Truly the best ramen in Denver, and at a reasonable price. Â The only thing that keeps this from 5 stars is that the atmosphere is leaves something to be desired. Â That said, if I lived closer to this place it would be a weekly stop. Â Food is top quality, service is decent, and the price is right.
I'd say this place is worth the drive to check out if you haven't already. Â The gyoza are not top notch, but the ramen is excellent.
I've been going here for years, and the ramen is still as delicious as ever! Â The owner seems to be aging and I did notice the microwaved gyoza, but food is still tasty! Â It's quirky and different and a little messy, and that's part of the charm (if you like that sort of thing). Â If you've never been, it's worth a try!
Review Source:I want to keep loving this place, but the owner isn't making it easy.
The ramen is good, and I love the marinated hard-boiled eggs and thin-sliced pork in particular. Â Seriously, THE EGGS. Â Why can I not find these elsewhere?
The restaurant itself has issues, however. Â It's always been a bit of a dive, and I've been okay with that. Â But the hygiene issues that people talk about? Â They're not making it up. Â It's also looking like the owner needs to get a storage shed somewhere, instead of using the storefront of his own restaurant.
I don't know if it's a lack of effort or pride or what, but this place could be so much better...
The food here is TASTY - a simple authentic ramen-shop style menu done well. It's definitely a hole-in-the-wall, but that comes with the territory. The service is friendly and attentive, and the prices are reasonable.
The only reason I'm giving only three stars is the cleanliness. The menus are gross, there was food residue on my cup. I also heard a microwave start right after my order, although I can only speculate as to why. Regardless, I wasn't grossed out enough to thoroughly enjoy my food and consider returning. Hopefully it was just an off day.
I love this place. I go at least a few times a month. It is where I'll be going for my birthday dinner in a few days.
I always order the spicy ramen and split an order of yakisoba with my girlfriend. The noodles used for both are very good. The broth the ramen is fantastic.
Two things have me addicted to this place. #1 The Tea Eggs. They are so good and salty with a hint of sweetness. I always get 2 when I go. The other being the gyoza. I like the crispy greasyness. The touch of mustard stuff in the sauce for gyoza is soooo good.
I would love to show up with a bottle of 409 and trash can.... I would clean the counter and throw away all the stuffed dolls....
The miso ramen tastes good but the sanitary conditions are like nothing I've ever seen outside of a third world country. There are piles of "stuff" (rusty tools, motor oil containers, disassembled items) at the entrance. Counters are sticky and the floor is dirty. Service is brisk but without eye contact or personality. Stained curled signs are everywhere with rules for the customers to follow. But the food is good. Its a funny place to take someone.
Review Source:Tonight, with the weather being rainy, I decided to venture out for ramen. Like I had predicted, I ordered my usual suspect, #11 B - Original Oshima with the soy paste and a side of gyoza.
I was very pleased to be greeted by a hot bowl of ramen with tender slices pork and all the toppings. I slurped it up and ate the whole thing.
I also met really cool people who were new to the restaurant and one was a regular. Oshima seems to be a place where you can either eat in peace or you can meet some really cool people. It's your choice.
I can easily say that Oshima is a true hole-in-the-wall. They open at 11 AM and close at 9 PM. They are not open on Mondays. There's nothing fancy about the place but it's the character that keeps me returning - as well as the ramen.
Well, this place is definitely a hole in the wall, but the food is quite tasty.
I almost always get the original oshima ramen bowl when I come here. Â It's a shoyu-based broth with thinly slices pork, seaweed, bean sprouts, a pickled egg, and noodles. I love the combination of everything. Â I also like to get the gyoza on the side. Â
There are other soup options on the menu and they have a few entrees like yakisoba, but the soup is the highlight here. You can also add extras to your bowl - I liked to get an extra pickled egg and sometimes an extra helping of pork.
Go check this place out!
So this was the first time I have been to the restuarant. I don't have a ton of Ramen expertise, I did go to a place in Hawaii that was seriously off the hook, so I expected that Denver would have a hard time competing. Â Well, I got the same broken english and non-personal service. There was a sign up that said closed, but it didn't seem to deter anybody, they just walked in, for a decent lunch rush. I have dropped by many times, when it was posted to be open, and the door had been locked. I was lucky today. That is ok, I was there for the food, not the ambiance. I ordered the Orginal Shoyu style Ramen Soup w/Gyoza $10.98. I came in a large bowl with some soggy half cooked/fresh bean sprouts, a slice of pork, a bunch of yummy seaweed and a brown hard boiled egg (the white was brown) in some really yummy broth with some egg noodles. I am like, what the heck, dive in, there are a ton of good reviews on the place!!
It is kind of weird but delicious balance with this soup. The salty seaweed was great, the noodles were ok, the bean sprouts were great, the egg was sweet, and the broth, pork, and that red powder that you see at Japanese restaurants tied everthing together quite well. There was a lady sitting next to me, she didn't eat the egg. The Gyoza seemed very homemade and was very good. I would go there for a Gyoza feast any day of the week. Anyways, it is a total hole in the wall, but worth an adventure if you are up for it.
Any people that complain about parts of the restaurant don't seem to appreciate good food, its the hole in the wall and run down places that make the best dishes.
This has been a favorite for many years, and we have always left stuffed and happy. Each newcomer we bring falls in love and wants to go back all the time!
I just wish they made some salt ramen, seriously, I could eat a bowl the size of a couch of that!
I like the meat and shoyu broth mixed best though, so leftovers are great (:
I'm really trying to find a decent ramen place; however, this wasn't the one... This place is filled with aged stuff animals, toys, and children's painting...
I tried the miso ramen, not a big fan, I could make something taster than that. The gyoza is greasy,and made long before we ordered it.
I won't recommended this place to any of my friend.
I really don't understand how so many people can blatently overlook the amount of health violations this place should have - many of which I didn't notice until I was on my way out, otherwise I probably would never have eaten there in the first place.
First as you walk in the door, you're greeting by piles of crap that looks like you just stepped into a flea market - plastic containers filled with spray paint cans, papers, powertools. Then there's the weird stuffed dolls EVERYWHERE - on the counter, on every light fixture, on every shelf, and of course, sticking to the walls.
For only having 6 customers in during lunch while I was there there, there was no sense of urgency from either the girl or the older man (possibly the owner) working there. Â
I had the miso ramen which was actually pretty tasty for my weak stomach (I chose this place because I've been ill for 4 days and unable to eat for 2). Â If someone would have brought me the food and I had not witnessed this place, I probably would have given it a 4.
So you're probably thinking based on what I've told you that I'm overreacting; here's where it got worse and I had to stop eating and move on. Â One customer left to pay and I noticed the older man had stains all over the front of his sweatshirt presumably where he wiped his hands when he went to help a customer - and there was a lot of crud on there - it wasn't just from today. Â And why wipe his hands? Â Because they handle food without wearing gloves, then go take people's payment and go right back to cooking without washing their hands. Â And you can see all of this happen because all of the seating wraps around their working kitchen. Â PS - the layer of filth on the cash register keys was quite disgusting as well.
I'm not the kinda guy who is a germaphobe at all. Â I'll eat something that landed on my floor to a couple of seconds and I don't use Purell every time I touch something; however there is a certain level of sanitation that needs to exist in places for the public and this place pretty much comes across as unsanitary as it gets.
I still love this place, but I've realized that maybe I love it so much because of what it is: a ramen shop. As posted before, I'm kind of obsessed with ramen.
I know people say that the quality has gone down, but I still really enjoy going there. The main guy there is awesome, and we always have some good exchanges in Japanese, which seems to make him happy. The gyoza is super tasty, and the ramen is good.
I will continue to love this place, as long as things keep on keepin on.
I am surprised by the amount of bad ratings on here that assume this is a Japanese restaurant that should be run with American values in mind. Â For me, the experience is not only the food (which I personally think is excellent and IS the best for Denver), but it is also experiencing the restaurant. Â I would not expect my server in France to treat me the way an American server would. Â Therefore, I think the criticisms to the service at Oshima are unwarented. Â I find the owner to be incredibly nice. Â The first time I visited, I told him "arigato" on my way out and was greeted by a warm and friendly "ARIGATO!" and smile.
Basically, what I'm saying is, if you've never been lucky enough to visit Japan (or even San Francisco or New York), you'll love Oshima. Â Even if you have (and I'm taking friend's words who have lived in Japan) the food is still excellent. Â Just be aware that the restaurant looks like a dive but offers friendly service if you are friendly to the staff and offers great, comforting food that is homemade and lovingly prepared.
As a part of exploring the eateries around DTC, today me and my colleague went to this Japanese eatery. Getting in, we saw a group of Japaese men savoring the gyoza and ramen, which is a good sign.
I had a chicken -vegetable ramen, and he had a fried rice.
This is the first time i am having ramen, so i don't have a scale, but i can surely say that this is not my cup of tea. The chicken pieces were tasty, but the dish is so watery. I tried some of my colleague's friend rice which was very good.
The place is aesthetically challenged. It seems all his belongings have been stacked in the counter area which is ugly.
I can't decide if this place needs to be on Restaurant Impossible or Hoarders. Either way, this place needs a cleaning!
Since I've never eaten ramen before I won't speak about the food. Â What I will share is this place is gross. Â The owner's office is literally the first thing you see upon entering the establishment. Â He has crate after crate stacked up at the counter as well as underneath. Â There you'll find a fly swatter, cans of WD-40, ribbon, tools and who knows what else! Â The menus are sticky as well as everything else in the restaurant. Â The white tile floor is covered with pieces of gray carpet thrown haphazardly throughout the restaurant (as a way to get around mopping). Â
Then there are the stuffed animals EVERYWHERE. Â Hanging from the lights above the counters as well as being piled on bookshelves. There are also these nasty posters hanging on the walls. Some of them are so old they've turned yellow and you can't read what's been written on them. Â
Finally, when we walked in, there was a table I passed with a bin of mixed pork and cabbage sitting out. Â If I really wanted to I could stick my finger in there - that's how easily accessible it was. Â The waitress was also playing cook behind the counter as well as making the gyozas by hand. Â The problem however is that she left this bin out in the open without covering it or the gyozas she had already made. Â We were there for more than 40 minutes and not once did she ever put this mixture in the fridge. I really hate to think about how long that mixture had been out.
I'm truly surprised the Health Department hasn't intervened. Â Please, consider other Ramen shops. Â Surely there have to be more in the city.
Let's take a step back. It is one guy making awesome food in a strip mall in Denver, CO. It's yummy, its dive-y, it's an experience.
The food was great, we sat at the bar after the chef's insistence. No points for customer service. It was only him working in an open kitchen. They make their own noodles and do cater to vegetarians. It is perfect cold weather food and I'll definitely be back.
If you are a germaphobe, I would avoid. It reminds me of that friend you had in elementary school who had the crazy mom who collected bad art. If anything I think the decorations make this place better. AND if you are really into the drawings you can buy them. For $400. Just saying.
Here's the deal: IF you've never had Ramen Noodles, you could give this place five stars.
If you've had Ramen Noodles but you're so desperate for a restaurant that makes them from scratch, you could give this place four stars.
If you don't value a restaurant with both good food AND good service (good food is enough) then you give this place three stars.
However, if you're like me and you expect a restaurant owner to be polite and enthusiastic when someone orders food, you give this place two stars.
HIGHS:
- The food is good enough. Not the best ramen I've ever had or anything, but OK. Good for Denver.
- The owner's daughter (I think that's who she is) is very cute. SO that's something.
LOWS:
- Owner is one of the worst servers ever. Rude. Acts and looks bored. Doesn't give a rat's you-know-what.
- This place is gross inside. I can't tell if it's dirt or a total and complete lack of concern for aesthetics, but it looks like an 80 year old woman's house...and not in a good way.
- Hot and spicy Ramen is neither hot or spicy.
- Did I say that the service sucks?
BOTTOM LINE
It's a dive, but dives are supposed to be really tasty. If you've never experienced real Ramen noodles, go. Otherwise, skip it.
Ramen alone 4 stars.
Gyoza alone 1 star.
Service alone 1 star.
Cleanliness alone 1 star.
This place is definitely not the cleanest restaurant I've ever visited but I just tried to bring my Asian-ness out when I'm here. Â A lot of the Asian restaurants anywhere in the world are not known for their cleanliness nor their service but their tastiness.
I would say this has been one of the better ramen in town simply because Oshima makes their own ramen, thin style. Â I love the broth, miso and shoyu though sometime the broth would be too salty. Â I also like the marinated egg alright. Â It's very similar to Chinese marinated eggs but it's sweeter. Â Not really into the sweet taste as much though. Â Anyway, overall their ramen is good... the char-siu pork is very thinly sliced and rather delicious. Â They also make really tasty fried rice. Â I have had it many times with the shrimp option.
Their Gyoza is a shame though. Â I think the owner pre-make a huge batch and split them up and freeze them. Â Every time someone orders the gyoza, I see him throwing a plate in the microwave to nuke it. Â I am offended by the way the owner treats his gyoza. Â Gyoza should be fried to order, not microwaved to order. Â I have given this place plenty of chances thinking that one day I'll get to taste fresh gyoza.... Â nope, never happened. Â If you want better gyoza, go to Lao Wang's Noodle House for some tasty potstickers that's worth your money. Â This place is no comparison. Â When the edges supposed to taste like crunchiness and you only get hard to chew dough that looks browned but soft, this is shameful. Â Please do not waste your money. Â The frozen gyoza I buy from H Mart or Pacific Ocean Marketplace's freezer aisle is way better, that tells you something.
Overall I probably would have given this place less stars had it not being their ramen, which is their specialty. Â Please don't even bother with the gyoza, it's a waste of money.
Love this place been here several times before I even moved to CO..Very authentically made just like the little ramen places in Japan. I love there Spicy Ramen #13 w/Gyoza, our favorite becuz we love hot.
We've tried all the choices except the Seafood Ramen.
The mixed fried rice is tasty, but I like my chinese roots and would love some MSG added to it...and before anyone has a hissy fit, well asians have been using MSG for centuries and they don't have overweight health problems like the people in the states do...It's gotten a bad rep because ignorant people need something to blame on not taking care of themselves.
Yes the Place is a bit run down looking when you walk through the doors and small, but hey....actual Ramen places are much smaller.
Yes the place is not nicely decorated, but HELLOOO you're there to eat.. It's a basic in and out place, not an ambiance one.
My hub loves the man who owns the place because he's nice, friendly and fast, and he gets a kicker out of the guys hair style..It's like an Austen powers Japanese spoof...lol
See that smile on my face up there? Â NOT after eating here!
Sometimes, good food comes in weird packages, and other times, weird packages just have bad food.
But first, the spice boiled egg was awesome. Â The Chinese call them tea eggs and they have a nice crackle finish on them from the cooking technique. Â This one had no crackling, but the flavor is terrifically smokey.
Other than that....disappointment.
How could my gyoza look crispy but be soggy?  I saw too late  (as I waited for my order I scrolled through my Yelp app and read recent reviews--yeah I do that) that the gyoza were microwaved. DUDE!  cook 'em up fresh, we won't mind waiting!
Miso broth had no flavor, chia su pork, was almost just as bad.
The two girls (I'm sure NOT his daughters, based on my wacky experience last time--it's in the review) Â were busy behind the counter. Â Meanwhile, DUDE (a mustachioed long-haired Japanese guy) sits at his crap piled desk at the front counter.
--Now, I'm sure we and every restaurant owner, all have crap piled desks, But this one faces customers and is the first thing you see when you enter the place!
When a customer comes in and orders from the girls, they get his water and pop the gyoza in the microwave, and tell the DUDE the order. DUDE gets up, puts noodles, meat, seaweed, egg, and beansprouts in bowl and pours hot broth over it and hands it to girl. Â Girl puts it on counter for customer. Â Interesting.
Sign on counter says: please put dishes on upper counter when finished. Â That probably explains the layer of grime on eating counter. Â Never saw the waitresses come out from behind the counter to wipe anything down.
Sorry Dude, You're OUT with 2 strikes.
5/20-- I finally got it! Â Dude is the equivalent of the Asian Sonny Bono!
This place is sugoi!! Â It's the best noodle house I've been to in Denver. Â The atmosphere is laid back and cozy and your food comes out super quick. Â However, if you are phobic about bumping elbows with strangers while eating, this is not the place for you.
I ordered the charsiu ramen with the gyoza upgrade and a side of oshinko (Japanese pickles). Â The ramen was oishii! Â I wiped my bowl clean with the exception of the marinated egg. Â I'm just not a fan of shoyu tamago, which is what I assumed the egg was. Â The noodles were well made and the soup was seasoned to perfection. Â The gyoza's average and isn't in dumpling form here. Â It's more of a gyoza pancake.
If you have a minute after your meal and the place isn't busy, talk to the cook. Â He's a really nice guy. Â Oshima Ramen has definitely made my Top 5 list!
I am writing this review immediately after eating here, as I feel truly compelled to warn people about this place. Â This place is horrible. Â Honestly the worse place I've ever eaten at in Denver during my 7 month stay here. Â
I walked into this place with low expectations after reading some of the yelp reviews. Â Ordered gyozas, the super sized chasiu ramen, and a beer. Â The gyozas came in a greasy, semi-circle slab that were all connected. Â You couldn't separate them if you tried. Â They were very greasy and pre-cooked! Â I saw them microwaving them!
Ramen was very small for the $17 "supersized" portion. Â I left hungry. Â The noodles are also not what I would call true ramen noodles. Â Definitely different and not up to par to what I have had before. Â I think the boiled egg was pre-prepared as well... as it was very green inside.
Lastly... the beer tasted very soapy as if they didn't rinse the glass after washing! Â I am worried that I caught something as I feel really sick right now!
To top it off, the place has a really bad ambiance with stuffed animals and old computer systems everywhere, non-existent service (they tell you to put your dishes on top of the counter when finished), and the hallway to the bathroom was unlit. Â The chopsticks are also very tiny and it is very difficult to eat with.
I highly highly implore you to try Bones, Den Deli, or even the ramen at whole foods (same plaza) before this place. Â All of the aforementioned options are much much much MUCH better.
If you are curious about this place, like I was, Â please do NOT entertain your curiosity by visiting this place!
If I could go with no stars, I would. I honestly can't think of one positive thing to say. Filthy is the first word that comes to mind. Counters and tables are covered with grease and if you plan to be able to hold your food down, don't look at the kitchen. I can't go on about how gross it is without gagging.
There are more extension cords in thus place than you can purchase in 3 home depots.
Now the food - disgusting. Completely tasteless and way over priced. Not worth the time and no way it's worth my money. Not a chance in hell I will ever go back.
Yup, the whole atmosphere is disheveled and a little dirty. Maybe even sticky. But I prefer to say quirky. Because if you can get over your pre-packaged, over hand-sanitized American self for a half an hour, you will have some darn good soup.
Charsui pork with shoya broth is divine. The peeps I was with, they got the miso broth. But I like salt. You can choose.
There is a seafood selection and a whole selection of vegetarian dishes. I want to see if I can get the charsui with some bok choy in it too next time. Â I bet that would be good with the sweet soy sauce pickled egg, homemade egg ramen noodles and seaweed. Also I went for double noodles and meat because I eat like a linebacker.
The gyoza was so/so. I personally just want to go straight for the soup. I could bathe in it. Plus they have "rice seasonings" right on the counter with my favorite "house spice." Meow.
I have only been once, this past weekend with friends who lived in Japan for 10 years (how jealous am I of them, anime head that I am??) And they love the place, so I think it is safe to say authentic for late night after bar type ramen.
The only Asian ramen I like more in the states is Chinese noodle soup at Sang Kee in Reading Terminal, Philadelphia. AH! Peking Duck and Roast Pork in SOUP. I digress.
Oshima: In short, I will drive an hour south  to get to this place any time, weather permitting. 'Nuff said.
I do love Oshima Ramen. Â We've been getting ramen here for years and have never had a bad meal.
I almost always get the Chashiu, a ramen with shoyu broth and extra pieces of pork. Â It also includes an egg, marinated in what I'm guessing is soy sauce, but I'm not a fan. Â My husband wolfs it down for me.
My husband gets Kaisen, with different seafood in it. Â He certainly likes it.
The staff is friendly. Â The bar where you eat the ramen can be rather sticky, but it's never made me not want to come back. Â Oshima is a casual, delicious meal for sure.
We usually get it to go, and they pack it very well, with the noodles separately, so when you get it home you can boil it up fresh.
Mmmmm, ramen. Â * Drool*
I really wish I loved this place... because Colorado has a serious lack of good ramen.
I read the Yelp reviews for this place and the California/ East Coast people are clearly are not impressed. My husband and I were having a serious case of ramen withdrawal so we decided to try Oshima, with foreknowledge not to expect too much.
The hubby ordered the Shoyu Ramen and I ordered the Char-shu Ramen. Â The bowls came out looking identical. Â Instead of the nice, red char-shu pork, I got the same dry pieces of meat that my husband got. Â The only thing different about our bowls was the soup; his was slightly more salty. Â The noodles were mediocre at best, not-ramen-at-all at worst, and the soy egg which I usually love was rubbery, overcooked and had a strange overly-sweet taste. Â The best thing about the noodle bowl was the seaweed and the fact that the portions were tiny and undersized, to save us the torture of prolonging a disappointing meal.
I have to agree with Yelpers about the gyoza dumplings. Â They are not good. Â The top was crunchy but the bottoms were a mushy mess... and and the fillings, tasteless. Â If people want truly orgasmic gyoza, they should RUN and go to Lao Wang's Noodle House on Federal... yes, run, before I beat you and eat them all. Â
I wish I could have given Oshima 2 stars, for cute hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop ambiance. Â I can't. Â The owners cooked and served our food like unhappy zombies while we and the other 5 or 6 patrons ate our meals in painful silence, like children being punished during lunchroom detention. Â
I'm never going back, even if someone drives me there and offers to pay for my meal. Â And gives me a free massage as I eat. Â I'd rather opt for one of Denver's great Pho joints where you leave thrice as happy, for half the price.
Overall: Disappointing, even if you've never stepped foot outside of Colorado.
I love love love Oshima Ramen. For the longest time, this was the only place I picked when my parents took me out for dinner on my birthday. We'd go shopping at Whole Foods, eat at Oshima Ramen, and then go see a movie at the dollar theater. Oh, those were good times :)
Just try to imagine if your Grandma was Japanese and made the best chicken soup ever, and that's what you get here. It is perfect comfort food and oh-so-warming on a blustery cold day. I always opt for the chicken vegetable ramen loaded with chicken and veggies and lovely, delicate, DELICIOUS homemade noodles. There are always different condiments laying around to add to your ramen (sesame seeds, pepper oil, soy sauce, garlic), but I always eat mine plain. But then again, I've admitted before that I'm a minimalist...
No, I have never been to Japan and I have never eaten the real deal, so I can not compare it in terms of authenticity. But I do know it is GOOD. My family and I have been coming here for years, and we have never been disappointed.
Pros: The atmosphere. I love the big long counter that you can sit at and watch the cooks do their thing. The waitresses have always been very sweet and attentive. And I love the little Japanese man (owner? manager?) who is ALWAYS there when I am. I don't think he speaks a whole lot of English, but he is super-nice and always shots out "Arrogato!" when we leave.
Cons: Prices. Even for a huge serving, the prices are a bit high. I do think you get more bang for your buck if you order double noodles, though.
This was my first time at a ramen place, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. Â I can tell you this though, I wasn't a big fan of the atmosphere. Â It was more divey than hole in the wall. Â The seating is cramped, and it's not the cleanest place in the world.
I ordered the Spicy Ramen...it wasn't spicy...at all. Â I tried adding all the stuff on table, especially anything that was red and looked spicy. Â It didn't work. Â Other than that issue, the ramen was alright, but not the best food I've ever had, and definitley not $9 good. Â Now I know 9 bucks isn't a lot, but considering the Ramen at Kingsoopers goes for 50 cents a pack, although not authentic, is comparable.
I don't think I'll be going here again. Â I have a better chance of making better "authentic" ramen by going to H-mart (the Asian grocery on Parker Rd) and getting the ingredients to make it myself.
This place is ok, but it doesn't compare to real ramen. Â We had better at a hole in the wall next to Kokubunji station in Tokyo where you "order" by buying a ticket from a vending machine out front and bringing it inside to the staff who prepare the food.
But like that place (and 1000's more) in Tokyo, this is no frills dining. Â People don't go to these places for the ambiance; they go to eat. Â The atmosphere at this place didn't faze me and we didn't find the owner to be unpleasant. Â My guess is that he's uncomfortable with English because he was happy to chat with my wife in Japanese. Â I do agree that this place is pricey. Â It should be more like a pho place where you can fill your belly for $5.
If you can do better than Oshima, please open a restaurant (a little further north would be nice too) and I will patronize it. Â Until then, I'll come here for the best approximation of real ramen in Denver.
I just had to write a review after "Jenn M." wrote what she wrote because I've been to Oshima ramen numerous times because my parents live about 5 mins away. (I even remember when they first opened the original owner/cooks wore chef hats, and chef coats).
Spoiled being in LA?!?! I've been here 4+ years, and over 10 years in the SF Bay Area, and I definitely could not say that we're spoiled when it comes to ramen in regards to Oshima Ramen - We're only spoiled when it comes to the "plethora" of choices we have although I do admit that Oshima Ramen is on the sloppy side (whats up with the Chashu), but it's still better than a LOT of places in LA such as Tamaya, Asahi, Kouraku, Ramen Nippon, and my list can go on and on (FYI, it's not better than Daikokuya or Foo Foo tei - spec. the nanchatte tonkotsu ramen).
Noodles being too el dente? Ask for it to be cooked longer. Some Japanese ramen places in Japan have a questionnaire that allows you to specify how you want your noodles, strength of flavor, amount of garlic, etc, and I'm sure if you ask for the noodles to be cooked longer, they'll be willing to do that.
Also in comparison to Japan, I've had Ramen in Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka, and it's very hard finding a place that has comparable ramen as Japan because the Japanese take ramen very seriously. They even have magazines about ramen. Not to mention the cult classic movie Tampopo. Also, it's just flat out hard to even find a bad (poorly prepared/quality) meal in Japan.
So before somebody adds a little California snobbery down playing, yet another restaurant in Colorado, you'd be a fool to not try Oshima Ramen because it definitely isn't the best, but it's definitely not as bad as A LOT of ramen places here in LA. I applaud 5280 for pointing out the unique character that Colorado has.
Perhaps I'm spoiled, coming from Los Angeles, where there is a plethora of ramen houses, but Oshima Ramen is sub par. Â It's not about the ambience or service when you go to ramen houses, so that's not the problem. Â
The broth was decent. Â However, the ramen noodles were undercooked and my portion was SMALL! Â I left hungry and disappointed. Â
5280 talks this place up, but if you're looking for great ramen, and have been to ramen houses in San Francisco, Boston, LA, or NY, don't expect too much from this place.
Restaurants can be a bit like movies and the expectations you have going into it can color the whole experience. Â Don't expect a whole lot here and you should be OK, go in looking for some mind-blowing noodlegasm and you'll be disappointed.
I first read about Oshima in the Rocky Mountain news. Â I appreciate dedication and the owner/chef (the cranky guy mentioned in some of the other reviews) is in every morning making noodles from scratch. Â The atmosphere seemed a bit unfriendly at first but once I had been there a couple of times they warmed up (a bit) and now when I walk in they just ask if I want the usual (Chashu Ramen in traditional soy broth). Â
The ramen ain't bad. Â Good selction to choose from and lots of traditional condiments to spice it the way you like. Â I usually stop here on the way home from the ski slopes and it really hits the spot. Â The gyoza does suck though and I wouldn't recommend it.
Yes!!! This is good ramen. I've been eating ramen soups for years in Berkeley, CA, where they seem to know a thing or two about Japanese food. But this takes the cake. The regular broth is rich, the miso broth is even richer, but not overwhelming.
The regular gyoza are something I'm not used to, and I didn't completely like the flavor. The veggie gyoza were more traditional and I liked them very much.
Ambiance is lacking: bright lights, coated countertops (not quite sticky, not quite greasy, not quite sure). Service is pretty darn fast. And they have beer!
Definitely an experience. You walk in and there is an older man behind the counter making your dishes and there is scribble artwork all along the walls. Phrases like "lots of noodle" on the menu gives this place an authentic local flavor. This place feels like a little taste of Japan outside of Denver.
We had the ramen and gyoza. I wasn't that into the gyoza, but maybe it was just me. They definitely had plenty of hot sauces and chill powder. I wouldn't say the place was extremely clean which made the place drop a star for me.
A solid place to get a quick bite to eat, it wasn't an extremely large amount of food compared to other ramen places i've eaten.
Ramen is not freeze dried and packaged in a bag. At least not real Ramen. Â Real Ramen is big long noodles fresh made, lots of vegetables, spices, and if your lucky a nice brown egg, whole.
There are a few dozen good places in San Francisco, but only one such place here. Get the idea of sushi and tonkatsu outta your head, my intrepid traveller. Kokoro it ain't.
We're talking soup, lots of it, either miso (bean curd) or water/soy sauce based.Either way, its great. Try the signature house dish first, and follow it up with gyoza. Â Even the yakisoba is good. Â
Please don't expect any fru fru ambience, it's more like a Tsukiji neighborhood alleyway joint for lunch timers on the go. You're eating right at the kitchen, and there's no time for Benihana knifeplay antics.
You can expect to spend $7-10 per person per meal, but pretty much each serving is huge.
Helpful notes:
Come hungry, and use your chopsticks and ramen spoon in tandem. Â When you're done, put your dishes back up on the counter's top. Leave a tip, and if you've never had it before, try a Ramune soda just once, but make sure the server opens it for you.
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