One more Denver restaurant with sub par food. Who adds cream to pho? Yuck. And the amount of veggies in my vegetarian noodle bowl was pathetic. When Id asked them to go heavy on the veggies the waiter literally said "I cant control what they put in it". Really? I spent another 30 bucks here and was bummed. Good for the neighborhood, bad for the Denver food scene.
Review Source:First visit here tonight and I was impressed. The thing that should have earned this place five stars is Dustin, the front host guy. Amazing service, in a natural caring way, not over the top or fake. I LOVE how this place is smart and because they don't take reservations, they go to the effort of getting everyone drinks while they wait. Huge bonus for me. Dustin offered awesome knowledge and recommendations on sake.
 At the table: the only thing thing that earned this place one less star was we were given our appetizer plates after ordering and the last plate was obviously, disgustingly dirty, and should have been removed right at that moment. Umm, ewww no thanks. Thankfully the food restarted our appetite. Had a range of apps and all were good. We all got noodle bowls and those while didn't blow everyone's minds off, they were flavorful and each had its own special personality. I encourage you guys to just keep fine tuning and keep up the good staff. You've got a great thing in the works and great flavors. P.s, I love that you guys force us chopstick-challenged Americans to attempt to eat delicate tofu with no fall back forks. Right on.
Am I in the total minority by being completely underwhelmed by this place?
Their menu changes frequently but this review is for the Spicy Beef Ramen. To me it literally tasted like Chef Boyardee meat sauce poured over beef packaged ramen. And at around $14 a pop...I was set on devouring the bowl but honestly I did not enjoy my meal.
The joint is very small but clean and utilitarian inside and service was perfectly fine.
Because of that, I'm not totally against sampling a different dish at Uncle...but I feel like with the plethora of restaurants in the Highlands...I'd rather dine elsewhere.
Colorado may have a fantastic pho selection...but we are sadly dry on the ramen front!
I really enjoyed my first visit to Uncle. I was surprised for a Monday night how busy the place was but given how good the food was I understand. I went for the spicy chicken ramen. It was fantastic and spicy I am a wimp when it comes to spicy dishes though. We also ordered the avocado buns which were just as delicious.
The only reason I knocked it down one star was because of the feel of the food and restaurant. It doesn't feel authentic. I don't know how to quite explain it but it has a very young vibe to it and I hope it that with time it grows up to be one of Denver's better restaurants.
Well worth the wait.
Everything we had was amazing.
We had the pork belly and shrimp cake steamed buns. Both were awesome. We wanted to take an order home with us.
The fried Brussels sprouts were crunchy and charred with the most amazing flavor you could imagine.
The veggie ramen with roasted mushroom broth was so good you won't miss the meat.
I thought overall, Uncle was really good! I enjoyed the kimchi ramen I got a lot... I've visited Japan 4 times now, and this was pretty darn close to the real deal!
My only issue are the prices: over $10 for a ramen bowl is pretty ridiculous. I realize that true, authentic ramen is a rarity in Colorado- and that they use all the best ingredients- but come on... in Japan (and Korea for that matter), ramen is considered a cheap meal. There are plenty of other restaurants in Colorado that serve ramen just as good for more like $8.50. The hipster vibe at Uncle is perfect for the LoHi area, but unfortunately it seems they think that means they can get away with overpricing (in fairness, all the hip restaurants in LoHi do the same)
I would give Uncle 5 stars on taste and atmosphere, but until they can lower their prices to more reasonable standards I'm going to give them 3 overall.
Great place, coming here from Okinawa and Taiwan, its difficult to find a good noodle place. There have been a few places that have been close but this place is dead on, the noodles are cooked just right where they are still a little chewy and the broth is delicious.
I ordered the chashu chicken ramen, the kimchi ramen, pork belly steamed bun and the grilled avocado steamed bun, all of it was wonderful.
If there is a wait, its for a reason, the place isn't that big. The wait is well worth it.
Went here on Valentines. Â
Small place. Â Had a 20 mins wait for a table. Â
Service 4.5/5
Food 4.5/5
Atmosphere 4/5
Had the following:
Sesame Pancakes 3/5 - Too salty and the portion is small for $7
Pork Belly Steamed buns 5/5 - Awesome!
Chashu Ramen 4/5 - Would like the broth hotter and bigger portions for $14
Spicy Chicken Ramen 4.5/5 - Good kick, again a little more for what you pay
Rice Noodles 5/5 - This is a great dish with the chicken sausage and the fried brussel sprouts. Â Oh my god, the sprouts were the best!
Overall, this place is really good. Â I will go back again.
One last thing, some reviewers mentioned the don't serve hot tea or hot saki. Â It would be a nice touch if you did.
Thanks!
I am on the warpath against pan-Asian restaurants, so it pains me to say that I actually liked Uncle. Â Pan Asian is typically designed to serve mediocre food to satisfy all people--you don't like dan dan noodles, don't worry, we got crappy pad thai over here for you, with a side of sketchy sushi. Â Uncle makes at least a good faith attempt to find a balance of Chinese, Japanese and Korean that complement each other rather than have them do battle for your dinner dollars. Â You find elements of the same vegetables or sauces woven throughout the menu, so it seems like a coherent whole. Â
We tried the several small plates and they were mostly hits.  The tofu is delicious and delicate, and the crunchiness of some Japanese cracker pellets sprinkled on top (I forget the name)  are a nice surprise.  I liked the duck pancakes, mostly because of the tasty sesame pancake.  The hoisin sauce was pretty rote, and the shredded duck  tasted like it was roasted and reheated from several days ago.  But who doesn't like fatty, crispy duck confit? The shrimp steamed buns had a strange consistency, the shrimp is really more of a rubbery shrimp cake so it doesn't pair well with the soft white doughy bun; it's tasty nonetheless.  And finally, the spicy, salty sugar snap peas are great.     Â
We also had the mushroom ramen, and having read the Westword review that said that this might be their best ramen on the menu, I was looking forward to it. Â Unfortunately, it was overwhelmingly salty.They start with a salty broth, fill it with soy sauce soaked stewed shiitaki mushrooms, and then finish it with a squirt of some more dark sauce. My blood pressure rose 25 points just thinking about it. Â They were very attentive and volunteered to remake it for us immediately, which went a long way with us, but even the second batch had those very salty mushrooms. Â They might just need to squeeze them out or rinse them. Â Â Â Â Â
The dining room is definitely a hipster scene. Â It has a wide open kitchen, loud music and blond wood everywhere. Â I liked it, even though I am well beyond the age of being able to wear a t shirt and wool cap out for dinner like many of the diners here do. Â Don't fret too much about the long lines of people; they move people in and out pretty quickly, and as you sit and wait for your table and look at across the whole dining room, you can almost imagine that you are in a SoMa or Red Hook asian hotspot.
Uncle is incredible and an amazing addition to the Lohi neighborhood! Â I have been here many times because the atmosphere is incredible (bone thugs and the talking heads... Yes please!), the service is outstanding and friendly, and the food is flavorful and addicting. Â
I love how they text you when your table is ready so that way you don't have to wait and be bored, go grab a drink at highland tap and support the neighborhood!
I love the pork belly buns, the freshly steamed buns and crisp pork belly are so juicy! Â I love sitting at the bar, the kitchen staff is so fun and very knowledgeable.
I love the chasu ramen, always makes me smile... On a side note, if you think $14 for a bowl the size of your bath tub filled with goodness is expensive, you should probably take that money and put it towards a gym membership! Â Who can finish it honestly?! But I always try ;)
I love the whiskee, the lemon foam is so zesty and fresh!
I love it all honestly!
The Westword article was right on with Uncle. Â Food critics don't lie and either does the food here. Â Give it a try because you will be hooked! Â Thank you Uncle crew for adding an amazing restaurant to my hood!!!
Ok, I wasn't sure on my first visit so gave it a second try and this place is truly over hyped. Â The ramen is tasty, but if you want to go somewhere just for flavor then the Oshima Ramen is far better. Â On this second visit I noticed that their drink menu is as extensive as their food menu. Â They don't even offer tea, which is weird for an asian restaurant, fusion or otherwise.
Bottom line is that this place is new and creative, but not somewhere I would say is  must try or even somewhere I would go on a regular basis.
My first experience with Uncle was last night's dinner, and I'll be repeating it very very soon. My boyfriend and I ordered carryout and I picked it up, pressing past a waiting area jammed with hipsters, because the restaurant was completely full of hipsters eating their dinners hiply.  A very friendly and helpful host with an iPad  rang up our order. I will caution that while the food is delicious, it's a little bit steep, price-wise: for 2 ramen bowls and an order of brussels sprouts our total was $37. There, I'm done talking about price, because I always eyeroll when people get weird about that on Yelp, and really, the food was great.
Here's what I've gotta talk about: The spicy chicken ramen bowl. People, GET IT. It's lovely. beyond. It's comforting, and just the right bit spicy and earthy, and noodley, and glorious. Because they put Tahini in it... Tahini, I'm sorry, that's brilliant. I was in heaven. It was like hummus and ramen had a wonderful spicy baby and there was pulled chicken involved and scallions, and I was swimming in it, and never wanted the bowl to be done, and I wanted to adopt the baby. I will dream-crave that ramen. F'reals.
The boy got the pork belly ramen bowl, and I thought that was lovely too. It had little green peas and pork belly, which is never a bad choice, and a nice and subtly flavored broth. That was great, but mine was greater. Also, we got the fried b-sprouts, and I was medium into them. A little too much fish sauce in the slightly too syrupy sauce for me, but also, these sort of steamed in their takeout container before we ate them. I bet they're way way better when you eat them there, and  that crunchy fried yummy texture isn't c-blocked by steam.
Bottom line, if you like noodles, soup, hipsters, tahini, or any of the above, you will LOVE Uncle. Honestly, even if you don't like these things, there's a very good chance you will still like Uncle.
Love it! Have been here three times now, getting a variety of apps and bowls, and the experience has been awesomely delicious and consistent each time which, especially for a new restaurant with a constantly changing menu, is saying a lot!
My favorite things:
1. If you sit at the counter, the chefs interact with you and will answer questions about the food and seem very passionate about it. I've sat at plenty of counters where there is no interaction and you're just there to "watch". not nearly as cool
2. If any of you are, like me, annoyingly picky about how your meat was raised (think Portlandia Colin the Chicken episode...) according to their menu, their pork belly comes from Tender Belly and duck from Maple Leaf farms, both of which take great care of their animals, making it one of the few places I'll eat meat.
3. last night, they texted us that the table was ready and we ran over from next door but the table wasn't actually ready due to a mix-up. The host immediately offered our entire party a round of drinks on the house and sat us in the next available seats. Every business will make mistakes but it's how they handle them, and whether they empower their employees to do so, that makes the difference. Big kudos on how they handled the situation.
I went here on a Tuesday night at 8pm and the place was already packed, which is always a good sign on an off night. Â My friend and I waited for about 20 minutes for a table during which the host proceeded to offer us menus to choose from drinks until our table was ready. The time actually flew by watching all the action inside and salivating over the menu. So many choices! Â We ended up being seated by the kitchen which imo is probably the best place to be. Â It's always fun watching the chefs prepare the food literally right in front of you. Â After recommendations from our server, we ordered the sliced hamachi, pork belly steamed buns, cumin lamb ribs and fried brussels sprouts. Â My friend also ordered a beer and I was impressed with the list as I consider myself a craft beer snob and most of the beers on the list I had never tried or even heard of for that matter.
On to the food. Â The hamachi was fresh and paired with the subtle horseradish sauce and apple slices, was quite pleasing to the eye in addition to the palate. Â The pork belly steamed buns (basically a cute little mini sandwich) were good, but didn't quite stand up to the other dishes we had ordered. Â I added some hot sauce to mine to give a little more flavor and kick. Â The cumin lamb ribs on the other hand were hands down the best dish of the night. Â My friend and I fervently discussed how we could replicate this dish at home as the cumin had a flavor that paired perfectly with the lamb and they did not last long on the plate. Â I would also recommend ordering the fried brussels sprouts. Â Although I was not a fan of them as a kid (sorry mom, but you didn't prepare them the correct way!), Uncle has figured out a way to season and prepare them in a way that makes them probably one of the best brussels sprouts dishes I've had in ages. Â Bottom line, this place is good and I can't wait to come back and try one of their large dishes. Â Btw, our server recommends the sichuan noodles and compared it to an Asian version of a Hamburger Helper dish. Â Umm...YUM!!!
Everything we ordered was packed with flavor and even though we ordered lots of different things throughout the menu, everything just fit together so well.
We had the rice congee which was so light and warm, it was so perfect for cold nights. Had the cumin lamb ribs and fried brussel sprouts also to start and they were so delicious and perfectly portioned so we had room for the larger dishes.
For the large dishes we had the kimchi ramen, cold spicy sesame noodles, and bibimbap. Each had their own unique tastes and they were all so good. My favorite was the cold spicy sesame noodles, it had such a great subtle spiciness that I loved and was balanced out by the sweetness of the apple.
Definitely will be going back and making sure to bring lots more friends! The atmosphere really made the entire experience that much better. They played great music and I loved that you could watch the chefs do their thing. We went around 7pm on a Tuesday night and glad we got there then because by 8pm there were people waiting and the entire place was packed! Can't wait to go back and try their steamed buns!
I used to work in a noodle house and it made me a bit of a noodle freak. This place is pretty solid. The Mushroom ramen really made my night. Totally filling and delicious. Sit at the counter if you can because the random whiffs of garlic and the chefs' banter totally add to the environment. Drinks are a little expensive for what you get, but they're tastey blends- try the Ricky (gin, grapefruit, soda, and yum!)
Review Source:After being in NYC and missed out on trying David Chang's noodle bar, I was really excited to try Uncle.
Luckily, we arrived right after a big party left, so we didn't have to wait for a table. Service was great and I enjoyed being able to see the open kitchen.
The shrimp steamed buns and brussel sprouts were tasty- We all enjoyed those as appetizers and would order those again.
I ordered the Chashu ramen since it was chilly out and wanted the flavorful broth to warm me up. When it arrived, it looked delicious, but the flavor was lacking something I couldn't put my finger on. The broth needed to be stronger. The pork was tender and juicy (finished all of that), the egg was soft, and the noodles were good.
My friend barely ate any of his and said if he was to come back, he'd probably only eat appetizers.
My husband had the sichuan noodles. The pork in that dish was spppiicccy. He enjoyed it. After eating most of his bowl, he then tried my bowl of ramen and said he liked it, maybe it was the mixing of flavors from his to mine.
I enjoyed a recent dinner at Uncle.  The staff was friendly and professional, and the restaurant was quaint.  The seating here is limited, but sitting at the bar looked fun.  The beer program here is strange and diverse, but  still cool.  The buns and fried Brussels were excellent.  I enjoyed the canned sake, along with the cold sesame noodle.  It was served with dark meat chicken and apples, which was a cool combination.  I look forward to returning!
Review Source:Quaint. Get there around 6 or you'll be waiting for a spot or at one of the few tables. Get a friggin' steamed bun, you won't regret it. The brussels sprouts are amazing - and that is probably the first time I have ever written that. The missus had Sichuan noodles and I had the rice noodles. They were both very good, but when I go back, I will have the Bibimbap, because steak and eggs. The drinks were smallish and the price was a bit high for noodley faire, but it was pretty worth it.
Review Source:Food is awesome - but the waiting is a huge problem.
We saw some open tables when we got there but was told there was a wait. The 3 of us waited next door for an hour and a half before we went to check again. The bigger table that seats six was open in the front. When we asked if we could sit there they said they couldn't. So basically if a table of 5 walked in then they would get to sit immediately even though we had waited for an hour an a half. It was breaching 9:30 so my friend went to talk to someone that seemed to have a clue. We eventually got to sit but it left a sour taste in our mouths.
Its not Manhattan you're in the highlands..I would recommend coming back down to earth
Everything is fantastic, I've never eaten anything I didn't like and I go there very often. Â They should bring the crab tots back though, they are the best! Â The udon is the thickest and most delicious udon noodles in town, take my word. Â The pork belly just melts in your mouth, and you have to get the duck pancakes. Â One day I plan on going just for the appetizers. Â The staff is on the same level of the food! Â Tom is a great server and easy on the eyes (;
Review Source:Went to Uncle last night with a group of friends, and really enjoyed it. Â We started with two varieties of the Steamed Buns (pork belly and the cod) and an order of the Sesame Pancakes-- and all of the combinations were fabulous. Â
To accompany the appetizers and mains, we had the Fried Brussels Sprouts and one of my girlfriends wanted to stick her face in the bowl and lick it clean . . . . yes, seriously. Â (She managed to fight the temptation though). Â
The 5 of us each had a main (which were large enough to share for sure)-- I ordered the Udon with shiitake, king trumpet, & oyster mushrooms. Â The noodles were AMAZING-- cooked perfectly and the texture was exquisite. Â The broth wasn't too salty, and the variety of mushrooms really made the dish. Â As I mentioned, it was a LOT of food -- So, I'll be enjoying the rest of my dish for dinner tonight!
The food is good but the service and commitment to satisfying customers is heavily lacking. My wife and i arrived to see a table for 4 empty but were told we had a 10-15 minute wait. We assumed the open table was for a group they had already called that was perhaps next-door waiting. After 10 minutes the table was still empty and we were still waiting when another group of 3 walked in and were told they had about a 10 minute wait. After 5 more minutes they came to seat the group of 3 at the empty table and left us waiting. When i asked they showed no interest in the fact that we had been waiting 10 minutes longer than the party they were seating and used 'seating efficiency' as an excuse.
If the other group had come in at the same time i might have had more understanding but to have us sit around waiting while an empty table is unused just in case a larger party walked in us pretty inexcusable. To the same point the group of 3 was even forced to wait 5 minutes staring at the same empty table.
I understand trying to use all the space available in the restaurant but there is a line where it just becomes rude.
Despite the fact that we were there once before and enjoyed the food we will not be returning.
While it's one of those 'why didn't anyone do this before' kind of places, Uncle does the Asian culture good with some mighty fantastic dishes that are as good as their modern hip decor and prime-time location.
Pretty much everything we had was aces - from their steamed buns to the assorted ramen and noodle dishes, there was little to complain about. Their cocktails are one heck of a treat as well (we shared a gin and juice concoction that blew our minds).
While there's no bar at the restaurant itself, but since there's one bustling one next door, they're happy to recommend grabbing a drink while they text you when your table is ready.
If their food doesn't convince you, their technologically advanced wait system should set the bar high for future restaurants in the area!
New place called Uncle by Highland Tap Burger? Just ordered Ramen, (I've made better at home) and a Sea Bass Steamed bun. The "steamed bun" was some weird pancake and the sea bass tasted like it was from Long John Silvers with a side of spicy mayo. I can't say that the meal was worth the $24.00 spent. I would recommend Domo any day over this pseudo-gourmet food.
Review Source:I was really excited to try Uncle this past weekend. Â The menu -as others have said - is reminiscent of David Chang's original noodle bar in NYC and I had high, high hopes. Â
The word has definitely gotten out about Uncle as we were told there was a 45 minute wait when we arrived at 7 pm on Friday night. Â We were disappointed but willing to wait. Â The real problem is that it took us 1 1/2 hours to get seated. Â They need to get a better sense of how long service takes so they can give better manage their customer's expectations. Â If they can get this under control, they will get a 4th star.
The food: I thought the small plates were amazing!!! Â The steamed buns, the sesame pancakes with duck, and the brussel sprouts were the best I've ever had.
I wish I could tell you I liked the main dishes as much as I liked the small plates. Â We tried the udon noodles, the chasu ramen, the bibimbap. Â All were OK but lacking a little bit in the flavor department. Â If they could make the entrees as good as the small plates, this place would get that 5th star.
We are definitely going to try Uncle again.. and I am hopeful that I can increase my rating!
Very welcome addition to Highlands. Very simple, clean decor.
Neither here nor there, but anyone else notice the employees are the "Anti-Earls"--as in they are all kind of grungy hipster-type men. Like they all just got done at the terrain park at Breck. And there are ton of them! Theres usually about six dudes that are just chilling near the back.
Either way, they know their noodles.
Interesting name and awesome location, great alternative for when HTB is crowded or looking to eat something different than burgers, and wings. Their decor is minimalistic, wood panels covering their walls, a slick bar where you can eat, drink, and watch skilled chefs prepare your food.
Colorado Bass tartare: chucks of bass on a bed of cream cheese and buttermilk, topped off with roasted sesame seeds, and served with mandiopan. Interesting contrast from the light and delicate mandiopan with the bass tartare. This was the highlight of my meal.
Ramen verdict: broth was very smooth, maybe too smooth, which was not a good contrast with their version of char siu, which was thick, very fatty, pork belly slices which were also very soft; noodles were not chewy (definitely not made with alkaline water), egg was cooked nicely (Korean style), it also had a crunchy deep fried kale for texture contrast. Noodles were fresh but not freshly made in house.
Overall experience was good. Prices are way high, especially for not making their own noodles and buns (bao).
I just wanted to start out by saying that this place is very innovative and I enjoy every minute that I am there.
I would like to actually respond to Bradley V. and his response. The beer selection at Uncle is unlike any that you will ever see anywhere else. If you are looking for Bud Light or something more along the lines of a sports bar, you can go next door to Highland Tap. I was also just in here earlier on this week, and they have AMAZING mixed drinks (Modern Whiskey, Pineapple Fizz [tequila] and a Gin and Juice). Everything tasted absolutely amazing!
Also, having a patio is for the...BIRDS!!! Getting a patio is very expensive and requires a ton of work. You can't just put chairs out there. You have to go through a lot of regulations, so if you would like to pay for a patio, you go right ahead.
I just didn't want this latest review to sway anybody from going to Uncle. It is absolutely amazing and deserves all the customers they can get!
The chefs behind the counter made us feel welcome, and as we watched them work, we knew by the care that went into each plate that our meal would be fabulous.
The crispy bass steamed buns were so tasty, as was the calamari with shiso peppers. They have my favorite beer (Japanese - Hitachino Nest Beer: a white ale) as well as a few others that you can't get in restaurants here normally.
I feel like my noodles could have been cooked for another minute & I would have loved a tad more broth, but the flavors were spot on.
Can't wait to go back. Happy to have this place in an ever-improving neighborhood.
There are many reviews that compare Uncle to Momofuku in NYC (I too am a fan of David Chang's cooking and mmmmMilk Bar...that's another review) or Frank Bonanno's Bones here in Denver. As soon as you walk in, you see all the similarities, but isn't 'imitation the best form of flattery?'
The menu is what makes Uncle stand out on it's own. The food is phenomenal. I just dined there for dinner last night and I'm already thinking about when we can go back. We dined on:
PORK BELLY - hoisin, cucumber, scallion
CHILI MAZEMEN RAMEN - shredded pork, sichuan pepper, cotija, lemon
BIBIMBAP - rice, garlic hanger steak, marinated mushrooms, spicy cucumbers, egg
Flavorful, fresh ingredients in each mouthful! The Chili Ramen is really spicy and oh-so delicious. Our friends got the Romano salad, ribs and the fried brussel sprouts. I tried the sprouts and am already thinking about how I can replicate that at home they were so good. The pork belly was good with thick slices of meat and juices dribbling down your chin as you take a bite, though a little too much bun for me. The steak in the Bibimbap was tender, cooked perfectly.
Uncle is a tiny place that doesn't take reservations, but the food cooks fast so tables turn quickly. The frat house, er Highland Tap and Burger, is next door if you want to get a drink while you wait. Parking in the 'hood has become challenging. Arrive early since you may have to park far (or have a drink up the block at Linger where they have valet parking and walk down to Uncle). Ladies, please don't walk alone...the neighborhood hasn't kept up with the rapid increase in allure and activity so street lighting is sparse.
While everything at Uncle is small (understated)--decor, menu, space, etc; they are BIG on flavor. Â GREAT addition to the Denver dining scene. See you there soon!
This is a great restaurant and a unique place in denver. I loved the vegetarian options: tofu buns, scallion pancakes with mushrooms, olathe corn, brussel sprouts, roasted cauliflower, and udon noodles. For a very small menu, this is impressive. I had the tofu buns (heavenly), the scallion pancakes (even better), and the olathe corn with kimchi (reallly good).
The decor is great: clean, simple, relaxing. I love the white subway tiles and that they didn't feel like they had to throw a bunch of bad artwork on the wall to make it a restaurant.
The prices are very fair. I hope they don't end up increasing prices as they (inevitably) get more popular.
There prices on bottles of wine are great.
I will definitely be back.
I guess I'm really the only person that isn't amazed by this place, and that sucks. I really wanted to like this place, heck, I wanted to love this place, but I didn't. There were both high and low points, but no matter the high points, if I don't want to go back, then its really not worth at least 3 stars to me. That being said, I'm happy a lot of people think this place is cool, I just wish that I was one of them.
We wondered in and the place was busy, but were able to get a table. The staff friendly and the service was prompt. We decided to try something different for an appetizer, the shrimp steamed buns and I admit, they were freaking amazing. Naturally, this excited us! I ordered the ramen, that had two ribs as well, and I was still excited. It was beautiful and delicate looking. I dug into my bowl and that is when it struck me. Disappointment. I'm sorry to say that it was bland, and had little flavor-now the ribs were decent, they had some flavor! But I came here for noodles, and I wanted noodles. But the noodles that are buttery and a flavorful broth were not was was delivered. It was bland. It tasted the the kind of bland soup your mom would feed you when you are super ill.
I came here wanting good food and was super excited but no matter how good the ribs were or the steamed shrimp buns, the main portion of what I was looking for, the main portion of my dining experience was not great... it was disappointing. The broth and noodles had little flavor and I ate it so no longer hungry, not because it tasted good. It would be like going to a dentist for the flavor of toothpaste alone.
I frequently visit another noodle place in town, who does a wonderful job and is a very pleasant experience, that seems to be the basis of what uncle is based upon, including the menu, and dining set up. It may be impersonated, but not duplicated.
2012 Review #258:
Having not been to a new restaurant in Denver in quite a long time, especially a restaurant that has opened recently, I was so happy that we came to Uncle. Uncle is a tiny, modern, minimalist looking restaurant next to Highland Tap and Burger in the Highlands. Unfortunately, one of my few problems with the business is they do not have an exterior sign, so you have to make sure you know what you're looking for.
Although it's very small, they do not take reservations, but we were still able to catch a table on a Friday. They have a small, but incredibly high-quality menu of drinks and food. Prices are very reasonable, with Bear Racer IPA, a high alcohol beer, for only five dollars. They also have reasonably priced wine, sake and cocktails.
The food menu is small but has a wealth of flavors. We had four small dishes: calamari, cauliflower with a raisin reduction and Panko breadcrumbs, roasted brussels sprouts, and pork buns. All were excellent, but I think the cauliflower was the all-around favorite. The brussels sprouts were very good, though I found the sauce a little overpowering when all that was left were the ones at the bottom of the bowl. I personally really enjoyed the calamari, with peppers and spicy mayo dipping sauce, but not everyone seem convinced. The pork buns were also good, with steamed bread exterior, pork belly and half-sour pickles inside.
We also ordered noodle bowls, and we had a lot of food to go around. Two of us got the chashu ramen, with pork belly, egg, Olathe sweetcorn, garlic butte,r and kale chips. I am absolutely not exaggerating when I say this is one of the best bowls of soup I've ever eaten. The ramen had a very good texture, was chewy without being overly tiring for the jaw, and all the ingredients had integrity and amazing flavor. The garlic butter that is included in the broth gave such an incredible richness and depth of flavor; although you wouldn't think an Italian sounding thing like garlic butter would work with all the Asian ingredients in traditional Ramen, it was an amazing combination. I even add Sriracha and it was still amazing. I was also so surprised because the kale chips maintained their textural integrity even after sitting in the broth for the better part of 20 minutes.
Another person got the kimchi stew, and my husband got the spicy Ramen with pork. I tried my husband's spicy Ramen and enjoyed it, but the addition of Cotija was a bit too salty. My friend had the Kimchee stew and that was also on the salty side, without the spiciness I normally associate with kimchee. I imagine this saltiness would be cut by the rice on the side.
There is apparently no dessert menu at Uncle, since we were not offered one. I'm not sure I'm really bothered by this, because I think that what they're doing is excellent. They don't spread their focus too wide, they don't spread themselves very thin, and they are a small compact business with a small compact menu. That is working perfectly for them. I honestly wish they were more crowded, because this is probably one of the best meals I've had in Denver in a very long time. I think it's a little bit trendy, a little bit casual, a little bit upscale, but all around it's fun, it's interesting, it's delicious, and no menu item is more than $14. For that, I think we have a new winner in town.
Couldn't wait to get out of work and go to Uncle for the first time. I was not disappointed.
Pork Belly Sticky Buns: Delicious!
Crab Tots: Big enough for four.
Kimchi Stew: I want this everyday of my life from here on out.
Staff was a cool crowd. The spot as a whole was ultra clean. So happy to have a spot where I want to become a "regular".
The highlands needed this.
I went to Uncle this past weekend with friend in town from New York City. This self-professed Momofuku copy is pretty good and definitely worth a trip.
If you are looking for traditional Chinese or other Asian dishes, reset that thinking. Â If you are looking for freshly prepared modern takes on Asian dishes do not pass, go inside.
The space is on the smaller side, but the bright wooden walls and floors give it a spacious feeling. Â The kitchen is open and if you sit at the bar you can see everything. Cleanliness is definitely a word I would use to describe Uncle.
The food is very flavorful. We tried the Baos with pork belly, the pancake with duck, the garlic hanger steak over rice and vegetable, the ramen with pork ribs, and the udon. One thing I loved about the ramen was the fried Kale that came with.
For the Gluten Free and Proud, Uncle has honest gluten free udon noodles. I have never come across this before, and they had the conssitency of a traditional wheat udon noodle.
The Bao's come in a great wrapper that held up well through multiple bites. They were not mushy and they did leave pieces stuck to your fingers. Â The fillings were very flavorful.
Our server was very pleasant and tried hard to answer all of our questions.
They have a nice selection of beers with several from Japan and Malaysia that I had not seen before in Denver. Â The cocktail list was Asian themed and the ones we had were well balanced and not weak.
I hope to get to Uncle again soon.
we had an early dinner at Uncle and we thought the restaurant was elegant and the food was exceptional. Our favorite was the Udon even though we were not vegetarian.  It'S soup stock was amazingly flavorful and we did not taste any MSG.The  Pork Belly Bun  and the Softshell crab were our favorite appetizers.
Their service staff are well trained and we really had a pleasant dining experience.
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