By Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor Published Sep 04, 2019 at 1:01 PM

OK, so you love spicy ramen. But how much do you love it? And how much of it can you handle eating in one sitting?

You can test out your love for the nation’s hottest noodle bowl trend at Kawa Ramen & Sushi, 2321 N. Murray Ave., which has launched their second ramen challenge: a bold eating competition featuring a quadruple serving of chili-infused ramen.

The challenge, which kicked off on Sept. 3 will run through Thursday, Oct. 3. 

Here’s the deal

Everyone is welcome to participate, but it will take a truly tenacious ramen lover to succeed in the ramen challenge. To do so, he or she will must consume a giant bowl of Kawa’s Hellfire Ramen in 25 minutes or less.

The bowl, which will be filled with the equivalent of four normal-sized ramen portions, will feature house chili broth, eight slices of pork belly, four soft boiled eggs, bamboo shoots, wood ear mushrooms and scallions. It will be sold for $35.

Once the diner orders the ramen, the challenge begins. Within the allotted 25 minutes, the entire bowl must be consumed by one sole contender. Assistance from friends during the time limit will result in disqualification.

All participants in the challenge will receive a Kawa Ramen & Sushi staff t-shirt to commemorate the experience.

If the contestant is successful in consuming the entire bowl of ramen, he or she will also receive a $200 gift certificate good at either Kawa Ramen & Sushi or Kawa Japanese Restaurant. To sweeten the deal, the winner will also get the giant bowl of ramen they ingested (and potentially a seething case of heartburn) at no charge.

But don't delay. It's time to get slurping. The ramen challenge will be available for the taking Monday through Thursday through Oct. 3.

Kawa Ramen & Sushi is open Sunday from 12:30 to 9 p.m., Monday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Lori Fredrich Senior Food Writer, Dining Editor

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.