Ramen lovers, listen up: A new spot to slurp noodles is now open in Charlotte
A new restaurant specializing in slurpable ramen, Ramen Bar Kazoku, has opened at StoneCrest at Piper Glen with a chef/owner at the helm who has brought decades of NYC food industry experience to Charlotte.
Nestled between Dish it Out and Jersey Mike’s at StoneCrest at the shopping center, Ramen Bar Kazoku will serve traditional-style Japanese ramen and steamed buns, along with sake, cocktails and draft beer.
Owner Hans Susanto has been working in New York City restaurants since he came to the U.S from Indonesia in 1998. He owned Asian fusion and Japanese restaurants there until moving to Charlotte about three years ago.
“The weather is nice over here — I don’t like snow anymore,” Susanto told CharlotteFive, noting that he thinks the people are more friendly and laid back in Charlotte.
Soon after moving, his cravings for ramen kicked in. But he couldn’t find a restaurant ramen in the Queen City “that really has the identity of a true ramen,” he said. And the idea for Ramen Bar Kazoku was born.
“In New York, we’ve been eating ramen a lot the last 10 years — I saw a lot of growth in ramen. Almost every corner of the city had a ramen restaurant,” Susanto said.
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Opening Ramen Bar Kazoku
Kazoku means family in Japanese, and you can feel that in Susanto’s restaurant. He opened Ramen Bar Kazoku on April 24 with his wife, Jessica, pitching in and his parents hard at work in the kitchen.
“Ramen is preparation, preparation, preparation,” Susanto said. “Right now, it’s a very limited menu.”
Everything is made from scratch, with an eye toward balancing the flavors of the broth, the noodles and the toppings. “Our broth is made from the bone. Our oil — we prepare everything,” he said.
When the restaurant grows to full capacity, the ramen options will include:
Kazoku White, a classic tonkotsu with a creamy pork bone broth, pork belly, seasoned bamboo shoots, woodear mushrooms, sesame seed, bean sprouts and scallions ($16)
Kazoku Black, a classic tonkotsu with everything in the white version, plus a smoky garlic flavor ($16)
Kazoku Miso, with chicken broth, miso, pork belly, spicy ground chicken, woodear mushrooms, sesame seeds, dried chillis, beans prouts and scallions ($16)
Kazoku Shoyu, with chicken broth, soy, pork belly, seasoned bamboo shoots, seasoned egg, narutomaki (fish cake), bean sprouts and scallions ($16).
Keto-friendly shirataki noodles are available to swap in for $2 more, and you can pile on extra toppings, too.
To pair with the ramen, a lineup of appetizers will include edamame and gyoza, along with :
Kazoku Karaage, marinated Japanese fried chicken, served with spicy mayo ($8)
Ikageso Karaage, Japanese fried squid leg ($8)
Purple Potato Fries with matcha mayo ($8)
Takoyaki, fried octopus balls with sweet soy sauce, mayo, furikake and bonito flakes ($9).
“Our family loves ramen,” Susanto said. “Our concentration is on educating people in Charlotte that this is the true ramen.”
Ramen Bar Kazoku
Location: 7828 Rea Rd #B, Charlotte, NC 28277
Cuisine: Japanese, ramen
Instagram: @ramenbarkazoku
