Popular Brookline Ramen Restaurant Will Get a Sibling That Features Octopus Balls

A popular ramen restaurant in Brookline known for its concise menu of Sapporo-style dishes will soon have a counterpart focused on a couple of other Japanese favorites. The team behind Ganko Ittetsu Ramen in Coolidge Corner’s Arcade Building will open Gantetsu-Ya in the same building at 318 Harvard St., a fast-food restaurant serving Japanese street food.

The new restaurant will focus on takoyaki, doughy octopus balls, as well as okonomiyaki, savory pancakes that can be loaded with vegetables and meats like cabbage or shrimp.

Ganko Ittetsu has not yet announced an opening timeline for Gantetsu-Ya, but the forthcoming restaurant will debut items from its menu at the Japan Festival on Boston Common the weekend of April 27 and 28. (Also debuting some new items at the Japan Festival: Allston’s izakaya Ittoku, which is relocating to Cambridge and making some additions to its menu.)

In joining Ganko Ittetsu in the Arcade Building in Coolidge Corner, Gantetsu-Ya will become part of a food-rich section of Brookline, which includes long-running establishments like Bottega Fiorentina, Rami’s, and Zaftigs. There are also a couple other Japanese options in the neighborhood already, including Gen Sou En Tea House (which just opened last year) and Osaka Japanese Sushi & Steak House.

Ganko Ittetsu joined the landscape in October 2015 and quickly became a destination for its miso, shoyu, shio, and tan tan ramens. Its line can get quite long, so once Gantetsu-Ya opens, ramen-hungry customers will be able to snack on street food while waiting.

• Gantetsu-Ya to Open Across from Ganko Ittetsu Ramen in Brookline [BRT]
• Gantetsu-Ya [FB]
• Ganko Ittetsu Ramen Coverage on Eater [EBOS]