Hakata Ramen Will Expand to Waltham With Noodles Galore (and Perhaps Sushi Burgers)

Hakata Ramen already operates two restaurants — one in Quincy and one in Boston’s Back Bay, the latter of which is called Shin Hakata Ramen — and now it has tapped Waltham for its next expansion. The Japanese restaurant specializes in ramen and sushi, and husband-and-wife team Simon Su and Jing Zhang will be running the Waltham location, which takes over the space that was previously home to Sabatino’s Italian Kitchen at 895 Main St., according to Patch. (They also run the Back Bay location, and Su is a co-owner of the Quincy one, per a 2017 Boston Globe “cheap eats” review of the Boston location.)

Hakata’s forthcoming Waltham location received approval for its license last week, and it will presumably offer a similar menu as the other locations, including tonkotsu ramen, a style that comes from Fukuoka, Japan. (There’s an area called Hakata in Fukuoka.) This pork-based style of ramen can readily be found in restaurants around Boston, including the newly opened Oisa Ramen downtown and Shabu & Mein in Cambridge, among others.

Hakata Ramen’s version of tonkotsu comes with roasted pork belly and toppings like egg, scallions, ginger, and garlic. The restaurant in Quincy also offers a vegetarian ramen option, plus sushi, teriyaki and tempura dishes, and donburi (rice bowls), as well as sushi burritos and sushi burgers. The Boston location, however, has a smaller menu, so stay tuned as to what might find its way onto the Waltham menu.

Per Patch, Hakata could open in Waltham by the end of March.

• Hakata Ramen Coverage on Eater [EBOS]
• New Ramen And Sushi Bar To Open In Waltham [Patch]