An authentic omurice experience at Indy's new Kyuramen location
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Come for the omurice. Stay for the atmosphere. Photos: Justin L. Mack/Axios
A popular Japanese restaurant chain serving up authentic dishes and highly Instagrammable vibes has opened a second Indianapolis location on the north side.
Driving the news: The Kyuramen in Willow Lake East is still rocking its grand opening banner following its August debut.
- The brand, which operates more than 50 restaurants across the U.S., first arrived in Indy last summer after opening on Mass Ave.
- Expect a selection of ramen dishes, rice burgers, Japanese desserts and more.
Zoom in: For me, the biggest draw was omurice being on the menu.
- YouTube travel vlogs from the mid-aughts introduced me to the gooey egg dish, and I ate it no less than four times at different spots across Yokohama and Tokyo while celebrating my anniversary and tracking the presidential election last November.
My take: I'm a big fan of the dish, and I'm happy to report that Kyuramen does a wonderful job of bringing that unforgettable taste and texture to Central Indiana.
- Runny egg lovers will appreciate how the perfectly undercooked eggs blanket the pillow of chicken fried rice underneath.
- The savory demi-glace sauce that tops it brings it together nicely, but it was lacking some of the acidity found in the variety of sauces we taste-tested in Japan.
- It was served with a side of crispy pork tonkatsu and followed up with cherry blossom jelly and matcha pudding with red bean for dessert.
The vibe: Sleek, cozy and photo friendly. Brand officials say they aim to create an "immersive" dining experience, and they pull it off by blending traditional and modern elements.
- My wife and I ate in one of about a half dozen private dining rooms. Stepping inside replicated the feeling of ducking into an izakaya to get out of the rain after strolling through Yokohama's Yamashita Park.
- The opposite side of the restaurant had eye-catching honeycomb booths for gathering with family or friends.
- Plus: They have robots that help deliver dishes.
If you go: 2424 Lake Cir Drive.
- 11am-10pm Sunday-Thursday, 11am-11pm Friday and Saturday.