hand, and they’re much bigger than the puny frozen ones served by most restaurants. Uncle 2215 West 32nd Avenue 95 South Pennsylvania Street Owner Tommy Lee has done well as a restau- rateur, fi rst opening Uncle in 2012 in Highland, where he soon had people waiting in line. Then he opened Hop Alley, a Chinese res- taurant in RiNo in 2015, followed by the Wash Park Uncle in 2019. An outpost of Uncle de- buted on Concourse A at Denver International Airport last summer; the spicy garlic ramen with pork belly, garlic oil and garlic chips, and the mazemen (mixed noodles), a brothless ra- men with pork belly, are ideal for travel days. Both the Highland and Wash Park locations offer duck ramen with a satisfying broth, but our favorite is the Jiro Ramen fi lled with pork belly and cabbage in a tonkotsu-like soup, which is only on offer at Uncle Wash Park. Did your favorite ramen joint make the list? Send comments and suggestions to editorial@ westword.com. Cafe continued from page 12
