Aoyama Ramen

Aoyama Ramen is a family-run Japanese ramen shop in the Blackbob Corners shopping center at 14960 W. 119th St. in Olathe, Kansas, widely cited as one of the Kansas City metro’s most-recommended noodle houses.¹²

Description

Aoyama Ramen is an understated ramen restaurant specializing in classic ramen soups alongside dumplings and bao-bun bites.³ The menu centers on bowls such as tonkotsu and spicy tonkotsu ramen, with sides including gyoza, pork buns, and rice bowls (don) like pork chashu don.¹ The kitchen prepares its soup daily and assembles dishes to order to maintain freshness.² The Olathe location sits in the Blackbob Corners shopping center and is frequently described as a cozy, family-friendly spot.⁴

Ownership and history

Aoyama Ramen is co-owned by Edward Liu and a business partner who is also his best friend. Both had worked in restaurants for years before deciding to open their own. As Liu told Kansas City Homes & Style: “My partner and I worked in restaurants for years, and we just thought ‘Why are we working for other people? We have the experience. Let’s do it on our own and open our own restaurant.’ My partner… called me and said he had a great location for a Japanese restaurant in Olathe, so I moved from Texas, and here we are.”² Liu is originally from northern China and has cited a lifelong love of noodles as his motivation.²

The exact founding year is uncertain: the May 2023 Homes & Style profile reports the restaurant opened “five years” earlier (≈2018), while a January 2024 Johnson County Post report states it had “operated at its Olathe digs for roughly four years” (≈2020).²⁴ In January 2024, Aoyama Ramen opened its first expansion location at 13225 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Shawnee.⁴

Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-23 · Source: Grubhub delivery menu (Aoyama Ramen, 14960 W 119th St, Olathe) · URL(s): https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/aoyama-ramen-14960-w-119th-st-olathe/7872984 · Confidence: Medium (third-party aggregator; the restaurant’s own menu page is JavaScript-only and could not be independently verified). Aggregator prices may run higher than in-store.

Ramen

• Classic Tonkotsu Ramen — thick, rich, creamy 15-hour pork broth, topped with chashu, seasoned egg, bean sprouts, scallions, and nori ($13.95). The signature bowl and a best-seller.⁵
• Aoyama Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen — pork-bone broth seasoned with soy and house spicy paste, with chashu, egg, bean sprouts, and scallions ($13.95).⁵
• Miso Hot Ramen — pork-bone broth seasoned with red miso mix, topped with seasoned ground pork, egg, bean sprouts, and scallions ($13.95).⁵
• Shoyu Ramen — pork-bone broth flavored with house soy mix, with chashu, seasoned egg, bean sprouts, and scallions ($13.50).⁵
• Shio Ramen — pork-bone broth flavored with mixed sea salt, with chashu, seasoned egg, bean sprouts, and scallions ($13.50).⁵
• Rich Garlic Ramen — a mix of seafood and pork-bone broth with fresh ground garlic, topped with bean sprouts, egg, chashu, and scallions ($13.50).⁵
• Curry Ramen ($13.50) and Veggie Ramen — seaweed and shiitake-mushroom broth with cabbage, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, and scallions ($12.95).⁵

Rice bowls (don)

• Pork Chashu Don — diced roasted pork belly with seasoned egg and scallions ($11.95).⁵
• Unagi Don — BBQ freshwater eel with sweet soy and scallions ($13.50).⁵
• Beef Sukiyaki Rice Bowl — thin-sliced ribeye and shredded onions cooked in ginger, sake, soy, and sweet wine ($13.95).⁵
• Japanese Curry Don — chopped vegetables and ground chicken in Japanese curry ($11.95).⁵
• Crab Don / Salmon Don / Tuna Don — spicy seafood cubes with sweet corn, edamame, pickled ginger, and scallions; gluten-free ($11.95 / $12.95 / $12.95).⁵

Small bites

• Pork Bun — chashu pork, cucumber, and mixed greens in a steamed bun with sweet soy ($5.00). A best-seller.⁵
• Gyoza — crispy pan-fried dumplings stuffed with pork and cabbage ($8.50).⁵
• Takoyaki — fried octopus balls with takoyaki sauce, mayo, and bonito flakes ($7.50).⁵
• Chicken Karaage — Japanese-style fried chicken ($8.50); Bang Bang Shrimp — crispy shrimp with spicy mayo ($8.50).⁵
• Edamame ($5.00) / Spicy Edamame ($5.50), Seaweed Salad ($5.00), Kimchi ($4.00), and French Fries ($4.00).⁵

Beverages

• Fountain sodas, lemonade, iced and hot green tea ($2.50 each), and Ramune Japanese soda ($3.50).⁵

Note: prices captured from the Grubhub delivery menu on 2026-06-23 and are subject to change; in-store prices may be lower. The “Curry Ramen” description on the source listing duplicates the Miso bowl’s and is not reproduced here.

Links

• Official site: https://www.aoyamaramenolathe.com/
• Online order: https://www.aoyamaramenkc.com/

Sources

Disputes

None on record.

Footnotes

1. Yelp — Aoyama Ramen, 14960 W 119th, Olathe, KS (updated May 2026). https://www.yelp.com/biz/aoyama-ramen-olathe-2 — asserts: address, ramen cuisine, signature dishes, currently open with recent reviews. ↩ ↩²

2. “Noodling for Ramen,” Kansas City Homes & Style (May 2023). https://homesandstylekc.com/noodling-for-ramen/ — asserts: co-owners Edward Liu and partner, owner quote/story, Liu from northern China via Texas, ~2018 opening, daily soup prep. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. Aoyama Ramen official website. https://www.aoyamaramenolathe.com/ — asserts: address, hours, “understated restaurant specializing in classic ramen soup, plus dumplings & bao bun bites,” active operation. ↩

4. “Olathe ramen restaurant approaches new Shawnee shop opening,” Johnson County Post (Jan. 17, 2024). https://johnsoncountypost.com/2024/01/17/aoyama-ramen-shawnee-222726/ — asserts: ~2020 Olathe opening, Blackbob Corners location, first expansion to Shawnee at 13225 Shawnee Mission Pkwy. ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Grubhub — Aoyama Ramen delivery menu, 14960 W 119th St, Olathe, KS. https://www.grubhub.com/restaurant/aoyama-ramen-14960-w-119th-st-olathe/7872984 — asserts: current menu items, descriptions, and listed prices for ramen (tonkotsu, spicy tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, shio, curry, garlic, veggie), rice bowls (chashu/unagi/sukiyaki/curry/crab/salmon/tuna don), small bites (pork bun, gyoza, takoyaki, karaage, bang bang shrimp, edamame, seaweed salad, kimchi), and beverages. Captured 2026-06-23; aggregator prices may exceed in-store. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸