Looking for a new Ramen restaurant to try in Old Louisville? Here's Renshoku Ramen's menu.
When I was growing up, most of the ramen I ate came out of a plastic bag or a styrofoam cup. It wasn’t really a meal — more like a quick and easy after-school snack on days when I needed a little something before dinnertime.
As I got older, I began to appreciate real, made-from-scratch ramen — which is why I was excited to learn about Renshoku Ramen in Old Louisville. This week, I sat down with owners Nicholas and Nicole Robey, who opened their brick-and-mortar restaurant this past July at 1161 S. 2nd St. They told me all about how they got their start, what they’ve been doing with their space since opening, and which dishes are new to the menu.
How did Renshoku Ramen start?
"I’ve been a Japan nerd pretty much since the mid-90s,” Nicholas told the Courier Journal, adding that his adoration started with anime and VHS tapes from Suncoast Motion Picture Company, long before the days of Netflix and Hulu.
“I grew up watching anime and eating instant ramen,” he added. “Then I found out that there’s ramen made from scratch.”
Fast forward to 2016, while he and Nicole were both working corporate jobs. He was whipping up ramen at home and started serving it to friends at small parties and get-togethers. People started suggesting that they sell the ramen at pop-ups, and by 2019, Nicholas and Nicole began doing just that — and it was a hit.
“We did enough pop-ups to the point where we were confident enough with our product,” Nicholas said. The couple had been casually looking for a brick-and-mortar spot, so when they were presented with the opportunity to take over a commercial space in Old Louisville, they decided to jump on it.
Renshoku Ramen serves more than just ramen
As its name would suggest, Renshoku Ramen offers a variety of ramen dishes, all of which are made by recipes that Nicholas has developed. The self-taught chef explained that he researches ramen basics online, then plays with flavors and tweaks recipes at home to figure out what would work in a restaurant setting.
But he and Nicole serve more than ramen. The menu also boasts onigiri, or Japanese rice balls; as well as rice bowls and other items. So far, customer favorites have been the bourbon shoyu ramen and the teriyaki pork rice bowl, as well as the Japanese fried chicken.
Its newest feature — which is also gaining in popularity — is the melon pan.
“It’s like a sweet dessert bread,” Nicole explained. “It’s got a sugar cookie crust on top. I also make one with ube, (the) Filipino sweet potato — just because I love it so much and the color looks cool.”
What to order at Renshoku Ramen
For ramen first-timers, Nicholas suggests Simple & Clean, a basic broth ramen served with wheat-based ramen noodles.
“It is literally just noodles and soup, with a little bit of green onion,” he explained. “(It’s perfect) if you’re kind of intimidated by toppings or other (ingredients).”
He added that guests can experiment with salt and other spices on their own, as each table is equipped with jars of vegan chicken spice; shichimi togarashi, a Japanese spice mixture with capsicum annuum peppers; chili oil; and bonito sea salt, which is a mixture of dried bonito fish flakes, sea salt, and other items.
Renshoku Ramen's owners support a no-waste culture
In addition to being an anime fan early on, Nicholas explained that he was drawn to this career path because a lot of Japanese food principles aligned with his personal life.
“Ramen was born out of no-waste culture,” he said, “and that was very much the lifestyle that I grew up with. We didn’t waste food, and (if we were) eating an animal, it was all of the animal — not just the meat of it.”
Nicholas continues to follow these standards when preparing dishes at Renshoku Ramen, finding ways to reuse kombu when making dashi stock, and ensuring every piece of pork is utilized.
“When we slice our chashu (Japanese braised pork belly) for ramen,” he said, “we always have these two end pieces that are tasty and delicious — they just don’t look very (good), presentation-wise. So, we chop them up and make pork bowls out of them.”
Renshoku Ramen is a community-driven space.
In addition to serving meals four days a week, the Robeys welcome other local businesses to use its space.
“On days when we’re not open, we can do collaboration pop-up, incubator-type events,” Nicole said, adding that they know from experience how difficult it can be to get a new business up and running. “(It’s) how we support others in the community that want to get their feet wet.”
They also partner with local organizations like The Crane House whenever possible. Most recently, Renshoku Ramen was invited to participate in The Crane House’s Asian Night Market on Fourth Street Live!
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“(Being invited) speaks to the authenticity (of) our food,” Nicholas said.
“It’s great to connect,” Nicole added. “We’re not Japanese; we’re not Asian. But we (think about) how we can give back and work with the Asian community within Louisville, and it’s been great. … We feel really honored.”
Know a restaurant that would make a great feature? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.
Renshoku Ramen
WHAT: This is a locally owned ramen shop in Old Louisville that serves ramen, rice bowls, melon pan, and more.
WHERE: 1161 S. 2nd St.
SERVICES: Dine-in, carryout, and delivery by DoorDash via the restaurant website; Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.; Saturday, 5-9 p.m.; closed Sunday through Tuesday
CONTACT: 502-249-2402, renshokuramen.com
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: What to order at Renshoku Ramen, Old Louisville's new ramen restaurant
