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"Wait, let me hold this," says Yutaka “Ted” Nogami. "It says 'RAMEN!'" The Tenka Ramen chef and owner stands proudly in his new restaurant, which he hopes to open next Wednesday. (Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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The restaurant's signature Tenka bowl blends 60 percent shoyu broth with 40 percent tonkatsu for a smooth, creamy, not-too-rich bowl of ramen. (Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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A congratulatory gift from Nogami's friend, this replica of a traditional suit of samurai armor greets guests of the new downtown ramen shop. (Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
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(Photo by: Stephanie Breijo)
Yutaka “Ted” Nogami knows his ramen. The chef and restaurateur grew up in Kyoto, western Japan, where the cuisine has a traditional focus. His new restaurant Tenka Ramen, a small, modern spot at 110 N. Fifth St., will highlight the food of his upbringing, and it'll do it soon — it's set to open this month, as early as next Wednesday, May 25. Nogami began his culinary path at a hotel in Kyoto, where his time as a chef was noticed by an American sponsor who brought him to the U.S. He traveled throughout the East Coast helping to open more than 20 restaurants, consulting on menus and assisting with recipes before settling in Charlottesville and opening Miyako. Miyako lasted for 13 years until Nogami came to Richmond to help his sponsor at Kabuto. While there, Nogami started his Sunday Ramen pop-up series that became so popular, he would run out of ramen. And then the idea for Tenka was born.
Tenka Ramen has a sleek aesthetic with metal walls and a small ramen bar in the rear of the restaurant. It’s bright with tiny nods to Japanese culture placed on the walls and front bar. Nogami wants people to hang out before or after they eat ramen, and plans to serve cocktails and local beer. He also wants to teach; he hopes to offer little cans of traditional sake, arriving from a supplier in New York, and his ramen bar opens into the kitchen so a diner can see how broths and noodle bowls are made.
“Traditional pork ramen broth takes more than 24 hours,” says Nogami, who mixes his own tonkatsu, or pork, broth with shoyu, or soy sauce, broth for his signature Tenka bowl. Nearly every Japanese region has its own variation of ramen, so the chef will serve several types including the Tenka, a miso, and a shiyo (salt). He will also serve udon soup, another broth-based noodle bowl, its base consisting of dried tuna flakes and seaweed; in Charlottesville, Nogami’s udon became a cult favorite.
Ideally, Nogami says, the ramen shop will be open everyday — “Hospitality is seven days a week," he notes — though it's possible he will close the restaurant one day a week, possibly Sunday or Monday. Stay tuned to the restaurant's Facebook page for opening details.
Tenka Ramen is located at 110 N. Fifth St. and will be open for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. on Saturdays.
