Tea shop Katea (3128 16th St. at Albion) opened in November 2016, but shut down a few months later. After extensive renovations, the former boba café has been remade into into Ushio Ramen, a new eatery that's slated to softly open on October 11th.
Ushio Ramen, which translates to "trendy ramen" in English is owned by Kate, who also owns Four Seasons Hot Pot in Daly City, as well as Katea and Tea4, boba shops in San Jose.
"We really like ramen, so we tried a lot of ramen places in the Bay Area but couldn't find one that we liked," said Ted Hui, Ushio Ramen's general manager. "There may have been a couple that we liked, but they weren't in San Francisco."
Kate and Hui said many of the ramen eateries they tried either focused too heavily on noodles or had a good soup base but used MSG. With this in mind, they created their own ramen for the Mission outpost.
"We're going to have our own soup base and everything will be made from scratch with no MSG and only the highest quality of ingredients," said Hui. That'll be our selling point."
When Ushio Ramen opens on October 11th, Hui said they'll have three to four different soup bases; a chicken, creamy chicken, a miso-based creation and a vegetarian option. Each bowl should cost about $14–$16.
"Our price is compatible with other ramen places in the area," said Hui. "Even though we make our own soup base and use high quality ingredients, it doesn't mean we're going to be more expensive."
The menu will include six to seven different appetizers, ranging from drunken clams and edamame in truffle sauce to gyoza.
"Beside the traditional appetizers, we'll have something new and different so we can attract more customers and younger generations that are will to try something different," said Hui.
Ushio Ramen obtained a temporary liquor license and plans to serve beer and wine. The interior will be similar to Katea's layout with high wood-top tables with metal sills, a concrete floor, and soft lighting.
Like a traditional Japanese ramen house, there will be a booth on one side with wood-top tables and additional tables in the remaining space.
For now, Ushio Ramen will be open Monday-Friday from 5-9pm. But if they notice their customers coming in after going to the bars, Hui said they could stay open till 10 or 11pm. They may also open for lunch on Saturday and Sunday, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
