GRACE MCDONALD
mcdonaldge@lopers.unk.edu
If the state of Nebraska were a restaurant, the menu would be dominated by two main items: meat and potatoes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a big, juicy steak as much as the next Loper, but two brothers are spicing up the culinary atmosphere of the Beef State in downtown Kearney. In fact, they are making a living off of what keeps the average college student, well, living. Ramen.
On 15 East 24th Street in the upper level of The Other Side bar, lies a restaurant called US in which Harley and Rico Huryta cook bowls of ramen noodles for visitors from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. I tried their chicken ramen specialty, which never leaves the menu. To create this dish, the brothers endure a twelve-hour process to marry the miso broth to mirepoix, which consists of celery, carrots, and onions. For six hours, this concoction simmers in one pot. Along with the noodles, a soft poached egg is added, so the runny yolk can give it a creamy texture. The chicken is boiled and salted until the tender meat can be broken down entirely, so both dark and white meat are in the mixture of each bowl.
Their menu becomes even more unique in that the ingredients are locally sourced. The meat originates from Winchester Farms in Gibbon and Mellie May Poultry in Rockville. Meanwhile, the toppings used depend entirely upon the season in which they are produced, mainly because they come from the gardens of local vendors. To maintain the freshness of their food, the menu will rotate on a bi-weekly basis, so a variety of over 36 menu items can be gradually incorporated into the list of options for guests.
“We want to continuously push the envelope and show the city of Kearney that you can have a seasonal and local restaurant and have the food be absolutely amazing, instead of always coming and being like ‘I’m always going to get this dish,’” Harley Huryta said. “We want our guests to visit knowing that they can always change up what they are getting, but the quality will always be top level.” Notice that both Harley and Rico refer to their visitors as guests, rather than customers.
Before starting US on September 24th of this year, the Huryta brothers have worked in multiple restaurants to gain culinary experience. Harley has experience working with the USA Steak Buffet, Jersey’s Sports Bar and Grill, Cellar Bar and Grill, and Ally Rose. He has also worked with Fox Restaurant Concepts in Arizona and transferred to Flower Child, a vegan restaurant, before moving back to Nebraska.
Rico has also worked with HyVee in Kearney before coming upon the opportunity to run the Alley Rose restaurant. There, he fulfilled the position of the Executive Chef for the last three years of his eleven years of experience. It was Rico’s dream to start his own restaurant with his brother, and so, US, was born. Eventually, they would like to open up a brick and mortar to provide a layout and service that Kearney hasn’t ever seen before.
“We want to make this experience as inviting and appealing as possible at an affordable price. That’s why we decided to do ramen. Everyone knows what the concept of ramen is, but we make it authentic here.” Harley said. “College students live off of it, and we wanted to make a dish that gives them nostalgia but is also digestible as opposed to the ten cent packages. We just want to feed people. We love giving food from scratch and having people experience eating.”
The flavors of their ramen cause guests to truly savor the tangy textures set before them. If Lopers are seeking out the quality of a fine-dining restaurant at a comfortable price in a welcoming atmosphere, they can find that experience at US. Who would have thought that a bowl of ramen noodles could spark a change in Kearney’s culinary community?
