Uncle - Denver, CO
Ever since I discovered my official addiction to ramen I can't get enough of it. I'm on a mission to find the best ramen I can find wherever I go. I almost went to one when I was in Fort Collins, but instead ended up at Uncle in Denver. The Prof and I were visiting his brother and he wanted to take us to one of best ramen places he had heard of Denver. I'm so glad we went to Uncle because it was just what I wanted from a warm bowl of soup.
I'll usually preface a ramen post by saying that this is not your college ramen. Although I do still eat that from time to time -- no judgement please -- nothing truly compares to freshly made ramen. Uncle is located in a trendy area of Denver where there are lots of cute houses and restaurants. It's a small cozy place and on warmer days it looks like they have an outdoor patio.
Uncle has five different kinds of ramen you can order, one of which is a vegetarian option. I ordered the Chashu, which was made with a shoyu broth and topped with pork belly (you'll notice I love the stuff), snap peas, radish and egg. I've noticed ramen broths tend to have lots of flavor and Uncle's is no different. The shoyu broth had a nice depth of flavor from what I'm sure is hours of simmering goodness. The snap peas were crisp tender and added a fresh crunchy bite. The noodles were tender and perfectly cooked. The radishes, green onions and sprinkling of sesame seeds rounded out the dish. I would definitely go back to Uncle if I lived in Denver.
My favorite part is always the egg. As soon as I cracked that egg open it was yummy and runny, just the way I like it. I almost ordered an extra egg, but The Prof just gave me his. It's blasphemy that he doesn't like eggs, but that just meant more yummy runny eggy goodness for me and my bowl. We did share an order of the pork belly bun, which was simple and delicious. The pork belly was tender, the bun soft and fluffy and paired nicely with some fresh veggies.
Uncle should be on your bucket list if you find yourself in the Denver area. Be prepared for a wait since they are quite popular and in a small location. We waited for about 45 minutes for a table even though it could have taken up to an hour. The wait times may change once the patio opens up and you can always grab it to-go, which a lot of people did while we waited. The service was fantastic and fast for how busy they were. Loved it and can't wait to have more ramen!