Ramen Nagi Opens Second Bay Area Location in Santa Clara | Eater SF

"Inside Westfield Valley Fair mall in Santa Clara, I found Ramen Nagi's new stateside outpost — its second in the U.S. and second Bay Area location after Palo Alto — located at 2855 Stevens Creek Boulevard adjacent to Macy’s Men’s and Home. Known for highly customizable bowls and vibrant, fusion broths, the restaurant reflects chef Satoshi Ikuta’s Hakata-style training: he started Ramen Nagi as a pop-up in 2004, won Tokyo’s Ramen of the Year in 2013, and the brand now has 35 branches across Asia. The space has a contemporary Japanese aesthetic with red, black, and pale wood, and it centers on classic pork-based tonkotsu soup offered in basic, black (squid ink), spicy red, or green basil versions, plus a vegetarian option limited to 20 bowls per day. I liked that you can either trust the chef or fully customize your bowl — choosing flavor strength, oil richness, amount of garlic, pork style (sliced loin or belly), vegetable toppings, spice level, and noodle thickness/firmness — and it’s open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m." - Janelle Bitker