Strangelunch: Oshima Ramen
Each month, Decider explores the mysterious side of the midday meal, profiling the strange locales and exotic flavors that can be found without ever leaving Denver/Boulder.
Shawn McHugh
Like beanbag chairs, mind-altering substances, and the collected works of Kurt Vonnegut, instant ramen noodles have long been a right of passage for urban dwellers and college students. It’s a damn shame, really. Those plastic-wrapped, brittle rectangles of foodstuff, boiled to near-edibility and seasoned with packets of salty bullion powder, are a pale imitation of true ramen, the sort that’s prepared fresh in steaming pots by street vendors in Japan.
In Denver, diners can experience the real thing at Oshima Ramen, where the dishes are much more complex and tasty—if only slightly more glamorous—than the 10-packets-for-a-dollar variety. Walking into the unassuming shop, with its crooked “open” sign hanging in the front window, it’s hard to believe that it’s the lone American outlet of a popular Japanese chain. The dining area is decorated with blown-up reviews from various newspapers, which hang alongside poster-sized Wikipedia entries explaining the menu items. But what Oshima lacks in ambience, it makes up for with authentic, unique flavors. For nine years, loyal regulars have come from all over the city to slurp Oshima’s wiry, al dente noodles through pursed, smiling lips.
Co-owner and chef Noburu “Mura” Muraishi rolls his delicious noodles by hand every morning, using nothing more than flour, water, and eggs. From behind the counter, he playfully banters with his customers as he works, just as he did in his long years working at Capitol Hill’s popular Japanese restaurant, Taki’s Golden Bowl.
Oshima’s noodles are served in three basic varieties of cloudy, fragrant broth: soy-based, pork-and-chicken, or the fermented bean paste known as miso. Each soup is enhanced with a medley of fresh, exotic vegetables, like bamboo shoots, bok choy, carrots, scallions, and bean sprouts. The original Oshima Ramen, which clocks in around $8 a bowl, is served with chasiu, a marinated pork concoction sliced so thin that the tender shreds melt on contact with the tongue. The kaisen ramen is a must for seafood lovers, featuring whole shrimp and chunks of squid and mussels swimming in golden broth. As if that weren’t filling enough, there’s a hard-boiled egg marinating in the bottom of each ramen dish.
While Oshima’s large portions make for a hearty lunch, it’s worth indulging in a five-piece side of garlicky gyoza for just $3 more. These plump, pan-fried dumplings are a perfect complement to the main attraction, playing french fries to the ramen’s Big Mac. Oshima also features a selection of Asian soft drinks and beers, as well as desserts like plum or green tea ice cream. But for most lunch patrons—especially those who are current or former students or slackers—the main attraction is the fresh spin on those dusty old noodles.
