Ippudo, a popular international ramen restaurant chain from Japan, plans to open its first West Coast spots in San Francisco and Berkeley.
According to Eater SF, a San Francisco location at 18 Yerba Buena Lane is expected to debut in March 2017. The company has partnered with Chinese fast food chain Panda Express to expand in America.
Ippudo announced in January that it will also take over the former Biryani House restaurant at 2011 Shattuck Avenue, which has been closed for more than a year. The building is home to several startups and a Blue Bottle Coffee.
The 31-year-old restaurant group's first foray into America has been via two perpetually packed locations in New York City; both have similar menus of small plates and ramen priced around $14-18. But each location presents a drastically different interior aesthetic and soundtrack.
Ippudo's collection of restaurants includes locations in Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Malaysia and England.
