Ramen. Despite its growing popularity in the U.S., the Japanese noodle dish is still largely associated with those savory, sodium-packed, dried cakes of noodles popular with college students and journalists everywhere. While it’s true that pre-packaged ramen packs a pretty big caloric bang for your buck, it’s a far cry from authentic ramen. With a rising number of ramen restaurants, Denver seems to be catching on to the trend that is already wildly popular in many large metropolitan areas. One of the newest members of the scene? Tokio: a ramen house located just north of the Denver’s ballpark.

1. Plan your visit: It’s all in the timing

For best results at this new ramen destination, plan your first visit for an impossibly cold day. Somewhere in the range of 5 to 15 degrees is best, the rationale being that you won’t have to fight for a seat in the cozy, diminutive dining area and also that nothing tastes better on a freezing cold day than hot soup. (You missed the last polar vortex, but no doubt another one is waiting in the wings.) To reserve your table, visit www.mytokio.com/reservations.

2. Order your food: There’s more than just ramen!

In addition to seven ramen bowls featuring various tempting combinations, Tokio offers a large selection of small plates and appetizers from their charcoal grill. The yakitori of tender chicken thighs and onion skewered and grilled is one of simplest, yet perhaps the best, dishes on the menu. Add to the list of “bests” bacon-wrapped asparagus, shumai, gyoza and kara age (Japanese fried chicken); all items that are especially delicious after you’ve sampled one (or six) of their sakes. The restaurant is open from 5 p.m. until 1 or 2 a.m. most nights of the week, making it the perfect place to begin or end your night.

Other non-ramen offerings include a full selection of sushi, a nod to Tokio chef Miki Hashimoto’s past ownership of Japon Sushi.

3. But don’t forget about the ramen!

In addition to being beautifully prepared and arranged, the ramen bowls at Tokio are also delicious, the most obvious difference between these and the bargain, grocery store variety being the texture of the noodles. Heartier, chewier and healthier than the pre-packaged kind, they rank far superior. Try one of these bowls:

• Miso ($15): Pork and chicken broth, soy beans, bean sprouts, pickled bamboo and soft boiled egg

• Shoyu ($13): Pork and chicken broth, soy sauce, spinach, green onions and pickled bamboo

• Curry ($14): Pork and chicken broth, spicy curry and green onions

4. And lastly, don’t forget to slurp.

Slurping your ramen: is it really polite? In a word, yes. In several, it also aerates the broth and noodles and deepens their flavor, similar to the way aerating a glass of wine improves and changes its taste. Slurping also cools off the soup so you don’t have to choose between scalding hot broth/perfectly firm noodles and cool broth/mushy noodles. Many thanks to WonderHowTo.com for clearing up that confusion so you can happily slurp away without worrying that you’re being that guy/girl.

Tokio2907 Huron Street, #103Denver, CO 80202720-639-2911www.mytokio.com

Maggie Tharp writes food articles (and does a bunch of other stuff) for The Colorado Statesman and manages a personal food blog. Connect with her at onthetipofmytongue.weebly.com, @tipofmytongue88 or Maggie@coloradostatesman.com.