Restaurant Review: Rustic Ramen and Hotpot at Kuchu Shabu 

• Alex Springer

When winter starts to declare its inversion-choked presence, I like to mentally and spiritually prepare for those days with a bowl of something hot. Food slut that I am, this bowl of something hot can be anything. As this particular winter has an acrid whiff of apocalyptic doom to it, however, I was looking for something that was both comforting and surprising.

To this end, I decided to check out Kuchu Shabu in Sugar House. Based on the restaurant's description and menu, its mission is to fuse the flavors of Utah with traditional Asian cuisine. There has been a Kuchu Shabu in Park City for around five years now—it's currently closed for renovations, with plans to open before December—and the Kuchu Shabu in Sugar House is the restaurant's second location. It opened a little earlier this year right next to Silverside Deli, which has the potential to make for a great Sugar House power couple.

Kuchu Shabu's main draw is perhaps its shabu-shabu—the popular Japanese hotpot method of cooking different proteins and veggies directly at your table. Each table at Kuchu Shabu is outfitted with its own electric stove top and diners can select different broths and proteins to cook up for themselves. This is an area that the restaurant takes seriously—everything from Japanese W5 Wagyu beef ($99-$135) to elk ($35-$47) is on the menu. There is even a plant-based option with wild mushrooms ($28), which is nice to see on a hotpot menu.

Those in the market for something a little less DIY will want to turn their eyes to the menu's entree section. Kuchu Shabu serves up both Japanese ramen and Vietnamese pho along with a few different rice bowls. Each month, the restaurant features a seasonal ramen, and November's is a savory birria ($18) that will definitely be turning some heads.

When my order arrived, Zach Wojdula the chef and kitchen manager ran through all of the culinary creativity that goes into the birria ramen. For starters, this broth has swapped out the tomato-based acidity that is often incorporated into traditional birria with smoky, sweet gochujang. It's an inspired choice for a few reasons—gochujang most definitely adds some acid and flavor to the protein, but it also helps bridge the gap between this traditional Mexican preparation and Asian-inspired flavors.

To get the birria broth's luxurious, almost silky texture, Wojdula uses the leftover cuts of Wagyu beef and elk that don't end up making their way onto the table. This flavorful reduction imparts some top-notch flavor and viscosity to the broth; this stuff eats like a meal all on its own.

The beef birria itself completely melts in your mouth with each bite and the noodles have an excellent texture. It's served with some sliced carrots and a boiled egg sliced in half. Each bite is a wonderful combination between the meaty, broth-forward flavors of pho, the slow-braised beef and the toothsome noodles. There are so many flavor combinations that I couldn't get enough of and all of them reminded me why birria and ramen can work so well together. I know it's the kind of thing that has even showed up at Del Taco, but it's a concept with so many possibilities—and many of those possibilities are being explored at Kuchu Shabu.

If you're going with pho, I'd suggest the elk pho ($22), because that lean elk meat does wonders when tossed with the Kuchu Shabu pho broth. Anyone who goes for the ribeye pho at local Vietnamese spots will definitely want to check this one out. On the plant-based side, the veggie pho with tofu ($14) is another great bet.

Regardless of whether you go for the hotpot or the noodles—or both—the appetizer menu has a few gems you'll want to check out. I really liked the chicken karaage ($11) and the pork gyoza ($10); both of them pack a lot of great flavor in each bite. Chef Wojdula explained that they use rice and potato starch in their karaage because they're both gluten-free and result in a light, crispy crunch. Served up with some signature bang bang sauce, which is great for dipping, this is a great way to kick off a meal at Kuchu Shabu. I'm always going to dig a gyoza, but I appreciate it when the filling balances its savory pork flavors with a bit of garlic, scallion and ginger—which is what's happening here.

It's no secret that Utah has welcomed some heavy hitters when it comes to ramen and pho, and it's looking like Kuchu Shabu is coming into Sugar House pretty hot. I love that it features a monthly ramen which is a nod to the collegiality between Kuchu Shabu and Silverside Deli, which also features a sandwich of the month. Yes, I know the construction in this neck of the woods is dire, but so is your need for hot noodles and good company this winter. You won't regret a visit to Kuchu Shabu.