Akami Poke and Noodle Bar

Was grocery shopping in the store next door when we saw this and decided to get food to go. Decent amount of seating inside for a small restaurant, and outside seating also when the weather permits. Ordered Tonkotsu and Shoyu Ramen with pork and an order of Gyoza, however they were out of Gyoza…bummer! Only about a 20 minute wait, and the food was done, packaged very well with noodles, meat and vegetables in containers and both broths in other very well sealed containers. Food was the perfect temp to eat right away by the time we got back to our hotel, and utensils including chopsticks were included.

The Ramen was excellent, very close to the traditional Ramen found all over Japan. Noodles were cooked perfectly, and broths were delicious, but both a bit over salted. Each had a perfectly cooked egg…with the perfect “jammy” center, and each order of noodles had a good addition of vegetables. The only exception from being the perfect Ramen was the eggs were plain, not the traditional Ajitsuke Tamago Ramen eggs which are marinated in a Mirin/Soy sauce to provide that delicious umami sweet/salty flavor. However this did not stop us from devouring the wonderful soup completely, slurping away in the traditional Ramen eating style!

Update…11 months later.

Returned to Durango, had to go here again. Was disappointed in several ways, big let down from 1st visit.

1st letdown was the wait. There were only a few customers when we arrived and ordered, chose the gyoza this time, and once again decided on the Tonkotsu. Unfortunately both the Ramen and gyoza took over 30 minutes to get to us. Wow! In a traditional noodle shop, everything is already made; the broth the day before, the noodles quickly cook (about 3-4 minutes), and then the rest of the pre-made fixings added in. This is WAY too long to wait for Ramen. However this was not just just our table that had the issue, nor with just the Ramen. The customer seated next to us had ordered sushi, and when she was served, she made the comment “wow…that took a very long time to get!” Would hate to see how long you would wait for food if the restaurant was busy!! (For reference, was recently in Tokyo, went to a Ramen shop…5 minutes from ordering to receiving a beautiful bowl of Tonkotsu Ramen…and the place was packed!)

2nd issue was the egg…again….a plain boiled egg. Seriously? One of the main reasons to get good Ramen is the Tamago style egg as mentioned above. It add that pop to the dish, is seriously easy to prepare, and adds tremendous flavor. However a year later and they are still serving plain boiled eggs in the Ramen…obviously they don’t read the reviews nor care about making true Ramen.

The third issue was the Tonkotsu broth this time. Flavorful, but lacked that umami punch you get from a very long period of cooking pork bones down to get that creamy powerful flavor. Not impressed this time, seems like the broth was quickly made, or perhaps made from a pre-made paste.

So sadly, am dropping my previous rating from 5 down to 3 stars. Needs some serious improvements.

Would I go there again…sure, but probably not my first choice.

Would I recommend…sure, but don’t go expecting authentic Japanese Ramen.

As a Cajun Chef, I can tell you this place is legit ! I had lunch and dinner there today for a reason. I just finished the Colorado Trail on my Bike and I needed some fresh food. This place is off the charts. Evelyn and the entire crew were very nice and welcoming. Find this place !!!! You will not leave disappointed. New loyal fan !! E

Delicious food. Small inside area to sit, almost like a food truck with some inside seating. The service was quick. Food a little pricey for what it was.

Delicious Asian cuisine in a cozy space. Ordered sushi, shishito peppers and ramen, and everything was super tasty. Has several vegetarian and vegan options

This is the BEST place to grab a bowl of ramen or a poke bowl. It has a cute little patio area to sit outside as well. The portions are huge! You can easily get two servings out of one poke bowl or ramen bowl.