Ramen Nagi, a popular ramen chain in Japan with 35 locations in Asia, chose Palo Alto for the first American location, which celebrated its grand opening on June 25 at 541 Bryant Street. There are also plans to open a second location at Valley Fair in San Jose in the near future.

Billed as a "Universal Noodle Creator," Ramen Nagi was founded by Satoshi Ikuta, who traveled from Tokyo to the South Bay to give NBC Bay Area one of the first tastes of his unique creations in the country.