Internationally acclaimed Japanese ramen restaurant chain, Kyuramen is slowly but surely taking over the U.S.. On the heels of a successful national roll-out (the restaurant has covered territory from Minnesota to Florida) Kyuramen has revealed its first California flagship location in the San Gabriel Valley city of Arcadia. For this debut in this sunny part of the country, the brand has rolled out a futuristic design that marks the beginning of more to come.
Wallpaper* dines at Kyuramen, Los Angeles
The mood: a modern ramen take-over
Founder Gary Lin is on a mission to make a variety of Japanese ramen styles accessible to all. As such, he's set up shop near the birthplace of 626 Night Market, inspired by Asian open-air night-time bazaars. The excitement for Kyuramen is palpable, from the ‘store’ section of the restaurant, past the old-school ramen cart reception area, to the stacked honeycomb booths, accessible by different staircases. White and red paper lanterns with black calligraphy festoon the various rooms, separated by Shoji screen panels. It's the giant ‘wish tree’, though, – made of pine hand-selected by the owner in Asia – celebrates a longstanding Japanese tradition where guests can write down a wish and hang it on this stunning centrepiece.
The food: an immersive journey to Japan
With a plethora of small plates on the menu, the best plan of action is to bring a group so to try as many dishes as possible. Favourites include popcorn chicken, salt and pepper crispy corn, lobster balls and grilled kakitori platters. The new house special consists of a geometric honeycomb platter with five of the most popular side offerings.
Try to book one of the five private dining rooms to snap Instagram selfies with the cult-favourite Omurice – a fluffy omelette resting on a bed of rice and topped with a pork tenderloin cutlet and a ketchup sauce. The other staple dishes are informed by Lin's many trips to Japan where he dug deep into the umami flavours to collaborate on a pork bone soup base for the steaming bowls of ramen and signature Tokyo Tonkotsu Shoyu which, no surprise, has sold over half a million bowls nationwide.
Kyuramen is located at 7 Las Tunas Dr suite B, Arcadia, CA 91007, United States; kyuramen.com