Houston’s ramen scene has grown impressively in recent years, thanks to homegrown favorites like Tiger Den and imports like Jinya Ramen Bar, and the forthcoming Ramen Tatsu-Ya. But one new player has big plans to seriously take over the city’s noodle game.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Agu Ramen is plotting a major expansion in Clutch City, with plans to open at least five new restaurants in Houston and its surrounding areas in the coming months. The Hawaii-based chain has already opened three restaurants in Houston, and is currently working on outposts in Sugar Land, Nassau Bay, and Katy. Also in the works are outposts for The Woodlands and Medical Center.
A few years ago, the arrival of ramen to Houston was a novelty, but now there’s plenty of places in town to slurp a solid bowl of noodles, which may be why Agu Ramen is focusing much of its expansion on the suburbs. Owner Hisashi Uehara has already made Houston his home base, moving to the city from Hawaii, which indicates that he might be in it for the long haul.
Fortunately, Agu Ramen isn’t the only new spot that noodle enthusiasts have to look forward to. Austin’s Ramen Tatsu-Ya is expected to land at some point this year, which indicates that Houston’s ramen boom shows no signs of slowing down.