Super spicy ramen

LA-based ramen restaurant heats up the Heights with numbing noodles

Killer Noodle serves ramen with seven levels of heat.

Courtesy of Killer Noodle

From Indian curries to fiery salsas and Cajun favorites, Houstonians have consistently showed affection for restaurants that aren't afraid to spice things up. A ramen restaurant opening soon in the Heights is counting on that enthusiasm extending to Japanese noodles.

Killer Noodle has claimed the former Cane Rosso space at 1835 N. Shepherd Dr. for its first Houston location. Scheduled to open October 15, the Los Angeles-based restaurant is known for its tantanmen noodles, a style that comes from China's Sichuan province. Served with or without broth, they're available in seven spices levels (zero to six) and seven levels of numbing, its take on the signature mala tingle of Sichuan cuisine.

"In Japan, there is such a wide spectrum for ramen. There are many different styles, flavors, and quality," director of marketing Yuino Kumamoto tells CultureMap in an email. "At Killer Noodle, all these factors are taken into consideration to provide our guests with a unique style of spicy ramen called 'Dan Dan Men.' The rich peanut flavor, fresh ingredients, irresistible spice quality, or mouth numbing experience (if you so choose) are just a few reasons Killer stands out amongst the rest."

Diners can add toppings such as a poached egg, chashu (rolled pork belly), and vegetables. In addition to its noodles, the restaurant offers appetizers such gyoza, takoyaki, and karaage.

The restaurant grew out of the Tsujita restaurant group that started in Tokyo in 2003. Founder Takehiro Tsujita has grown the company to 18 locations in Japan, along with two more in America and two Killer Noodles in Los Angeles. Jonathan Gold, the late, award-winning food critic for the Los Angeles Times, praised Killer Noodle in a 2018 review.

You try the Tokyo-style noodles with soup, level three (sansho level four), and you like them a lot. The soup is thick with ground nuts, the top is sprinkled with sesame seeds and what taste like chopped cashews, and there is an almost imperceptible funk of dried shrimp.

It is spicy but not too spicy. The downtown-style ramen you swipe from the bowl next to you is good too — a little sweeter, a little more vinegar-forward, with broth a bit thinner . . . Your lips do not vibrate quite so vividly with the particular numbing effect of the pepper.

The restaurant has big plans for Houston. A second location is scheduled to open on Westheimer next year, and the company is looking for a third that would open by 2025.

"Houston is one of the best places on earth to enjoy fine cuisine from all over the world, and at Killer Noodle we want to continue that trend by offering Houstonians a unique, authentic, and innovative style of enjoying a Japanese classic," Kumamoto adds. "Houston is very diverse with foodies who are not afraid to turn up the spice!"

Killer Noodle joins an area that's home to several ramen options. It will be located just down the street from one of Jinya Ramen Bar's eight Houston-area locations. Rakken Ramen, another Los Angeles-based restaurant, is located in the M-K-T mixed-use development, while Las Vegas's Shokku Ramen is open 24-7 on Studewood.

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forme fitting

Beard-recognized Houston chef serves up fresh concept in Midtown high-rise

Courtesy of Lucille's Hospitality Group

Lucille's Hospitality Group is now operating The Branch.

One of Houston’s most acclaimed hospitality groups has opened a new wellness-focused concept in a Midtown high-rise. The Branch is the latest concept from Lucille’s Hospitality Group.

Located on the 12th floor of the Forme, a luxury high-rise at 5501 La Branch, The Branch will serve a seasonal menu that includes a raw bar, daily crudo specials, oysters, caviar, and charcuterie. Those dishes can be paired with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails.

Currently, the restaurant is open to both residents and members of the general public for dinner Thursday-Saturday and during the day on Sunday. Daily breakfast, lunch, and dinner service will be added over time.

Founded by James Beard Award finalist Chris Williams, Lucille’s Hospitality Group is known for its Southern-inspired Museum District restaurant Lucille’s and Late August, its Midtown establishment that earned both a Recommended designation in the Michelin Guide and a Best New Restaurant award from Esquire for its blend of Afro-Caribbean and Mexican flavors. Lucille’s 1913, the group’s nonprofit, operates farms that provide access to fresh food in underserved areas.

"We're incredibly excited to partner with The Forme, because this is about much more than opening a new hospitality venue, it's about helping build a community," Williams said in a statement. "The Branch allows us to bring together thoughtful food, wellness-inspired hospitality, art and community in one space. Launching the partnership through a fundraiser that leaves a lasting impact on Houston makes this collaboration even more meaningful."

The Forme is a 33-story high-rise that’s focused on wellness, productivity, and community. In addition to The Branch, its amenities include a 20,000-square-foot fitness and recovery area, a 9,000-square-foot outdoor pool deck with pool and expansive hot tub, and 20,000 square feet of flexible coworking space.

The Branch will celebrate its opening on July 4 with Liberty and Lux, a fundraiser that will support efforts to paint murals on the Forme’s parking garage honoring America’s 250th anniversary. Tickets, $150, includes an open bar, passed hors d'oeuvres, and an expansive view of area fireworks displays from the building’s 12th floor pool deck.

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