[KU]: Ramen Izakaya Bar

This restaurant's format combines the traditional Japanese noodle shop and izakaya, or gastrobar. In Japan, people go to places like this to relax with some sake and snacks after work. The Moscow iteration has its own devoted audience, including quite a few members of the Japanese community.

The menu is based on several types of the famous Japanese ramen noodle soup and izakaya snacks. Cooked according to authentic Japanese recipes, noodles are among the menu's centerpieces. Today, [KU:]'s guests can try over 10 different ramen varieties, and chef Vadim Malkov regularly introduces new seasonal versions.

The bar menu has both low-alcohol options and hard drinks, along with trademark cocktails. The desserts are the chef's original creation, also paying homage to Japan: flapjack cake with matcha, pineapple in pepper syrup and sake jelly, miso truffle, matcha tiramisu, and more.

The noodle shop has an open kitchen, allowing visitors to watch their order being cooked. The interior design is laconic, recreating the austere Japanese aesthetic, with lots of natural wood and light.

There are three such noodle shops in Moscow so far: in Bolshaya Gruzinskaya, on the ground floor of Azimut Hotel in Smolenskaya, and at the Moscow City business center. The latter location has a breakfast menu.