There’s sushi – and authentic Japanese ramen – coming to the East Side next week.
Kawa Ramen and Sushi will open at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 25 in the space formerly home to The Winchester at 2321 N. Murray Ave.
The menu will feature a range of appetizers, entrees and sushi along with four authentic ramen options.
Appetizers will include dumplings, crispy tofu and Japanese street food favorites including octopus takoyaki (wheat balls) and pork buns, priced $4-9.
Traditional Japanese dishes will include seafood noodle bowls ($15-16), teriyaki ($12-20) and dishes like katsu don with fried pork loin, egg and vegetables ($13) and beef negimaki featuring thin slices of beef marinated in teriyaki sauce and rolled with scallions ($18).
There will also be a full complement of sushi options including traditional sashimi, nigiri and a variety of maki and hand rolls and a selection of specialty rolls like the Silent Scream with eel tempura and cucumber topped with spicy tuna, avocado, fried onion and special sauce ($16) along with the Angel Hair featuring shrimp tempura and sliced apple topped with crab, fish eggs, scallion and crunchy tempura ($13).
Ramen
According to co-owner Selina Zheng, the ramen will be particularly special. Staff were trained in how to make authentic ramen by a chef from the Yamato Noodle School in Tokyo, and all components will be made in house, including a long-simmering pork broth made with bones from heritage Berkshire pork.
Among the offerings will be tonkotsu ramen with Berkshire pork belly, soft boiled egg, marinated bamboo shoots, scallion, sesame, wood ear mushrooms and garlic oil ($12); garlic miso ramen with Berkshire pork belly, soft boiled egg, bamboo shoots, sesame, fried shallots and fish cake ($13); a spicy ramen called Hell Fire with spicy pork broth, torched pork belly, soft boiled egg, scallions, black wood ear mushrooms and bamboo shoots; ($13) and a seafood based ramen with pork broth, shrimp, scallops, fish cake, squid and crab ($16).
This is a second location for Xiao, who also operates Kawa Japanese Restaurant at 325 E. Silver Spring Dr. in Whitefish Bay.
Kawa Ramen and Sushi will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 11:30 p.m.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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