By Kevin Revolinski | Photography by Nicole Hansen Photography
Many years ago, RED had ramen on their dinner menu, says Taryn Johnson, operations manager of the restaurant. But during a chef transition, they eventually took it off. “But we had so many requests to bring it back,” she says.
After RED completed its expansion in October 2024, staff were looking for other ways to utilize the extra space and they circled back to ramen — but not on RED’s menu or even as a daily special.
“We wanted to take it a step further,” says Johnson.
The ramen pop-up idea was a collaboration between Johnson and General Manager Michael Fifelski, but they wanted to somehow incorporate RED’s co-owner Jack Yip into the branding. Jack’s name kept bringing them back to poker and gambling themes, and so they settled on the moniker Blackjack Ramen.
The pop-up operates out of RED’s additional dining space on Wednesdays from 4:30-9 p.m. (or until the ramen runs out) and has a limited menu. Ramen comes in two options: tonkotsu, a traditional, cloudy pork-bone-based broth served with smoked pork belly; and vegan shoyu, with mushroom-shoyu sauce and maitake mushrooms. Spice level choices are light, double down and the hottest, Jack Attack. Sides include edamame, pork belly buns and matcha mochi. The gyoza roulette plate features an order of steamed short-rib dumplings — but one dumpling is packed with serious spicy heat.
“It’s fun for a group to find out together!” says Johnson.
Also, a roulette wheel is on hand for guests to spin when they arrive. If they land on zero, they get a free boozy lychee slushie, and if they land on double zero, they get a free bowl of ramen.
