The Sunnyside shop that helped kick off Denver’s obsession with housemade ramen noodles is back, but with a twist. The former Ramen Star space at 4044 Tejon Street has resurfaced as Ebisu Sushi and Ramen Star, quietly rolling through a soft opening while pairing sushi with steaming bowls of noodles.
Soft service is already underway, with the new crew targeting a public grand opening later this month.
New Owners, Same Address, Fresh Start
Myong and Soon Choi took over the business on February 23 and have been running a low-key soft launch while they settle in and fine-tune the menu, according to Westword. The outlet reports that Soon previously served as a head chef at Sushi Den, while Myong has earned a sake-advisor credential, a pairing that suggests they plan to lean into both noodles and Japanese drinking culture.
The Chois told Westword they invited Ramen Star’s existing staff to stay on through the transition, signaling continuity for regulars who have been slurping here since the early days.
Menu Mashup: Bowls, Rolls, And Bar Bites
The restaurant’s online ordering hub lays out the new playbook. Ebisu serves ramen bowls, sushi rolls, and shareable plates such as kara-age, gyoza, and tonkotsu tsukemen, according to Toast. The listing also shows defined lunch and dinner hours and a range of price points that suggest the team is chasing both quick midday orders and fuller evening dining.
For now, during the soft launch, the menu remains streamlined while the kitchen dials in systems and brings the sushi program fully online.
Housemade Noodles Still At The Core
Ramen Star originally built its name on a serious commitment to noodles, pressing them in-house with an imported Japanese noodle machine, a detail that the restaurant’s own website still highlights on its history and menu sections. The Sunnyside spot opened in 2019 and drew attention for its fresh-noodle approach when it first hit the scene, as per Hoodline.
The new owners appear intent on preserving that hands-on noodle work while layering in sushi and a stronger sake focus on top.
Original Ramen Star Chef Heads Home, New Broth Moves In
Former owner and chef Takashi Tamai has opted to head back to Japan and plans to fly home in April 2026, according to Westword. In his place, the Chois are rolling out a new tonkotsu soup they describe as simmered and aged over three days to deepen its flavor, as also reported by Westword.
They point to Tamai’s noodle-focused era at 4044 Tejon as the foundation they want to preserve, even as they put their own stamp on the broth, sushi, and sake lineup.
How Ebisu Slots Into Denver’s Ramen Landscape
Denver’s ramen field has grown crowded in recent years, with neighborhood joints and creative newcomers all vying for slurp-credit in local roundups and critic lists. Publications such as 5280 have mapped out the city’s standout bowls, and combining sushi with handmade noodles is one of several tactics operators are using to stand out and draw in broader crowds.
Regulars will be watching closely to see whether Ebisu’s sushi-plus-ramen pivot brings in new diners without sacrificing the housemade character that made the original shop a neighborhood favorite.
For now, Ebisu Sushi and Ramen Star are in soft-launch mode at 4044 Tejon Street, with a grand opening expected on March 20. The restaurant’s online ordering page lists up-to-date hours along with the current soft-launch menu.
