Nudo House
11423 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; 314-274-8046
If it seems like years passed between the time Qui Tran and Marie-Anne Velasco announced they were joining forces for a ramen restaurant and Nudo House opening its doors, it's because they did five of them, to be precise. During that time, the pair traversed the country in search of the perfect ramen, then brought that knowledge back to their own kitchens, where they improved upon that perfection. Their quest led them to Los Angeles, where they were introduced to Shigetoshi "Jack" Nakamura, one of Japan's "Four Ramen Devas" (a "deva" being a deity). Nakamura was so impressed that he agreed to mentor Tran and Velasco, even coming to St. Louis to help them develop their recipes. Upon leaving town, he made a prescient prediction, assuring the pair they would undoubtedly make it.
Photo credit:
Mabel Suen