Between the near capacity crowd, smiles mixed with laughter to be found everywhere, and bellies full enough to require a loosening of the belt, the 2025 Denver Ramen Festival was a complete success by all metrics.

From soup to nuts—both literally and figuratively—every vendor brought something unique. As you’ll see, ramen may have been the star of the show, but it was joined by a hell of a supporting cast.

 

The Atmosphere–

Given that a bar was the first thing to greet you upon entering the Stockyards Event Center on April 5th, using a word like “jovial” to describe the atmosphere would be an understatement.

And with alcoholic vendors like Dirty Dill and Beatbox on hand, the party kept going all day. Of course, for people like me who had a decent drive ahead, Celsius and Cool As A Cucumber Mocktails offered non-alcoholic options as well.

After being handed my commemorative Denver Ramen Festival glass and extremely long plastic utensils that had chopsticks on one end and a spork and knife on the other, I headed straight to the main event.

Looking at the size of the crowd that was constantly shuffling between the restaurants in tents lining the interior walls and the food trucks parked outside, I can’t imagine this event as being anything other than a sell-out.

And the dozens upon dozens of vendors took advantage of this fact.

Places like Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society, Hearth and Soul Herbal Shop, and Lifetime Home Remodeling offered attendees the opportunity to make a variety of changes toward improving their well-being through the modification of their surroundings.

But by far, my favorite non-food-related business was Lux + Luca Jewelry Co. The large sign next to their display—one warning parents everything they sold was NOT meant for children—immediately caught my attention. I was greeted by different shirts which read: “All Nazis Have Tiny Dicks,” and “I wish I had serotonin instead of these great tits.” Each article of clothing induced more laughter and more shock; trust me, these are by far the tamest examples.

However, as much as I enjoyed Lux + Luca, I enjoyed the food just a little bit more …

 

The Best Of The Ramen … Oh, And A Dessert Too—

Having been completely broke on a few different occasions in my life, I’m no stranger to ramen. Yet, because the quality of chefs/restaurants being represented at the Denver Ramen Festival was vastly superior to the fine people at Maruchan, I had pretty high expectations.

Keeping that in mind, there were three criteria I used when judging the various bowls of goodness.

First (and most important) was overall flavor—the combination of all the ingredients. Second was the quality of the broth. Finally, I focused on the texture of the noodles.

And I have to admit, the results kind of surprised me.

Sushi Kuro “Smoked Chicken Tonkatsu”: Winner winner chicken tonkatsu dinner! Out of the dozen-plus bowls of ramen I enjoyed, the “Smoked Chicken Tonkatsu” had the best overall flavor and tastiest broth. The clarified, non-greasy stock was kept at a simmer and wasn’t added until service; this kept the coating on the chicken delightfully crispy. Between this crunch factor and the addition of smoked parmesan, this little bowl had texture (and flavor) for days. Please, do yourself a favor and head to Sushi Kuro for a bowl … yesterday.

Jinya Ramen Bar “Tonkatsu Pork With Black Garlic Oil”: There’s a reason Thrillist named Jinya Ramen Bar as “One of the best ramen restaurants in America”; this bowl was definitely that good. With a light broth that held the same level of complexity as a good pho (which I believe was brought about by the increased umami levels from the bounty of mushrooms present), nothing about this soup fell flat. Though the bowls were pre-poured, the pork still retained a good bit of crispiness, and the noodles never got mushy. With a hint of black garlic on the back end, from start to finish, this ramen will satisfy every taste bud.

Cupbop “Black Garlic Ramen”: I’m not going to lie: if you don’t like the flavor of black garlic, you will not like this soup. Luckily, I do, so this ramen was a treat. A slightly salty broth—something I think worked well in the dish as a whole—became the perfect jacuzzi to support (the best prepared) noodles that were bursting with black garlic deliciousness. Also, the bean sprouts on top were a refreshing textural contrast to the rest of the bowl. Look, as much as I love to support local food makers, Cupbop knows how to whip up a serious bowl of ramen.

Sweet Rice Flour “Black Sesame Coffee Choix Puff”: Sweet, but not sweet. A savory nuttiness balanced with a bitter backbone. Every bite of the “Black Sesame Coffee Choix Puff” was a new adventure in taste. The puff pastry was cooked masterfully; a golden brown shell with an airy interior. An interior filled with a thick, dark brown cream comprised of coffee and black sesame paste. I can assure you the pastry chefs at Sweet Rice Flour have cracked the code on the sweet/savory dichotomy. At least, the four puffs I had would say so.

 

Final Thoughts–

It’s clear that for the organizers of the Denver Ramen Festival, both the quality of food offered and the attendee experience were equally important when it came to measuring success. Since the ramen was second-to-none, and a positive vibe permeated the air, I’d say they achieved this goal. And I firmly believe this success will translate into it becoming an annual “must-attend” event for foodies.

But remember, with it being packed to the rafters already, you might want to get on the email list for next year sooner rather than later.