Seasonal summer offerings bring variety to Itsy Bitsy menu

Since its debut inside the Ogden last spring, Itsy Bitsy Ramen and Whisky has amassed quite a following in downtown Las Vegas. Its modern decor, edgy artwork, sake cocktails and overall hip vibe have drawn diners to try its customizable ramen bowls, small plates, sushi hand rolls and rice bowls. But the desert summer’s 115-degree weather isn’t exactly hot ramen season, so a seasonal summer menu is offering some cooler items.

A recent lunchtime visit to Itsy Bitsy, 150 Las Vegas Blvd. North, Suite 100, had us sampling some of the new menu items: Zaru soba, cold buckwheat noodles served with tentsuyu sauce, grated daikon, ginger and green onions ($8); chicken katsu sandwich with shaved cabbage, tomato and spiced tonkatsu sauce ($9 and served with fries); and from the small plates menu, seaweed salad ($4).

The Zaru soba has a very fishy flavor, so if you’re not a fan of fish or seaweed flavor, you’ll probably want to go for something else. A dining companion who had the chicken katsu sandwich declared it spicy but tasty.

Other items on the summer menu are: Menchi katsu burger, Japanese-style fried hamburger steak with mozzarella cheese, spicy mayo and tonkatsu sauce ($10); Hiyashi Chuka ramen, cold noodle salad with eggs, tomato, julienne cucumbers, corn, chasu, ginger, imitation crab and sesame dressing ($12); chicken katsu ramen, crispy fried chicken katsu on a bed of shoyu ramen; and seared tuna salad, spring mixed greens with grated daikon dressing ($13).

Itsy Bitsy has also added the popular sushi burrito to its summer lineup ($9 to $12; ask about the day’s flavor).

You can wash it all down with sake-infused cocktails ($9 to $10), such as Coconut Rice Pudding with Ty Ku Coconut Sake, Kizakura Tokuri Nigori Sake, and Hiram Walker Creme de Cacao White; or Sugar Plum Fairy with Choya Plum Wine, Pinnacle Vodka and Sho Chiku Bai Mio Sparkling Sake.

Itsy Bitsy is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday. It is closed Sunday.

Call 702-405-9393 or visit itsybitsyramen.com.