Sneak Peek: Nami Ramen in Clayton

  Clayton, get ready to slurp. Nami Ramen will open doors Wednesday, Jan. 6 at 46 N. Central Ave., in the former home of House of Wong. Jason Jan, who co-owns the restaurant with wife Yen Jan, took his passion for creating authentic ramen at home and launched it into a full-fledged business. He spent two months working in ramen shops in Yokohama, Japan, perfecting techniques and developing recipes before passing that knowledge on to chef Arron Syedullah. Nami offers 10 styles of ramen from traditional tonkotsu with braised pork belly to more Americanized Breakfast Ramen with a poached egg and thick-cut bacon. Each steaming bowl is filled with a house-made broth that simmers away in 120-quart stockpots for 12 to 15 hours until it reaches the ideal consistency. Customers can also choose from a small list of appetizers like kare-age chicken (bites of Japanese fried chicken), gyoza and soon-to-come steam buns, as well as rice bowls for those seeking a break from noodles. Customers order at the counter and then grab one of 50 seats at the fast-casual eatery. While they slurp, they can sip bottled or canned local craft beer from Schlafly, 4 Hands or Urban Chestnut, or enjoy a glass of wine. True to ramen’s history in Japan as after-hours fare, Jan hopes to host late-night collaborations with local breweries in the future. Nami Ramen will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s to come when doors open at Clayton’s new ramen shop:   [gallery type="slideshow" ids="43451,43462,43452,43453,43454,43455,43456,43457,43458,43459,43460,43461"]  

-photos by Michelle Volansky