SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Chamber had an official ribbon-cutting ceremony this week for Yuki Ramen in South Lake Tahoe. The restaurant, located in the Bijou neighborhood, opened on the 4th of July.
This is the third business opened by Jared Benvenuto and his wife Lorena. They also own and operate Aloha Ice Cream and Dessert Spa and Tahoe Club Crawl. Lorena, who grew up in Peru, and Jared, who grew up in South Lake Tahoe each have had Japanese influences in their lives. Jared wanted to bring Japanese ramen to South Lake Tahoe since his visit to the country in 2020. For the following four years, the couple looked for the right restaurant location in the community.
Warm broths can be a winter favorite, but Lorena says it is a year-round food. She changed traditional ramen to fit Tahoe’s needs and they offer vegan and gluten-free options. They have a smaller menu than some ramen restaurants and Lorena said she wanted to specialize in a few recipes.
Yuki Ramen offers five types of ramen, six appetizers, and three desserts so plenty to choose from. One dish, Smaine’s Shoyu, is named after pro skier Kyle Smaine, a local man who died in a Japanese avalanche in January 2023. His motto was “Ski Pow, Eat Ramen, Smile More.”
The Benvenutos employ 15 people and are open Wednesday-Monday, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m. They offer a Happy Hour menu and will soon be serving beer and wine.
For more on Yuki Ramen, visit https://yukiramentahoe.com/ and follow them on Instagram at @yukiramentahoe. They are located at 3447 Lake Tahoe Blvd STE. #1, South Lake Tahoe, Calif.