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The same person behind an Allston ramen spot is making a push to open a second location in Somerville, at Assembly Row. Totto Ramen, a chicken-based ramen chain that has three locations in New York City (plus the one in Allston), has applied for a license at 465 Artisan Way, according to a City of Somerville Licensing Commission page.
Nghi Nguyen, a former lawyer, is the brains behind Two Turtles, LLC, the company making a push for the Somerville location. Nguyen was a huge fan of Totto in New York and spent years emailing the owners about expanding to Boston, as previously reported. The Allston location opened up in May 2014, continuing the New York restaurants' methods of a chicken base, as opposed to pork-based types of ramen more commonly found in the area.
The Totto menu also features a vegetarian ramen with a seaweed and shiitake mushroom base. Totto offers an extensive selection of additional toppings for the ramen dishes, including bamboo shoots, poached eggs, pulled pork, seasoned avocado, and corn, among others.
