Boston’s Tiny ‘Crossing-the-Bridge’ Noodle Scene Is Growing (but Not Across a Bridge)

A unique Back Bay noodle shop that features a southwestern Chinese soup plans to expand downtown: Wen’s Yunnan Noodle & Ramen will open a second location soon within the space at 145 Tremont St., right across the street from Boston Common.

Wen’s first opened in Back Bay in May of 2016, serving Yunnan-style rice noodle soup — hard to find around Boston — with plenty of choices for accompanying proteins (beef, chicken, pork, etc.) and toppings. The dish, which is often referred to as “crossing-the-bridge noodles,” is a 150-year-old tradition from the Yunnan province in China.

The restaurant’s website shares the legend behind it, in which a scholar would study on a tranquil island every day, and every day his wife would cross a bridge to the island to bring him his lunch, which he’d often forget to eat until it grew cold, since he was studying so hard. His wife came up with a solution: She brought over chicken broth, noodles, and the other ingredients and seasonings in separate bowls, combining them right before her husband was ready to eat, and the broth on its own stayed hot long enough to cook everything else.

In addition to the Yunnan noodles, Wen’s also serves four kinds of ramen: miso, shio, shoyu, and tonkotsu, with vegetarian versions of the miso and shoyu available as well. There are also rice dishes, gyoza, bubble tea, and more.

Signage is up at the 145 Tremont St. space, and Eater has reached out to Wen’s for details on an opening timeline; this story will be updated when new information becomes available.

When Wen’s opens, it’ll add to downtown Boston’s growing noodle scene, with recently opened spots like Oisa Ramen and Ruckus up and running alongside longstanding fixtures like Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Cafe. Stay tuned for updates on the new Wen’s location.

• Wen’s Yunnan Noodle and Ramen Is Now Open [EBOS]